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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (March 31, 1912)
l ' 5 THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: MARCH 31. 1912. The Atlantic End of Uncle Sam's Great Waterway 0 jQ.fuT . - - m'yi ' "Wit "-v--- ;lm COLBERT . . ty T tttj' (Copj-rliht, la br Frtik O. Crpntr.) II I U .Li 0 1 1 I ATCN. CuuU Zon. Pinama.-! I I If -iX . II I i o o -o G (Copyright, 1M1 br Frank O. Carpenter.) ATCN, Canal Zone, Panama. I want to ftv rou a picture of the (Teat work going on at Oatun. Hero la the mighty dam which now holdi back charcea, making a reaarrolr even Umea aa great aa that of the Nile above the dam at Aeeouan. Her are the nighty locka, which will lift the blggeat of th ocean greyhounda from the At lantic to the. lowest level at the end of thla chain of the Andre, so that they may shoot aeroea It and go down other water steps Into the Piclflc. Here Is where our canal and the old French canal, cross, and where the mightiest of th construction work of the Panama oaaal begins. Ostun Is, In soma respecta, the heart of thla greatest engineering work of all times, the ganglionic center from which Its nerves radiate. I cam her this m6rnlng from my I houl at A neon, on the Pacific I rose at I o'clock and rod with th work' men on th railroad along th canal. 1 have -spent all day In going over the dam and locks with Colonel eibcrt, th hr draullo engineer who has charge of the Atlantlo division of the canal: and am now writing these notes on th second floor of the Oatua administration build ing. In plain view of the canal and the locks, and of th Atlantic ocean, which Is rolling up its surf In Umon bay. A Day at Gataa. All day I have been flying over th dam and the works. I have gone up and down the loots In a car run by a gasoline engine I have often ridden under those mighty chambers forty feet and more be low th level of th sea, and under the basins which when tilled with water will aom day lift able as big aa the Olympic n their way from ocean to ocean. I hav been Inside th mighty concrete pipes, each as big as the tube tunnel through which th Pullman train go on their way under the river from Jersey (CKr to New York, and hav aeen th holes as big a a hogshead which will ad mit the waters of th Chagres lnt th floor of th locka. - I hav yisltrd th Atlantic ocean where the canal ends or begins; hav flown across th spillway, and, aver with my life. It Mem to me, resting on th bal ance of a hair and my heart In my throat, hav been carried In and out and over thla mighty maa of machinery which lifts mountains In Its fingers and carries th earth and th waters In the palm of Its hand. Brala-Rarkla eeaea. The scenes are Indescribable. lDven now my head busies aa I look at th flying steel cable which are carrying steel hogsheads loaded with stone through th air aa though they wer balloon filled with th lightest of gas; at th rivers of car plied high with the bin rock from Culebra cut, and at th vast moving net work of steel wire, railroad train and human beings which covers th Gatun lock and th dam. Th Impressions which com through the ear ner are almost ar terrifying aa those through th eve. Th drama of my head ar vibrating at something Hk a thousand movements a second. A boiler factory would be a rest cure In compart , son, and the shrieking of th at earn, and th expUidlna; of th dynamite, th ham mering of steel upon steel and th thou sand notaes of mighty machines ar com bined Into a rasping din that makes one's nerves th only pereeptlbl part of his being. It la under such conditions that I ara giving yoa my unnrenlona and re cording some of the note which were mad her today at Gatun, A rlylna hlaehla View. Let me first naki a rough drawing of the seen aa It looks from tle roof of thia off to boUdlnc on the top of the high hUl Just wer th dam. We might be in a flying; machine, for the water of the oceaa and thos of Oatua laka and th canal, which lead to them, ar spread out below as aa though on a map. Looking to the north, yen eaa follow the ha of th canal from Urn ray right up to th locks, A score of great dredges ar now working In It, and there Is only a small amount of ex cavation, comparatively speaking, yet to be done. At the end of thla channel I th ma sonry of the locks, now almost com pleted, and beyond them th dam where th waters of the Chagre ar rising. There la now only about twenty feet of water ta th lake, hut It Is a beautiful: THRQVGJL 1HE XcdES IN .A .CAR. 0 sheet, wltK many lalanda spotting th surface. Later on It will be seventy feet higher and will cover auch a vast stent that sitting on th steamer aom parts of It extend beyond th rang of th eye. The Lorka at Qataa, Now take a rapid view of th locka They He below us In three pair of gl' ganllo i tone chambers, on above th other, covering a distance of more than half a mile, and containing material enouRh to build a little city of sky scrapers. Th material Is concrete and it looks like stone. Connected with that In th dam its amount I altogether more than IOUO,OOI cublo yards, or mor than enough to make a wall a1x feet wide and alx feet high of solid concrete from New York to Washington. The dam alone contains mora than 11,000,000 cubic yards of material, and enough earth haa been put there to build a roadway a foot thick and nine feet wide. If earth and rock could bo laid on th water, from Shanghai In China serosa th Pacific ocean to the United State, and across th United State and th Atlantlo to Europe, and 1,00ft mile farther on Into th heart of that continent. Looking at the dam and the locks from here, you get a taint conception of their immensity and ooet. This tropreaatoa will be even leas when tha water I turned la. Then everything will be bidden and It will be hard to realise that Ml0,0M fSO.400,000 bar been spent In making th construction now lying below a. Th 1,000, one cublo yards of concrete alone, so Colonel Elbert tells me. cost something Ilk ft per yard, or tHO00,Jo. while th excavation coat upward of !,- M,0M mora Th gate to all the locks of th canal ar t coat over t0W,OMl This Is a pretty penny, and It I only when you e th mighty doors, as tall as sn eight-story house, made In hun dreds of thousands of piece, fitted to gether like a watch, that you realise where that money haa gone. A Look at th Dam. But let me give you a look at the dam. It Is more Ilk th aide hllla of a great field plowed by the god than Ilk any kind of masonry construction. It la. In tact, a mountain of earth and rock, which the alave of Uncle 8am' Aladdin lamp hav lifted up bodily and dropped down between two other little mountain, shut ting In th valley of the Chagroa and making a lake which will be 1M square miles In ex ten U, It I a dam of earth and reck, a mighty mound of excavated ma terial a mile and a half long and a half mil wide at th base. It will b less than M feet high. The ground slopes up gradually from th lake and atop grad ually down on tbo other aide. It Is mor Ilk a hill thaa anything elaa. Ilk a bar rier created by nature rather than man. At the top It will bo only m feet wide. and tha water wfll aom within perhaps thirty feet of It At the back, or facta th Atlantic M will probably bo smoothed off and sodded; and. aa Cotoael abort facetiously says. It might be turned Into golf links, using th alllway for1 a Aad now Just a word about th spill way. Thla th overflow of th dam. It Is light In th center and It con- ststa of a concrete-lined opening, a lit tle mor than a quarter of a mile lone and tut feet wide, whlea run down through the dam to a point about ten feet above sea level. The crest of the dam will be lit feet above that level. The spillway dam will be fitted with gate: and th machinery which will regulat th water level of th lake. This susonry Is all In place, ft I Semi circular In snap and It look as If It were made f Derrea sandstone. Xafclac Xoaatalau In my trip today I waa shown how the dam was constructed. By a snoceaslou of ta th raMroad track leads ta it top and w rode here and there all over It, There are two great walla of exca vated material made up of the mighty masses of rock and other spoil from the Culebra cut. These form a reservoir, aa It were, which Is being tilled with clay and aand and other stuff dredged from the lake and also from the land outside It Is carried Into th basin or cor of the dam between plica of loose rock dumped out by th cars. During our trip over the works ws rod out to where th suction dredge wer gouging out th sides of th mountain, mixing It with water and forcing It through a pip Into th dam. Th pip was aa big around aa a flour barrel and a mile or so long.' It msde m think of a boa constrictor or of th dragon which guarded th golden apples of Hesperldes. This mighty boa vomits black earth at th rat of thousands ot tons every day Into th core. Will It Hold th Water f As ws looked I talked with Colonel I bert about the dam, and be gave m lecnnicai aiscnption from which I am convinced It will hold back th waters of the Chagre for all tun to come. II say that th earth In th cor I th am a that which forms th bottom of the lake. The nglneera mad drillings. but they found that there waa 2St feet ot such material above th bad rock and that a concrete dam waa Impossible. They then tested th earth to see whether It would hold water, and It did. They analysed It and found that much of It contained blue clay, and they hav dis covered that some of It waa formed by th silt from th Chaxree, and other part by th sea, which one cam up here In th form ot a great bay. As aa evidence of thla I saw sea shells dug up by the steam shovel below the locks dur ing ray trip this morning. Th blue clay which forma a part of this earth la absolutely waterproof. In one place th engineers found th trunk of a trre Imbedded In It Th log wss flfty-slx feet below sea level, but It waa not In th least affected or decomposed It had evidently lain ther for thousands and possibly millions of years, and had th water rot tea to It it would hav atted away. When th dam Is completed th central portion ot It, or core, will be mad of earth containing material Ilka this, and th part la front and behind thla will bo ot th excavated apoll, filled with the other material mad up ot th silt from th Cbsgres. Th dam material haa, as I have said. been tested, and ther la no doubt but that It will hold the water, although a treat eonat ruction could not bo erected upon It. It is only owing to th rocky hill In th center of th dam thatt he spillway could bo created. Th concrete of th spillway l founded a rock, aad It looks as though the Lord, when He crest' d this part ot th earth, dropped that rocky hill her In order that man might he able to create a water highway from ocean to ocean, Problem One of roaatrwetlaa. A w went over thla vast work, squint Ing our eye to keep out th flying sand from th myrlada of spoil train Which flew by us, I asked Colonel Blhert If th dam waa not th most wonderful ever created, ne repueo mat It waa in targ sat dam ever planned, but that the prob lem of making It waa on of construction rather than of engineering. It was a question of accomplishing a vast amount of work within a abort time rather thaa one ot difficult engineering. Tha prin cipal problem dealt with the handling of th material, but In other way the con strucllon waa no more difficult than that ot any complicated ptee of big engineer ing, and not aa difficult a aom. I her asked Colonel 81 bert when th dam would bo finished, and as to Just when the canal would b really opened. He replied: "Aa to the canal, th president has told th people that It will be opened on July n, 1919. That may be eo. I certainly know that It will bo so aa ta this part ot th work, locks, dams aad all." And Just here I want to aay a word about Colonel 81 bert H I on of th best equipped etvll and mechanical en gineers of his una and he has mad a reputation a aa hydraulic engineer tor his work her at Oatun. H has hsd charge of what I known as the Atlantic division, Including th Impound ing of ths waters of th Chagrea and th construction of th canal from hers to th sea. Colonel 81 bert I a graduate of Wast Point, and he began his en gineering career at the time he left the academy. He mad aom reputation In connection with the great locka at th 8oo, which he aided In building, and also In th rebuilding of th railroad In cen tral Loxon at the clone of our war with th Spaniards. After that h had chant of the construction of th dam on th Ohio at Pittsburgh and ot the other river Improvement ther. It la now aver ft year sloe h cam to Panama. He a man who should know whereof speaks, and hi remark that this part of th canal will be completed on time Indi cates that It I on ot th sure thing of th future. Threaah Laeka aa Holler Coaster. Tou all know the devlliah roller coaster. I mean the billowy Utile railway of th aummer resort whoso tracks run uphill and down and wind about Ilka a snake ssndfng th heart of th passenger to th root of his mouth. This In a feeble way will give you an Idea ot my lido In a motor car through th locka Th steps taken by th steamer In getting over th mountain from oceaa to oceaa we ascended and descended on a railroad track. Wo would climb up and dive down forty feet at a time, and above t.s rou!d be machinery carrying Iron and atone. On both side of the locks rose great wails of masonry which made one think of th aid of th Washington mon ument a he looked above him. Now the car would take a turn and we would hoot down through the nuchty tube which will let In the water, and now w were at time under th very bed ot the lock. Wa went up to the galea, which are now awarmlng with workmen, and aa I looked at the nen th engineer told me that each leaf weighed W0 tons, making 1.3W tons for each gate. Nevertheless, they ar so delicately poised that they move aa easily aa a girl opens a fan after a hot dance on a Saturday night at the Tivoll hotel. Each of those gates weighs l.Ko tons. I laugh aa I think how one ot them would bavo rattled old Samson, who bore away th brass gate of daxa on his bark. A ton la a good wagon load for two horses. Break those sates Into pieces and It will tak 1000 horses to pull them, From Lock t the Atlaatle. Leaving the loots we transferred ur motor car to the construction tracks lead ing down to the Atlantic and ran along the hanks ot the canal where It cornea I up to" the locks. W atopped awhile at th point where th eld French canal crosses It, and going on lose Itself In the dam. Hera tha excavation Is almost com pleted, although a score of' mighty dredges can be seen working clear out Into Umon bay. , Th canal her la about deep enough tor the most of ths wy, but dredging hsa to be don tor five mile out Into the Atlantic and ther I a llttl batch of something Ilk M.00O.OM cublo yard of dirt between her and th lorka Thirteen million cublo yards would Mil a tunnel three feet wide and three feet deep running straight through th glob only a llttl above th equator, but that I only a email thing hare, where figures aummlng Into tena of million ara dealt with. FRANK O. CARPENTER. FAT VANISHES ONE ROUND A DAY BY row MU9LI1S TBWATKZsTT GET MY FRKE BOOK. IXIMMUNCK RKUICINQ AT OXCK SiS.OOO.OO IN GOLD IF I FAIL TSKW OW THOU1AWDS OP O&ATrrVT. PATBOsTS PBOCLklSt TSTB WOaT DBOOS SKUvUMM PAT TBEATaUBT TBS CUKAX OP BPriCISBCT. Maa aa Odd Pot. A mouse two Inches long, with a tiny red bow about Its neck, wa carried In th hand of John T. Power Into th lobby of tbo Van Nuys hotel In Los Angtlea When sn Inqulaltlv young woman nv th mouse was alive there waa a scream that echoed through the peaceful corri dors and a swirl of skirts and a hasty exit. As a crowd of guests gathered. Power exhibited his pocket pet and detailed Its history. "I procured th mouse In El Paao," he said, "as he ran through my room on night. Hlnoe then he ha been my con stant companion. I have taught him to atay on my hand whenever I take him out of my pocket and I feed him three times a day. ilia chleC diet la milk, cheese and bacon. 1 have named hlra Billy. He sleeps at the foot of my bed In a basket. I have taken him to the opera and th theater several tlmea. He seems to taks mor kindly to muslo thsn to th drama." Powers then prodtioed a spoon and gave Hilly a drink of water, transferring him afterward to hi pocket. I Looked a Pat aa aa Ox Before I Be- dnced aty Weirht With My Oreat Brafleea Combination Treatment. TBB JOT OP tTTIIfO II TBB BSBXT ABB OP TBB X.BAH I WAS TOUT, AHD X BBOW. My frlenda wer charitable and called II obeeityi others sold I waa rJTOVT. but know. It waa Just bulky fat. I waa miserable, and so re you If too etout To reduce your weight, you muat uo aa i ain. a rvvnu TBB kUIB TBB BIST WAS TA8T. He- fore I succeeded. 1 tried everything within and aome thlnga beyond rea son. It waa maddening, dlaruatlng, alarming. All I had to do wa to remove the cause, and I swear under oath, that by my elmnl treatment, without druga, medicine, nerve wracking exer riaee. or atarvatlon diet, I reduced my enormous weight permanently, quickly and positively without harm to myself while taking treatment or afterwards, and I guarantee that you caa reduce as little or aa murk fat aa you dealre, with my treatment just as i oio- TBTB VOOBa A iAiT. With my safe, sensible and natural treatn.vnt quick and permanent reeulia are pleasantly obtained without strap, helta, cups, wires. Jacket weal In x. elec tricity, aoap. salts, pills, oil, cathartic druga or medicinea of any deaortptlon. making It positively the greatest treat ment the world haa ever known. If you ar Intereated In your bapplnea health Beret Am After Bedaolnf sty B-aoraov Ws'ght Quickly and Wlthoat Barm With aty srugless Bom Treatment and figure, you will let me tell you how to reduc fat "Nature a Way," th true way, my way. It Is astonishing th thousand of grateful letter I ant receiving. 4. E, Holaell Box 111, Oreat Bend, Kan wrltea he lost fifty pounda with my harmleaa treatment W. L Bchmlta. Mon tevideo, Minn., loat w pounds In thirty days. Mamie ktcNelly. De loce. Ma, lost elxry-flv pounds. Mr Daisy 8mlth. Ia Angel, lost l4 pounds safely, and 1 can refer to thousand of aatlafled customer everywhere. BBTTZB OP PAT BBPOBJI PAT OBTB BIB OP TOP. 1 hav printed a book, entitled "Weight Re duction Without Drug" which I sead fro and prepaid, so that you may know of my sue ressful treatment and be able to reduc your weight secretly at homa without harmful xr eieea, atarvatlon diet, drugs or n.edlclnee. Thla intereetlna book I free to all fat persona, so writ this very dy for your copy: don't de lay. Her Is what you have long sought. Why seek eleewhereT Write today, later n ay be too late, t offer in, eaeh If I fall to pro my groat drfla ntik aaythtag but safe, uiok aa4 analee la fat-redaetioa. Write todan for my free book. MABJOB1B stABBfe. TOB, ftSA a B. Blag Beaver, Colo... This la th New War th lnt stop rarest ) I aaile and It Nourish th bowel-nervea: (don't purge with salt, aperient and " Civilized VayW'x 'ar the alsntaed wa .ta sasiefa th bowata M many attendant VU BlricRtumY no aaa weaaan your ay- BBBaBBBBBBBBmmamsBBaammmmana or OH, nur sulphur, conoon- . . r I 1 RTllA with Casoartn, Jjlarfc Cherry f 1 nT rll 1 1 linger, etc. in Blackburn VU)vttlUiU UaUj Royal-Pill makes th on T W TJW " p"lf jhysl fer ol and youoc.Tbey I I I VhYnVr' lo. Ma at all drua wE&BtSSSSESWBKtA (1st TBB I ACT AaU.T. Remedies are Needed War w perfect, which wa ar not, reediciaes weald ot oft be needed. Rut iae oar rest ens her be oae weakened, in paired aad broke down through Mertioa which save fea aa tram th Hy sfei, throuxa aaaaUms reaereboos, rested ics are needed to aaa' Nsrer in corrertUf. or raberite aaa otherwhw T" week. less. Te reach th seat ml stomach weakneea and ooa.eqo.at digestiv troubles, ther ia aoiluaf food as Dr. Pierce's Golden Medical Dieoov- wry, a aiyceno eampewad, extracted from astir modi. i OTr hMty yemrt w1tk l" wiefsetioa to sll mere. P vt mx at lach, BOiammem, Liver Complaint, Pais m th Stomach after fm, - . """ "i ot mm, uunai Diarrhea sad t?w Jjtreetmel Dereafeeaeats, the tHsoevwry" ia a Urnc-prove sad aaast t&emat rwaasoy. -it Tbe ienaln hm on Its ouiMiae wrapper tat Slimmttirm can't afford to accrpt a stent nostrum as a soke ti rote lor this asa also bona, msdisia or vnm covroe -io-, not va though th argent areler mey thereby make little biJer proat. Dr. Pwros'i PUaasat Pellet refusal aad iswiforata stomach, tint aaj owals. Sugar-costcd. tiny (raank, eery to take ta esady. " Sinm , Those drooping " idle ; hour" lines and that j "carefully careless" air which mark the finest English tailoring mark I "HIGH-ART" Clothes. No "stove-pipe " stiffness I about a "HIGH-ART" Suit. 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