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Show CANAL READY FOR JJSE IN 1913 PANAMA. Nov. 1.1. Th0 Panama canal will be completed December 1, 1011. This information was ?lvon to President Taft today while inspecting the famous tlatun dam. The official date of the opening remains January 1, 101.". Lieutenant-Colonel Hocthali desiring one year In which to train the canal tenders am to Ret . the machinery working smoothly. Ships meantime will he grunted the privilege, of the canal hut at their own risk of delay. In addition, it was announced by the colonel that the report lhat President Taft'8 visit wa9 the forerun-unfounded. forerun-unfounded. Complete With the $375,000,000. The canal will be completed in lOFl. he said, within the sTG.OUU.OOn already al-ready authorized. The president was pleased at the outlook for tbe early completion and congratulated Colonel i;ethnls. Ho expressed amazement ot the work accomplished ac-complished since his visit In February. 1009. Ho displayed a knowledge of the technical details that surprised the officials, hi familiarity dating back tu the time ho was secretary of war. when he advocated a lock canal as against a yea-level system. He wax greatly surprised at the Immensity of the dam pome Idea of which can be gained from the fact lhat the I rain was under way nearly 2 hours on the spur tracks runnlni over Ihe gient rill. The visit of President Taft has utterly ut-terly dispelled any fears gained from sensationalists respecting the stability stabil-ity of tbe dam base, which is half a mile wide and so gradually sloped that It could never be recognized as a dam. Colonel Goethals explained that the informal opening of the canal In D13 necessitated Immediate action on the part of congress relative to boll rales because eighteen months would tie required re-quired by shipping interests to adjust their rates to tho now runtlug. The president expressed himself a.-i delighted to find the efficiency of the workers Increasing daily The canal Is beginning to take the form of u waterway and this accelerates the Interest of the employes, thus hastening hasten-ing completion. Colonel Goethals is not officially promising that the canal will be completed com-pleted In 10111, let contractors delays anil trouble with supplies Interfere, but is sanculne of accomplishing the feat. Regarding landslides In Cnlehra cut all possibilities of their tecunenco have been ended and provided for. |
