another, and occasionally having to retreat, much ingenuity is required to thread a way among the spoil-trains, but even the almost invaluable time of the Superintendent himself is sacrificed rather than any delay should occur to the "dirt" train, as it is usually called. It is this dirt which stands between the American nation and the realisation of their long cherished scheme, and nowhere is the classical definition of dirt as "matter in the wrong place" so appropriate as on the Isthmus. [19] This is for July, 1908. * * * * * Let us now see how much matter has been removed, and how much dirt remains which has yet to be removed. I will give first the totals of what has been got out in both dry and wet way, both in the Canal prism itself and for auxiliary works. TOTAL EXCAVATIONS IN CONNECTION WITH THE PANAMA CANAL.[20] Cubic Yards. By the French Companies about 81,548,000 By the American Isthmian Canal Commission up to the end of June, 1908 40,923,533 ----------- 122,471,533 [20] Canal Record, July 8, 1908. Much of the work of the French Companies, however, consisted in dredging out sea-level channels at both ends of the Canal, whereas the principal American work has been rock-excavation in the Culebra Cut--or _the_ Cut, as it might equally well be called. The figures relating to the Cut are:-- EXCAVATION BETWEEN BAS OBISPO AND PEDEO MIGUEL, _i.e._, "THE CULEBEA CUT," 9-1/2 MILES. Cubic Yards. By the French Companies 22,600,000 By the American Commission to end of June, 1908 20,125,185 ----------- Total excavated in the Cut 42,725,185 Remaining to be excavated 37,973,063 ----------- 80,698,248 so that at the end of last June the Cut was half cut through, one quarter having been done by the French Companies and one quarter by the American Commission.[21] [21] The total excavation for the prism of a sea-level canal was calculated by the Board of Consulting Engineers at 231,026,477 cubic yards.