various; 27,986 conduit fittings, current-carrying parts; 1,657,203 feet of wire, rubber-covered, 0-600 volts, all sizes; 14,220 fixtures, light brass, various.

A total of 86 new series incandescent street lamp-posts, including combination fire-alarm posts, were installed, requiring 22,450 feet of No. 6 single-conductor 2,500-volt armored cable. The installation of street lights in the New Cristobal town site was begun but is not included in the above figures.

The total number of incandescent lamps in service on the Canal Zone of all sizes on June 30, 1917, was approximately 57,957.

The average number of incandescent lamps renewed per month was 10,000. The number of electric appliances in use by Panama Canal employees in quarters (Army not included) was: Electric flatirons, 1,663; electric hot plates, percolators, toasters, etc., 798; small fans, sewing-machine motors, vibrators, etc., 150; electric ranges (average 5 k. w. each), 60.

ARMATURE REPAIRS, ETC.

The following jobs were handled in the armature winding and repair shop during the year:

Motors and armatures rewound, 1 h. p. to 500 h. p.

Transformers repaired and rewound.

Small fans and electric appliances repaired_

Magnetos and miscellaneous repairs__.

Manufacturing jobs, switchboard panels, etc..

Total

183

56

127

117

147

630

This does not include repairs done in the field at various points, but covers only such jobs as required complete rewinding and shopwork.

RAILWAY SIGNAL SYSTEM.

There were 2,474.210 arm movements with 115 responsible signal interruptions, compared with 199 for 1916, and 12 nonresponsible signal interruptions. compared with 43 for 1916, and 431 train-minutes delay, compared with 721 for the preceding year. There was one false clear operation of signal for 2,474,210 arm movements. There was an average of one failure per 21,515 arm movements in 1917, compared with one failure per 14,685 orin movements in 1916. The average delay to trains per signal failure was 37 minutes.

There was one reported false clear aspect and one reported false caution aspect on the 118 automatic, 16 semiautomatic, 14 power-operated, and 30 mechanical signals during the fiscal year 1917.

The mechanical interlocking plant at West Leg was removed in the early part of September. The main line crossover at this location was removed. On the spur leading to the quartermaster's shop a hand-throw derail was installed. The main line northward and southward signals of this plant were made to work automatically. There was one new automatic signal style “B” installed on the northward main at a point opposite the southward signal, formerly home signal for plant. There was a main line crossover installed just north of Tivoli spur and a hand-throw derail installed on this spur. During February, this year, the remaining overhead wires from old West Leg interlocking plant to San Miguel crossing were removed and nine conductor Kerite cable installed.

Derails on both ends of passing sidings at New Culebra and Bohio were removed. The main line crossover at New Culebra was remove 1. A new house track and spur were installed at New Culebra, and a hand-throw derail installed on the south end of this house track.

Two main line spurs for the building division were installed, one at Pedro Miguel and one at Red Tank. Also one automatic signal No. 4122 moved 100 feet north, and a spur installed off the main line at this place for the new commissary at Red Tank. Near Mindi Bridge a switch was installed for a spur track. This was equipped with a hand-throw derail.

A Heeschen highway crossing gong is being installed on crossing at Pedro Miguel. The interlocking plant has also been completely overhauled.

This

Practically all the remaining porcelain primary battery jars were replaced by 700 heat-resisting glass, or enough for about 40 signal locations. makes all primary jars of the heat-resisting glass type.

The interlocking plant at Mount Hope was overhauled.

The interlocking plant at Cristobal tower "A" was removed and track changes made. The tracks to docks were cut in near Colon passenger station

on track over new fill back of United Fruit Company's office. The removal of this interlocking plant made it necessary to make changes in automatic signals between Mount Hope and Colon. Two signals were moved to new locations, three additional automatic signals installed, one cut section moved, and all signals rewired on this job between Colon and Mount Hope.

Some of the signal cable was meggered out. Preparations are being made to megger out all conductors in cable and for card indexing it.

The following are the reported and investigated derailments which occurred at mechanical interlocking plants:

There was damage done to interlocking apparatus by material falling from cars while passing through interlocking plants in several instances.

There was but one derailment caused by trainmen throwing derail under moving train at sidings and spurs.

There were 30 reported signal failures at interlocking plants. This includes both electrical and mechanically operated signals.

Responsible signal interruptions for fiscal year ending June 30, 1917.

Responsible signal interruptions for fiscal year ending June 30, 1917-Continued.

During the fiscal year 762 telephones were installed and 486 removed, leaving in service on June 30, 1917, a total of 2,154 telephones. The average number of telephone calls per day, obtained by peg count, was 21,042. The average number of telephone troubles, including cases on all classes of subscribers' instruments and all wire except cable, was 8 per day, as compared with 13 per day for the last fiscal year.

There were 89,342 feet of cable of all sizes installed and 20,827 feet were removed, leaving 536,763 feet in service. On this entire length of cable there were 11 cases of trouble.

Concrete booths for train dispatchers' telephones and trans-isthmian line patrolmen's telephones were installed along the right of way of the Panama Railroad.

New storage batteries were installed at the Colon, Pedro Miguel, and Balboa exchanges. New sections of switchboard were installed in the Colon and Balboa exchanges. Work for local telephone companies in Colon and Panama, and for the Central & South American Telegraph Company was performed dur ing the year, on account of destructive fires, installation of new trans-Isthmian cable, etc.

The rapid increase in the number of telephones in use by the Army and by pay subscribers has taxed the system to its utmost capacity. Additional cable must be installed in the trans-isthmian line, new sections must be added to the Balboa main frame, and a new exchange must be provided at Cristobal in the near future.

FIRE-ALARM SYSTEM.

The usual inspection and maintenance of this system was carried on during the year. Several extensions were made to the system, including an extension to Balboa shops, to Pier No. 7, Colon, to the new town site of Balboa, and

the New Cristobal town site. Experiments were made with various methods of applying red letters and red bands to the street lighting globes on the combination fire-alarm posts, but entirely satisfactory results have not as yet been obtained.

BUILDING DIVISION.

The construction plan outlined in the report of the resident engineer for the fiscal year 1916 was carried out during this fiscal year with very satisfactory results.

The increasing cost of cement, lumber, and steel has made necessary the consideration of reinforced concrete columns, beams, and girder construction with hollow concrete block panels and partition walls. A few low buildings of this character were designed, and preliminary costs indicate a considerable saving. The manufacture of concrete blocks continued throughout the year with satisfactory results.

The details of the operations of the building division during the fiscal year are covered in the report of the resident engineer which follows:

BUILDING DIVISION.

Hartley Rowe, Resident Engineer.

ORGANIZATION.

The following changes were made in the organization of the division during the year:

Mr. George M, Wells, resident engineer, resigned on February 3, 1917, and the undersigned was appointed in his stead.

Assistant Engineer T. C. Morris was made engineering assistant to the resident engineer effective December 1, 1916.

The Central District was consolidated with the Southern District on May 1, 1917, with Mr. J. B. Fields, superintendent, in charge of the district. The construction of the submarine base at Coco Solo was placed in charge of Mr. C. C. Snedeker on June 19, 1917. The Northern District remained in charge of Superintendent James Cosgrove.

Mr. Samuel M. Hitt continued in charge of the architectural designing work.

BUILDING OPERATIONS.

The following table shows the buildings authorized by Congress for The Panama Canal and for the Army, and buildings authorized by the Panama Railroad, on which construction work was performed during the fiscal year.