the ?orest Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture.) 



CANAL C013IISSIOIT NOT RELEASED FOR PUBLICATION 



SEEKS GENUINE GREEKHEAR7 UNTIL OCTOBER 16. 



Clayton D. Hell of the U. S. forest service sailed today 

 from Mew York for British Guiana to inspect greenheart timber to be 

 used in the construction of docks p,nd other marine works for the 

 Panana canal. He goes at the request of the isthmian canal commis- 

 sion, in order that the engineers nay be sure that they are getting 

 genuine greenheart timber, for vhich a number of inferior substi- 

 tutes are offered. 



Genuine greenheart hrs HIP. refutation of being the roost 

 resistant wood to the attack of marine borers and to decay. Borers 

 are especially bad in tropical waters. The v/ood is, in addition, 

 hard, her.vy, and durable, and not subject to damage from impact and 

 wear. Indisputable records chow that the best grades of this v/ood 

 surpass iron and steel as to lasting equalities in contact with salt 

 water. It has been known and used since 1769. Logs have remained 

 intact under water for 100 years. Lock gates in English canaJs 



have been mp.de of it for yer,rs. and the onlv limit of their ciura- 



^ 

 bility so far has been the length of service of their iron bolts 



and fastenings, v/hicli usually can be renewed without much trouble. 

 Greenheart in Liverpool lock gates built in !Cb6, removed to r.l low 

 a deepening and widening of the shin channel in 1894, wrts used ov^r 

 a&ain when the gates were reconstructed. The sills and fenders of 

 the lock gates at Pr.n;.-,mn will be mrde of greenheart, and much of the 



docks will be constructed of the s:ine material. 



60 F 



