THE PANAMA CANAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15496, 1 January 1914, Page 7

THE PANAMA CANAL

DATE OF THE OPENING. DELAYED UNTIL JULY. . SLIDE BLOCKS THE WAY. Times-Sydney Sun Special Cable. (Received December 31. 6.5 p.m.) New York, December 31. The chances are that the Panama Canal will not be open before July. Battleships could now proceed through the canal from either ocean to the scene of the great Cucutacha slide, and the commanders hail each other from their respective bridges, but no vessel can pass, owing to the slide. Six months' time will be required to clear the channel. MEETING THE NEW CONDITIONS.. The statistics show that SO great steamships are in course of construction for business through the canal, and that the routes of 30 lines will be adjusted to meet the new conditions. Appended is an outline of what some of the companies are doing : The Ea*t Asiatic Steamship Company has placed an order for seven new ships of 60,000 tons deadweight, to be fitted with elaborate refrigerating plants to carry Californian fruits to Europe. The Holland-American Line has placed an order for two 10,000 ton ships to be used in the extension of the service to the Pacific coast. For tie Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, nine now ships are being constructed for service between Europe and the west coast of South America and California. The Scandinavian _ Pacific Steamship Company is obtaining two 10,000 ton ships and two 7500 ton snips to inaugurate a service between the north coast of Europe and the Pacific coast. A last motor-driven ship for passengers will be built soon, and two more of the same typ6 will follow. The Blue Funnel Line will institute a direct line from Europe to the Pacific Coast, and thence around the world, via Suez. Sixty-one ships are now bein? run. The American-Hawaiian Lino baa a number of ships under construction, and will pa% through the Panama Canal, instead of via Tehuantepec. Twenty-sis ships are now running. The Chilian Steamship Company will consolidate with another company to maintain a line to New York, via the canal. Fabre Line/ contemplates a round-the-world service, via the Panama Canal route and San Francisco. The Harrison Direct Line is building eight modem ships to operate on) the Panama Canal route. The HamburgAmerican Lino will establish a round-the-worll service, via the Panama and Sites. The Holland-American Line will have a service to the Pacific coast, via the canal. Two 10,000 ton ships are being constructed. The American-Navigation Company is planning a line to the Pacific coast) to transport explosives for. the Du Ponti Powder Company. The West Coast. Line will operate between New York, and the west coast of South America through the Panama Canal. The Grand Trunk Pacific is building several fast ships to operate between British Columbia and California. Two large ships, capable of 24 knots, and* of carrying 1000 passengers each, are being built at Cramps s shipyard for James J. Hill; of the Great Northern Railway. They will run between Astoria and San Francisco, in competition with the overland) service of the Southern Pacific Railway. The Compagnie Navale-.de l'Ooeanie is the name of a new French steamship company, which.plans to operate a line of fast steamers between San Francisco and the ports of Papeete, -Tahiti, and -Noumea, in, the British West Indies. This new line will compete with Union Steamship Company -of San Francisco and Sydney, and the Oceanic Steamship ■« Gompaßy^of San Francisco. , \ »