Col. GOETHALS. You can't conceive of any condition that would require the draining of that lake after the canal is finished? Mr. DRISCOLL. I did not suppose there was; but something might be wrong with the locks. Col. GOETHALS. We can close the locks off entirely, drain them completely, and get at any part of them. Mr. DRISCOLL. Suppose you find the dam is leaking? Col. GOETHALS. Then we would have to stop the leak. It would not do any good to drain the lake. Mr. SABATH. What cement have you been using for the concrete work? Col. SIBERT. Atlas cement, Mr. SABATH. Is that a standard cement? Col. SIBERT. That is considered one of the best grades of standard Portland cement furnished in the United States. Mr. SABATH. Where do you secure the cement from? Col. SIBERT. It all comes from the United States-from the Atlas Cement Co. Mr. SABATH. Of what city? Col. SIBERT. I do not know where their headquarters are. Col. SIBERT. Their original plants were in Pennsylvania, but they have plants now in several States. Mr. SABATH. They have plants all over the United States? Mr. SABATH. About how much cement have you used up to the present time? Is it possible for you to state? Col. SIBERT. About 1,800,000 barrels, approximately, in my own work. Col. GOETHALS. Three millions and a half, altogether; that is, for the Atlantic and Pacific divisions and the railroad; all our Portland cement under that contract aggregates four million and a half barrels. Mr. SABATH. How much have you been paying for this cement per barrel? Col. SIBERT. When it is barreled in wood we pay $1.19 for it f. o. b. dock Jersey City; in bags, $1.65, with a rebate of 83 cents for the bag. The contract for the bags was made on the Pacific side; we got ours in wood in the beginning. Mr. SABATH. What is the weight of each bag of cement? Col. SIBERT. About five barrels to a ton; four sacks to a barrel; nearly 400 pounds. Mr. SABATH. So the cement is much cheaper when you buy it in bags? Col. SIBERT. If you return the bags. If you do not return the bags, it is more expensive. Mr. SABATH. But you have been returning the bags? Col. SIBERT. All that were good; yes. Mr. SABATH. How long have you been buying this cement in barrels and in wooden boxes? Col. SIBERT. We bought it in barrels for a year and a half, and lately we have changed the contract to bags. Mr. SABATH. How are the contracts let, by the year, or by so many thousand barrels, or L Col. SIBERT. We ask bids for furnishing so many millions of barrels of cement. Col. GOETHALS. Four million five hundred thousand barrels, one contract. Mr. SABATH. Is that the last contract? Col. GOETHALS. The last contract. Mr. SABATH. How much of that cement have you used? Col. GOETHALS. We have already received 3,500,000 barrels, and we have used all of that except what remains in our cement storehouses. Mr. SABATH. You stated that the contractor is behind in his work on the gates? Col. SIBERT. Yes. Mr. SABATH. Who is the contractor? Col. SIBERT. The McClintic-Marshall Co., of Pittsburgh; that is, he is behind in the actual erection of the gates; the material is on the ground for erection, but the actual erection of the gates is behind. Mr. SABATH. 'They have the contract to build all the gates? Col. SIBERT. For both sides, the Atlantic and Pacific. I should state, however, that they have already ordered additional plant, so that they can increase the rate of work of erection. Mr. SABATH. Could you not have done this work just as cheaply without letting it by contract? Col. GOETHALS. We did not think so, so we advertised it to see what the advertisement would bring us, intending to decide the matter as soon as the bids were received. On receipt of the bids, the price was so much lower than we anticipated-than our estimatesthat we concluded to enter into contract with the lowest bidder for delivery of all material and for the erection of the gates in position. Mr. SABATH. This firm is part and parcel of the Steel Trust, is it not? Col. SIBERT. It is an independent company. Mr. SABATH. Are you sure of that? Col. SIBERT. That is my information; I am not sure of anything. Mr. SABATH. How the trust got away from this contract I do not know. Col. GOETHALS. That we can not answer. Mr. STEVENS. Is there any way of canceling that contract? Col. GOETHALS. I presume there would be by paying the necessary damages that would result. Mr. SABATH. What is the amount of the contract for this work? Col. SIBERT. You mean for the lock gates? Mr. SABATH. Yes. Col. SIBERT. Five and a half millions. Col. GOETHALS. About that. Col. SIBERT. That is for the locks on both sides. Mr. SABATH. How many gates does that include? Col. SIBERT. I would have to figure that up. It includes all gates for all locks on the Atlantic and Pacific sides-about 42 sets of gates. Mr. HAMLIN. Colonel, what is the probability of the disintegration of this concrete work at the locks? Col. SIBERT. None. Mr. HAMLIN. You regard it as absolutely stable in every way? Col. SIBERT. Yes, sir; it is artificial stone that should last forever, especially in this climate. The CHAIRMAN. I understand you figure your water supply sufficient to pass 40 ships a day. Col. SIBERT. We can pass about that many mechanically through the locks. The CHAIRMAN. Does that mean 40 each way? Col. SIBERT. Forty in all. The CHAIRMAN. You can't put but one ship through the lock at a time? Col. SIBERT. That depends on the size. The CHAIRMAN. Could you operate both sets at once if necessary? Col. SIBERT. Yes, sir; the same way or the opposite way. The CHAIRMAN. Suppose an emergency arose in which you would want to pass ships to your full capacity in one direction in a day? Col. SIBERT. We could use both locks to pass them that way. The CHAIRMAN. With as much facility as the other way? Col. SIBERT. Yes; that makes no difference. Mr. HAMLIN. What appliances have you for safely passing the boats through the locks? Col. SIBERT. Boats will sail under their own steam through all of L the canal except at the locks. When they arrive at the locks they will be forced to run alongside of the guide wall, and we will then take hold of them with four electric traction engines, two forward and two aft, and pull them into the lower lock chamber. After they are in we close the lower gates, let the water in, and fill the water up to the proper height; these same traction engines carry it into the second lock, where the same operation is repeated; it is then carried into the third lock, where the operation is repeated again; it is then carried out of the lock alongside the upper guide wall, and turned loose, and the pilot takes her on through. Mr. HAMLIN. The purpose of these four electric engines is to hold the ship steady and not permit it to go too far forward? Col. SIBERT. After she gets into the locks we will pull her over against the lock wall-over against the wall at one side of the lockand get some lines out on snubbing posts on shore. It has been thought all right to just hold her with these traction engines, but she is very likely to be placed alongside the wall. That has always been my experience. Mr. HAMLIN. What are the precautions taken to protect these gates against the ship butting into them too severely? Col. SIBERT. Several precautions are taken to protect the gates of the upper lock-that is, the lock that connects with the lake-because if all the gates were open except one pair and a ship should break through that, then the lake would start to flow down the flight of locks. So we have above each gate a large chain that is placed across the lock chamber and connected with hydraulic cylinders. If a ship goes against that chain, the chain will play out under great pressure. It is figured that the chain playing out under the pressure necessary to make it move will stop a 10.000-ton ship going at 5 miles per hour before such ship will collide with the lock gate. L Now, in addition to that, at the upper and lower ends of summitlevel lock duplicate lock gates are provided that are opened and closed at the same time, so that if a ship, in spite of the first precaution, struck the first lock gates and damaged them there is below such gates a good pair in service. Mr. HAMLIN. About how far apart are the gates? Col. SIBERT. Just far enough to operate; there is just room enough for them to swing in. Mr. HAMLIN. Then you have taken every precaution that can be taken in putting ships through? Col. SIBERT. Yes, sir; more than is taken in the average lock. Mr. HAMLIN. That is, you have taken every possible precaution to protect the ships going through? Col. GOETHALS. To protect the locks, not the ships. Mr. HAMLIN. In other words, you have lessened the possibility of accident? Col. SIBERT. Yes, sir. Mr. EscH. Suppose anything happened to the electric power-are you making any provision for a supplemental power? Col. SIBERT. There is no provision at present for supplying the place of the electric power if it should go out temporarily, but we have four traction cars. If the power should go off the line, of course everything would stop, but that condition could not exist long. But if anything happened to one or two of the motors the other two could be put in. Mr. ESCH. But, going a step further, suppose the power apparatus should be put out of commission-are you contemplating a supplemental plant? Col. GOETHALS. We have a reserve at Miraflores and a transition line connecting it with Gatun. If the Gatun plant is knocked out for any reason and if no current could be obtained from Mirafloresthat is, if both were knocked out at the same time-we would stop, Col. SIBERT. But that is hardly probable. Mr. HAMLIN. How will you generate this power at Miraflores? Col. GOETHALS. By steam; by a steam plant, using oil fuel. Mr. HAMLIN. You will not be able to utilize the water power over there? Col. GOETHALS. We would not have a sufficient supply for continuous service, and as we expect to generate at Gatun all the power required, the reserve will be used only for short intervals of time. Col. SIBERT. We have more fall at Gatun, and it takes more water to make the same power at Miraflores than at Gatun. Mr. ESCH. Would the development of power at Miraflores or Pedro Miguel develop a strong current in the Culebra Cut? Col. SIBERT. No, sir. Mr. EscH. You spoke of a sea wall which was planned, but that no steps so far had been taken to construct it. Col. SIBERT. A sea wall? Mr. ESCH. I mean in the bay at Colon. Col. SIBERT. You mean the eastern breakwater? Mr. Escн. Yes, sir. What is the necessity for a breakwater there at all? Col. SIBERT. Limon Bay is an open roadstead, and is directly in line with the trade winds. In fact, I think the bay was excavated by the trade winds and that such excavation is still continuing. Toro Point being a rocky point and Cristobal Point being a coral reef, these winds are still excavating in Limon Bay to some extent. These trade winds are seldom dangerous to navigation. They stir up a rough sea, but not a dangerous sea, and the east breakwater would protect the harbor from the trade winds. The most dangerous seas that we have here are due to northers. These come directly from the north, generally a little west of north, and the western breakwater is so placed as to give considerable protection to the harbor from such storms. will practically protect the harbor from the worst effect of what we term northers." 66 Mr. Escн. Then, is the primary purpose of both breakwaters the protection of shipping within the bay, or is it also for protection against silting? Col. SIBERT. Well, it is a protection from both. Mr. EscH. Is it of equal necessity for both? Col. SIBERT. If Limon Bay is not smooth, a ship of 40-foot draft would require a greater depth than 41 feet to safely enter the canal. So this work is necessary in order that boats of the draft we are providing for can travel in the depth we are digging. That is one function of the breakwater, and another function is to prevent silting, and still another function is to give protection to shipping and prevent their destruction during these northers. Mr. Escн. Is there much silting in that end of the canal? Col. SIBERT. There has been a great deal, but how much of it is due to the banks of the cut taking their natural slope this material being very soft-and how much of it is due to the stirring up of the bottom of the bay by the waves produced by the trade winds we do not know, but last year we excavated more than 5,000,000 yards and about 2,700,000 yards of it was silt; that is, we only gained 2,300,000 yards in the excavation in the channel. How much of that came in from the sides and how much of it was due to other causes we do not know. Mr. Escн. In your opinion, would the east breakwater materially lessen silting? Col. SIBERT. In my opinion, it would. Mr. ESCH. I saw one diagram in which the east breakwater did not appear to be in touch with the shore. Is that the plan recommended by the commission? Col. SIBERT. A definite plan for it has not been determined upon. The matter is still under consideration and is held in abeyance. It was thought best to complete the west breakwater and see what effect it had, and, if necessary, build the east breakwater. Mr. Escн. Of course, that will have to be determined before the completion of the canal? Col. GOETHALS. In 1907, when we first took hold, the plans provided for the west breakwater to be parallel with the channel and the east breakwater to extend diagonally from lighthouse point at Colon. The construction of the breakwaters in these directions was found to be objectionable as the waves after entering the channel would lose. little of their height as they reached the shore end of the breakwater, because of the lack of area over which to dissipate. As a consequence the waves would lose but little of their destructive force. The plan |