The Parker post., 1917-05-05
CANAL SLIDES AT
LAST CONTROLLED
Sunday Work Is Suspended and
Eight-Hour Day Is to Be
Inaugurated.
NOW HAVE NO MISGlVlNGs
Foreign Ship Owners Satisfied With
outIook-Precaution Are Taken
Against Passing Vessels With
Explosives in Cargo.

Panama.-All Sunday work of the
canal dredges has been stopped for
the first time in four years. The en-
gineer in charge considers Sunday
work no longer necessity. The
slides are so completely under control
1t Is further planned to work only
eight hours day on them after
short time.
The fact that no United States
coastwise ships are now using the
canal proves that foreign world ship
ping has found the canal so safe dur
ing the last six months that there has
been no fear to come by way of the
Isthmus. Prior to the slides that
closed the canal coastwise United
States vessels were very large per-
centage of the total for the six months
period that had the greatest number
of ships make the transit. If the
cOastwise vessels that were using the
canal prior to the slides had been u.s.
ing the canal as they formerly did
the number of ships going through
during the last six months would
have been far greater than during
any previous six months since the
canal was first opened
New Sailing Directions.
A new edition of the official sailing
directions for the canal just made pub
lie calls the attention of the shipping
world to the fact that the rise and fall
of ships in the canal locks is so great
that what Seamen call the "chocks"
and ''bitts" on the average ship are
too light and inappropriately made for
careful and safe handling Of ships by
the canal authorities.
"On account of danger to the lock
gates resulting therefrom, the Panama
canal reserves the right" the new sail
ing directions announce, 'to deny pas
sage to ships having inadequate
chOcks and bits as described herein,
until suitable equipment can be in-
stalled at the terminal ports.''
Explaining this subject further, the
new canal regulations state:
Experience. has demonstrated the
fact that most of the ch0cks and bits
are too light in construction, and that
the chocks in particular should not
only be made heavier and stronger,
SO that their jaws may stand YER
tical strain, but that they should be
OF permanently closed pattern and
not be made with open jaws. Bits
should be sufficiently strong to with
stand the strain of ~ inch (diam-
eter) wire line with a pull of $4,000
pounds, and be firmly riveted to the
decks, and If necessary where the
deck is of wood or light plating, they
should have an under deck plate, or
be secured between two deck frames.''
Explosives and InflammabIes.
The attempts to injure shipping at
sea by explosives in among the cargo
has made the canal OF icials strict in
applying the regulations for ships
known to carry highly infammable
cargoes. The new edition of the Off
cial sailing directions provides that
vessels carrying explosives or high
ly infiammable cargoes should so no.
tify the governor and obtain permis-
sion before they will be allowed to
enter the canal. In requesting per
mission for such vessels to transit the
canal the character and approximate
amount Of explosives should be
stated, the ports of departure and
destination, name of ship and party
to whom consigned. This may be
done by mail or cable. In general
permission will not be refused, but
these precautions are taken to safe
guard the Panama canal. .. Vessels
carrying explosives consigned to ports
beyond the canal zone will not be al
lowed alongside the wharves while
such explosives are on board"