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, ANAMA f Jgj 'UAML -

WINTER 1976
HAROLD R. PARFITT

Governor-President

RICHARD L. HUNT

Lieutenant Governor ^ PANAMA A'.vg.'UANAL g

WILLIE K. FRIAR

Editor, English Edition

JOSE T. TUNON H.

Editor, Spanish Edition

Writers Vic Canel, Fannie P. Hernandez

FRANK A. BALDWIN

Panama Canal Information Officer Official Panama Canal Publication

Review articles may be reprinted without further clearance. Credit to the Review will be appreciated.

The Panama Canal Review is published twice a year. Yearly subscription: regular mail $1.50, airmail $3, single copies 75 cents.

For subscription, send check or money order, made payable to the Panama Canal Company, to Panama Canal Review, Box M, Balboa Heights, C.Z.

Editorial Office is located in Room 100, Administration Building, Balboa Heights, C.Z.

Printed at the Panama Canal Printing Plant, La Boca, C.Z.

Contents

The "Tarawa" transits 3

The Navy's newest multipurpose ship is tight fit in the locks.

Twentv-thousand sailors on J shore leave 8

Those were the days when

the fleets converged at the

Canal.

Boom in trans-Canal

cruises 11

New breed, of vacationers

seeing Canal on short air/ sea trips.

Construction-day photos

displayed in New York 16

Exhibit of Hallen's work

attracts large audience.

Culinary' Capers 22

A dash of rum for a delect- able difference.

The case of the missing

portrait 28

Old timers sponsored oil painting as tribute to Goethals.

< redit*: Photr,-, of M.O.St. A. p. 16 and 17 by John P. Francavillo; interior view of "Tarawa"

p. 6 by lngalh Shipbuilding. Other photos by

Arthur L. Pollack, Information Office Photographer, and Graphic Branch photographers Don

/. . Kevin Jenkins, and Alberto Acevedo.

Our Cover

THE TOWERING TARAWA

is an appropriate term for the

Navy's new assault ship shown on

the cover towering over the control

house at Miraflores Locks. In this view one can see how the eaves of the control house were folded down

to accommodate the flight deck

which extended bevond the lock

walls. Gathered on the deck are some of the 400 local residents who accepted

the invitation of the officers and

crew to join them on the inaugural

transit of the new ship which was

enroute from Pascagoula, La., where

it was built to its home port, San

Diego.

The cover photograph is by Frank

Baker, who was a student assistant

in the Graphic Branch at the time

of the transit.

Inside the back cover is a Christ- mas greeting to all Review readers

in the form of a mola with a Santa

Claus motif. The mola was photographed by Arthur L. Pollack.

Because the special bicentennial

edition of the Review was distributed in July, there was no fall edition. Instead, this Review, the

second of the year, is being designated the winter edition and is being

distributed during the Christmas

season.

Winter 1976
V.S.S. "Tarawa" approaches Pedro Miguel Locks. The Tarawa transits

By Willie K. Friar

The Navy's newest

assault ship

squeezes through

THE LHA SHIP SHALL BE

built to transit the Panama Canal

without structural modification or additional buoyancy devices." This sentence

in the basic contract for the construction of the U.S.S. Tarawa, the Navy's

giant new amphibious assault ship,

made sure she would be designed to take maximum advantage of the 1,000

by 110 feet dimensions of the Canal

locks.

The Tarawa, which is the first vessel

of the second largest class of Navy ship

in service, had some protrusions re- moved before she would fit in the locks, but as with the four other ships of her

class, scheduled for the future, her

designers made sure she would be able

to utilize the Panama Canal. The July transit of the Tarawa, not

only went smoothly, but it might be

said that it got off to a flying start-the

The Panama Canal Review
Panama Canal pilot was taken aboard

by helicopter.

Canal pilots usually are ferried to ships by launch but when the Tarawa,

which carries landing craft and heli- copters, arrived in Canal waters, July 14, she dispatched one of her

helicopters to pick up Canal pilot Capt.

Frank V. Kerley, who had been

assigned to guide the ship into port at Cristobal. The Cristobal Police provided two

cars with flashing red lights to mark

the landing area, which was a field in Old Cristobal opposite the Maintenance

Division. The helicopter touched down at 10:45 a.m. and 3 minutes later was

airborne again with its passengers, which included several naval officers in addition to Captain Kerley. As soon as he was aboard the Tarawa,

Captain Kerlev radioed that there would

be some delay in the arrival of the ship

at the pier as two of the launches

carried by the vessel had to be lowered

into the water and taken aboard on the port side to facilitate the docking of the vessel. The giant ship entered Cristobal breakwater at 12:40 p.m. and with the

assistance of the towboats, Harding and

Mehaffey, was berthed at Pier 6 AB.

The Industrial Division began work

immediately to prepare the ship for

transit. Since the vessel, which is 820

feet long and has a beam of 106 feet, was built to take maximum advantage

of the 1,000 by 110 feet dimensions of the locks, this involved removing all protrusions such as antennas, catwalks and ladders which extended from the

Above: Guests and crew watch from

the flight deck as the U.S.S. "Tarawa"

which lias a beam of 106 feet, is

fitted into the 110-foot wide lock

chamber at Miraflores.

At right: The "Tarawa" towers

over towing locomotives and a

mercliant ship as she is

I through. More

than -100 guests gather

on deck to watch.

^-^k^i^u^^afa' &>_&£&

Winter 1976
hull and flight deck in such a way as

to interfere with safe transit. This work was completed on the

night of July 15 and the Tarawa began

her southbound transit the next day at 6:30 a.m. Five Canal pilots were

assigned to take the vessel through the waterway. Captain Kerley served as control pilot and was assisted by Capt.

Louis H. Hixon, Capt. Ennis E. Daniel,

Capt. Drummond McNaughton, and

Capt. William L. Keller, a" pilot platform 33 feet high was erected from

amidships to the control bridge for the use of the command pilot and the other

pilots were stationed around the flight

deck, which is as long as three football

fields. More than 400 Canal Zone military

and civilian personnel and their families accepted the invitation of Capt. George

E. Church to join the ship's officers and

crew and the contingent of Marines,

who were aboard, for the transit. The Tarawa entered Gatun at 8:31

a.m. and cleared Miraflores Locks at 3:49 p.m. The transit was without

serious problems but a strong wind at Miraflores made it difficult to center the huge ship in the lock chamber. She was lowered, however, without diffi- culty and docked in Balboa at 4:40

p.m. where all protrusions were re- installed. An open house was held

July 21 and 22 before the ship sailed for San Diego, July 24, with Capt.

Joseph McDaniel, Acting Assistant Port Captain, as pilot. Planning for the inaugural transit of the Tarawa began in October 1975

when Emil Cicchetto, of the Industrial

Division's Planning Section, was sent

At top: the giant ship moves through

Gaillarcl Cut.

Above: Panama Canal pilot

Capt. Frank V. Kerley, left, and

Capt. George E. Church,

Commanding Officer of the "Tarawa,"

keep a careful watch during the transit.

At left: The "Tarawa" did not have to

tilt her antennas to get under the

bridge which spans the Canal at

Balboa although, in this photo,

it appears she might.

The Panama Canal Review
~9mL

1|? *z- i Uii

AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT OPERATIOSS

The big LHA ships are built for amphibious assault operations—getting men and

equipment ashore. Heavy equipment such as tanks, armored personnel carriers, trucks and jeeps, as well as men, ammunition and supplies are placed ashore by

amphibious craft through the ship's high well deck. (Seen above in a loading operation at Balboa.) Vehicles drive down ramps into waiting boats, and supplies are loaded aboard by monorail cars that travel overhead. The well deck is 278 feet long and 78 feet wide. At the stern is a massive door 80 feet wide and 30 feet high, and weighing more than 90 tons. The door lifts vertically, in two sections, to open the well deck to the sea.

Protrusion* are removed from the vessel to make it possible for her to transit the Canal. The work was performed in Cristobal by the Industrial Division.

to Pascagoula, Miss., to discuss plans

with the Ingalls Shipbuilding Division

of Litton Industries, the designers and

builders of the ship. Ingalls, the largest

shipyard in the Western Hemisphere,

employs 24,000 workers at one location

in Pascagoula.

Cicchetto later served as coordinator

for the Industrial Division when the

ship arrived at Cristobal. Capt. C. W. Lewis, Port Captain,

Cristobal, and R. J. Danielson, Superintendent, Atlantic Locks, represented

the Marine Bureau during the planning

of transit arrangements.

The Tarawa is the largest Navy

vessel to transit the Canal since the

transits of the Missouri and her sister ships which are 108 feet wide. The

Navy vessels now in service which are

larger than LHA-1 (her official designation) are the 13 attack aircraft

carriers. They are the only Navy vessels now in service which cannot transit the Canal. (According to the 1975 Lloyd's

Register of Shipping, there are 63,724

commercial ships of over 100 gross tons

in the world's inventory of ships. Of

these about 97 percent are able to

transit the Canal.)

Military officials have described the Tarawa as a "formidable deterrent

force" because of her capability to transport combat troops and land them

by assault craft and helicopters, evacuate citizens, and operate a hospital. Built to Marine Corps specifications, the vessel has been called "the landing

force commander's dream come true"

6 Winter 1976
by Marine Gen. Samuel Jaskilka. It combines the operating capabilities of an amphibious assault ship, amphibious

transport ship, cargo ship, and landing

ship dock. It was designed to maintain

what the Marine Corps calls "Tactical Integrity"—getting all components of a balanced force to the same point at the same time. The Tarawa was named in honor of the 1,020 Marines who died in the 76-hour battle on the Pacific atoll during November 1943 as American

forces battled for their first foothold in the Gilbert and Mariana islands during

World War II. More than 2,000

Marines were wounded in this battle. This was the first storming of an

atoll by American forces and it was

here that the concept of amphibious

warfare was proven sound. During the

terrible battle for the island, the great

loss of life was due primarily to a lack

of specialized equipment, communications, and prompt medical care. With the U.S.S. Tarawa, the Marines

of today have a capability that few

could have envisoned during that Central Pacific offensive of 1943.

In addition to its full-length flight deck, which can handle nine helicopters

simultaneously, the Tarawa has a large well deck in its stern, measuring 78

feet by 268 feet for launching and

recovering landing craft. The well deck,

when flooded, provides ample maneuvering space and can handle any size landing craft including the 134-foot ULC (Utility Landing Craft), which is capable of transporting three 60-ton

tanks and weighs 400 tons fully loaded. The landing craft can be discharged

and loaded while the ship is underway.

On their return to the ship, a unique

line handling system is used to help

guide the craft into the well for docking.

The troops, assigned to helicopters,

will go from their quarters to the flight

deck to board the waiting aircraft. Those boarding the landing craft will go to the well deck and board boats

before the well is flooded. There will be no need, as in the past, for transfer- ring from a troop transport ship to a specialized helicopter carrier or amphibious craft docking ship and no more climbing down a cargo net with

rifle and full pack to jump aboard a small boat in the open sea. Only those Marines, who served in landing forces during World War II. Korea and Vietnam, can fully appreciate this new system. In the past,

an amphibious landing assault scheduled to hit the beaches at 6 a.m.

started with reveille at 2 a.m. When

the call came, the men made their way

to the main deck and climbed over the

side and down 40 or 50 feet with full packs and weapons to a small wooden

landing craft rising and falling on the

swells near the ship. They might circle for hours, with 32 Marines packed in each craft, before being ordered to form into waves and head for the

assault beaches. While the Tarawa offers vast improvements in moving men, the improvements in handling material add

equally to the advantages of the ship. All supplies to support the landing

team are stored below decks and trans- ported to the proper deck by elevators. Helicopters are moved from the hanger

deck by elevator and trucks. Jeeps, tanks and landing craft are moved

within the ship on vertical ramps run- ning from the first platform, one deck

below the well deck up to the flight deck. Vehicles can be stored on any

level and driven either to the landing

craft stored on the well deck level or to the flight deck. The first entirely new type of amphibious assault ship to join the Navy

fleet in the past decade, the Marine

Corps and Navy amphibious forces' largest vessel, the Tarawa provides the

The First of Her Kind

THE U.S. NAVY'S ERRANDS

of mercy have saved more

lives than its guns have ever des- troyed," the late Fleet Adm.

Chester W. Nimitz, once said. And the Tarawa is better suited than any other ship to carry on

this tradition. Whether it's a typhoon in the

Philippines, earthquakes in Central America or a hurricane along

a U.S. Coast, the Tarawa has the

capability of providing transportation, food, water, clothing, shelter, medical care and communications

to victims of disaster. Here are some other facts which

the many people, who lined the Canal banks, to watch the transit might find of interest. The Tarawa:

Stands 20 stories high and

must stoop to pass under the San

Diego Bridge—the tallest mast is 221 feet above the keel but it will

tilt and, when folded, the height

is reduced by 23 feet. Has 1,450 compartments about

the same number as a large hotel. Has nine elevators and two

horizontal conveyors—more than most major department stores. Has two boilers, the largest ever manufactured in the United

States, and can generate a total of 400 tons of steam per hour. It can

develop 140,000 horsepower which

is equivalent to the horsepower of 700 average automobiles.

Has an electrical power sub- system developing 14,000 kilowatts

of electrical power for the ship.

This is enough electrical power to

light 11,500 average-sized homes.

Has 1,200 tons of air-condi- tioning equipment-sufficient to environmentally control a 32-story

office building or 500 average size homes.

Has a 900 horsepower bow

thruster for lateral movement at low speeds that can move the bow

with 20,000 lbs of force—equivalent to half the pulling power of

a diesel electrical locomotive. Can ballast 12,000 tons of sea- water for trimming the ship to receive and discharge landing craft from the well deck. Was constructed with more

than 20,000 tons of steel, 400 tons

of aluminum, 400 miles of cable and 80 miles of piping.

Has an internal communications system with 692 phones (558

touch tone, 132 net phones and

2 switching phones).

Has a closed circuit TV svs- tem which includes 14 cameras, 22 monitors, 14 audio stations, 3 video recorders, 48 TV receivers,

123 TV outlets and a complete

studio with 16mm film display and

video recorder equipment for live or taped broadcasts. Has a flight deck 2 acres square.

The Panama Canal Review
(Continued from p. 7)

greatest versatility in the history of amphibious operations.

Although primarily a tactical vessel, which will be traveling with other ships

in a convoy, the Tarawa is capable of providing a great deal of its own defense. With its greater than 20-knot speed it is less susceptible to attack from enemv shipping. Its armament

includes three new lightweight 5-inch,

54 caliber guns, and two surface missile launchers, each with a capability of eight missiles per firing. The ship also has six 20-mm machine guns, mounted

on the ship's four corners and amidships, just below the flight deck. An acclimatization room the size of

a large gymnasium, in which the temperature and humiditv levels prepare

troops to go ashore anywhere in the

world, is another innovation. The Taraica is capable of moving

quickly to the scene of any natural

disaster or military emergency where

it can use its facilities to give assistance,

including providing emergency electrical power or distilling enough water

for the dailv needs of 6,000 people as well as providing shelter and military

protection.

Medical facilities aboard the ship are the most modem available and include two main operating rooms, two emer- gency operating rooms, a blood bank,

laboratories and a 300-bed hospital.

There are also dental operating rooms,

a pharmacy, and isolation wards. For her first transit of the Canal, tolls for the Taraica amounted to $21,120.

Although Panamanian and Colombian

Government vessels pass through the Canal toll free, all U.S. vessels, in- cluding U.S. Government vessels, are assessed tolls.

Transits of the Panama Canal by

U.S. Government vessels—warships,

military transports, tankers, submarines.

other types of military and char- tered vessels—in the last 20 years have

ranged from as few as 182 in a yeai

to as high as 1,504 reflecting the ups

and downs in the international situation. By sending troops, equipment, and

all types of supplies through the Pan- ama Ganal during World War II, the Korean War, and the Southeast Asian

conflict the ability of the United Stal to react quickly and with large forces was substantially improved.

The four other ships of the Tarmi n (lass being built with the capability to

transit the Canal, are the Saipan, Belleau Wood, Xassau, and Da Nang,

Those nere the davs . .

.

When the fleets converged at the Canal

By Eunice Richard

FIRST TO APPEAR OYER THE

horizon were the battleships—eight

of them. Big armor plated giants of more than 600 feet—the newest most modem of their time, steaming majestically one behind the other into Limon

Bay.'

Then came the cmisers—eleven sleek heavily armored warships—each bearing the name of a prominent United

States city. Following the cruisers were the fighting dogs of the Navy. The first contingent of the hundred and eight destroyers, showing their speed by cutting

swiftly through the sun flecked Caribbean, slowing down only when they

passed the Cristobal breakwater. Like

a well trained team of gymnasts, thev

went to their assigned moorings to await transit through the Canal.

It was the first visit to the new Canal

of the 175 ships of the Pacific Fleet. In

fact it was the first appearance of the

Pacific Fleet as a single unit. The U.S. Navy, following the end of hostilities in Europe in 1919, had been divided with

half of its force to remain on the Atlantic coast and half to go to the

Pacific. It was also the first time that the strategic value of the Panama Canal was to be fullv tested. And tested it was to the full satisfac- tion of all military experts and of Admiral Hugh Rodman, who was the Panama Canal's first Marine Superintendent and was then commander-inchief of the Pacific Fleet. The armada arrived in Cristobal July 24, 1919, and completed passage through the Canal July 27. On July 28, Governor Chester Harding cabled the

Secretary of War in Washington advising him that the Pacific Fleet had

left Balboa for the West ( oast having

"made an expeditious passage through

the Canal without untoward incident" and to the expressed satisfaction of Admiral Rodman.

It was noted also that during the period of heaviest naval business, from

July 24 to 27, 19 merchant ships and

several Panama Canal craft were put

through the waterway.

Prior to this historic transit, the only

U.S. Navy armada of any size to use

the Canal was a practice squadron of

six battleships which arrived earlier in July enroute to South America with

midshipmen.

The visit of the Pacific Fleet, brief

as it was, provided welcome fun and

excitement for the residents of the

Isthmus. The Canal had been open only

5 vears and during most of that time

the world had been embroiled in a devastating world war. The allied navies and manv of the world merchant ships were confined to the Atlantic. The navies of the United States and South America were on the alert

off the East Coast to protect the countries of the Western Hemisphere. Traffic had been light during these years. With the end of the war, new plans were being made bv the W

T ar Department for the U.S. fighting ships, a number of which had engaged in action in the north Atlantic and had been present at the surrender of the German

Fleet.

It was a thrill for the local residents

to see the powerful United States Fleet

transit the new Canal and a bonanza

for the local merchants when the thousands of men got shore leave. There were manv parties given bv local residents to welcome the thousands of white clad officers and men of the

U.S. Navy.

The first men who went ashore in 1919 mav have had a comparatively

dull time of it however when the Mayor

of Panama, playing it safe, made the

city bone drv for the sailors. The Star 6 Herald noted that he issued an order

prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages of anv kind to the sailors and that they all returned to their ships bv 8

p.m. in good order.

s Winter 1976
*.- --•-

At top: Ships of the United States fleets anchored at Balboa, March 10, 1926. Above: The U.S.S. "Saratoga" is locked through Miraflores in March 1928.

At right: The U.S.S. "Missouri" moves through Gaillard Cut in August 1953. The "Missouri" and her sister ships, which are 888 feet long and 108 feet in the beam, arc the widest vessels to transit the Panama Canal.

No such order was reported in sub- sequent visits of the U.S. Navy which

following 1919 made Panama a base

for joint maneuvers of the Atlantic and

Pacific fleets up to the United States entry into World War II. When in January 1921, Admiral

Rodman arrived from the West Coast

with his Pacific Fleet to join the Atlantic ships for maneuvers, there was a gala atmosphere. The joint fleets re- turned to Balboa from the Pacific for an 8-day stay during which 20.000

sailors were given shore leave daily.

There were bullfights in Panama, precarnival dances and balls at the social clubs. President Belisario Porras of Pan- ama entertained the officers of the U.S.

battle fleets at a banquet at the Union

Club. Also attending were 104 officials of the Panama Covernment, officials from the Canal Zone and members of the diplomatic corps and their ladies. This was the first time that the joint Beets had visited Panama and the local press reported that the boys in white

made Central Avenue look like "the

Great White Way." There were two

paydays while they were here and thev bought everything in sight including

mangoes, pineapples, monkevs, squirrels, iguanas and Spanish shawls. It was estimated that they spent more

than a million dollars during shore

leave and the press, noting the generosity of navy men, said there must have

been many jitney drivers and coach owners who became rich men overnight. At one time in 1921, there were five U.S. admirals on the Isthmus. Most

popular here, of course, was Admiral

Rodman, who had organized the new

Panama Canal Marine Division during

construction davs. He received local

officials aboard his flagship, the U.S.S. New Mexico, and went tarpon fishing

with his old pals at Catun. During the following vears. the U.S. Navy made constant use of the Panama

Canal and converged here on an aver- age of once a vear for joint maneuvers. The tvpes of ships changed with the times but when the earlv aircraft carriers Lexington and Saratoga were

built, they too came through although

it was a tight squeeze.

It was such a tight squeeze for the

U.S.S. Lexington that during her transit in March 1928 she demolished four concrete lamp posts at the locks and a handrail on the Pedro Miguel Locks was smashed flat. The U.S.S. Saratoga.

her sister ship, had made the transit a short time earlier without incident. Thev were the largest ever to transit the locks up to that time. Thev were

888 feet in length and had beams of 107.9 feet. Crowds gathered to see the aircraft carriers squeeze through and for many

vears, the expression "be scraped by

like the Saratoga" was used in Panama

to refer to someone who barelv passed

in school. The aircraft carriers however were

not the widest military ships ever to transit the Canal. This record is still held bv the U.S.S. Missouri and her

sister ships which are 108 feet in the beam.

The Panama Canal Review
Ten hours for the Tarawa but

only slightly more than

seven for the Colonel

By Dolores E. Suisman

ABOARD THE U.S.S. Tarawa

during her transit of the

Canal, was marathon runner Marine Lt. Col. David F.

Seiler who spent the 10 hours

preparing for a trans-Isthmian run the following day.

It was the final day of a week

of intensive training that included

strenuous daily workouts and a

special diet. Each day, he had

run 20 miles—60 times around

the flight deck of the giant ship.

The first 3 days, he had eaten only high-protein foods. The next

three, he had stuffed himself with

carbohydrates. On that last day

of preparation, he ate only a peanut butter sandwich.

On race day, he was up before

the sun. At 5 a.m. sharp,

he set out from the Fort Amador

Officers' Club heading down the causeway on the first leg of his route, most of which followed the Transisthmian Highway.

That break-of-day start was to mean that he would be near the

finish line before the midday

heat overtook him.

Though he speaks of "the

lonely world of the long-distance

runner," he wasn't alone on

this race. Thirty volunteers from

the Marine Barracks ran with him

in 5-mile relays, dousing him

with water to counter the 86-degree temperature and

carrying the fluid he needed

to sustain him.

During the run, he drank

3 quarts of water and 10

"pounds"—an amount equal to a gallon—of a special racer's mixture of fluids and salt. The heat, he reported later, didn't bother him as he had

expected it to. But he hadn't expected to climb six major hills on his way across the Isthmus,

and they proved the hardest

part of the race. The marathoner reached the

Atlantic Ocean shortly after noon,

clocking exactly 50 miles in 7 hours 2 minutes 30 seconds. He weighed in at 12 pounds

under his normal 135. Since he

had taken 10 pounds of fluid during the race, this meant he had

in reality lost 22 pounds on the

grueling run. When it was all over he

treated himself to a big pitcher of orange juice and began the long,

slow process of relaxing.

The day after the race, he ran

a slow 8 miles and felt he was back to normal.

It took much more than a week's intensive training to prepare Colonel Seiler for his Transisthmian trek. He has been

running for 5 years. His interest

in long-distance running began

with the regular "Marine FT" of 3 miles a day. Now, when he is at home, he runs 11 miles to and

from work and gets in more

practice at lunchtime. He totals over 4,000 miles a year. The 43-year-old colonel has won four marathons competing

against others in his age group. In a number of other races, he has been the first finisher over 40. But he had never run

a race longer than 26 miles until he crossed the Isthmus—a feat

that many men half his age have

attempted unsuccessfully.

Colonel Seiler has 25 years of

service with the Marine Corps

and is a decorated veteran of the Korean and Vietnam conflicts. He and his wife, Gloria,

have three children at home:

David, Jr., 20; William, 18; and

Kathy, 14. A third son, who was

adopted in Korea, is now 32

and the father of two. The colonel, who is assigned

to the Operational Test and

Evaluation Division at Quantico, Va., was aboard the Tarawa on her maiden voyage

to perform testing and evaluation

of the new ship.

The Tarawa was in port for a week. By the time she sailed from

Balboa, Colonel Seiler had crossed

the Isthmus by every means

possible. He went by ship,

by helicopter, by car and by train. But surely the most satisfying

trip of all was his memorable

transisthmian marathon run.

Above: Lt. Col. David F. Seiler, a marathon runner practicing for his trans-Isthmian run on the flight deck

of the "Tarawa" and, at left, (luring the run.

10 Winter 1976
Avalanche of

publicity

produces boom

in trans-Canal

SHORT AIR SEA CRUISES OF 14

or even 10 davs are making it possible for a whole new breed of vacationers to see the Panama Canal. And thev are coming bv the thou- sands to satisfy their curiositv about

"the big ditch," which has received an avalanche of publicitv during the re- cent political campaigns in the United

States. "See the Panama Canal from vour bedroom window" and "One of the

world's great hotels sails through the Panama Canal" are among the advertising slogans that are luring passengers

to flv-cruise vacations, which the Princess Line has called "seabird holidavs."

Particularlv prominent among the new group of passengers are those from

the landlocked states who are taking

advantage of the package deals which

include flving free or at special rates from various inland cities to the ports

where the cruises originate.

The success of the air sea concept is a result of what Duncan Beardslev. Vice President, Marketing, for the Roval Cruise Line, calls, "The total marriafje of the airplane and the ship."

He notes that as a result of skillful scheduling and marketing, passengers

get a first class cruise plus air trans- portation at just about the cost of regular air fare alone. This is possible

because the chartered jets used bv the Roval Cruise Line, which operates out

of California, always go out full carry- ing the entire complement of passengers for the company's ship, the Golden

Odyssey, which cruises the Mediter- ranean in the summer and features trans-Canal cruises during the winter

months.

The Panama Canal Review 11
A room

with

view

Whatever the variations in the air/ sea arrangements, however, passengers on trans-Canal cruises are assured of a

transit in luxurious air-conditioned comfort with their ships getting preferential treatment, including daylight

transit, in the parade of less glamorous

merchant ships which make up the bulk

of the Canal customers. The highlight of these cruises, of course, is the leisurely trip through

Gaillard Cut and the locks complete

with luncheon on deck so that everyone

can watch the play-by-play action as the ship is lifted up and down the water

stairway between the two oceans. Some of the passengers coming here

during the dry season, may remember

the Panama Canal during the war years. Although sailing through the jungles of Panama at that time was an aweinspiring experience, it was often on crowded troop ships and anything but

luxurious. Many are anxious to try it again on one of the new air-conditioned

cruise ships.

A surprising number are repeat pas- sengers who are bringing friends along

to introduce them to the engineering

wonders of the Canal. Whatever their other reasons for coming, the current

Ample glassed-in areas make it possible for passengers on the "Island Princess"

In I tew the Canal transit in air-conditioned comfort but many of them

line tlie deck railings to get an even closer view as the ship enters Mirafores Locks.

12 Winter 1976
crop of passengers like the new price

tags. Short cruises and reasonable

prices are attracting a younger more

informal group who never before had

the time or monev for a long expensive

( cean voyage which in years past was

the only way to cruise through the

Canal. There is a greater choice of vessels

this year than ever before. At least 21 new cruise liners have been built since 1970 and an equal number of older ships have been reconditioned.

The newer ones are small enough to enter small remote ports but large

enough to accommodate the full pas- senger load of the jumbo jets used to

il\ passengers to and from the liners. Coming through the Canal in 1977

will be repeat customers like the Flag

Ship Cruises Kungsholm, Royal Cruise

Line's Golden Odyssey; the Princess

Line's Island Princess and Pacific Princess; and the Royal Viking Line's

ships, which pioneered the trans-Canal

route by scheduling regular transits for ships calling at both Caribbean and

West Coast ports. The Sitmar Line will send its popular

Fairsea eight times in 1977 from San

Juan, Puerto Rico to the U.S. West

Coast on 14-dav trans-Panama voyages. Sitmar is offering free transportation to

Jumbo jets

and smaller

cruise ships

produce popular

package trips

Above: The "Royal Viking Sky," a regular Canal

customer passes through Gaillard Cut. Above right: West German tourists gather on the decks of the Soviet

cruise ship, "Maxim Gorky," transiting the Canal on

an around-the-world cruise. On January 4, the "Gorky"

will make a southbound transit on another around-the-world cruise.

a

Sitmar's "Fairsea," above, and Royal Cruise Line's "Golden, Odyssey,"

at right, are familiar dry season sights at the Canal as they

shuttle back and forth on a regular schedule of short air/sea cruises.

The Panama Canal Review 13
The (anal, always

popular with

tourists, provided

train tours

through the Cut

during

construction days

vw^<wlA Wyi'VWi i. 'JtJtei *?

&^

"Golden Odyssey" passengers watch

transit operations at Miraflores.

the ship for these cruises. Passengers

will be able to fly free round trip from

any of the 114-air/sea cities to San Juan

or Los Angeles on scheduled airlines. They also will have stopover privileges

in the port city before returning home.

Sitmar's trans-Canal cruises, like those of manv other lines, stop at

St. George, Grenada; La Guaira, Venezuela; Willemstad, Curacao; and Acapulco in addition to San Juan and Los

Angeles on westbound trips. Eastbound,

the ships will sail from Los Angeles to Cabo San Lucas, then to Acapulco,

transit the Canal, and stop at Willemstad, La Guaira, Charlotte Amalie,

St. Thomas, and terminate in San Juan. Sun Line's Stella Oceanis has just an- nounced a series of trans-Canal cruises

for January, February and March 1977. Another new wrinkle is the offer bv

Holland America Lines to let customers

participate in segments of the 86-dav

world cruise of the SS Rotterdam de- parting from New York, January 18, and passing through the Canal the last

part of January on her way to the Far

East. The Monarch Star, formerly the Veendam, will travel through the Canal

the last part of April 1977, on a cruise beginning in Florida and continuing to the U.S. West Coast via St. Thomas,

La Guaira, Curacao and Acapulco.

After Los Angeles and Vancouver, the

ship will continue on to Alaska on a

special cruise. The Golden Odyssey, which made

its first Canal visit last Christmas, is scheduled for 10 Canal transits this coming vear. It will dock at Balboa on all trips whether eastbound from

Aruba to Acapulco or westbound from

Acapulco to Aruba. Her stops are Acajutla, El Salvador; and Cartagena,

Colombia. Land tours in Panama and

the Canal Zone can be purchased as a

part of the package.

The Royal Viking line offers more

trans-Canal cruises than anv other line and permits passengers to sail from

the port that is closest to home—San

The Prudential Line's "Santa Mercedes" is reflected in a

pierside puddle as she prepares to disembark passengers

in Balboa following an around South America cruise.

A group of passengers join in a songfest with Lucho Azcdrraga, Panama's well-known organist, who provided

Latin American music for the voyage of tlie "Santa Mercedes."

14 Winter 1976
PANAMA CANAL TRAFFIC
Canal s historic photos

displayed

New York

THIS FALL, THE MUSEUM OF

Modern Art in New York fea- tured an exhibit of 60 prints and 161

slides of the Panama Canal. All, but a few, are the work of Ernest "Red"

Hallen, the official photographer of the Panama Canal from 1907 until 1937

when he retired. The MOM.A. pre- sented the exhibit in conjunction with

the National Endowment of the Arts and the New York State Council on the

Arts.Dennis Longwell, an associate curator of photography at the Museum

who spent the past 3 years planning

and making arrangements for the dis- play, said that he considers the Canal

"one of the great earthworks of all times." Speaking of the Canal photos,

he said, "Hallen's pictures are an example of a major part of what photography is all about—the miraculous ability to preserve time. What is now

invisible can come to life." Hallen's work—more than 12,000

photographs of the Canal and the Canal Zone—are the result of a brief memorandum written bv F. B. Maltbv,

Division Engineer of the Isthmian

Canal Commission. It is doubtful that he realized the magnitude of this photographic project when he wrote in 1906:

"I should like verv much to have a

series of photographs taken at Gatun

about once a month to show the progress of the work. This should be done

regularly and will become valuable.

I think, in connection with progress

reports. I, therefore, request authority

for the employment of a photographer,

with whom, I understand, arrange- ments have already been made, not to exceed two days in each month."

Subsequently, Hallen was hired as the official photographer and for the

next 30 vears he went about his duties

of recording the progress of the construction and operation of the Canal. His work is particularly remarkable

when it is realized that all of these photographs were made on the old 8 x 10 glass plates. He is especially to be commended for the high technical quality of his work considering the cumbersome plates, camera, and oth^r equipment he had to carry to the muddy construction sites while coping

with tropical rains and high humidity.

Hallen attempts no personal artistic statements about the Canal but worked

at carrying out his assignment—making

a documentary record of the construction and later the operation of the waterway. However, the triumphs and

setbacks are recorded so proficiently

that, on viewing his photographs, one

is immediately aware of the immense

engineering problems involved in the digging of the Canal. N. F. Karlins writing in the photography column in the New York East Side Express said: "Looking at these photographs today, they are compelling

statements about the manipulation of

16 Winter 1976
Arnold Marshall, who has worked in

the Graphic Branch for more than

20 years, cfiecks a print with the

glass plate from which it was made.

A museum visitor reads the introduction

to the exhibit of Panama Canal

photographs at the Museum of

Modern Art in New York.

The Panama Canal Review 17
Workers are dwarfed by the concrete sidewall monoliths under construction at Gatun, February 15, 1910.

T/ie magnitude of the work is well illustrated in this scene at Pedro Miguel Lochs showing tlie east chamber, May 4, 1911.

18 Winter 1976
A culvert forms an interesting geometric design in this scene showing laborers at work at Gatun, August 5, 1911.

Halhrn took this view of Miraflores lower locks from a crane November 10, 1912.

The Panama Canal Review 19
All of Hallen's photographs are carefully

identified on the glass plates. The one at

left is labeled, "Culebra Cut—Looking

south from Cunette. Locomotive

No. 607 with train and steamshovel

working on bottom of Canal,

November 6, 1912." The one below is

precisely identified as "Operation of

Gatun Locks. Crowd on walls and

lower guard gates watching water

entering the west chamber of lower locks.

View looking south from forebay,

September 26, 1913."

20 Winter 1976
Hallen's photographs

provide a permanent

record of even phase

of the building of

the Panama Canal

rock, sand, and water over time. Hallen's photographs more vividly

reveal the immensity of the project and

the difficulties involved in constructing

the Panama Canal when thev focus on one area and are viewed sequentially.

The transformation of the environment

becomes a magical process in which

mountains are moved and mammoth

trenches cut. "Not onlv does the principal trench,

Culebra Cut, appear closer and closer

to completion in these photographs, but

workers cottages suddenly pop up as if thev had blossomed overnight. In the

last photo, just as man has succeeded

in cutting a huge swath in the earth, nature has succeeded in reclaiming some of her own land bv sending up

huge palms before the worker's homes.

Progress on the excavation is counter- balanced by the growth of natural

vegetation, and thev are captured to- gether by Hallen's camera. The processes, not just the object involved, are made visible."

Like most photographers, "Red" Hallen

seldom was in front of the camera.

In this rare plwtograph, taken

September 13, 1927, he is seen, at

far right, sitting on a hank of tlw Canal,

of which lie took more than 12,000

photographs during his 30-year career

as official photographer. Others in the

grtitp and their titles at tluit time, are:

}. C. Clayhourn, Superintendent,

Dredging Division;

C. M. Butters, Assistant Engineer;

and H. E. Snediker, Captain of Grader.

Gene Thornton, writing of the exhibit in his column in the New York

Times, said: "They are unpretentious

record shots but because of the subject matter some of them are quite bizarre. Without looking at the labels, we might

suppose they depict the archeological

excavation of ancient masonry walls or the construction of a set for a colossal science fiction film. However, everv photograph is clearly labeled and dated on the negative itself, so we are never

in any real doubt about what we are seeing or about the photographer's in- tention to show it to us as clearly and

truly as possible."

The exhibit at the M.O.M.A. was made up of photographs selected from

the collection of the U.S. Militarv Academy but these pictures are onlv a small part of the collection in the Panama Canal historical files in the Canal Zone. The cataloging of this invaluable col- lection was done by Adrian M.

Bouche, Jr., who volunteered his time

because of his great interest in the his- tory of the waterway. Bouche retired recently after a long career with the Canal organization. He took on the task

of sorting and filing the Hallen glass

negatives and those of the French

photographers taken during the French

construction period.

It is unlikely that Hallen ever en- visoned the continued exposure that his work has received over the years. Requests for his photographs arrive regularly at the Panama Canal Infor- mation Office to be used in books,

magazine articles, and as background

material for television programs and

movies.

Only a few of the thousands of photographs are reproduced here. They

serve as a reminder that except for "Red" Hallen or some photographer

like him to go out everyday and simply

take pictures, the heroic drama of the

building of the Panama Canal could

never have been told in such vivid and

precise detail. The Panama Canal was the first great

engineering work to be thoroughly

recorded in photographs. An old timer

noting this added. "Too bad they didn't have a "Red" Hallen around when they were building the pyramids in Egypt.

It would answer a lot of questions."

The quality of Hallen's work can be more fully appreciated when conditions under which he worked are taken

into account. He took this picture

after heavy rains flooded the Cut May 29, 1913.

The Panama Canal Review 21
Cooking With Rum

By Fannie P. Hernandez

22 Winter 1976
THE NEXT TIME YOU ARE

served a dish flavored with rum,

as you enjoy it, reflect on the fas- cinating history of that liquor, As the major liquor distilled during

the early historv of the United States, and a bvproduct of sugar-making, rum

was relatively inexpensive and readily

available. Casks of rum were sold alongside the staples in all country

stores. By the early 1700s, the colonists were consuming approximately 12

million gallons a vear. Perhaps the oldest of all hard

liquors, the drink has come a long way

since a kind of rum was first made

about 800 B.C. in India and China,

where the juice pressed from tall, wild

grass was boiled and fermented. The

Moors took the grass to Spain and

Columbus took some along to the New

World. The root shoots were planted

in what is todav Haiti and that was

Chicken will have a golden glaze and a subtle flavor wlwn baked with rum and honey.

Try the recipe on page 26 for a more festive holiday buffet.

the beginning of the cultivation of sugar cane, the production of sugar, and rum making in the New World.

The British were largely responsible

for the evolution of rum from a crude, raw drink called "Kill-Devil" into the type mm that is popular todav.

Until recent times, rum was mainly

the workingman's drink, and the drink

associated with swashbuckling sailors and cut-throat pirates who were guzzling grog up and down the Spanish

Main in the 16th centurv. As the American colonies became

involved in trade with Africa and the West Indies, a rum industry developed.

New England rum played a more

than passing role in the American

Revolution as England's import dutv on molasses for distilling rum was as objectionable to the colonists as the

tariff on tea. The British blockade tried to cut off rum shipments to Washington's Armv

from the West Indies but the natives went out in their sloops in the dark of night and loaded the American frigates

at sea. It is said that hot rum kept up

the spirits of the American soldiers

during the long, harsh winter at Valley

Forge and helped to win the war. While the populace was drinking the lowly rum, in the homes of the wealthy

in colonial Philadelphia, the best French wines flowed. Claret, Sherry, Port and Madeira were used in cooking

also but it was good, old, mellow rum

that was mixed with peach brandv and

high quality French brandv to make

the traditional punch that must have

packed a wallop. To this day, rum is a must in British punch and almost svnonvmous with the word.

Rum is produced all over the world

wherever sugar cane is grown, and

there are basically two types. They

are the light bodied rums characteristic of Cuba and Puerto Rico, and the dark full-bodied rums of Jamaica,

which have a strong molasses flavor. After distilling, mm is colorless but it

The chilled cucumber soup and table

setting on page 22 are by Noreen Singer. Mrs. Singer is the wife of Panama

Canal pilot. Capt. Fritz Singer. For recipe see page 26.

The Panama Canal Review 23
e®5^

Rum Spiked Fruit Compote

3 cups watermelon balls 2 ctips honeydew balls 2 cups papaya balls 2 cups fresh pineapple, cubed

Using scoop cutter, make fruit balls. After making the watermelon balls, hollow out the watermelon, leaving at

least % inch of the rind to form a bowl

for serving the compote. Mix the fruits carefullv and sprinkle with Vi cup

sugar. Turn into the watermelon bowl

and pour 2 cups of dark rum over the

fruit. Chill before serving.

C®^

C®5^

Rum Balls

1 cup butter or margerine

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon almond flavoring H cup dark rum

4)j cups flour 2 cups chopped nuts Additional powdered sugar for rolling

Cream butter and sugar. Add salt, flavoring, rum and flour. Mix thor- oughly. Add nuts and mix well. Chill dough several hours or until it can be

handled. Make walnut size balls and

place on ungreased cookie sheet, about

2 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees

for about 15 minutes or until golden

brown. While they are still warm, roll the balls in sugar and let them cool. Then roll again in sugar until well

coated. C®5^

24 Winter 1976
(Continued from p. 23)

picks up color from the casks in which

it is stored. Color is deepened by

adding caramel after aging. Rum must

be 3 years old before it is put on the market.

In the rum producing countries, some still drink it straight. Elsewhere, rum is used in mixed drinks with light rum for cocktails and dark rum for tall drinks. Devotees of the rum cult go so

far as to recommend switching to rum

in making martinis. Rum is used also

to flavor tobacco.

C®5^

Bananas Baked With Rum

6 bananas, ripe but firm 3 tablespoons lime juice

Ji cup brown sugar

Vx cup rum

chopped nuts

sour cream Arrange bananas in baking dish. Combine the lime juice, brown sugar and rum. Pour over the bananas and

baste while baking at 350° for about

40 minutes, turning the bananas carefully. Add chopped nuts and slip under

the broiler until nuts are browned.

Serve with sour cream. Ripe plantains

may be prepared in the same manner

but will require longer baking time.

C®5^

Not only has versatile rum found

favor as an elegant drink, it has in- vaded the kitchen, where it is becoming more and more popular in the flavoring

of sauces and desserts. Imaginative

cooks are venturing into the use of rum

in the preparation of meats, poultry

and fish. In areas of Latin America, particularly the Caribbean, rum as the "wine

of the country" is used lavishly. Cooks

often add dark-gold rum to soups, fish and poultry. For years, thev have been

preparing desserts reeking of rum, per- haps a little too powerful for the un- accustomed palate. Raw rum is used

in the less affluent kitchens. Cooking with rum, carefully, and

without getting carried away, glamorizes dishes and imparts a delectable

flavor to foods. Sometimes just a whiff

of rum will take a dish out of the ordinary and make it a "conversation

piece." Serve your next roast with rumglazed onions. Make your holiday ham

more festive by serving it with pineapple slices that have been sprinkled

with brown sugar and rum and broiled

for a few minutes. Baste a roasting

chicken or duck with rum and honey.

Add a teaspoon of rum to the egg

mixture when making French toast.

Try sprinkling

rum over grapefruit

halves for an

interesting

first course

add it to barbecue sauce and use it when baking bananas or plantains.

Sprinkle a little rum on fruit salads. Substitute a couple teaspoons of rum

for liquid when baking cookies. Possibilities are endless. And for the coming holidav season, prepare a frothy, delicious eggnog with one of the dark rums, make a basket

of rum balls, prepare a fruit bowl bv

hollowing out half a watermelon and

filling it with rum-drenched native

fruits, or serve ordinarv bread pudding

lightlv laced with creamy rum sauce. Here are a few recipes for those who would like to venture into the world of rum cookery:

Welcome vour friends this holiday season with a symbol of fellowship—

a

punch bowl brimming with eggnog.

Eggnog for a Crowd

12 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

1 bottle of dark rum

12 egg whites

1 quart cream, whipped

1 quart milk

1 cup brandy

Earlv on the day of the partv, beat

the yolks until thick and lemon colored. Gradually beat in sugar. Slowly, stir in brandy and rum. Cover. Put in the

refrigerator.

To serve, pour in punch bowl and

fold in stiffly beaten egg whites,

whipped cream, and enough milk to

thin as desired. Sprinkle with a little nutmeg or shaved chocolate.

The Panama Canal Review '>r>
Chestnuts in Rum

1 pound dried chestnuts 3 cups boiling water

1 pound brown sugar, dark % cup water

% cup rum

2 tablespoons orange marmalade

1J» teaspoons cyrstalized ginger in pieces

Put chestnuts in boiling water and

simmer until tender. Drain and remove

shells and skins. Rinse off. Combine

sugar, % cup water, rum, orange mar- malade and ginger. Bring to a boil and

simmer until slightly thickened. Pour

over the chestnuts that have been

packed into a sterilized jar. Cover

tightlv. When cool put in refrigerator.

Mav be used on top of vanilla ice cream or fresh native white cheese.

Rum Torte

H cup butter 1U cup confectioners sugar 4 egg yolks U cup strong coffee made with 2 tsp.

instant coffee 16 lady fingers

Vi cup dark rum Cream butter, add sugar, beat until

fluffy. Add coffee and egg yolks and

beat until creamy. Line a bread pan

with waxed paper. Place halved lady

fingers on bottom of pan. Sprinkle with rum. Spread cream mixture on lady

fingers. Repeat three times. Place in refrigerator overnight. When readv to serve, turn out on serving plate and

frost with whipped cream.

Rum Nut Crepes

4 eggs 2 Clips milk

1J5 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons melted butter

1 tablespoon dark rum

Beat eggs until foamy. Stir in milk

and melted butter. Add flour and salt and beat until smooth. Put in refriger- ator for an hour and then make crepes using a 6" or 7" pan.

Filling % cup chopped pecans or walnuts H cup sugar

4 ounces cream cheese

4 ounces cottage cheese, or 8 ounces

of either one

2 tbs. rum

3 tbs. golden raisins

'i cup orange marmalade

Cream the cheeses with sugar until

A dash of rum

for a delectable

difference

smooth. Add remaining ingredients

and mix thoroughly. Put about a table- spoonful of filling on each crepe. Turn

in the edges and roll the crepe. Melt

butter in a chaffing dish or skillet. Place

crepes in pan over moderate heat and

cook on both sides until golden brown.

Serve sprinkled with rum or rum

flavored whipped cream. On the Isthmus, many gallons of rum, each year, go into the preparation

of Sopa Borracha, literally "drunken

soup," a delicious, rum-soaked confection served at weddings, anniversary

and birthdav parties and at other festive occasions. Here is the recipe for the rich dessert bv the late Mercedes

Smith, the wife of a former Panama

Canal official.

Sopa Borracha

1 sponge cake baked in a 12x8x2

wax-lined pan

Syrup

2 cups sugar

5i cup water

5 whole cloves

1 cinnamon stick ninch of salt

1 teaspoon lime juice % cup dark rum

% cup Spanish or Italian muscatel wine

1 cup pitted cooked prunes or

1 cup white raisins

In a saucepan, combine sugar, water,

cloves, cinnamon, salt and lime juice.

Bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Cool to room temperature. Add rum

and wine and pour into a jar. Add

prunes, cover. Allow to stand for a couple davs. Bake the sponge cake a day in advance; it takes the syrup more

readily when dry. Place in a large

serving plate. Remove spices and spoon

svrup over the cake. Decorate with the prunes or raisins. Yield 24 2-inch

squares.

Baked Chicken With Rum and Honey

1 3-pound chicken or chicken parts

salt and pepper

3 tablespoons butter

!j cup rum

J» cup honey

Wash and drv chicken. Season with

salt and pepper. Place in a baking dish and dot with butter. Bake 1 hour in moderate oven (325°). Mix rum and

honey and pour over chicken pieces.

Continue baking until tender, turning

chicken and basting often. Chicken will have a golden glaze and a subtle flavor that will have your guests saying

"delicious, what is it?"

Rum Glazed Onions

1 lb medium size onions

U cup dark rum

K cup honey

2 tablespoons butter

/2 teaspoon salt Boil the onions in salted water until

just tender and drain. Mix honey, rum

and butter in frying pan over low heat. Add onions and turn carefully, spooning

the liquid over the onions until they

are well glazed.

Chilled Cucumber Soup

3 tablespoons butter

)'t chopped medium sized onion

3 chopped scallions 3 cucumbers peeled and chopped

VA cups chicken broth

1 pint whipping cream

'A cup rum

1 egg yolk

1 dash nutmeg

In a 3-quart saucepan, saute onions

and scallions in butter for 3 to 5 minutes. Add cucumbers, cover, and steam

for 5 minutes. Stir in broth and continue

to steam for 5 more minutes. Cool, puree in blender in batches. Pour into 3-quart bowl. Beat egg yolk with cream and rum and fold into cucumber mixture, refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Sprinkle top with nutmeg before

serving.

Winter 1976
PRINCIPAL COMMODITIES SHIPPED THROUGH THE CANAL

(In long tons)

Atlantic to Pacific

Fiscal Year
The case of

the missing

portrait

Gov. Goethals by Gov. Harding

By Pandora Gerard Aleman

Emily J. Price, left, Librarian-Curator of the Canal Zone Library-Museum, discusses

the Goethals portrait, which hangs in the library, with Mrs. Kathryne Harding Deeble,

daughter of Governor Harding, the painter of the portrait. Harding succeeded Goethals

as Got ernor in 1917. Tlu n ra\ In for the 3-cent stamp, above, was made from

the same photograph that Hardin" selected as a basis for the painting.

JUST INSIDE THE ENTRANCE

to the newly remodeled Canal

Zone Library-Museum on the second

floor of the Civil Affairs Building

hangs, in a simple gilt frame, a portrait of a man wearing a white tunic. The casual visitor may not even notice

it. And those who do take note will learn little of the story behind the painting from the simple plaque which

reads, "George Goethals, by Chester

Harding." Let us take up the thread of the

story on the evening of March 6, 1915. The scene is the annual banquet of the

Society of the Chagres, held at the

Tivoli Hotel in Ancon. Two davs

earlier, guest of honor George Washington Goethals had been made a major general in the U.S. Army bv a special act of Congress in recognition

of his accomplishments as chief engi- neer of the Panama Canal from earlv 1907 to its official opening on August 15, 1914. Now 56 and serving as the first Governor of the Canal Zone,

he has asked to be relieved of his responsibilities. Looking out over the assembled guests, he gives his "army"

a farewell salute: "We are gathered here tonight, not

in hope of something yet to be accomplished, but of actual accomplishmentthe two oceans have been united .... The construction of the Canal means

but little in comparison with its coming usefulness to the world and

what it will bring about. Its complc28 Winter 1976
tion is due to the brain and brawn of the men who are gathered here—men

who have served lovallv and well; and

no commander in the world ever had

a more faithful force than that which

worked with me in building the Panama Canal." But if those men were the bodv of the Canal enterprise, Goethals was its

\ ei \ soul. He knew even- detail of the complex operation; he was out on the

lines from early morning, checking

progress, encouraging the men, solving

problems; and he was easilv accessible

to anvone with a grievance. As the

refrain of "Tell the Colonel," a son-; popular among the workers, tells it: "See Colonel Goethals, tell Colonel

Goethals,

It's the only right and proper thing

to do.

Just write a letter, or, even better,

Arrange a little Sunday interview." That his army of workers returned

his affection and esteem was shown not

only in the way they moved waters and

earth at his command but in their words and deeds long after the construction era had passed.

Some 75 members of the Old Timers

Society of New York City were on the Isthmus in Januarv 1928 to renew old

associations and memories and see with

their own eves the success of the work

thev had helped complete. Goethals

too was to have come, but, too ill to

travel, he sent a letter of greeting.

On Januarv 21, a committee of Old

Timers acknowledged his thoughtfulness in a letter which concluded: "A few vears ago a vast armv of workers eagerlv toiled beneath a tro- pical sun to remove a great natura1

barrier to man's advancing civilization Their success was due to vour leadership, the patriotic, cohesive spirit that animated them to accomplish the pur- pose of their native land, and the

friendlv cooperation of the Republic o

c Panama and her citizens. The barrier

is removed and mankind is the richer thereby. To have been a member of that armv was a privilege, to have

1« i ii its leader an imperishable honor. "We affectionately greet you, our

Chief." This eloquent testimonv of their high regard for Goethals never reached

him. He died al noon that verj day.

Panama Canal and Panama Railroad

employees on the Isthmus immediately

pooled their resources to send flowers

to the funeral and cabled Mrs.

Goethals: "The death of our former chief has deeplv affected us all, and bereft an

army of workers of their beloved

friend, 'the Colonel.' Your husband's

sterling qualities will remain a happv

memory while we live, and his work

here will endure always as a monument to one of the world's greatest

engineers."

And the men collected funds for a memorial volume of "items relating to

his life and work on the Isthmus" for presentation to Mrs. Goethals. But still they had not done enough.

On July 29, 1931, Executive Secretary C. A. Mcllvaine wrote retired

Brig. Gen. Chester Harding, saving

Isthmians had heard he had painted

"an excellent likeness" of Goethals and

asking whether it was for sale. "A number of old timers here," he said, "feel that here is the place for the portrait

to be hung permanently."

The hanging of

the painting was

the first local

recognition of

Goethals' role

in the building

of the Panama Canal

But the painting in question be- longed to Mrs. Goethals, having been

painted at her request. It was the second Goethals portrait that Harding

had done; the first was hanging at West Point.

It is, perhaps, surprising enough to

find a retired Army general devoting

himself to painting; that he had been

called on to paint two portraits of Goethals might be downright mystifying to one unaware of Harding's background.

Although Chester Harding was the nephew—and namesake—of a well- known portrait artist, there is nothing

in his earlv life to suggest that he

might carry on the tradition. An 1889

graduate of West Point, Harding was

commissioned in the Corps of Engineers and, as a major, in 1907 was

assigned to the Panama Canal project

as engineer of the Gatun Locks Division. From 1908 to 1913, he was

assistant engineer of the Atlantic Division, and after a year's assignment in

Washington he returned in 1915 as en- gineer in charge of maintenance. On

Januarv 11, 1917, he succeeded George

W. Goethals as Governor of the Canal

Zone.

In 1921, after serving out his term

as Governor, Harding went to Paris, where he studied art and began to make a name as a portraitist.

There is obvious delight in his re- sponse to Mcllvaine's querv about the Goethals portrait: "If the old timers et al. are considering the presentation of an oil portrait of the General to the Canal, and

would like me to paint it, I should feel most honored, and I would undertake

it under the inspiration of the affection

I shall alwavs feel for him and for those same old timers who supported me so lovallv when I was with them."

Bv September, Harding had formed

a good idea of what he would like to achieve in the portrait. "I have in mind what is known as a bust portrait, or at the largest, a half- length, and I feel that it should represent the General as he was known and

beloved, and is remembered, bv the

'Canalers,' wearing his white jacket. It should, I think, be painted from a photograph taken on the Isthmus."

In his letter to Mcllvaine, Harding

added that he had been getting $500

for his bust portraits, "but if that figure cannot be conveniently subscribed,

I would not let the fact stand in the way of my having the opportunity to paint the portrait."

The white coat which Harding mentions—and which had been described

bv at least one man as "a waiter's coat"—did indeed have special signifi- cance for the old timers. When Goethals, a militarv man, took over as chief engineer after the resignation of the popular and capable civilian John F. Stevens, he faced a near-mutinous at- titude on the part of the workers. Thev were apprehensive that, as one

writer put it, "now the work would

have to be carried on with due cere- monv and that when an officer ap- peared evervone would have to stop

and salute." Goethals wasted no time

in putting those fears to rest, and

throughout his stav on the Isthmus his uniform was not that of the Army

officer but the distinctive white jacket. In late September, Mcllvaine for- warded to Harding eight photographs

of Goethals taken by official Panama

Canal photographer "Red" Hallen and

asked Harding to begin the portrait.

Incidentally, the photo General

Harding selected was used again in

The l'w \\i a Canal Review 29
One of the few photographs of Goetlials during his years on the Isthmus when he was not wearing his white suit. Here

dressed in a dark suit, he visits the Gamhoa

dike in 1913. Witli him, back to camera,

is Chester Harding, then a major and chief

of dredging and marine operations.

The other man is Lt. Col. H. F. Hodges,

who was in charge of solving all the important engineering problems of the

Canal. The men were accompanied by tlieir wives. No event during the construction

of the Canal attracted more attention among employees than the blowing up

of this dike, October 10, 1913, letting the penned-up water into tiie Cut and

uniting the waters of the

Atlantic and Pacific. The dynamite charge was set off in Washington, D.C. by

President Woodrow Wilson.

1934, this time as the basis of an en- graving for a new Canal Zone stamp

when the letter rate was raised to 3 cents. The stamp was issued August 15, 1934, on the anniversary of

the Canal opening, and is still in use.

In fact, the 3-cent Goethals stamp saw

a good deal of service recentlv after the 1 3-cent airmail stamp was discon- tinued and before the new all-purpose

1 3-cent stamp was introduced.

In order to give as manv Isthmian

old timers the chance to share in the work, contributions for the portrait were limited to $1 each. This meant

there would be 500 contributors! Work on the portrait continued

apace. On April 30, 1932, Harding

wrote Mcllvaine that he had shipped

"the Colonel's" picture to Panama

Railroad Vice President T. H. Ross- bottom in New York, that "the frame

ordered from Chicago is promised to arrive at Rossbottom's office not later than the morning of May 7," and that he hoped both would arrive in time for unveiling at the New York Societv of the Panama Canal dinner, set for the evening of May 7 at the Astor Hotel. Harding went on: "As I like to consider myself as one of the 'old timers,''

I wish to contribute the frame, so there

will be no additional charge over the amount of the check you sent me"—

a

check which, however, he categorically refused to negotiate until he had the

final word from Mcllvaine and the

old timers as to the portrait's acceptability.

Painting and frame reached New

York in good time. Rossbottom dis- played the oil painting at the New

York dinner and shipped it to the Isth- mus shortly thereafter on the SS Ancon

in care of the purser, who was to per- sonally deliver it to the railroad's receiving and forwarding agent. On

May 18, a railroad official carried it aboard train No. 3 and, once in Bal- boa, hand-delivered it to Mcllvaine.

Mcllvaine advised Harding that he

could cash the check with a clear conscience. His tribute went further: "We are exceedingly pleased: the

portrait is much more lifelike than a photograph and nothing but praise is heard of it. All of us who were for- tunate in haying contact with him re- member seeing 'the Colonel' manv

times with the cheerful, quizzical light

in his eyes which is so well caught and

portrayed by an artist who knew him

equally well." A special committee had been ap- pointed to suggest a permanent loca- tion for the portrait. After due

deliberation and experimentation, thev

recommended hanging it in the rotunda

area of the Administration Building, outside the library. They chose the spot

for its availability to the public and its relatively good lighting, day and night.

Before the portrait was actually

hung, memos and sketches flew back

and forth among Calhoun, Smith and

Marstrand of the committee. Smith

advocated constructing a box-frame

with a light or small heater to prevent

mold and deterioration from dampness

Chester Harding, who was appointed Governor of the Canal Zone in 1917, visits Gatun Locks. His long association with Goethals, combined with his artistic ability, made him the ideal person to paint the portrait.

30 Winter 1976
and with a glass face to protect the

painting from "the flying insects which

mlrst this building." But he was out- voted, and the unprotected painting was hung within a few davs of its arrival. Goethals had alreadv been honored

by the New York Port Authority,

which he had served as a consulting

engineer, and which on Julv 1, 1928,

inaugurated the Goethals Bridge be- tween Elizabeth, N.J., and Howland

Hook, Staten Island, N.Y. But, as a Panama Canal press release of the time

noted, the hanging of the portrait by

Harding was "the first local recognition of the fact that Gen. George W.

Goethals was connected with building

the Panama Canal."

Smith's misgivings about hanging

the portrait without protection were

apparentlv well founded, as in 1936

Marstrand noted that "the canvas is accumulating smudge, so it is soiled

in spots." After some urgent consultation, the painting was cleaned and

treated with the same solution that had

been used with success on the murals

in the rotunda of the Administration

Building. After that, the record becomes

sketchv. A Panama Canal Review

article in 1954 showed a 1940 photo

of two of Goethals' grandsons standing

to either side of their grandfather's desk

in the Executive Secretarv's office, with

the portrait hanging on the wall behind them. Another pair of grandsons were shown in a 1947 photo, on

either side of the easel-mounted portrait in a niche outside the rotunda. The painting remained on display

for vears after those visits. But when

in September 1968 the chief of the

Historical Division of the Office of the Chief of Engineers wrote asking for photos or transparencies of the portrait,

it was nowhere in sight. For weeks, Canal officials scoured

the building. At last, one searcher was

inspired to try the safe deposit vault in the basement.

Asked, "Have you seen anything

that might be the Goethals portrait?" the woman seated behind the iron

railing thought a minute, then an- swered. "Well, there's something down

here bv mv right foot." There was, indeed—a package carefully wrapped

in brown paper. The paper was torn quickly from one

comer, and the Goethals portrait had

been found. Getting it out was not

easy, though; part of the railing had

to be removed.

Goethals' white jacket had special significance for

the "old timers." They remembered how, during construction

davs, he wore it whether reviewing the Marines at Camp Elliot

or at social functions at his residence.

r t

" * "

' ' -?* "15SSJJW58

^r^ i

The Panama Canal Review 31
V

The "Genius of the

Panama fanal" was also

the founder of the

Canal Zone Library

In the foyer of the recently renovated Canal Zone Library-Museum Goethals' hatrack

is displayed along with sonic wicker furniture from the Tivoli and t)ie hell from the "Ancon," the first ship to transit the Panama Canal. At left: Nan S. Chong, Panama Collection Librarian, and Beverly C. Williams, Chief of Readers' Services,

check over some museum items including a rack used for carrying trays in the

old Ancon Hospital during construction days. Left below: Michelle Duncan

enjoys a book in the reading alcove of the newly refurbished children's section.

Now that it had been brought to

light, there was time to speculate on how the prized portrait had found

such a resting place. Gradually, the

story was pieced together.

In 1958, a major renovation of the

interior of the Administration Building was undertaken—as a December 1957

Review put it, "the first change of any extensive nature to be made in the Canal's Administration Building

since it was built under the watchful eye of Col. George W. Goethals 43

vears ago." Ironicallv, the renovation,

which involved chiefly installation of

air-conditioning, modern lighting and

a new elevator, relegated to obscurity

the portrait of the very man who had

superintended the original construction.The building swarmed with car- penters, electricians, air-conditioning

technicians, painters and workmen of

all sorts. The atmosphere was anything

but conducive to contemplation of a venerable portrait. The painting was

taken down, carefully wrapped by the mailing department, and placed, provisionally, in the safe deposit vault. When a high drawer was installed behind the railing, the supporting

boards sandwiched the painting in, giving it real "protection." And there

it remained for a decade.

The years and the climate had not been kind to the Goethals portrait, but

its rediscover}- was greeted with joy in

at least one segment of the Canal or- ganization. The staff of the Canal

Zone Librarv-Museum wanted very much to display it in the library—and

with good reason. On August 24, 1914, 9 days after the Canal had been formally opened

to world commerce, Colonel Goethals

issued a circular to all heads of de32 Winter 1976
Governor Harding's (laughter returns after 56 years

CHESTER HARDING

PANAMA CANAL

Kathryne Harding Deeble takes the wheel

of tlw tug, which was named for her fattier who served as Governor of the Canal Zone from 1917 to 1921, on

her recent visit to the Canal Zone.

Mrs. Deeble christened the tug in New Orleans in October 1970. She was

accompanied on her visit to the Isthmus by her son, William.

DURING A NOSTALGIC VISIT

to the Isthmus a few months ago, Kathryne Harding Deeble, daughter of Maj. Gen. Chester Harding, construc- tion-day chief of dredging and marine

operations, Atlantic Division, and later the second Governor of the Canal Zone,

recalled a happv childhood at Gatun

from 1907 to 1913. The Hardings lived

in a wooden structure she referred to

as a "bird cage." It was on stilts, had

a wrap-around veranda and windows

that had to be nailed shut during the dry season trade winds.

Children spent most of the dav out

of doors. Being from the north, and

missing the fun of snow and sledding,

they devised sleds of cardboard boxes

and soon were sliding down the hills to the trenches, often dodging the

sanitation men with their oil cans as they were spraving for mosquito

control. Mrs. Deeble spoke of the constant stream of visitors who came to see the Canal and how her father verv often brought unexpected guests for dinner. Comparing the Canal construction to today's space projects, she recalled the

esprit de corps and the pride of involvement.

The Hardings left the Isthmus in 1913, returning in 1915, after the opening of the Canal. Harding was

appointed Governor in 1917, serving

until 1921.

It was during his tenure of office that Kathryne married the young Armv

officer she had met at West Point who

later was assigned to Fort Sherman.

Capt. William Deeble proposed under

the big tree that still stands in front of the Governor's house and thev were

married on April 14, 1920. It was a

simple but beautiful evening wedding

at the Governor's house. Following the

reception, the couple got into the Governor's victoria which was drawn

by two matched bays. The driver,

immaculate in his white uniform and

pith helmet, drove them to the station, where they boarded the "Yellow Peril" for a trip across the Isthmus to the Washington Hotel. They sailed the fol- lowing day to the United States on a United Fruit boat, stopping at Cartagena, Barranquilla and Jamaica.

partments and divisions, announcing

that "in connection with the consolidation of records, a library is being es- tablished in the new Administration

Building at Balboa to provide for the accumulation of official books, documents, reports, etc., which are indis- criminately kept in the various offices on the Isthmus at present."

From the nucleus of books contri- buted by offices of the Panama Canal

and Panama Railroad grew the library- museum we know todav. For vears, its collection was housed in what is now

the Press Section of the Information

Office, and it was outside this area that the Goethals portrait originally hung.

Then the library moved to the Civil

Affairs Building in Ancon, where its quarters were recently expanded and

modernized.

Today, some 62 years after Goethals started it, the librarv-museum still

serves the Panama Canal CompanyCanal Zone Government as an official reference and technical resource li- brary, while serving the general public

as well. It has grown to include the main library, three branch libraries, three small circulating libraries, and

two job-site libraries. Its collection comprises 305,000 items, including documents, pamphlets, bound and unbound

magazines, maps, prints, manuscripts,

photographs and microforms in addition to books. And it houses a worldfamous collection of material on early surveys for a canal at Panama, the his- tory of the Panama Railroad, and the construction of the present Canal. The portrait was promised to the li- brary, and restoration work was begun

bv local artist Mrs. "Pete" Johnson. General Harding's frame was repaired

bv the Maintenance Division, and

within a vear after its rediscovery the

restored portrait of George Washington Goethals was hung in the library,

when- "the Colonel" is doublv honored—as the "Genius of the Panama

Canal'' and the founder of the library.

j\dir Ford and her son, Mark, clieck a list

of new books. Tlie wicker table and

chair are from the old Tivoli Guest House.

The Panama Canal Review 33
CT*

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rHERE ARE MANY WAYS TO SAY MERRY CHRISTMAS

and Happy New Year but the mola with the Santa Claus design, on the opposite page, says it in an art form unique to the Cuna Indians

of the San Bias Islands.

The special qualities of the Cuna art, which can be seen in this

Christmas mola, are produced by sewing several layers of contrasting

colored cloth together and cutting the design into each layer so that

the contrasting color underneath creates the desired effect. Then the

edges are carefully folded under and sewn by hand.

Perennially popular with local residents as well as tourists, molas

continue to stimulate new ideas for their use. The latest Christmas

gift idea is a wall hanging made from 12 to 24 molas.

34 Winter 1976





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