PANAMA CANAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1490, 12 July 1912, Page 5

PANAMA CANAL.

• i EARTH-SLIDE IN CULEBRA CUT. , , 6? Teleerwh—J'ress Association—Copyright ; i; v v , ■:- ■: Washington, July 10. : ; ~',k gr«at earth-slide has occurred In t3ie \ . Culebra.Cut in the Panama Canal. The floodiiig of' the cut is likely if there is : another earth movement, in which event ■',■.-," the opening of the canal is certain to be ; Idelayed. ... : ; '.' ; '.'■.... '■ : SUPPOSED VOLCANIC /ACTION. There have been innumerable slips in •'. the Culebra'Cut in the Panama Canal. > This, cut is about 8} miles in.length and the .canal through this portion will havo a width of 300 feet. In March last it was reported that there had been signs 6f volcanic action in the cut. The reports ■; ■ .were ;; dispredited by the canal geologist, who: insisted that the eteain and blue Emoke seen rising from the: ground wero due'to the oxidation of pyrites. -The London "Telegraph's" Now York corresppndint, in a message sent on March li ' lest;.' said:—"Apparently .not all- officials discredit the vplcanio possibilities, as the report of the divisional engineer at the Culebra ,Cut showe. Ho says in : part: Three...weeks agov I noticed material at the .locality described consisting J of stra-tified'eodimentar-y rock, among .which ap- / peared lignite of W grade, sending up ■in the early morning quite a. thick cloudof iwhitp steam vapour. I examined' the Bi»r-tt_day'oy;tw.o'-iifterwaT4s, (l; and ; ''f6und ■ 6team : escaping froni' r numerou's"'small '''openings,..and,, four principal vents, v the emttjlest being 3in'.. in'.diameter and' the . ..largest4.fi. .The .temperature;was so high that'the hand could not be held at the iuputk;"of. l the larser: openings for more ' than-α-secbnd,or.two. The sides-of the' two-vents were incrusted with white and yellow'powdered material, the,yellow ap-' pearing to be sulphur. Within the past Four.'ftr five days the temperature has Increased,_ and palo blue, smoke, instead : of steam, is now emerging from the vents. An envelope held at the mouth of the largest vent for 3 seconds was totally de,'strqyed; and a piece of white pine'held for'3,minutes in the mouth of the largest vent was completely charred. -A little .longer exposure , would probably have car- ■ '■: ponised it entirely." ■ . ■ ■■ :