THE PANAMA CANAL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14237, 3 March 1917, Page 5

THE PANAMA CANAL.

llie following particulars concerning the present conditions at the Panama Canal have been recently received m Dunedin m a letter from Christobel dated 18th December, 1916 :— "The Panama Canal is now m V condition to *ft J a""*rant the utmost confidence, and from personal observatiAn' I should say that there is not the least likelihood of further delays on account bf slides m the Culebra Cut. The earth movements *are now very slight, with increasing periods of rest between, and the dredging division has been able not only to keep the channel open, but to increase it's width and depth to such an extent that if ' a slide was to take plaoe it. is ye_-y unlikely that it would interfere with the passage of shipping. In that ■part of the cut where the last big glides took place, and where a few mouths v ago there was barely room for large steamer* to pass through, there is now. a channel 500 ft wide. This section is to be widened to such an extent, that m the event of further nlide s coming m there will be ample channel left for the transit of shipping; also' it SHU be .possible for steamers to turn round at this point. Dredging is "'going on .till the time, but now this does not m any* way interfere with the traffic^ as there is plenty of room right til rough the cut. The fact that these encouraging conditions have come into' existence .during the rainy season, which is now over, goes a long way to "prove that the dredging fleet is quite capable of "taking care of anything m the way' of' a Slide which may take place m the future."