EXCAVATING MACHINERY USED IN LAND DRAINAGE. 
29 
ranging in size from 3 feet wide and 2\ feet deep up to 19 feet wide 
and 8 feet deep; while the wide-templet machine will construct 
channels varying in size from 6 feet wide and 6 feet 3 inches deep, to 
32£ feet wide and 12 feet deep. 
The excavator is operated either by steam or gas engine. A 25 
to 40 horsepower steam plant is necessary, depending on the size of 
the excavator; or, if an internal-combustion engine is used, from 50 
to 80 horsepower is required. The bucket varies in size from J cubic 
yard to 2 cubic yards. An operator and 1 assistant are required 
to operate the machine. 
COST OF OPERATION. 
A single-bucket templet excavator was used in southern Louisiana 
on the construction of 7,825 feet of ditch having a 24-foot bottom 
width and ranging in depth from 3.5 to 7 feet. The side slopes were 
1 to 1, and the width of berm was 15 feet. The total excavation was 
43,128 cubic yards. The total cost of this machine on the work was 
$8,506.22. The soil was a yellow clay with a few spots of gravelly 
clay, and the top soil was baked very hard. No special difficulties 
were encountered except that considerable cribbing was necessary 
to level up the track supporting the excavator when crossing natural 
water courses ; except for these streams the ground was level. Some 
trouble was also experienced with the traction device, due to the fact 
that the ditch was larger than that for which the machine was designed. 
The actual number of working days was 128, 73 days of which were 
spent in actual digging. The cost of operation per day was as 
follows: One operator, $3.85; one fireman, $2.28; three deck hands, 
$6.27; one team and teamster, $5.40. The total cost per day was $17.80. 
The average daily excavation for the number of days worked was 337 
cubic yards. The total cost of operation for 5 months was $3,500.58. 
Interest and depreciation in that time, at 41 per cent per annum, 
would amount to $1,452.82, making the total cost $4,953.40 and the 
cost per cubic yard $0.1149. Table 1 is an itemized statement of 
cost for the entire work. 
Table 1. — Cost of operation of single-bucket templet excavator on a ditch in Southern 
Louisiana. 
Labor. 
Material. 
Fuel. 
Total 
cost. 
Month. 
Opera- 
tion. 
Re- 
pairs. 
Opera- 
tion. 
Re- 
pairs. 
Dollars. 
170. 00 
439. 75 
306. 59 
499. 63 
469. 27 
Dollars. 
26.00 
48.90 
116.31 
46.80 
56.47 
Dollars. 
45.00 
141. 92 
122. 05 
77.69 
109. 37 
Dollars. 
20.00 
52.63 
91.34 
5.41 
53.61 
Dollars. 
55.39 
158. 50 
100. 00 
156. 92 
131. 03 
Dollars. 
316. 39 
841. 70 
736. 29 
786. 45 
819. 75 
Total . 
1, 885. 24 
294. 48 
496.03 
222. 99 
601.84 
3, 500. 58 
