CoL. GEO. W. GOETHALS ha " WILSON DAM By ELMO SCOTT WATSON ROM the earliest days of the Repub lie, in speaking of some great con- struction project, to say that “the army engineers built it” has been equivalent to saying that here was a piece of work accomplished with the utmost in efficlency, economy and honesty. Therefore, during the last administration, when it was pro- posed to transfer river and harbor improvement projects from the corps of engineers In the War de partment to a division of public works in an- other executive department, there was an im- mediate protest from those who had the best reason to know how valuable were the services of the army engineers in this work and what the result of such a transfer might be upon those very factors of efficiency, economy and honesty. To many Americans “rivers and harbors work” is synonymous with “pork barrel legislation” by congress. What they do not realize is that for more than a quarter of a century the corps of engineers of the United States army has heen the watchdog which has kept rivers and harbors projects from being just that, Its board of engineers on rivers and harbors fune- tions as a sort of supreme court In waterway matters submitted to them by congress. From June 13, 1002, to March 81, 1928, this board of engineers has reported on 2377 waterway pro} ects. Of these only 805 reports were favorable as compared to 1572 that were unfavorable, In other words, these army engineers turned down two out of every three projects submit- ted to them. And the degree of confidence which congress has in the Integrity and judgment of the army engineers Is shown by the fact that during the last 10 years in less than half a dozen cases has congress authorized the pro} ects upon which the board of engineers on rivers and harbors had presented an adverse report. Perhaps one reason why the corps of engl neers stands so high In the estimation of both government officials and the public lies in the fact that the efficiency and the honesty of the army engineer has become proverbial. Millions and millions of dollars of public money have been expended under their direction without the slightest breath of scandal or question as to their ability. And perhaps another reason for this confidence lies In the close association of the corps of engineers with the United States Military academy at West Point where the mot. to is “Duty-Honor-Country"-—Duty—the bed- rock upon which their character Is founded and their careers are built; Honor—the barrier. in. vigible but Invincible, which sets the bounds to their activities; Country—that august, god- like mistress to whose service thelr lives are dedicated and for whose safety they would lay down their lives In case of need. The academy at West Point was founded In 1802 as a school for engineers of the United States army, it being the first engineering school in this country. And from the beginning it has been those who have won honors, “the cream of the crop” of new officers, who have been given the privilege of entering the corps of engineers In the army. So there has grown up a set of traditions and an esprit du corps that Is difficult to duplicate anywhere In the world. Of the corps It has been said “One of the most wonderful records In the history of the human race is that out of all the thousands of men who have served in the corps of engineers dur. ing its century of existence, only one man has ever broken through that invisible barrier of honor.” The contribution of the corps to publie sery- fee covers a multiplicity of things: Mapping, ex- plorations and surveys; public bulldings and city engineering: roads; railways; bridges; siege w ; explosives; camouflage and decorative mical engineering; mechanical and elee- THE LINCOLN WASHINGTON MONUMENT ! UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN 1867 trical engineering: power plants: field engineer ing; seacoast defenses and shipping; marine de. sign and operation of hoat lines and waterways, it would be impossible within the space of this article to list all of the projects which stand as enduring monuments to the engineer corps of the army, but here are some of their out- standing achievements: The Panama canal—At first It was under the control of civillan engineers but the men who conquered difficulties which seemed almost in- superable and pushed through to a triumphant conclusion the greatest engineering project the world has ever seen were army engineers. In the minds of Americans there will forever be associated with the name of the Panama canal the name of an army engineer, Col. George W. Goethals, who organized the work, solved com- plicated engineering problems and problems of supply, personnel and finance and completed the construction of the canal ahead of the esti mated time, The work was organized in three divisions as follows: the Atlantic division under Sibert where was built the Gatun dam, the world's largest earth dam, and the Gatun locks, also the world's largest; the Pacific division under Williamson, which included three locks of the same size bot requiring less concrete; and the Central division under Gaillard, which included the Culebra (now Galilard) cut, the world's largest single excavation, The total cost of the Panama canal was $370.- 000,000. The total amount of concrete placed was 5,000,000 cuble yards, the equivalent of a wall 8 feet high and 3 feet wide running clear across the continent, from New York to San Francisco. The total excavation work was 240. 000,000 cubic yards. Another big Job which the army engineers did and did with thelr accustomed thorough- ness was in connection with the American Ex- peditionary Force in the World war, Under the leadership of Langfitt, Taylor, Patrick and Jad- win, here are some of the enormous engineer. ing problems of construction and supply which the corps was called upon to solve: the build. ing of 907 miles of rallways: the construction of 600 miles of light railways and the operation of 2000 more miles of the same class; the maintenance and repair of 1,700 miles of roads; building and operating 107 lumber mills, pro- ducing ties, poles, cord wood and over 1,000,000 board feet of lumber per day; erection of 16.000 space for 280,000 beds In hospitals, of which 147 miles of wards were new construction; build- ing storage warehouses, covering the equivalent of 00 acres under roof; bullding wharves the equivalent of’ seven miles of berthing space for ships; making improvements and additions to existing .water supplies and sewerage, among [i ASHINGTON AQUEDUCT - CABIN JOHN BRIDGE which was a svstem supplying 4,000,000 gallons of water per day; receiving, storing and issuing 8,250,000 tons of engineer supplies, The famous epitaph of Sir Christopher Wren, paraphrased for the corps of engineers, and the visitor to the National Capital might well be told “if you would see their monument, look around you” The City of Washington was laid out by Major L'Enfant of the French engineers, but it was surveyed by Andrew Ellicott, pro. fessor of mathematics at West Point, and the development of the city plan was continued thereafter by army engineers. One of them was T. L. Casey, who in 1867 found the Washington monument 156 feet high and unfinished by civil lans In charge. He put a new foundation under not the only work of the army engineers in Washington. The public buildings there which they constructed include the Capitol, the Library of Congress, the Government Printing office, the State, War and Navy building, the Post Of- fice building and the Lincoln memorial. More over the water supply of Washington (the Wash- operated under the direction of army engineers. Cabin John bridge, completed in 1855, by Meigs which was the longest masonry arch bridge in the world (single span, 228 feet) for nearly 50 years; the Francis Scott Key bridge, built in 1020 by Tyler to replace the old Aquedoct bridge connecting Georgetown with Virginia, and the Arlington Memorial bridge, which is being constructed under the direction of Mehaffey, which Is to cost $15,000,000 and which will con- nect the Mall with the Virginia side leading to the Arlington memorial, The imprint of the army engineers is strong opon both the highway and rmilway systems of the country. The famous old Cumberland road, from Cumberland, Md, to St. Louls, the first national highway, was constructed and maintained by officers of the corps of engineers, from 1824 to 1840. The Alaska road commission, consisting of three army officers, har constructed and maintained 1,100 miles of wagon roads, 600 miles of sled roads and 4.400 miles of tralle Mention of river and harbor work at the be. ginning of this article recalls the fact that this work was begun by the corps of engineers In 1824, when West Point was the only engineer ing school In the country. On this account and also because there was then no continuing civil gpervice and because fortification construction was already an organized service of the army, these works were put under the charge of army engineers, From that time to this they have been In charge of the development of this work and up to the present time the investment of the government in these projects Is over £1,000. 000,000; thelr upkeep requiring $20,000.000 a yenr, The corps of engineers now has charge of 200 harbors, 201 rivers and 58 canals (© by Western Newspapor Unton.) 7 Muck Soil Growers Can Cut Some Applications at Least One-Half. By J. BE Knott, Cornell University Experi. ment Station, New York —~WNU Bervice, Muck growers who have accumulated a fertilizer bank account in recent years can save money in 1033, If they are sure that the supply of nitrogen is maintained. However, similar sav- ings on fertilizer cannot be made for different types of muck soils. Newly-tleared woody muck soil is low in phosphoric acid and potash, but has a liberal supply of nitrogen. Sav- ings cannot be made tn phosphoric heavy growth of sedges, reeds, and rushes needs nitrogen In addition to the phos Mucks that have been cultivated been liberally fertilized do not show potash and applica; nitrogen, Ordinarily, the fertilizer elements in at least half the The lower rate of fertilization ean Ways the usual fertilizer analysis, but appls to shift to an analysis which contains more nitrogen for Instance, If the cus application has been 1.50 pounds of 2.8.10 for onions, use in stead 750 pounds of a 4.8.10, applying the same amount of nitrogen but half #8 much phosphoris acid and potash, other conditions Such changes are ing fertilizers. SRuifate of ammonia Is cheaper than nitrate of soda and has Bothers Most Apiarists an effort to correct the mistakes which have taken their toll in the fall and It is never possible to make up for all the mismanagement up to When the items of fall and eare of properiy, then spring opera tions are merely a matter of proceed ing toward the money flow—a period The chief concern during the spring Is room for colony development. A stores and guply room for development of 5000 bees, It will require manr frames, even when used two or three out a colony of 70,000 ta B00 bees, Swarm control is the outstanding problem for the average producer dur ing the spring. This Is primarily a matter of furnishing ample room. The first impulse to swarm is received from a crowded feeling from a three frame nucleus; they will swarm from a boney-bound and pollen clogged brood chamber. It is true that 2 colony headed by a young queen is less inclined to swarm than a colony headed by an old queen. ~—Jowa Bee keepers’ Bulletin, Economical Dairying The backbone of economical dairy ing, outside of the productivity of the cows themselves, is good roughage and plenty of it. Economy in production depends more upon the nature of the roughage supplied to the cows than upon the grain fed. Too many farm. around. That is, they stress the need that contains a relatively high per centage of protein. Roughage Is often congidered as a filler rather than a Agricultural Squibs More than 200,000 goats and sheep are being raised on the Aegean islands, a * » Colored lights are being used to protect California's crops against In LE Brood sows that will produce lt ters this spring should have plenty of exercise. They should be In good flesh but not too fat at farrowing time, * % 9 It is estimated that if the purchas ing power of agriculture could be re stored, the farmers of the United States would immedintely purchase ao less than $500,000000 worth of paint alone. « » » Cull potatoes can be utilized by feeding them to hogs, cooked and fed to replace part of the grain, : : * » On’ the average, German workers eat 24 bushels of potatoes to the per son a year; the worker in the United States eats about 8 bushels of pola. toes a year. . 8 » Compressed alr machines have heen pressed nto service of tree pruners, It is said that one machine can do the work of 30 men In an orchard and of 6 In a vineyard Best Conversation in The very best conversation can i only occur between two persons who have proved each other worthy of trust, It can then abandon the shal- lows of intellect and plunge into the deeps of personality. Life is too short for beating around the bush, When at last I meet a soul 80 rare that it can be trusted in deepest con. sequence, I am wasting wy time, and his also, if we do not fling off all disguises and talk, not about life as people pretend that it is lived, but | about life as it is lived really. Such {| conversation almost disqualifies those | who have enjoyed it for any fure less rich. This is why old friends are | such gold mines of ideas. Inteliectn- ally they may not strike casual ae- : qualntunes 8 as being stars of the first magnitude : persons with whom we can be com actually they are the only pletely ourselves and to whom we | dare say exactly what we think i Hence with them conversation begins i with an victorious head start over that chilly mental in. terchange with which comparative | strangers are content themselves and which may send one | home with a full head but an empty ! heart, {| For really good conversation, give Then there are Dadley,” in the immeasurably obliged to | us an old friend. no rules i Boston Globe, “nel { To keep clean and healthy take Dw, | Pleree’s Pleasant Pellets, They regulate | liver, bowels and stomach.—Ady, Founded in Judgment Good springs more | Judgment than from intellect. from tasie 3 RULES big help to BOWELS What a joy to have the bowels move like clockwork, every day! It's easy, if you mind these simple rules of a famous old doctor: 1. Drink a big tumblerful of water before breakfast, and severzl times a day. 2 Get plenty of outdoor exercise without unduly fatiguing your- self, 8. Try for a bowel movement at exaclly the same hour every day. Everyone's bowels need help at times, but the thing to use is Dr. Caldwell’s Svrup Pepsin. You'll get a thorough cleaning-out, and it won't leave your insides weak and watery. This family doctor's prescription Is just fresh laxative herbs, pure pepsin, and other helpful ingredients that couldn't hurt a child. But how it wakes up those lazy bowels! How good you feel with your system nd of all that poisonous waste matter. Da. W. B. Carowenr's SYRUP PEPSIN ‘A Doctors Family Laxative A DAY SINGLE $4 DOUBLE These are the NEW low rates now in effect of the HOTEL VICTORIA, NEW YORK. Againunder the popular mon. ogement of Roy Moulton, the NEW HOTEL VICTORIA assumes first importance os the perfect headquarters for visitors to New York. The word "WELCOME" takes on a new meaning here. I0O00 ROOMS All newly decorated. Eoch room equipped with a PRIVATE BATH, SHOWER, RADIO, CIRCULA- TING ICE WATER, A "BEAUTY REST™ MATTRESS, FULL LENGTH MIRROR, SPACIOUS CLOSET, WRITING DESK and other modern fectures. 2 minvies to theatres ond shops. RR terminols ond steamship piers quickly resched.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers