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ON THE INSIDE:

Panama's Cattle Industry

Sport Parachuting

Preventive Medicine

f>5f^

MAY 1966

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Robert J. Fleming, Jr., Governor-President

H. R. Parfitt, Lieutenant Governor

Frank A. Baldwin

Panama Canal Information Officer

,A,-iJMi«t

Official Panama Canal Publication Published quarterly at Balboa Heights, C.Z

Printed at the Printing Plant, La Boca, C.Z. Review articles may be reprinted in full or part without

further clearance. Credit to the Review will be appreciated.

Distributed free of charge to all Panama Canal Employees.

Subscriptions, $1 a year; airmail S2 a year; mail and back copies (regular mail), 25 cents each.

Robert D. Kerr, Press Officer Publications Editors Morgan E. Goodwin and Tom\s ,\. Cupas

Editorial Assistants Eunice Richard, Tobi Bittel, Fannie P. Hernandez, and Jose T. Tunon

c4oout Our Cover

THE COVER ILLUSTRATION, "The View of Culebra

or the Summit. The Terminus of the Panama Railroad

in December, 1854," is based on a sketch by Dr. Fessen- den Nott Otis, a surgeon in the service of the United

States Mail Steamship Co...,jLjMfc^thographed by

C. Parsons and printed by Endico^^^^^ New York,

1854. The hthograph was reprooucedinKBS by the Book

Club of California which granted permission for its use

in the Panama Canal Review.

The railroad, completed January 27, 1855, after almost

5 years of work, was operational as far Summit, at Culebra, when the sketch was made. At the right corner is part of the summit ridge, through which a path 1,300 feet long and 24 feet wide was blasted. This was about

10 miles from Panama City, its Pacific terminus.

Built at a cost of surely hundreds and possibly thousands of human lives and $8 million, the Panama Railroad

extended less than 48 miles at its completion, yet during

the first 15 years of its existence was highly prosperous.

It was considered the first true transcontinental rail- road. But its importance declined after May 1869, when

the Union Pacific and Central Pacific met to form a

transcontinental railroad even more convenient to North

America.

The French purchased the Panama Railroad in the

1880's during their unsuccessful attempt to build the

Canal and it was sold to the U.S. Government in 1904. Today, the railroad still serves as a vital link between the

two most populous cities in the Republic of PanamaPanama City and Colon. But so does a heavily traveled

highway.

On the inside of this issue is an illustrated article on

the growing cattle industry of Panama. Another story

introduces the reader to the delights of typical Panamanian foods, telling how they are prepared. Sporting enthusiasts will find photos and text, in two separate articles,

highlighting the fine hunting in Panama and the relatively new sport of skydiving.

3ndiex

Panama's Cattle Industry 3

Mysterious Sargasso Sea 6

Anniversaries 8

Sport Parachuting 9

Panamanian Cuisine 12

Division of Preventive Medicine 13

Shipping Statistics 16

Clear-Cuts 16

Canal History 18

Port of Glasgow 19

Hunting in Panama 20

Shipping Notes 23

2 May 1966
Panama's Cattle Industry

Outstanding specimens of Brahman cattle are judged at fair in Ocu.

AN ECONOMIC mainstay today, Panama's cattle industry shows increasing

promise as a key factor in the future

prosperity of the Repubhc.

Roaming the ranges in the 9 provinces of Panama are more than 1 miOion

head of cattle, and the number grows

yearly. These animals not only indicate the growing standard of living in the

country, but reflect an investment that

assures a continuing improvement of that standard. The picture of this industry is one of the problems that will challenge the cattleman, the investor, the research man, and the government official for many years. Still, improvements have

been made in the difficult problem of

raising cattle profitably and successfully

in this tropical country, and each of these men can see progress in his phase

of the industry.

A conservative estimate of the industry's worth is $180 million—cattle worth

$65 million, land worth $100 million,

and installations valued at $15 million. Ranches account for 6 million man-days

of emplovment each year. That figures

Outlook Qood

(But Cnalleng,eA

3ace Cattlemen

out to nearly 21,000 full-time workers,

making the industr)' the nation's largest

private industry employer and putting an estimated $10 million annually into the pockets of the men who do the work.

Taken altogether, the industry accounts

for about 7 percent of the gross national product. With increased productivity

and efficiency, that percentage should

show remarkable growth.

In the last complete census on the

industry in 1961, there were 30,000

ranches in Panama. Of these, 202 were more than 500 hectares (a hectare is 2.2 acres), and would be considered a large ranch in Panama. Roughly, a large

ranch is considered one that has more

than 500 hectares and more than 500

head of cattle. The small ranch is 50

hectares or less, and 50 head or less. A

hectare supports one animal, a situation that compares favorably with many

countries. One of the problems in raising beef

cattle in a tropical climate is the heat. Another is keeping a year-round supply

of feed for cattle. An important factor

in combating the effects of heat on

production is the introduction of the Brahman, or Cebu, an animal that flour- ishes in the tropical sun, grows to great

size and is, generally, a durable breed. And there are experiments in the intro- duction of Santa Gertrudis, Charolais,

and Angus in beef cattle and Brown

Swiss and Holstein in milk. One prime need in the industry is an

increase in the quantit\' of milk cows, which now number about 150,000, and

specialized dairy herds. There are only

a few of these now. Most milk comes

from beef herds, with milk herds and

specialized breeding herds contributing

to the total. Milk processing plants that operate

fSee p. 4)

The Panama Canal Review
Cattle Gives

Paychecks to

Thousands

(Continued from p. 3)

in Nata and Chiriqui have increased

and stabilized the price of milk, but the

price is still low when the costs of pro- duction are considered. The main problems in this area are diseases affecting

reproduction, lack of adequate transportation, an irregular market, the low

price, some inefficient feeding and management practices and—as already out- lined—the need for more specialized

milk operations. This specialization

could easily bring efficiencv and cost

cutting, and could be a major influence on leveling market demand and bringing up prices paid to producers.

One factor sure to force an improvement in this area is the current need to import milk products. The specialized

breeding herds, from which will come

the quality to increase both production

and profit, are alreadv having an impact on the industry. Still there are not enough breeding farms to meet local demand. As the quality of breed and

techniques to care for it grow, the qualitv of beef and the ensuing profits should

follow. And, significantly, stock improvement is one of the brightest areas

in the cattle business todav in Panama.

Well cared for cattle get baths before beef show.

Research is one of the greatest needs. Compared to the importance of this in- dustry, research is at a low level. The

native beef animal feeds on grass, and,

generally, pasture is of the unimproved

variety. Proof of the value of experi- ments is the breed improvement involv- ing Brahman, which has been crossed with native cattle. These animals reach

earlier maturity and this means bigger

animals sent to the market earlier for greater earnings. The average animal

weighs about 9.50 pounds when marketed, and reaches this weight in 3 to 3%

Chow time for the herd.

years. There has been a mounting in- terest recently in feed lots that will shorten that fattening time. Research is also needed in some dis- ease areas. The main diseases affect- ing production now are brucellosis,

tuberculosis, septicemia, and blackleg.

Insects affecting cattle adversely in Pan- ama are the worm fly, the torsalo, and

tick, in addition to a variety of internal

parasites.

Most of the problems facing the in- dustry will yield to time, research, and

the financial investment to back expansion and improvements. The financing

is available, but often the individual cattleman must be brought to realize the value of recordkeeping and indi- vidual analysis that must be the basis

of a decision to invest additional capital.

Once he sees a complete picture of his operation, he can determine his future

direction and need for more capital.

This type of efficiency takes much of the guesswork out of ranching and

points more clearly to the areas where

his profit and growth lie. As education

progresses in the Republic, this problem

will become less prominent.

Research and education will be ac- companied, it is hoped by cattlemen, by

a greatly improved road system. The

lack of good ranch-to-market roads in some areas has made it difficult for the

small rancher. Often, he has to give

up part in his profit to the high cost of transportation when his cattle are ready

for market. Panamanians eat more beef each

year, but the per capita consumption

is still low, at 40 pounds. Yet the world

May 1966
demand for beef grows, and will be at high levels for many years to come. There is a shortage of beef over the world, both in Panama and other countries, and recent price increases mean

the cattleman will have no marketing

problems. In Panama, the price is stabilized by the Office of Price Control. His problem, then, will be to keep

his costs from climbing. Mechanization,

which has been slow, probably will pick

up momentum. This will be spurred

by the recent increase in minimum

wages and the dwindling supply of low

cost labor. Some land is priced so that a cattleman cannot buy for a profitable

operation. Today's cattleman who works

hard and watches his operation closely can expect to realize profits of 12 to 15

percent on his investment.

Exporting cattle has been an up and

down business. Yet, the overall pattern

of exports has been rising. In 1954, the

industry exported 2,726 head, and 7,361 were exported in 1964, with the total dropping to 4,000 in 1965, due to a severe drought. For home consumption, 120,000 head will be slaughtered

this year, compared to 90,000 in 1958,

and 117,000 in 1962. Because of limited cold storage and

other installations, packaging meat for export has been marginal. There are plans to build modem facilities in the

Ground beef is made into hamburger patties for consumer.

Workers in Panama City Abattoir carve up beef.

Colon Free Zone, as a complement to the new abbatoir in David. There is also an abbatoir of considerable size in Panama City.

There is an export market. When

production and facilities can meet a

stead\ demand, Panama mav find this area ver\ lucrative. One Panamanian expert on many

phases of the cattle business, Luis H. Moreno, Jr., Chitre manager of the Chase Manhattan Bank, expresses an

overriding faith in the future of the in- dustry, but also sees its problems. He

puts it this way: "There is no doubt

that the future of the cattle industry is most promising. On one hand, our re- sources and environment lend themselves to intensive development of this most important industry. On the other hand, international production levels and markets ofi^er magnificent prospects,

particularly for a country like Panama,

free of hoof and mouth disease "What we need is to put into practice, as soon as possible, more efficient methods of production and administration by cattlemen. We also need more

technical programs sponsored by the government." But Mr. Moreno agrees that there is no disputing one solid fact: The cattle industry in Panama is firmly established

as a national asset and is on the road to progress.

The Panama Canal Review
Mystery of Sargasso Sea

Continues To Be Dilemma

NORTHEAST OF THE Panama Canal

is a strange and mysterious region called the Sargasso Sea. Many of the sleek, modem passenger

ships and cargo vessels which transit the Panama Canal pass from the Caribbean

Sea into this place so different from any

on earth. From this area, bound on one side by the swift moving Gulf Stream and

roughly as large as the United States, have come tales of terror for sailing

ships and in later years rumors of unexplained phenomena fully as fascinat- ing as the recent reports of unidentified

flying objects over parts of the United

States. Like those who chuckle at the UFO

reports, modem ship captains and their crews take the legends of the Sargasso Sea with a large grain of salt. Nevertheless, as do varus of mermaids, the stories persist and such well known authorities as Rachel Carson in her book "The Sea Around Us" refers

to its legendary terrors and to curious

things that happen to fish that ride on

sargassum weed into new homes there. "The Sargasso is a place forgotten by

the winds, deserted by the strong flow

of waters that girdle it as with a river," she says. "Under the seldom-clouded

skies, its waters grow warm and heavv

with salt. Separated widelv from coastal

rivers and from polar ice, there is no

inflow of fresh water to dilute its salti- ness; the only influx is of saline water from the adjacent currents, especiallv

from the Gulf Stream or North Atlantic Current as it crosses from America to Europe. And with the little inflowing streams of surface water come the

plants and animals that for months or years have drifted in the Gulf Stream."

Stories about the Sargasso Sea began

before the discoverv of America. It is believed that the Phoenicians were ac- quainted with it and that before the be- ginning of the Christian era, there were

references to the sea west of the Pillars of Hercules, certain parts of which were represented as being unnavigable

because of seaweed.

According to H. A. Marmer, author

of "The Sea," Columbus must be credited with its discovery and the first authentic notice of the presence of gulfweed in this region. He encountered

gulfweed on his first voyage westward

and also on his return joumey.

Columbus records the occuiTence in an accurate manner but his followers,

from the decks of the small vessels of the day, viewed the patches of drifting

weeds with apprehension and soon there were stories of widespreading meadows

of thickly matted weed which seriouslv impeded the progress of vessels. Marmer says the belief in the exist- ence of great areas of thickly matted

gulfweed in the Sargasso Sea has persisted to the present time but that it has been proven definitelv that there

are no islands of weeds miles in extent and nowhere is it so dense as to inter- fere with the movement of a ship—even

the small vessels of Columbus' day.

The talcs of lost ships and those dis- appearing without a trace started soon

after Columbus when the hazards of the

sea were of greater concern because of lack of communication and few safety measures as we know them now. The

Sargasso Sea mav have been responsible

when ships vanished but then any good

sized storm at sea could transform wooden sailing ships into matchwood.

Of all the ships reported lost there, the only clue ever found was a single

longboat from the schooner Barbara

Ann which allegedly sank in April 1811

while on her wav from Brazil to New

York, according to an article on the Sargasso Sea appearing in a recent issue of "Polaris." The longboat washed ashore 103

years later at Haiti. Within the boat were found an untapped keg of fresh water and 1.3 oars neatly secured in their stowed position. Everything about

the boat was in perfect order as if it had been just lowered over the side and

set adrift. The article says that steel, steam, and

the screw propeller did much for the

safety of ships but it didn't seem to help

when it came to the business of vanishing vessels and the Sargasso Sea. "During the first thirty years of the 20th century two ships, one Japanese and one British, plus a Brazilian

The schooner Barbara .\nn whicli is believed to have sunk in 1811 on her way from Brazil

to New York. A longboat from the vessel was reported to have washed ashore at Haiti 103 years later containing the same neatly stowed gear as it would after just being lowered

over the side.

6 May 1966
The vast Sargasso Sea ... a place forgotten by the winds.

naval vessel and an entire fishing fleet from the Bahamas disappeared within

the vicinity of the Sargasso Sea," the

articles says. "No plausible explanation

such as storms or fires could be offered,

and no distress signals were ever re- ceived." The article cites as examples the disappearance in recent years of a number of other vessels in the Sargasso Sea

area, including the most recent, the Marine Sulphur Queen, which vanished

between Gulf ports and the U.S. east coast with a crew of 43. But the biggest mvsten,' of all, the writer savs, occurred one da\' in the spring of 1949 when a whole flight of U.S. Navy aircraft was lost between

West Palm Beach, Fla., and Grand Turk

Island. The incident, which has baffled civil- ian and mi'itarv research teams, began

shortly after noon on June .3, 1949,

when a Navy flier, a veteran of World

War II and an excellent navigator, was

making a routine flight from the Naval

Air Station at West Palm Beach to Grand Turk. It was a clear sunny day.

Everything was going according to schedule when a half-hour after takeoff the pilot radioed back to West Palm

Beach saying that something was wrong.

Everything, he said, looked hazy yellow

and suddenly he didn't know where he

was. Radar control gave his position but

the pilot said he couldn't see anything.

Then his radio clicked off and the blip

of his plane on the radar screen faded

out.Five search planes were dispatched

to the area immediately. They were in constant radar surveillance as thev ap- proached the spot where the first plane was last positioned. Then, with the

same suddenness as before, all five search planes faded off the radar screen and all radio contact was lost. Three more planes took off, and within a half-hour they too disappeared. No

more were ordered out that day but the next day a search of the entire area was made without results. All persons con- nected with the incident were examined, questioned, and cross-examined. Radar sets and radios were checked, flight plans and personnel records scrutinized repeatedly. Nine planes and 13 men

were missing and no one had an an- swer; and so far as is known today, there

still is no answer.

It may be that in this age of space

travel and television that man is still being outwitted by the vast and mysterious sea—and the Sargasso Sea in

particular.

The Panama Canal Review
ANNIVERSARIES

(On the basis of total Federal Service)

MARINE BUREAU

Morris B. Lee

Messenger

Simon B. Smith Motor Launch Captain

A. Sogandares

Superviso^l^Jailier ar TRAN

Eric B. Johnso! Clerk Arthur L. Fri StevedoreHEALTH BUREAU

Lucas Morales

Exterminator

OFFICE OF THE

GOVERNOR-PRESIDENT

John D. Hollen

Chief, Executive Planning Staff ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

DIVISION

Frank A. Chollar Head, Photo-Lithographic Section COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE

John C. Paige

Supervisory Cashier Robert S. Bowen

Supervisory Auditor ALS William H. Devore

Staff Accountant MARINE BU

Rodolfo Becford Helper Lock Operator

Arthur W. Brown

Helper Machinist (Marine)

Damley S. Foster

Teletypist Rufus H. Bumette

Lock Operator (Engineman—Hoisting

and Portable) Vincent E. King

Seaman

Joseph O. Thompson

Leader Linehandler (Deckhand

Boatswain)

Bound for market is the produce grown by this Chiriqui farmer. Chiricanos are noted for

their rugged individualism, their energy and friendly spirit. The Province of Chiriqui,

situated about 300 miles from Panama City, produces much of the food for the Republic

of Panama, particularly beef. Huge, luscious Boquete strawberries and the famed Boquete

oranges are both raised in Chiriqui. Towering peaks and rich woodlands provide the area with outstanding scenic beauty. This photograph was taken near Cerro Funta.

Charles Grenda

Signalman

C. T. Jackson, Jr. Administrative Services Officer Charles R. Lewis

Leader Painter James N. Miller Painter Emanuel O. Modestin

Leader Maintenanceman (Rope and

Wire Cable)

Martin S. Sawyer

ry Marine Traffic Controller AND COMMUNITY

ICE BUREAU

n (Grounds)

Grounds,J((5intenanceman Equipment

'ator (Small) ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION

BUREAU

William J. Carson

Chief Foreman (Maintenance Shops) Juan Rodriguez

Pipelayer Eliodoro Torrez Seaman

Vincent Gonzalez

Surveying Aid

Philip Joseph

Toolroom Mechanic

Fred Miller Master, Towboat

Juan Rosales Seaman

Fitz G. Small

Painter Reuben Warren

Oiler (Floating Plant) Noel I. Pilgrim Furniture Repairman

TRANSPORTATION AND

TERMINALS BUREAU

Cari H. Schmidt

Guard

Juan J. Barrera Automotive Equipment Serviceman

Clifford N. Hewitt

Truck Driver Ralph L. Davis

Yard Conductor

Joaquin De Leon

Helper, Liquid Fuels Wharfman

Elliot F. Whitaker

Cargo Checker

CIVIL AFFAIRS BUREAU

Stanford A. Levy

Swinuning Pool Operator

H. C. Richards, Jr. Police Lieutenant Wilfred G. Earle Leader Maintenanceman

Harvey G. Rhyne

Deputy Probation Officer HEALTH BUREAU

Max W. Finley Funeral Director Doris V. Lyons

Nursing Assistant (Medicine and

Surgery) Carl T. Maynard

File Clerk

8 May 1966
Skydiving

Is Not for

Daredevils

SPORT PARACHUTING, once associ- ated with crackpots having suicidal tendencies, is steadilv winning accept- ance and with it a burgeoning flock of enthusiasts. This transition to respectabihty began

in Europe and slowly spread to the Americas where sk\diving is now flour- ishing through militarv-aSiliated and

civilian sport parachuting clubs. There

are two such organizations—both with

oSicial U.S. Armv sanction, on the Isthmus of Panama—the Army Atlantic Sport Parachute Club and the Pan

American Sport Parachute Club which

makes its headquarters on the Pacific

side.Capt. Charles H. Fry, one of the sparkplugs in the Atlantic-side club,

explained recentK- that the club's current membership of about 35 is smaller than

at times in the past because of transfers. Some of the 150 parachutists the club

trained are serving in Vietnam. Though

most members are trained military parachutists, this is not a club requirement.

The Armv Atlantic Sport Parachute

Club, founded in 1961, has participated

with its vounger. Pacific-side brother in numerous exhibitions. Their most recent combined show was in April when

thev appeared at the annual Azuero fair, treating the people of that Panamanian

town to an exciting aerial spectacle.

The Atlantic club has helped Latin

American nations to start their own free

fall programs and to expand existing programs. Members of the club per- formed in Chile, Nicaragua, and Brazil;

in El Salvador thev appeared before the President and U.S. Ambassador. The

groups have given their services to clubs and to churches, at carnivals, and on

holidays in David, Santiago, and other

regions of Panama.

The Pan American Sport Parachute

Club was organized in April 1964 to

foster, encourage, and promote the

participation of active duty military

personnel in properly planned and

supervised free fall competitive para- chute jumping. It is open to all active

4>N

Capt. Charles H. Fry prepares to exit from his aircraft for a free fall while M. Sgt. Richard

Meadows checks his equipment. Both men were participating as members of the Army

Atlantic Sport Parachute Club.

dutv members of the armed services in the Canal Zone and currently has 23

active members.

Club president Maj. James A. Skinner

savs his group has participated in more

than 1,100 jumps without a single serious injurv or accident. The Atlanticside club also has an excellent safety record. The Pan American Sport Par- achute Club participates in civic action programs under sponsorship of U.S. Army Southern Command. Parachute

free fall jumps are carried out both in the Canal Zone and the Republic of Panama. Ground demonstrations with

lectures in both English and Spanish

round out the program.

Free fall demonstrations include

jumps at diflFerent altitudes and delayed

parachute openings while maneuvering

with colored smoke to mark their descent. The ground demonstration consists of an orientation that covers all phases of sport parachuting.

Paramount in the minds of the nonsk%'diver is the risk involved. What are the mortality or accident rates? A vet- eran sport parachutist compares the dangers with those of rollerskating.

This mav be somewhat imprecise but

statistics do reinforce this argument.

One recent report of accident comparisons showed that other sports had manv more fatalities. For example, the Swiss Alpine Club reported more than

1,100 died mountaineering in one 16- vear period; football causes about

15 deaths a year; boxing, about 7. The Parachute Club of America reports

that in 1960, during 60,000 sport jumps,

there were only 3 deaths. Of these, one

did not pull the ripcord, one pulled it too late, and one drowned.

Contrarv' to what unknowledgeable

critics mav argue, the object is not to see who can survive the lowest openings.

Local club rules, regulations of the PCA

and those laid down for national and

world competition place heaw stress on

(See p. 10)

The Panama Canal Review
Student Chutist Gets

Long Training Course

.-<iI

<-/- > >n

Members of the Army Atlantic Sport Par- achute Club descend after a mass exit during exhibition at Ocu Fair earlier this year.

(Continued from p. 9)

safety procedures and equipment. Violators must comply or find themselyes persona non grata with other skydivers. Infractions by individuals can cost entire teams lost points, even make the differ- ence between victor\' and defeat in a championship contest. Considerable preparations must be

completed before a student makes his

first jump. Bailing out of an aircraft thousands of feet up provides thrills that must be earned—and learned. The prospective sk\diver has to pass a rigid

physical examination b\' a ph\ sician who

pavs particular attention to signs of heart conditions or history of blackouts. Once this is passed, the student is given ground training on safet\' and

emergency procedures. He learns the

basic stabilization position used while

drifting through space, stomach to earth with back arched and arms and legs extended. Acrobatics come later.

The student learns to pack a para- chute efficiently and neatly within 30

minutes and is graded b\- an instructor on step-bv-step procedures. Reserve

chutes are worn bv both beginners and

experienced parachutists.

Instructions on landing, another much

misunderstood topic, show the novice

how to distribute the landing shock over

five points of the bodv: balls of the

feet; calf; thigh; buttocks; and push-up

muscle in the back, which is the reason for so man\ push-up exercises in airborne training.

Landing is one of the few characteristics common to militarx' and sport par- achuting. Design of parachutes differs; the methods of exit from the aircraft and

the descent differ, too, but landing is the same for all parachutists. Experts compare the shock of landing to jumping

from a height of 3 or 4 feet, not 10 or 15 as la\men sometimes believe. For if this were the case, there would

Final safety checks are made on Sgt. Charles Paradise, of the Fan American Sport Parachute Club, by Jumpmaster Capt. John Lewis

before the start of an exhibition at Bocas del Toro. Youngsters watch proceedings.

10 May 1966
Capt. John Lewis lands on target at Bocas del Toro exhibition.

be manv broken bones and few sport

parachutists, indeed. After preliminary training, which in- cludes going along on a flight to observe

jumps, the student is read\' for his first and probabb' his most memorable leap

into space. He does not pull the ripcord;

it is opened bv a static line anchored to the inside of the aircraft. It automatically opens the chute pack, releasing the small pilot chute which, in turn,

pulls a sleeye that reduces the shock of the canopy opening that follows. During the fourth and fifth jumps,

the student simulates pulling the ripcord

and he learns to keep his body in a

rigid position without tumbling. After

a series of static line jumps, he graduates

to 5-second delays during which he pulls the ripcord manually after counting

1001 . . . 1002 . . .for the 5-second

free fall. Successful completion of the 5-second

delays while maintaining proper body

position qualifies him for the next level, 10-second dela\ s. After this series comes

the 1 5-second dela\' when strange,

wonderful things begin to happen. Normalh', below an altitude of 7,500 feet, a person will fall 16 feet the first second

and accelerate up to terminal speed of

174 feet per second or about 120 miles per hour. This velocity is reached in 12 seconds but for 7,500 feet and higher

altitudes the terminal speed is greater

vet. The student progresses in steps of 5-second dela\s until he eventually is jumping from an aircraft and free falling for 60 seconds before opening his par- achute. This means he will fall about

10,000 feet. Captain Fry points out that upon

reaching terminal speed, the sensation

of falling decreases and "you almost

feel a part of the atmosphere." This may

be the answer to wh\' skvdivers love the sport but frequently cannot put

their feelings into words.

When the student completes 25 free

falls, he qualifies as a class "B" parachutist. This means he can serve as a jumpmaster for himself and others,

directing where jumps are to be made

to approach the target. Also he has learned to use various body positions, particularly his arms and

legs, to regulate the speed and direction

of descent. Bv extending an arm and

tucking the other against the side, he

makes a turn and bv reversing the limbs,

he makes an opposite turn. Most thrilling of all maneuvers to some parachutists is the technique of

tracking: manipulating vour body to (See p. 22)

#• »2

*• r^tf^

%tk •-*-*

Captain Fry gathers up chute after landing in field.

The Panama Canal Review 11
Panamanian Midhed

uing^le uaAte JSuad

ROPA VIEJA literally means old clothes

in Spanish but to Panamanians and ad- mirers of their culinary creations, it means something much more pleasing. So does sopa borracha, or drunken

soup. The former is a tasty meat dish made

of shredded beef that has been boiled and cooled, then mixed with fried onions,

garlic, tomatoes, and green peppers and

simmered for about 20 minutes. It's usually served with white rice, baked plantain or fried yucca, a starch root cooked

as a vegetable.

Sopa borracha is a rich sponge cake

soaked in rum and garnished with rasins and prunes after they have been marinated in sherry.

Available to the gourmet is a mouthwatering array of Panamanian dishes. Some have been borrowed from other

lands and given a new touch setting

them apart from the original preparations. Others are as distinctly Panamanian as the colorful polleras worn bv women here on festive occasions. Panama's favorable geographic position of having access to two oceans gives

seafood deserved prominence in this nation's eating habits. Superb fish, tender

lobster, and immense shrimp are among

the more highly regarded sea delicacies. And probably the most well-known

Panamanian dish is the piquant seviche,

usually made with corbina, seasoned

with tiny red and yellow peppers, paper

thin sliced onions and marinated over- night in lemon juice. When corbina is not available, most any good quality

white fish may be substituted and

shrimp or sea scallops can also be used. But this dish is served very hot so don't order it in a restaurant unless you enjoy

food with a bite. A dish with a more universal appeal

is Panama's traditional soup, sancocho. A meal in itself, sancocho is made from

a large stewing chicken, plus yucca, name (dasheen), otoe (a local root),

cut-up com on the cob, plantain, potatoes, onions, flavored with salt and pepper and a leaf or two of fragant coriander, an herb used frequently in Panamanian cooking. This lusty favorite is found in the nation's most elegant

salons as well as the humble woodbuming kitchens of the interior. Another luscious preparation is arroz con coco y titi, rice with coconut and

tiny dried shrimp. The rice is fried in coconut oil (made by cooking down the coconut milk) until it is light golden

color, then coconut water is added with

shrimp, salt and a little sugar. It is broiled briskly until the liquid has dried

up, the pot is covered and cooked over

a verv slow heat until done. Plain coco- nut rice is also delicious. Ranking high on the list of Panama's

(See p. 15)

The batea full of typical Panamanian goodies offered by the comely miss includes tamalitos, wrapped in tender young banana leaves; empanadas, made of crispy com meal crust and

juicy meat filling; skewered barbecued meat; and buiiuelos.

12 May 1966
Preventive Work

Is Big Role of

Health Bureau

THE CANAL ZONE Division of Pre- ventive Medicine and Quarantine is of

fairly recent origin. But the preventive

medicine work of the Health Bureau

has involved a history of demanding

tasks that can be traced to Canal construction days and to the now famous

labors of Dr. W. C. Gorgas.

The Canal Zone was free of epidemic

disease during 1965 and no quarantine

disease was reported, despite heavy

shipping volume that passed through

the Canal involving 12,907 vessels and more than a half million people. These

are among the major accomplishments

of this vital division of the Canal organization's Health Bureau. The principal objectives of the Pre- ventive Medicine and Quarantine Division are threefold: prevent disease and

safeguard health of the Canal Zone

community; promote and maintain the health and thereby the efficiency of the Canal organization employees; and pre- vent the introduction of non-indigenous

disease in the Canal Zone through maritime and aircraft quarantine.

It programs and administers public

health measures to prevent disease and

safeguard the health of approximately

100,000 persons eligible for medical

care in the Canal Zone medical facilities. Functions of the division are carried on through three separate branches:

the Industrial Health Branch; the Community Health Branch; and the Quarantine Branch.

Organized in 1962, the Industrial Health Branch is primarily concerned

with people who work for the Canal

organization and provides physical ex- aminations for prospective employees

to select the best physically qualified persons for employment. It investigates

occupational disease and injury, recom- mending control measures to provide

a safe and healthful working environ- ment. It counsels employees and

management to assist in dealing constructively with work-related health problems.

Under the Community Health Branch come the duties of providing infant, preWell baby clinics function in all six Community Health Centers. Scheduled visits are made by Dr. Mary V. Graham, right, Chief of the Community Health Branch, to examine

children 18 months of age and younger.

school and school child health surveil- lance, conducting immunization prog- rams and giving first aid, nursing care, home nursing, education of the public

in health matters, and medical coverage

at school athletic events. Members of this branch advise parents, teachers, students, and others concerned regarding child health. They

also conduct sight and hearing surveys,

chest X-rays, dental surveys and physical

examinations in the school as case find- ing procedures.

The responsibility of the Quarantine

Branch is to prevent the dissemination

of communicable disease and its intro- duction into the Canal Zone from maritime shipping. Particular effort is devot- ed to assuring that smallpox, yellow

(See p. 15)

All in the day's work. An on-the-job accident injury is cared for by the nurse at the Community Health Center, Balboa.

The Panama Canal Review 13
Division of Preventive Medicine

One way to test an exhaust system involves a bit of smoke. William

T. Marr, chief of the Industrial Hygiene Section, gets an instant reading.

Marr tests for toxic chemicals as Panama Canal paint shop employee

continues his job. It is Marr's responsibility to look into working

conditions related to potentially harmful materials.

Tables are turned on Dr. Graham as young lady listens for a heartbeat.

14 May 1966
prevention

(Continued from p. 13)

fever, cholera, plague, typhus, and relapsing fever and their vectors (carriers) are not brought into the Canal

Zone or adjacent areas by arriving vessels and aircraft. Personnel of this branch also maintain an alert for oc- currence of disease within the Canal

Zone so that appropriate action may be

taken to avoid spread.

The Preventive Medicine Division,

as it is known today, is relati%ely ne^^', though this type of work dates back to more than half a century. In 195.5, when

the U.S. Army hospital ceased operation, all the activities except the well baby clinic and school health nurse were

consolidated in Canal Zone hospitals.

Four years later, the various public

health activities were transferred from

the Canal Zone hospitals to the present

division. When the quarantine activities of the Public Health Service were

also turned over to the division it be- came known as the Division of Preventive Medicine and Quarantine.

A staff of 46, which includes six doctors and 22 nurses, now handles all

aspects of preventive medicine and

public health, health education and

health counseling, except for those activities which are the responsibility of the

Division of Sanitation and \'eterinar)'

Medicine. At the six Canal Zone Health Centers, more than 60,000 immunizations were

given the past year. During the same

period, 1,376 well babies made their

first visit to these centers. The Public Health Nurses' home

visiting service extends to all eligible

Panama Canal employees who live in

the Canal Zone, except those residing

in military bases. A visit is paid to all

first bom' babies when they go home

from the hospital, and before the mother

brings her child for a first visit to the well-baby clinic. Heading the Division of Preventive

Medicine and Quarantine is Dr. Sidney

B. Clark. Other members of his staff

include: Dr. Mary V. Graham, Chief of

the Community Health Branch; Dr. Donald H. Robinson, Chief, Industrial Health Branch; Dr. Andries de Boer, Epidemiologist and Quarantine Officer

in Charge in Balboa; Dr. Bernard Levin, Chief Quarantine Branch; William

T. Marr, Industiial Hvgienist; and Miss

Suzanne Tooke, Public Health Nursing

Supervisor.

School Health Programs are carried out in all Canal Zone schools. Mrs C. S. Skeie is shown taking blood pressure in her office at Balboa High School.

Seafoods Rate Highly

In Panamanian Dishes

(Continued from p. 12)

bocas or hors d'oeuvre is the carimanola,

a croquette type delicacy made of cook- ed mashed yucca, wrapped around a savory filling of chopped seasoned fried

pork, then fried a golden brown.

Com, one of the leading crops of Panama, is eaten in various forms, de- pending on the season. Masa, or corn

balls—a com meal mush—is sold in markets for making tamales and for serving

as a basis for many other dishes. The

tasty tamales are made of masa filled w ith cooked chicken or pork, olives and

prunes, then wrapped in a banana leaf,

tied with a string and heated in boiling

water. Masa is used also for making empanadas, the toothsome meat tarts that are

fried to a crisp and eaten as spicily hot as you like. Crumbled native white

cheese mav be added to masa to make

corn fritters. Plantain, used as a vegetable, is a

staple at the typical midday and evening meals. It may be prepared in a

variety of ways-fried, baked, added as

a filler to stews, and even as a dumpling.

Chips are made from the very green

plantain and are used with a cocktail spread like a potato chip.

Ripe plantains are baked in butter,

cinnamon and brown sugar, or sliced and fried. Either way they are a delight

to the taste buds. A fine dessert is made

from green plantain flour and served with coconut cream. Other tvpical desserts are arroz con

cocoa, chocolate rice pudding; bunuelos

de viento, a puffy fried fritter served with symp; sopa de gloria, or glory

soup, is sponge cake soaked in cooked cream mixture with rum added; guana- bana ice cream is made from the sweet,

ripe soursop, a popular tropical fruit

\\ ith juicy flesh. Refreshing drinks are made from

such Panamanian fruits as nance, ta- marindo, naranjilla, and papaya. Once

having tasted them, even the most disciplined calorie counter finds it difficult

to turn away jellies and jams made from

mangoes, guayaba, papaya, oranges, and

other local fruit.

The Panama Canal Review 15
PRINCIPAL COMMODITIES SHIPPED THROUGH THE CANAL

(All cargo figures in long tons) Pacific to Atlantic

Commodity

Ores, various Lumber

Petroleum and products (excludes asphalt) . Wheat

Sugar

Canned food products

Nitrate of soda

Barley Bananas

Metals, various Food products in refrigeration (except fresh

fruit) Pulpwood

Fishmeal

Iron and steel manufactures

Oilseeds and products

All others

Total

Third quarter, fiscal year1966

1,494,732

1,251,227

271,919

544,083

522,177

184,637

201,231

346,927

339,127

295,591

293,646

173,451

399,164

608,126

141,576

1,925,807

8,993,421

1965

1,812,479

1,222,996

368,871

504,458

411,619

207,011

220,038

109,970

311,396

299,433

288,598

136,810

457,226

507,925

142,296

1,723,965

8,725,091

Average

1951-55

961,032

868,628

249,439

508,144

233,804

304,637

360,514

25,235

192,445

162,399

163,265

48,257

~ 60,502

26,259

744,782

4,909,342

Atlantic to Pacific

Commodity

Petroleum and products (excludes asphalt)- Coal and coke

Phosphates

Soybeans

Iron and steel manufactures Corn

Ores, various Metal (scrap) Sorghum

Chemicals, unclassified Wheat

Sugar

Sulphur

Rice Automobiles and accessories

All others

Total 11,663,417

Third quarter, fiscal year—

1966

3,690,798

1,906,901

1,070,031

520,678

514,254

513,259

346,781

253,065

186,220

181,205

169,915

166,222

148,720

124,558

119,898

1,750,912

1965

3,727,982

1,690,666

671,412

332,433

347,808

549,955

265,548

218,893

~T7~6"275 141,399

148,872

104,258

39,374

86,820

1,308,665

9,810,360

Average

1951-55

968,731

676,946

195,587

134,079

420,153

19,077

27,416

16,632

"'4i~822

16,947

101,508

82,173

45,737

70,660

1,224,703

4,042,171

CANAL TRANSITS - COMMERCIAL AND U.S. GOVERNMENT
to 139 in 1956, 507 in 1961, and 849

last year. The 1966 will be even

larger.

The increase in the sizes of vessels has been reflected also in the growth

in the number of clear-Cut ships—

from 2,074 in 1964 to 2,312 last year

while total traffic expanded only

slightly. These figures do not take

into account vessels that transited as

partial clear-Cuts solely because they were scheduled to transit the 300-

foot-wide Cut at night. In 1957, when an official projection was made. Canal experts did not ex- pect more than 4 clear-Cuts per day

in the 1970's and currently there is an average of more than 7 per day

with a 1-day high of 13.

If Gaillard Cut had not been

widened to the present 500 feet, a much higher percentage of the traffic would be in the full clear-Cut cat- egory and customers would not be

enjoying the smooth running operation that now exists. And without the widening of the

Cut, ships would be spending an

estimated 25 hours in Canal waters

before clearing from the opposite entrance instead of the average 13-14

hours they now spend. Based on an

average of $100 an hour in a ship's

operating costs, this time reduction

is saving shippers some $15 million

per year. An earlier contribution to the time

saving was the installation of roundthe-clock operation of the Atlantic

Locks in 1963.

CANAL COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC BY NATIONALITY OF VESSELS
CANAL HISTORY

50 yearJ cn^o

AFTER BEING closed to traffic for 7 months, the Panama Canal was re- opened April 15, 1916, to traffic. On that day 15 ships made the transit from

ocean to ocean. The Canal had been

closed bv a slide in Gaillard Cut in September 1915, approximately a year after ths \\ater\\a\' was formally opened to

traffic. The closing of the Canal was not

the onlv problem facing the early Canal

officials. There was considerable cargo

congestion on the Canal Zone piers due

to the withdrawal of ships on regular schedules and because of World War 1 which the United States had not yet

entered. The Panama Railroad steamers were the only ones accepting cargo for New York from the Canal on a regular

schedule. The Panama Canal Record noted that the new building for Colon Hospital was

turned over to the Canal Zone Health

Department in April and that in June

the first of the new hospital buildings at .Ancon were to be ready for occupancy. The new ice making and cold storage

plant at Balboa was to be ready for use

in ^Ia^• and the Ancon Laundry, bachelor

quarters in Ancon, the office building

at the Pacific terminus of the Canal

and the office building at the Cristobal coaling plant were being completed.

25 yearJ cng-o

WHILE DEFENSE installations in the Canal Zone were being reinforced be- cause of the war in Europe, 25 years

ago, Panama announced that an agree- ment had been made to grant to the United States the use of lands for air- craft and anti-aircraft bases outside of the Canal Zone for the defense of the Panama Canal. Washington announced

that work would begin immediately on

the defense base sites and that Sll million had been included in the deficiency

appropriations bill for defense work.

World War II and the strained rela- tions between the United States and

Italy was brought close to home for Isthmian residents March 30, 1941,

when control of the Italian luxury' liner Conte Biancamano, which had been tied up for some time in Cristobal, was taken over in a surprise move by the U.S. Covernment acting on orders from Washington. Five carloads of U.S. soldiers from

Canal Zone Armv posts on the Atlantic

side and sailors from Coco Solo boarded

the big liner while the U.S. Navy minesweeper Mallard moved alongside the

ship. The action was made simulta- neously with a similar takeover of 26 Italian ships tied up in 13 ports

in the United States. Approximately

500 Italian officers and crew and a few

passengers were sent to New York later aboard a U.S. Army transport and

delivered to the immigration authorities. Work was started April 1, 1941, on

the construction of the Transisthmian

Highway b\' the Public Roads Administration. An announcement was made in March that local labor would be given

CNery opportunity for employment in all positions in the construction project.

fO yfearJ c4g^o

THE RESIDENTS of South Margarita were the first residents of the Canal

Zone to have their electrical equipment

converted to use 60-cycle power as a

result of the Panama Canal Compan\'s

power conversion project. Under the schedule submitted b\' the Sachse Electrical Co. for the Atlantic area conversion, the program was initiated iKpril 1, 1956, in the group of houses in South

Margarita and scheduled for completion

August 15. Bids on power conversion on

the Pacific side were being opened at Balboa Heights.

Television was another first in the Canal Zone 10 years ago. Installation of television sets in Canal Zone homes

began following an announcement that the Armed Forces station would begin

regular telecast programs soon. It was

announced that applications for the

installation of antenna systems on

houses under the jurisdiction of the Canal Zone Government could be ob- tained from the housing office.

There was a change in two of the top

level positions of the Canal organization. Gov. John S. Sexbold was preparing to leave the Canal Zone after 4

\ears as Canal Zone Governor and

Paul M. Runnestrand was appointed

the Zone's new Executi\e Secretary to succeed Eugene Lombard who was

retired. He became the fourth person

to hold this office in the Canal organization. One Ifear c4^o

THE NEW Gorgas Hospital annex, the highest and newest building in the Canal Zone, was completed and placed

in service last March. The handsome new building is built on what was

formerly a parking lot near the Gorgas

Hospital complex. It is on a par with

the most modern structural standards

of similar institutions in the United

States and its completion resulted in the revamping of the entire hospital plant.

A new traffic record was chalked up

for the Panama Canal last March despite the fact that Pedro Miguel Locks was on a one-lane operation due to regidar overhaul and repairs to the

locks floor. A total of 1,120 ships of more than 300 Panama Canal net tons made the joumev from ocean to ocean and the daily traffic average rose to a record 36.1 ships Of the ships transit- ing during the month, 209 were ships

of a size and t\ pe which made it necessar\' to send them through Gaillard Cut

with a clear-cut preference, many with

the assistance of a tug.

18 May 1966
Meadowside Granary where ship is moored has a storage space for 96,000 tons of grain. Tlie Clyde Navigation Trust owns and administers

the port of Glasgow.

World Porti

Glassow Is Maritime City

THE PORT of Glasgow, a world port

in e\er\ sense of the term, serves as a valuable companion enterprise to the

city's most famous and largest industrx —

shipbuilding.

Situated on the River Chde, the port

of Glasgow has a vast arrav of facilities constituting its tremendous importance

to international shipping. And it serves

as the distribution center for industrial Scotland, northern England and the north of Ireland. The port is owned and administered

by the Clyde Navigation Trust which

sees to it that rates and charges compare

favorably with other leading ports. Most voluminous in the wa\ of imports

are grain and flour, leather, tobacco,

timber, oil, iron ore, bacon, and other

foodstuffs while the leading exports are

cotton, jute, linen goods, varn, coal, machinery, and spirits. Accommodations are sufficiently varied to handle an enormous varietv of

operations. In a normal \ear, traffic handled at the port of Glasgow exceeds

14 million tons of shipping and 7 million tons of goods.

There are five commercial docks and

three graving docks, the longest being

880 feet bv 83 feet wide and IQ^'z feet deep on sill at ordinary high water. Also

there are spacious riverside wharves and

qua\s. Both quavs and docks are open

to the tide which has an average spring range of 12 feet and ship-to-shore

telephone service is available at man\'

berths. For use b\' visiting ships there are more than 160 cranes, mostly electrically

operated, ranging in capacit\' upwards

to 170 tons and a self-propelled floating crane with a 60-ton capabilit\'.

.\. granary at Meadowside Quav

affords storage for 96,000 tons of grain

while sheds adjoining the quav can handle 15,000 tons more. Grain may be

delivered in bulk or in bags direct to road vehicles or railwa\' wagons, and

by band-conye\ors to small vessels or

lighters Nine ship-discharging appli- ances in three berths in front of the

granar\- together can move grain at an

average rate of 1.000 tons per hour. This makes Glagow one of the fastest grain-handling ports—ship to granary—

in the United Kingdom.

Shieldhall Riverside Quav is equipped

to receive timber cargoes and has five 6 10 ton cranes and ample rail facilities. A large paved area is available and the

qua\' is adjacent to Shieldhall Timber

Yard having an area of 11 2 3 acres open and 12 3 acres covered storage. At Princess Dock there are 3^4 acres

of open and 2 acres of covered timber

storage area.

Facilities for slaughtering livestock and cooling, and accommodations for sheep, pigs, and 3,000 cattle are located on a 7-acre area at Merklands Wharf.

At Deanside and Braehead, transit depots are situated for handling, sorting

and storage of goods and each depot has shed accommodation, extensive railway

loading platforms and road, rail and

siding facilities. Open storage is avail- able.

The P.anam.\ C.'^nal Review 19
Panama Hunting

Among the Best

HUNTING IS a sport that is hard work in Panama and some sav it takes a special breed of stouthearted man to enjoy it. But Hke most any job well done, a day in the

hills or jungle of this tropical republic returns abundant

rewards.

Shotguns are the suggested weapons to use throughout

Panama. Rifles are permitted bv Panamanian authorities

and in very limited areas by Canal Zone authorities but

these weapons are frowned on by most hunters. As for permits, the Guardia Nacional (National Guard) issues permits to carry weapons and to hunt for $5 while the

Civil Affairs Bureau of the Canal Zone Organization sells hunting licenses for $1. Both must be renewed each year. The visitor or newcomer to this area should find a knowledgeable companion for the first hunt. In the

smaller villages of the interior—awav from the cosmopolitan capital of Panama Citv—it's easy to find a guide

Proudly hefting freshly bagged deer is Leo J. Krziza. native to Panama where they are hunted all year, small deer found in Florida, the white tail Panama deer weigh only 75 pounds.

Deer are Similar to frequently

fm^

"When do we start," these two dogs seem to be saying as they prepare fcr the hunt. Good hunting dogs do not guarantee results but they can be a big help.

20 May 1966
who for a reasonable charge will show the sportsman

where the game is to be found.

No bag limits are set by the Government of Panama

though in the Canal Zone there are enforced limits considered generous by many visiting hunters. The variety

of game is broad enough to please even the demanding

hunter.

Stamina and tolerance to physical discomforts are

qualities indispensable for a good day of hunting here. Dousing oneself with insect repellent is imperative and

though it permits die hunter to carry on does not grant

him complete freedom from mosquitoes and other pests.

It's exhausting sloughing through muddy, partially

dried-up swamps where the insects are thick and the

leeches numerous. But swamp hunting is often among

the most lucrative. For example, the migratory jack-snipe,

a table delicacy, is considered a fine sporting bird found

in swampy locales. The elusive jack-snipe has tremendous

darting speed that makes a man know he earned his kill.

Other migratorv fowl hunted in Panama are the bluewinged teal, broadbill, pintail, shovelar. curlew, plover,

and yellowlegs. The Canal Zone season for these is from

October 1 to February 28. From December 1 to June 30

is the season for the native fowl such as the quichiche

and muscovv ducks (pato real), doves, guans, and

currasows. The speedv pigeons, a challenge to anyone's marksmanship, are plentiful in the cool mountain areas in Chiriqui Province at the western portion of the country

near Costa Rica, as are quail. Jack-snipe, quail, and duck

abound on the plains and lowlands of the rice belt in the

central section of Panama.

One of the most popular types of game here is the local

white-tail deer, similar to those found in southern Florida.

They frequently weigh only 75 pounds but are out- standing for eating and can be found throughout the

entire country all year long. It's wise to take dogs along

when going for deer but the hunter must set out early

in the cool of the day. Otherwise, it gets too hot and dogs

lose the scent. Famed for its luscious taste when properly prepared

is the conejo pintado or painted rabbit, which is actually a rodent and seen only at night. A local version of the

rabbit familv is the fieque, hunted both day and night.

Also there rre wild pig, iguana—the large ugly lizard many consider fine eating—raccoon and jaguar.

This shrewd feline weighs as much as 200 pounds, is on the prowl mostlv near the jungles but is rangy and

can cover 45 miles in a single day. Though the jaguar

prefers the regions not populated by humans, one was

shot a few months ago near Colon where it had been

killing cattle.

A dead tigrillo cr small tiger, as it is known by some Panamanian

hunters, is shown with Mrs. Ruth Krziza who made the kill.

The Darien jungle to the south toward Colombia is good for game in general and besides the jaguar is the

habitat for the puma, ocelot, and numerous other exotic,

beautiful—and sometimes dangerous—animals.

Those preferring safari-type hunting expeditions can

satisfy this yen by making arrangements with "Jungle

Jim" Price, who conducts no-nonsense trips during

Panama's dry season—from January to early April.

With a four-day and four-person minimum party of

clients. Price provides all transportation from Panama

City, food, guides, cooks, skinners, and other miscella- neous items. At least 2 weeks in advance. Price must have

tlie serial number, caliber, manufacturer, and other infor- mation concerning shotguns to be brought into the

country. He uses this data to make the necessary arrange- ments with the Panamanian authorities so permits can be

obtained and weapons imported without any delay at Customs.

(See p. 22)

The Panama Canal Review 21
SKYDIVERS

(Continued from p. 11)

gracefulK' glide horizontallv as \ou lose

altitude. A good tracker can move for- ward 1 foot for ever\- 2 feet of descent. For delavs of more than 10 seconds,

the sk\diver wears an altimeter or stop

watch or both to guide him in pulling the ripcord. After improving techniques

of back and front loops, figure eights, turns and other maneuvers, the chutist can qualif\' for "C" and eventually "D,"

the top rating which allows him to participate in national and international competition. But for the latter classification, he must have completed 200 jumps, some

from altitudes of 1,800 feet. Opening

altitude for students is a minimum of 2,500 feet. With smoke grenades tied to their ankles, skvdiving units paint designs

that can be seen in space by spectators. Group members exiting at 3-second

intervals pass batons from man to man

and master other t\pes of relative work requiring split-second timing and

coordination. One of the major objectives in skv diving competition is accuracv in approaching a 9-centimeter disc on which outstanding chutists can score

bull's-exes frequenth'. Each parachute,

depending on design, has its own builtin forv\ard speed its owner knows how

to put to use for better scores. The historv of parachuting, according

to some, goes back to 14th centurv China when umbrella-like parachutes were used to descend from the Great

Wall. And in 1495, Leonardo da Vinci wrote of a parachute-like apparatus

which he said would lower a man safeh' from an\' height. But, as in the fledgling missile field, animals were the first passengers in the

earlv parachutes In 1875, French balloonist J. P. Blanchard dropped a dog

in a basket supported b\ a parachute.

And 12 years later another Frenchman,

Andre Jacques Garnerin, made the first parachute jump from a balloon 2,000 feet above Paris. His chute was suspended

from a balloon gondola in which his brother was riding. The brother cut the canopy loose from the balloon, allowing

the parachute to descend. Garnerin.

generally recognized as the first parachutist, was followed hv others who

used similar techniques where the parachutists did not jump out of the bal- loon basket but cut the balloon loose and

descended standing in a gondola.

Gradualh', harnesses and other im- provements evolved after the late nine- teenth centurv when the parachutist

began fastening himself to a harness and

jumping out of the basket. Tragedy

marred several of the earh' attempts to improve parachutes.

A German pilot in 1917 is believed

to have been the first to use a parachute

for an emergencv bailout from a plane. But manv pilots openlv ridiculed par- achutes as impractical and for a time

the War Department equipped balloonists with parachutes while pilots flew without them.

Static cords were used for earh' parachutes because it was generalh'

believed that the chutist would lose consciousness and be unable to pull a ripcord while he was falling through space. This theorv' was later disproved and by

the 1930's, sk\di\ing techniques were

emploxed.

Sizes and shapes of canopies were

altered for improvements as were jumping techniques and chute packs. Some

preferred not to pack the chutes at all but would stand on the wing of the plane while holding the folded chute

in their arms. When the plane passed

over the target area, the parachutist

would throw the chute into the wind

and it would whisk him off the wing

as it filled with air. Reckless showmen developed tech- niques used at air shows held in conjunction with carnivals and circuses. Almost anv gimmick that would bring a gasp from the crowd was used. The earlv daredevils thought up wild stunts to outdo each other. Some favored the cut awa\' method in which the chutist would

release one canopv and open a second

one, then release the second and open

a third. A few lost their lives doing this when thev made the last cutawav too low for the chute to open. The U.S. Army paratroopers were

organized in 1940, at Fort Benning, Ga. The French in 1949 developed skv- diving as it is known todav and thev won the first world's sport parachute

championship. Americans did not enter

international competition until 1956 but

thev soon gained prominence in this

field and have captured a large share of the annual laurels. Parachuting toda\' is not confined to the militarv and to the sport parachuting clubs which, incidentally, are

Panama Hunting

(Continued from p. 21)

The Jungle Jim safari starts with

a short flight to the Kuna Inn in the

San Bias Islands which is used as a base of operations. From there he

takes his parties to the hunting area

via a powerboat along the rivers of

this region. Members of his camp

sta£F go ahead of the main party to build thatch roof sheds for shelters and cooks prepare game taken along

the way. Standard fare is also pro- vided for those reluctant to eat what

they liave killed.

Price emphasizes this is basically

jungle hunting that gives the sportsman a chance at a diversified arrav

of game not readily available to a

stranger. Animals he says his clients may get shots at include 2 species

of tapir weighing an average of 600

pounds, 2 kinds of deer, .3 varieties

of turkey, 3 of wild pigeon, 2 of wild pig, and 11 members of the cat family (2 types of jaguar).

If this isn't enough, Price points out that there is alligator spearing

at night and some interesting sightseeing among the colorful San Bias

Indians.

Travel to the interior of Panama,

particularly for extended trips, ex- poses the hunter to some natural

hazards found in jungles and forests

in many nations. Commonsense,

therefore, must be put to use re- garding the consumption of questionable food and water. Plenty of

insect spray should be taken along,

also a snake-bite kit and immunization agains yellow fever is recom- mended by some physicians.

Questions of what type of drugs

or remedies needed should be di- rected to a medical doctor.

made up of people representing a cross section of occupations and professions,

including housewives.

Among a multitude of uses, para- chuting serves in combating forest fires and in helping air crash and disaster victims cut off from surface aid.

22 May 1966
S H U ? I N G

Fast Far East Service

THE U.VITED STATES LINE repre- sented here by Panama Agencies has

increased its service between New York

and the Far East by the addition of three new, recordbreaking Challengerclass cargo liners. The three 13,400-ton, 21 -knot vessels bring to 12 the number

of United States Line's ships on its American Pioneer route and will provide an

increase in sailings from 45 to 55

annuallv compared with the former

spread of 27 to 39 voyages a year. Agents said this increase stepped up

a sailing from every 10 days to one every 7 days, or a ship of this line and class

in the Canal once a week on the outward

vo\ age and once a week on the homeward vovage. The ships, capable of speeds better than 25 knots, as they have

demonstrated on recordbreaking cross- ings of the North Atlantic, make the run

to Manila via the Panama Canal in only

27 days. This is probably the fastest running time to the Philippine Republic

bv a cargo ship.

Chinese Shipping Group

THE ORIENTAL ENVOY, operated

by the Orient Overseas Line, an affiliate of the C. Y. Tung Island Navigation

Corp., recently passed through the Canal

from Yokohama to Philadelphia with a cargo of 20,400 long tons of sugar. The

vessel has been strengthened so that she can be loaded in alternate holds and

thus is suitable to carry ore as well as

grain. She was constructed in three sections with the midbody being built at El Ferrol on the northwest coast of Spain

and the forebody and afterbody at Seville in the south. Wilford & McKay, agents for the line here, report that a number of vessels controlled by the C. Y. Tung group use

the Canal. This organization recently

added several new ships to its fleet of well over 1 million deadweight tons, making it the largest Asian shipping

group, second only to the Japanese.

Swiss Customers

THE SWISS merchant fleet once was as much of a joke as the non-existant Swiss

Navy. But not anymore.

The Swiss today have a fleet of 31

vessels with a total tonnage of 267,147

deadweight tons and nearly all of them

transit the Panama Canal on an average

of every 3 months. According to official figures, the transits by Swiss-flag vessels range from 19 to 22 each quarter of the

PANAMA CANAL TRAFFIC

STATISTICS FOR THIRD QUARTER

FISCAL YEAR 1966 TRANSITS (Oceangoing Vessels) 1966 1965 Commercial 2,957 2,824

U.S. Government 162 62

Free 22 20
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