Show BIG CAN L NEAR completion navy department announce announces that the panama canal hlll be b opened to traffic next year INas washington hinston the panama ca canal nal Is I 1 to be opened to traffic in the fall of 1913 this statement waa was made of fic lally at the navy department sat arday with an announcement that the atlantic fleet would be rendezvoused at colon thil this winter before the water Is turned in the navys estimate la in based baaed on the latest report from the army engineer engineers secretary meyer after consulting with the isthmian leth canal commission discovered dit covered that construction work on the canal had progressed so far that unless action was taken immediately bore there was a probability ehst the min of the fleet would hare have no opportunity to examine the connecting link between the two oceans before it was la in operation the aiji of the fleet will include railroad trip trips tor or the men throughout the zone |