They will weigh from 390 to 730 tons each. Ninety-two leaves will be required for the entire Canal, the total weighing 60,000 tons. Intermediate gates will be used in the locks, in order to save water and time, if desired, in locking small vessels through, the gates being so placed as to divide the locks into chambers 600 and 400 feet long, respectively. Ninetyfive per cent. of the vessels navigating the high seas are less than 600 feet long. In the construction of the locks, which are now practically completed, it is estimated that there has been used approximately 4,200,000 cubic yards of concrete, requiring about the same number of barrels of cement.

Electricity will be used to tow all vessels into and through the locks, and to operate all gates and valves, power being generated by water turbines from the head created by Gatun Lake. Vessels will not be permitted to enter or pass through the locks under their own power, but will be towed through by electric locomotives running on cog-rails laid on the tops of the lock walls. There will be two towing tracks for each flight of locks, one on the side and one on the middle wall. each (side wall there will be one return track and on the middle wall a third common to both of the twin locks. All tracks will run continuously the entire length of the respective flights and will extend some distance on the guide approach walls at each end. The number of locomotives used will vary with

On

LOCK GATES AT GATUN LOCKS.

7 feet thick and 76 feet high.

the size of the vessel. The usual number required will be four; two ahead, one on each wall, imparting motion to the vessel, and two astern, one on each wall, to aid in keeping the vessel in a central position and to bring it to rest when entirely within the lock chamber. They will be equipped with a slip drum, towing windlass and hawser which will permit the towing line to be taken in or paid out without actual motion of the locomotive on the track.

The locks will be filled and emptied through a system of culverts. One culvert 254 sq. ft. in area of cross section, about the area of the Hudson River tunnels of the Pennsylvania Railroad, extends the entire length of each of the middle and side walls and from each of these large culverts there are several smaller culverts, 33 to 44 sq. ft. in area, which extend under the floor of the lock and communicate with the lock chamber through holes in the floor. The large culverts are controlled at points near the miter gates by large valves and each of the small culverts extending from the middle wall culvert into the twin chambers is controlled by a cylindrical valve. The large culvert in the middle wall feeds in both directions through laterals, thus permitting the passage of water from one twin lock to another, effecting a saving of water.

The

To fill a lock the valves at the upper end are opened and the lower valves closed. water flows from the upper pool through the large culverts into the small lateral culverts and thence through the holes in the floor into the lock chamber. To empty a lock the valves at the upper end are closed and those at the lower end are opened and the water flows into the lower lock or pool in a similar manner. This system distributes the water as evenly as possible over the entire horizontal area of the lock and reduces the disturbance in the chamber when it is being filled or emptied.

The depth of water over the miter sills of the locks will be 40 feet in salt water and 41% feet in fresh water.

The average time of filling and emptying a By French Companies.....

French excavation useful to present Canal.
By Americans-

Dry excavation.

Dredges...

May 4 to December 31, 1904. January 1 to December 31, 1905. January 1 to December 31, 1906. January 1 to December 31, 1907. January 1 to December 31, 1908. January 1 to December 31, 1909. January 1 to December 31, 1910. January 1 to December 31, 1911. January 1 to December 31, 1912.

SLIDES AND BREAKS

There have been in all 26 slides and breaks in Culebra Cut; 17 covered areas varying from 1 to 75 acres and 9 covered areas of less than 1 acre each, making in all a total of 225 acres. One variety of slide is caused by the slipping of the top layer of clay and earth on a smooth sloping surface of a harder material. The largest slide of this character is that known as Cucaracha on the east bank of the Canal just south of Gold Hill. This gave the French company trouble during the final years of its operation. It first gave the Americans trouble in 1905, and between that

lock will be about fifteen minutes, witho opening the valves so suddenly as to eres disturbing currents in the locks or approach The time required to pass a vessel through the locks is estimated at 3 hours; one b and a half in the three locks at Gatun, n about the same time in the three locks on Pacific side. The time of passage of a vess through the entire Canal is estimated ranging from 10 to 12 hours, according to s size of the ship, and the rate of speed at whi it can travel.

EXCAVATION.

The total excavation, dry and wet, for t Canal, as originally planned, was estimat at 103,795,000 cubic yards, in addition to t excavation by the French compan Changes in the plan of the Canal, made sequently by order of the President, increas the amount to 174,666,594 cubic yards. this amount, 89,794,493 cubic yards were be taken from the Central Division, whe includes the Culebra Cut. In July, 191 a further increase of 7,871,172 cubic yar was made, of which 7,330,525 cubic yar were to allow for slides in Culebra Cut, f silting in the Chagres section, and for lowerin the bottom of the Canal from 40 to 39 fe above sea level in the Chagres section. The additions increased the estimated total e cavation to 182,537,766 cubic yards. In 191 a further increase of 12,785,613 cubic yar was made, of which 5,257,281 cubic yard were for slides in Culebra Cut, and the r mainder for additional excavation and silti in the Atlantic and Pacific entrances, raisin the grand total of estimated excavation 195,323,379 cubic yards. In 1912 a t: further increase of 17,180,621 cubic yards made, of which 3,450,000 cubic yards was 14 slides in Culebra Cut and the remainder to dredging excavation at Gatun locks, siltin in the Atlantic entrance, and for the Baib terminals, bringing the grand total of est mated excavation to 212,504,000 cubic yard Records of all excavation to May 1, 1911, an appended:

116,428,685 50,976,485

78.146,96 29,905,00

188,280,31

243,472

1,799,227

4,948,497

15,765,290

37,116,735

35,096,166

31.437,677

31,603,899

.30,269,349

date and July 1, 1912, nearly 3,000,000 endi yards of material were removed from th Canal because of it. It broke nearly 190 feet back from the axis of the Canal an covers an area of 47 acres. Another variet of slide, properly called break, is due to th steepness of the slopes and the great pressalt of the superincumbent material upon th underlying layers of softer material. Th largest slide or break of this kind is on th west side of the cut at Culebra just north Contractor's Hill, and covers an area of 7 acres. Over 7,000,000 cubic yards of materis have been removed from this slide, and it

thought that by the time the Canal shall have been completed something like 10,000,000 cubic yards will have been taken out. On the east side of the cut a similar slide covers an area of 50 acres, breaking back about 1,300 feet from the center of the Canal. About a half million cubic yards have been taken out of this slide, and more remains to be removed. It is estimated that the total amount of material removed from the Canal because of the slides will aggregate between 21,000,000 and 22,000,000 cubic yards.

CAPACITY OF STEAM SHOVELS AND DIRT TRAINS. There are several classes of steam shovels engaged in excavating work, equipped with dippers ranging in capacity from 134 cubic yards to 5 cubic yards, and a trenching shovel, which has a dipper with a capacity of 4 of a cubic yard.

Each cubic yard, place measurement, of average rock weighs about 3,900 pounds; of earth, about 3,000 pounds; of "the run of the cut," about 3,600 pounds, and is said to represent about a two-horse cart load. Consequently, a five cubic yard dipper, when full, carries 8.7 tons of rock, 6.7 tons of earth, and 8.03 tons of "the run of the cut."

Three classes of cars are used in hauling spoil-flat cars with one high side, which are unloaded by plows operated by a cable upon a winding drum, and two kinds of dump cars, one large and one small. The capacity of the flat cars is 19 cubic yards; that of the large dump cars, 17 cubic yards, and that of the small dump cars, 10 cubic yards. The flat car train is ordinarily composed of 20 cars in hauling from the cut at Pedro Miguel, and of 21 cars in hauling from the cut at Matachin. The large dump train is composed of 27 cars, and the small dump train of 35 cars.

The average load of a train of flat cars, in hauling the mixed material known as "the run of the cut," is 610.7 tons (based on a 20car train); of a train of large dump cars, 737.68 tons, and of a train of small dumps,

562.5 tons.

The average time consumed in unloading

a train of flat cars is from 7 to 15 minutes; in unloading a train of large dump cars, 15 to 40 minutes; and in unloading a train of small dump cars, 6 to 56 minutes. The large dump cars are operated by compressed air power furnished by the air pump of the locomotive, while the small dump cars are operated by hand.

The record day's work for one steam shovel was that of March 22, 1910, 4,823 cubic yards of rock (place measurement), or 8,395 tons. The highest daily record in the Central Division was on March 11, 1911, when 51 steam shovels and 2 cranes equipped with orange peel buckets excavated an aggregate of 79,484 cubic yards, or 127,742 tons. During this day, 333 loaded trains and as many empty trains were run to and from the dumping grounds.

BREAKWATERS.

Breakwaters are under construction at the Atlantic and Pacific entrances of the Canal. That in Limon Bay, or Colon harbor, extends into the bay from Toro Point at an angle of 42 degrees and 53 minutes northward from a base line drawn from Toro Point to Colon light, and will be 10,500 feet in length, or 11,700 feet, including the shore connection, with a width at the top of fifteen feet and a height above mean sea level of ten feet. The width at the bottom will depend largely on the depth of water. It will contain approximately 2,840,000 cubic yards of rock, the core being formed of rock quarried on the mainland near Toro Point, armored with hard rock from Porto Bello. Work began on the breakwater in August, 1910, and on Dec. 1, 1912, the trestle and fill were completed to full length, 11,500 feet. On the same date, about one-seventh, or 1,643 feet of the rock armour had been placed. The estimated cost is $5,500,000. A second break water has been proposed for Limon Bay, but this part of the project has not been formally acted upon. The purpose of the breakwaters is to convert Limon Bay into a safe anchorage, to protect shipping in the harbor of Colon, and vessels

making the north entrance to the Canal, from the violent northers that are likely to prevail from October to January, and to reduce to a minimum the amount of silt that may be washed into the dredged channel.

The breakwater at the Pacific entrance will extend from Balboa to Naos Island, a distance of about 17,000 feet, or a little more than three miles. It will lie from 900 to 2,700 feet east of and for the greater part of the distance nearly parallel to the axis of the Canal prism; will vary from 20 to 40 feet in height above mean sea level, and will be from 50 to 3,000 feet wide at the top. It is estimated that it will contain about 18,000,000 cubic yards of earth and rock, all of which will be brought from Culebra Cut. It is constructed for a two-fold purpose; first, to divert cross currents that would carry soft material from the shallow harbor of Panama into the Canal channel; second, to insure a more quiet harbor at Balboa. Work was begun on it in May, 1908, and on November 6, 1912, the last piles were driven connecting Naos Island with the mainland. On the same date about one-half mile of trestle remained to be filled.

CANAL FORCE, QUARTERS AND SUPPLIES.

The Canal force is recruited and housed by the Quartermaster's Department which has two general branches, labor and quarters, and material and supplies. Through the labor and quarters branch there have been brought to the Isthmus 44,394 laborers, of whom 11,797 came from Europe, 19,448 from Barbados, the balance from other islands in the West Indies and from Colombia. No recruiting is required at present, the supply of labor on the Isthmus being ample.

On December 1, 1912, the total force of the Isthmian Canal Commission and Panama Railroad Company, actually at work, was divided as follows:

are

The gold force is made up of the officials, clerical force, construction men, and skilled artisans of the Isthmian Canal Commission and the Panama Railroad Company. Practically all of them are Americans. The silver force represents the unskilled laborers of the Commission and the Panama Railroad Company. Of these, about 4,500 Europeans, mainly Spaniards, with a few Italians and other races. The remainder, about 25,000, are West Indians, about 5,000 of whom are employed as artisans receiving 16, 20, and 25 cents, and a small number, 32 and 44 cents, an hour, and 7,000 on a monthly basis. The standard rate of the West Indian laborer is 10 cents an hour, but a few of these doing work of an exceptional character are

The Commissary system consists of 22 general stores in as many Canal Zone villages and camps along the relocated line of the Panama Railroad, it is estimated that with employees and their dependents, there are about 65,000 people supplied daily with food, clothing, and other necessaries. In addition

to the retail stores, the following plants are operated at Cristobal: cold storage, ice making, bakery, coffee roasting, ice cream, laundry and packing department.

A supply train of 21 cars leaves Cristobal every morning at 4 a. m. It is composed of refrigerator cars containing ice, meats and other perishable articles. and ten containing other supplies. These are delivered at the stations along the line and distributed to the houses of employees by the Quartermaster's Department.

The hotel branch maintains the Hotel Tivoli at Ancon, and also 18 hotels along the line for white gold employees at which meals are served for thirty cents each. At these 18 hotels there are served monthly about 200,000 meals. There are seventeen messes for European laborers, who pay 40 cents per ration of three meals. There are served at these messes about 200,000 meals month. per There are also operated for the West Indian laborers sixteen kitchens, at which they are served a ration of three meals for 27 cents per ration. There are about 100,000 meals served monthly at these kitchens. The supplies for one month for the line hotels, messes and kitchens cost about $85,000; labor and other expenses about $16,500. The monthly receipts, exclusive of the revenue from the Hotel Tivoli, amount to about $105,000.

VALUE OF THE $40,000,000 FRENCH PURCHASE.
Excavation, useful to the
Canal, 29,708,000 cubic
yards.

Panama Railroad Stock

Plant and material, used and

sold for scrap.

Buildings,

Surveys, plans, maps records.

Land

Clearings, roads, etc..

$25,389,240.00

9,644,320.00

Ship channel in Panama Bay, four years' use.. Total...

100,000.00

500,000.00 $42,799,826.00

SUEZ SUEZ CANA