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W. p. Leber

Governor-President

R. S. Hartline Lieutenant Governor

Frank A. Baldwin Panama Canal Information Officer

mihi

Official Panama Canal Publication

Morgan E. Goodwin, Press Officer

Publications Editors Louis R. Granger, Tomas A. Cupas

Writers Eunice Richard, Fannie P. Hernandez,

Jose T. Tunon, Willie K. Friar, and Luis C. Noli

Review articles may b« reprinted wittiout furtlier clearance. Credit to ttie Review will be appreciated.

Subscriptions: SI a year, airmail S2 a year,- back copies (regular maih, 25 cents eacti. Published quarterly. Make postal money orders payable to the Panama Canal Company, Box M, Balboa Heights, C.Z.

Editorral Offices are locoted in the Administrotion Building, Balboa Heights, C Z Printed at the Printing Plant Lo Boco C Z

Contents

Flowering Trees

Their beautiful blossoms,

strange fruit, and unusual

habits fascinate nature lovers.

The Bomberos

The Panama Fire Department

maintains prestige earned in almost a century of service.

Peacock Bass

A colorful game fish makes

Gatun Lake a fisherman's

paradise.

History of the Compass

An object of mystery and superstition, its invention opened

the way to global exploration.

Language of the Sea

Many landlubbers' slang ex- pressions were born aboard

ships.

Panama Birdcages

Unusual designs are fashioned

from cane.

Anniversaries

11

12

15

18

20

Reefer Trade 22

Linking the continents, fast new refrigerated ships carry bananas and other foods essential to modern life.

Shipping Statistics 26

Cuhnary Capers 28

Each Latin American country

gives its own touch to that zippy appetizer, seviche.

History 31

"""^il

Our Covers

FLAUNTING ITS golden beauty at the height of the dry season, the Tahehiiia

guayacan is one of the most majestically beautiful of all the flowering tropical

trees. This giant guayacan, which stands on Ancon Hill across from the Governor's residence, blends into the sur- rounding jungle during the rainy season and is little noticed.

In March or April, however, after it has shed its leaves, as if touched by a magic wand, it suddenly bursts into bloom. The beautiful showy blossoms

clothe the shapely tree in a robe of bril- liant vellow. Then, in only a few days,

as suddenly as they appeared, the blos- soms shower to the ground like golden

snowflakes leaving the gaunt skeletonlike limbs completely bare. Until scat- tered by the tradewinds, the petals

lie like a plush yellow carpet beneath

the tree. On the back cover is a tree known by manv names. The botanical name for

this striking ornamental tree is Lagestroemja speciosa but it is called crepe

myrtle, queen of flowers, pride of India, June rose, and a number of other names.

Speciosa comes from the Latin meaning

"pleasing to the eye," and when be- decked with its lacy lavender blossoms

this lovely deciduous tree appears fit- tinglv named. It is valued not only for

its ornamental beauty but also for its tough red timber. This outstandingly

beautiful tree is located on Enterprise Place in Balboa. Both photographs by Arthur L. PoUack, Panama Canal Information Office photographer.

February 1971
Flowering Trees

A spectacular display of color at the height of

the dry season brightens the Isthmian landscape

By WiUie K. Friar

ID YOU know that water pistols grow on trees? They do in the tropics, and Canal Zone

children learn at an early age where to get a supply. They are to be had, for the plucking, from the nearest African

tulip tree, the unopened -buds of which

squirt forth a stream of water when

squeezed or pierced. Because of this peculiar characteristic, the tree is called the fountain tree.

It is also known as the flame-of-theforest because of its fiery red blossoms. The African tulip is just one of the many

unusual flowering trees growing on

the Isthmus. Those who are acquainted with the ways of trees find the tropical flowering ones not only beautiful but their unusual characteristics and beha\dor fas- cinating. Their habits and fruits seem

strangely different from those of trees found in the temf>erate zone. They exhibit little of the rigid behavior of the northern trees and often bloom whenever they feel like it, with

little regard to the calendar.

Blossoms Change Color

Some change the color of their petals

between morning and evening while

others switch colors from day to day, or

the blossoms exhibit one color on the

tree but change color completely when

they fall to the ground. Some bloom all over the branches or up and down the

trunks instead of among the leaves. Some have blossoms that hang upside

down and others bloom only after dark. Newcomers to the tropics often are amazed to discover that a plant that was a small shrub in their hometown

in the United States is a giant tree in the tropics. Which brings up the ques- tion—where is the dividing line between

a tree and a shrub?

The blossom of the African tulip tree seems to cast a glow around the face of Miss Elaine Almstead, Canal Zone College student, as she admires its fiery beauty. This ever-blooming

tree is often called flame-of-the-forest because of the profusion of brilliant red blossoms.

The Panama Canal Review
Typical of trees introduced on the Isthmus from the West Indies is the breadfruit tree, outstanding for its warty, yellow-green

fruit. Captain Bligh carried breadfruit trees from Tahiti to the West Indies in 1793

after an earlier effort failed due to the mutiny on the H.M.S. "Bounty." A large

impressive specimen of the tree is lo- cated on Gorgas Rd. near Gorgas Hospital.

Environment is usually the determining factor in whether a certain plant

will become tree-like or remain a shrub,

and residents of a certain area generally call a plant a tree if it has that ap- pearance when grown locally. In other words, a plant might be a shrub in Texas and a tree in Panama.

Early Explorers

The early explorers of Panama were

so impressed by the strangely beautiful

trees they found on the Isthmus that they went to great effort to collect spec- imens to take back to Europe. This was no easy task as the small trees had

to be protected from the salt spray at sea and stQl be carried onto the deck

daily for exposure to the sun. Few sur- vived the trip and the change of climate

but today there are tropical trees in herbariums in some European countries

that were started in this way. Most people know of Capt. Bligh's

experiences told in "Mutiny on the Bounty" when he attempted to trans- port breadfruit trees from the South

Pacific islands to the West Indies. The

mutiny caused the failure of his first efforts but 6 years later he succeeded in transporting not only the breadfruit

trees but other valuable trees aboard

the Providence and introducing them

in the West Indies where they are found today.

In this way, as well as by other means, many colorful trees seen on the Isthmus have been introduced from

other countries. Some of the ornamental

trees seen around Gorgas Hospital were

brought here from the French West

Indies by the Sisters of St. Vincent de

Paul who were in charge of the hospital

Enjoying the fragrance of the sweet smelling flowers of the cannonball tree is Miss Judy

Tompkins, Balboa High School student. The flowers, which grow right out of the bark, have no connection with the foliage at the top of the tree. They are followed by the novel

cannonball-Iike fruit that dangles from the branches.

at the time of the French effort to dig

a Canal. The sisters carefully tended their plants and small trees and protected

them from the voracious leaf-cutting ants by placing ceramic rings filled with water around them. This saved the

plants but unknowingly the sisters pro- vided an excellent breeding place for the Aedes aegijpti mosquito which

later research revealed was the carrier of N'ellow fever. There is, of course, no spring in the hopics as it is known in the temperate

zone, only the change from the rainy

to the dry season. But the array of blos- soms, which suddenly appear on many

tre^s, rivals the splendor of spring in the temperate zone. Rose van Hardevelt, author of "Make

the Dirt Fly," expressed the feelings of many others when she wrote about the

first dry season she experienced after coming to the Canal Zone with her hus- band who was working on the construction of the Canal.

"Life, instead of being a succession

of hours of rain and moments of frantically scraping off mold and trying to dry out, became liveable again.

"On the hillsides eastward now ap- peared here and there single, tall, beautifully shaped trees that had not been

noticeable before in the mass of dripping greenness that covered every inch

of space on the slopes. And then, so suddenly that it was startling, these

trees burst into bright yellow blossoms. Like huge, golden bouquets, they lifted their beauty to the blue sky. Then an- other color appeared among the blos- soming trees, a deep purple, and then

a glowing crimson."

Memorable Experience

Transiting the Canal at this time of the year is a memorable experience

with brilliant spots of color brightening

the jungle on both sides of the water- way. Some trees begin to flower in the middle of the dry season and some just before the dry season ends, but almost

all the trees bloom for only a brief period. There are actually some trees in bloom in the Canal Zone throughout the year but the spectacular exhibitions come during the dry season. Someone has said that Washington's

famed Japanese cherry trees would be

completely overshadowed if some of the Isthmian flowering trees could be

concentrated along one avenue or road. But the local tre«s are more or less "loners" and don't often grow close together. J

4 Februahy 1971
However, one beautiful vista during

the dry season is a long-range view

of a portion of Gatun Lake from the Trans-Isthmian Highway about 15

miles from Cristobal. In this area, the green of the jungle is studded with

bright yellow splashes of color pro- duced by the blossoms of the tree known locally as the guayacan; their color visible from planes overhead as well as from the road. The tree, considered by many as the most outstandingly beautiful tree in the

local forests, has large showy yellow

blossoms which are bom in terminal

clusters when the tree is leafless. Unfortunately the blossoms remain on the

trees only a few days before they shower

down like yellow snowflakes. Several

of these trees are located on Ancon Hill and across from the Governor's house.

Wassail Bowls

The wood of this beautiful tree is much valued commercially. It is olive- brown, very hard, takes a high polish

and is considered one of the best woods

of Panama. It makes beautiful salad or nut bowls and is believed to be the wood that was used by the English in making their traditional Christmas Wassail bowls more than 4 centuries ago. Some of the beams of the cathedral

of Old Panama are said to have been

made of this wood and have remained

sound although exposed to weather for

2.50 years.

It also was once considered to have

curative powers but is now little used

as a medicine. Around 1700, it was

thought to be the penicillin of that day.

An Englishman in Jamaica at that time wrote of how the medicine was con- cocted and used. He said, "Take 12 ounces of shavings of wood and two of bark and five quarts water—boiling

away one quarter part, strain." In some

circles this remedy was considered

dangerous unless taken 40 days in the

dark, and with an exact diet of raisins and almonds with biscuits. The roble (a form of oak), is a close

relative of the guayacan and is almost

as beautiful. Near the end of the dry

season, these trees are so densely cov- ered with nearly white to rose-colored

flowers that they form giant bouquets.

In their shades of color they resemble

Japanese cherry trees. Several of these

trees grow in Ancon and there is a

large one in the Old Corral area there. The Jacarandas

Other conspicuous flowering trees of the dry season are two species of

Floating in a finger bowl is the flower of the ilang-ilang, one of the most fragrant of the flowering tropical trees. Hostesses often place the flower in bowls and when a guest pinches

the bud it gives forth a lovely scent. The ilang-ilang is also used in the making of perfume*

jacaranda, the various species of cassias, royal poinciana, and the African

tulip tree. The jacarandas are handsome trees with large blue, violet or purple flowers

in showy clusters. A good specimen of jacaranda is growing in Balboa Heights

at the intersection of Prospect Street and Heights Road.

The flowers of all sj>ecies resemble

Staging an impromptu water battle using African tulip buds are Lyn Bouzard, left, Julie

Callin, and James Bouzard, The buds, when pressed or pierced, spurt forth a stream of water. When they open they form beautiful fiery red blossoms.

The Panama Canal Review
FloLuehng Trees

little bluebells and look like a blue plush carpet under the tree when they

fall to the ground. Curative powers

have been attributed to the jacaranda

and some of the Indians of Panama have

used the bark to treat skin diseases. Both types of the jacaranda growing

in the Canal Zone have purple blos- soms. One type with flowers along its branches is usually found around local towns and the other, which has large

terminal clusters of blossoms in a crown

around the upper part of the tree, is found in the jungle. One of the former

is located opposite the Governor's house

at the comer of the road leading to Quarry Heights.

The royal poinciana or flame tree, a native of Madagascar, is extensively

planted in the Canal Zone as an orna- mental tree. It is large and spreading

and is not very attractive except when

it flowers; then it becomes a mass of bright red blossoms. An exceptionally

outstanding poinciana grows near the

First Baptist Church in Balboa Heights.

African Tulip Tree The African tulip tree, a native of

tropical Africa, is tall with a narrow crown and has large dark-red flowers which grow in clusters like the common

lilv-of-the-vallev. It is seen all over the Isthmus but some particularly good

specimens may be found along Bamebey Street in Balboa and near the

Cristobal Administration Building.

Ilang-ilang is a flowering tree that disproves the often-heard statement

that "in the tropics the flowers have no

smell." Its fragrant perfume permeates

the surrounding area and is usually rec- ognized before the tree is seen. Not a conspicuous flowering tree, its droopy

yellow blossoms with strap-shaped petals are strange in appearance. Isth- mian hostesses sometimes place them in finger bowls and when the guests pinch

the buds the fragrance fills the room.

In Malaysia they are used to make a perfume base. Another fragrant flowering tree seen about the Isthmus is the frangipani.

Some say that only the bloom of the

jasmine, with which it is often confused, can compete in sweetness of

scent. Yet perfume-makers have never

profitably extracted the frangipani scent

and the commercial frangipani perfume

is still made by mixing oils to imitate the odor.

Frangipani Perfume

Interestingly, it appears that the tree was named for the perfume instead of the other way around. Frangipani per- fume was created by a man of that name in Rome in the 12th century. It was a favorite scent of Italian rovaltv two centuries before the discoverv of the western hemisphere. That earlv European explorers thought the smell

of the frangipani flowers resembled

that of the perfume is one explanation of the origin of the name of the

tree. Another is that the word comes

from the French, "frangipanier," which means coagulated milk. The tree has

a milky-latex-like stickv juice which

exudes from the bark when cut. The large waxy flower of the frangipani is composed of five overlapping

p>etals, which spread in star-fashion. There are both white and red frangipani in the Canal Zone which bloom the vear-round but bear the greatest number of flowers just before the rainy season. In Hawaii, these blossoms are popular for making leis. Toward the end of the dry season,

in April, the cordia, another fragrant

tree, which has white flowers, may be

seen almost everywhere in Panama. Unfortunately the flowers soon turn brown

and since they remain on the trees for several weeks present a rather dirty appearance.

Showy Flowers

At least 25 species of cassias are grown in the Canal Zone. Most have

large showy flowers, but the most con- spicuous are the golden shower along El

Prado in Balboa; the pink and white

shower, which has masses of pink and

white blossoms along the branches; and

the bronze shower with pendulant

grape-like clusters of bronze flowers.

In addition to the red or flame poinciana, there is the yellow poinciana tree.

It has a long flowering period which

usually begins in April. An especially beautiful vellow poinciana grows near

the Civil Affairs Building on Gaillard Highway.

A good look at a variety of flowenng

and other interesting trees may be had

by taking a trip through the Balboa

area. One such trail starts at the Goethals Memorial Monument at the

foot of the Administration Building hfll.

passes the Balboa Railroad Station,

cui"ves up the hill to the Administration

Building, continues along Heights Road

to the Governor's house and then continues left toward Gorgas Hospital to the Tivoli Guest House. Along this route may be seen the following trees; cuipo, star apple, pink

and white shower, golden shower, yellow cassia, screw pine, Chinese banyan,

sausage tree, guayacan, pride of India,

African tulip tree, calabash, date palm,

ilang-ilang, bamboo palm, coconut

palm. Panama hat plant, breadfruit

tree, and royal poinciana. These trees are all plainly marked so that the signs

may be read if one drives by slowly.

Summit Gardens

A great deal of the beauty of the

local scene, not only during the dry

season but the year around, is the result of plantings from Summit Gardens,

which was established to introduce

plants from different parts of the tropical world and disseminate them in

this immediate area.

Plants have been received from such

faraway places as Madagascar, the Phil- ippines, Australia and New Zealand,

Hawaii, China, and Burma, to name a few countries. Every Canal Zone townsite has been beautified by trees grown

in the gardens.

Walking tours of the gardens are conducted during the dry season by

Roy Sharp, supervisor of grounds for the Pacific area of the Canal Zone,

affording tourists as well as local res- idents a good opportunity to see the many flowering trees close-up in all their glory.

The sudden shower of blossoms from a flowering tree provides "golden snowflakes"

for Jeanne, 3!4-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. Dale Bishop, of Los Rios, who

finds them as much fun as the real thing.

6 Februahy 1971
By Luis C. Noli

PANAMA IS famous today for its baseball players and jockeys who have won

acclaim outside the national borders. But long before them, its firemen,

known to all Isthmian residents as bomberos, gave the countrv international renown. The Panama City Firemen Corps has

long ranked as a model institution in these latitudes and sister organizations

have looked to it over the vears for their own improvement. With scaroelv 17

years to go before attaining its first century, the Firemen Corps maintains the

prestige earned through three generations of men who in placing service above self have made the highest sacrifice in the line of dutv. Today, Panama Citv works and sleeps

practically unconcerned over the threat

of fire, for it has placed its trust in the

ability of its bomberos—most of them

volunteers— to overcome any outbreak

of fire.

It is a trust forged by tragedy and

heroism,

88 Volunteers For example: June 3, 1888-the Pan- ama City Firemen Corps, composed of 88 volunteers in 2 companies, is barely

7 months old. A group of citizens, rep- resenting all ranks of the community,

had founded it November 27, 1887, to protect the capital from the voracity of

fire which razed entire sections with

alarming frequency. Its main equipment

consists of two hand-operated pumps

that have to be hauled by men. Bugle

calls and police whistles sound a fire alarm. The Roma Hotel, located at what

is now Colon and East 14th Streets, is burning. The pumps are connected to the Santa Ana Plaza cistern, one of several installed in the citv to help fight

A continuing training program keeps Panama's firemen up-to-date with latest fire-fighting methods. Here a heavily clothed bombero moves in to do battle with an oil blaze.

blazes. After 5 hours of intense effort, the conflagration is extinguished. It has

been the Panama firemen's baptism of

fire. . . . The civil war which marked the beginning of the 20th Century in Pan- ama disintegrated the recently formed

Firemen Corps, for its members too, were prey to the political passions of the time. But with the conflict over, it was not long before old comrades found

themselves side by side again, fighting the common foe—fire. And curiously

enough, it was a blaze on Mav 24, 1903,

that, among other circumstances, made

possible the reorganization of the corps. In the words of the corps' historian: "At the call for help and the sounds of alarm, all those who had formed Company No. 1 prior to the war ran as if driven by an irresistible force for their

fire pumps, their hatchets and their hoses, to report immediately to the scene of the fire."

Reorganized

Thus, when on November 3, 1903,

Isthmians raised the torch of independence for all time, the Firemen Corps,

already reorganized into four compaBomberos of Panama

Alert and faithful to a difficult and dangerous job,

Panama's firefighters have earned international acclaim

as well as warm accolades from Isthmian residents.

The Panama Canal Review
Three leading fire department officials discuss recent improvements to fire stations. From

left are: Lt. Col. Guillermo Leblanc, Jr., second commandant and chief of the Safety

Office; Col. Segismundo Navarro, commandant of the Panama Firemen Corps and inspector general of all fire departments; and Maj. Gerardo Z. Typaldos, third commandant.

'A*L^

Training is intensive at Rodman Naval Station's firemen's school operated by the Canal Zone Fire Division. Capt. E. L. Hooper, in white hat, is the division's drillmaster and

directs the training for bomberos at the school.

Colon's musical firemen pass the reviewing stand during Fourth of July ceremonies at Mt. Hope. Other large bombero bands are at Panama City, David, and Chitri.

nies, participated actively in the free- dom movement and earned for itself authorization, by law, to displav the

national colors. The Firemen Corps progressed as the

capital city grew. In 1905, a hydrant svstem was completed to replace the

cisterns of the preceding century; in 1909, the first company of professional

firemen was commissioned for roundthe-clock duty; in 1912, the first motor pumper was placed in use, ending the

era of hand-operated pumps, and in the following year a system of fire alarm

boxes was installed. The accolade of glorx', however, was

still to come. On Mav 5, 1914, in what was then

the suburbs of the city, an old colonial

fort served as a powder magazine. It was known as El Polvorin. Brush fires in the vicinity had led to warnings of the need to move the magazine farther away from the city. But on May 5, 1914, El Polvorin was still in use, foreboding

disaster.

Save The City

TTie fire alarm sounded that morning at 2:.50 a.m. The fact that the powder magazine was the scene of the

fire did not daunt the firemen; on the

contrary, it drove them to peaks of valor in a gallant attempt to save the

city from the catastrophe thev feared. And when thev discovered that the first line of hose did not reach the site of the fire, the order was given to advance

to the masonrv' building itself to wage

the battle. The firemen stood ready, nozzles in hand, awaiting the rush of water, when

in the darkness flames leaped through

the roof of El Polvorin. The holocaust occurred in an instant. El Polvorin blew

up—all 1,500 kegs and 300 cases of powder and 90 cases of dynamite.

Si.x firemen in the vanguard perished.

Ten were injured. Some survived

miraculously.

One of the survivors, the late Deputy

Chief Dario Vallarino, summed up the

firemen's memorable stand at El Polvorin with simple eloquence:

"The possibility of a retreat—It would

have been a humiliating flight from the danger threatening us—never crossed the minds of the chiefs of the corps. We

knew what that danger was, we ex- pected it, but we also felt the weight

of the responsibility upon us which

demanded that we stand firm in the face

of any risk, to save the citv from the catastrophe which we sensed would be

caused the day El Polvorin blew up.

8 February 1971
There were those who called us foolhard\', but this does not applv to us. For in order to comprehend our stand

it is necessars' to realize the fears we

had long harbored with respect to El

Polvorin and that, had we retreated and the cit\' been ruined bv the explosion, then we would have been

branded as cowards, and rightly so. All

of us who were there simplv tried to carry out our self-imposed duty."

White Obelisk

A marble marker not far from the

intersection of Via Bolivar and National

Avenue marks the site of El Polvorin,

and a white obelisk at 5th of Mav Plaza, near the old railroad station in the verv

heart of the citv, points to the sk\' in remembrance of the heroes of the Pan- ama Firemen Corps.

Today, a fire alarm in Panama City

mobilizes up to 800 men—some 110 professional firemen in four stations and

approximated 700 volunteers in 8 companies—and about 20 pieces of rolling

equipment. The latter include three new American LaFrance pumpers, two

"snorkel" t^pe pumpers each with a 65-foot water tower, and one John

Beam high-pressure pumper. Everv

piece of rolling equipment is provided

with instruments and devices to face

practically any fire situation. (The

iniHal equipment at the time of the founding of the corps in 1887; 2 handoperated pumps, 2 hand-drawn carts each with 1,000 feet of hose, 1 ladder

cart, 24 canvas tubes, 2 dozen longhandle hatchets, 2 dozen short-handle

hatchets, 1 pick and 1 shovel.)

The system of fire alarm boxes still

is in use in the cit\', but it extends onlv

to the section of La Carrasquilla. Other

areas depend on the telephone to give the alarm. A fire siren summons

volunteers and a radio network links

all the fire stations and all the rolling

equipment units, providing instant communications.

50 Silver Pesos As important as its primarv function of fighting fires is the corps' fire- prevention activity' todav, carried out

b\' its Safety Ofiice and its professional

personnel. The scope of the corps' activities is indicated by the fact that its budget this year is $1.2 million. The

funds come from a Panama Government

subsidy plus the revenue from a 5 per- cent lev\' on the gross premiums of fire insurance policies and renewals. (In its

initial years, the Firemen Corps relied on a monthlv municipal subsidy of 50

silver pesos ($25) and voluntarv contributions from merchants and real estate oumers averaging about 1,100

pesos monthly.)

In command of the Panama Firemen

Corps todav is Col. Segismundo Navarro, in private life secretary and suFanama City firemen practice using a modem "snorkel" type pumper truck with a 65-foot water tower.

perintendent of Dillon Construction Co. Chief Navarro, a 31-year veteran of the corps, was elected to the post by

an officers' assembly in September 1969. His first and second deputies, similarly

Kept in running condition is this Knox Bretnick, the latest piece of equipment in 1911. It also was used in state funerals to carry the remains of presidents. Posing with the 60-year-old vehicle are permanent members of Ricardo Arango Station which is the headquarters of die Panama City Firemen Corps. Seated next to the driver is Capt. Lino C^sar Perez, chief of all the station's shifts. At the wheel is 2d Lt. Rolando Quintero.

The Panama Canal Review 9
Three bomberos pose with modem and old equipment At right is an 84-year-old pumper

which was donated to the department by the Chinese community.

elected, are Lt. Col. Guillermo Leblanc, Jr. and Maj. Gerardo Z. T)paldos, respectively.

Under Chief Navarro, the corps'

fire-fighting equipment has been aug- mented and improved and the Fire- men's School program has been ex- panded. This is a training center for all fire-fighting personnel in the countrv; Venezuelan and Costa Rican bomberos

also have been trained there. Improve- ments have been made in all fire stations; two new ones have been built and two more are going up this vear.

Predecessors

Chief Navarro is the eighth man to hold the post in the corps' 83-vear his- tory. His predecessors are, in chronological order: Ricardo Arango, who served from 1887 to 1889; Florencio Arose- mena, 1889-1903; David H. Brandon,

1903; Jose Gabriel Duque, 1903-1912; Juan A. Guizado, 1912-1950; Raul

Firemen, hidden by the truck, spray water on a building in the El Maran6n section of Panama City during a 1962 blaze. This area is near 5th of May Plaza where a monument

is located dedicated to heroes of the Panama Firemen Corps.

Arango. 1950-1964, and Luis C. Endara, 1964-1969.

Unquestionably, the chief who left the deepest imprint on the corps was

the late Juan A. Guizado. He not onl\- helped found the corps in 1887 but took

the lead in rescuing it from disintegration in 1889 and again in 1903. When

he retired from active service in 1950,

after exercising command of the corps

for 38 \ears, he had devoted 63 \'ears of his life to fire-fighting.

The Panama Firemen Corps has served as a pattern for other fire-fighting

organizations in the countr\'. The sec- ond oldest is the Colon Firemen Corps,

whose official founding date is Julv 20. 1897. Actually, there was a "Societv' for the Protection of the Commerce of Co- lon"—in effect a fire-fighting brigade—

from 1888 to 1890. As in the case of the Panama City corps, the Colon organization began as an association of priv- ate persons, including nationals and

foreigners. Today, the Colon Firemen

Corps numbers 315 volunteers and 48

professional firemen. Its commanding

oflicers are Col. Thomas J. Butler, Jr., a prominent Atlantic side businessman,

and Lt. Col. Moises Mendez and Maj.

Charles Ferret, Jr.

Every Province

There are approximatelv 30 otlier fire-fighting organizations in the interior of the country', most of them

founded in the last 30 years. There is at least one in every province, ranging

in size from corps to brigades.

By law, the chief of the Panama Fire- men Corps acts as inspector general of

all the fire-fighting organizations in the Republic.

The Panama corps also has helped

organize fire-fighting units in Colombia,

Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Costa Rica. In the time elapsed since November

27, 1887, there is one thing about the Panama Firemen Corps that remains

unchanged. It is the bombero himself. Now as then, he is driven by an ideal of selfless service to his fellow being.

Still appropriate today are the words of

the survivor of the tragedv of El Pol- vorin quoted earlier: "AU of us who

were there simply tried to carry out our

self-imposed duty."

This is the spirit that inspired the motto of the Panama Firemen Corps,

"Discipline, Honor, and Abnegation,"

and has kept it alive from one generation to the next.

10 Februahy 1971
eacocikB,ass:

Fun to Catchj^

Fine to Eat

GATUN LAKE has become a fisher- man's paradise.

And all because of a bright golden- orange colored fish called Tucunare

which was unknown to most Isthmians

onlv 5 \ears ago. The Tucunare, known as "peacock

bass" because of the eve marking on its

tail similar to the "eye" on a peacock's

tail, is currently a favorite catch in Gatun Lake. The natives, who also have put the fish on their most popular list, call the big mouth bass "sar- gento" because of the vertical stripes on its back. A fresh water fish, it is native to South American waters and appears to be most abundant in Venezuela and the Amazon River system. It averages

10 to 12 inches in length but mav grow

much larger and weigh as much as 30 pounds.

In South America it is called pavon,

Spanish for peacock. It's considered a superb game fish and the meat is quite

delicious.

Prominent Hump

Tucunare is the Portuguese word for

this handsome fish. The male can be

identified during spawning season by a

fattv hump on the top of his head. This

hump is reabsorbed during the non- mating season and reformed each year. A biologist with the Florida Game

and Fresh Water Fish Commission,

Vernon E. Ogilvie, who studied the pea- cock bass in Venezuela, said the hump

apparently has no physical use but may

attract the female. The adult is grey-green or purplish green on the back surface shading to golden yelloiw on the sides and dusky

yellow on the belly.

Peacock bass was first introduced into Canal Zone waters about 5 vears ago bv the late Louis Martinz, a Panama

businessman, who imported eggs from

A freshly caught peacock bass appears ready to fight on. Note the fatty hump on the top

of its head, which identifies the male during mating season.

Colombia and put them in the lake at Las Cumbres.

The eggs hatched and the fish not

only reproduced freely, but migrated to other parts of the Isthmus, traveling into the Gatuncillo River and from there to Gatun Lake, where local anglers are

finding them in abundance.

A strong swimmer that sometimes

can be seen jumping into the air, the peacock bass is found mostly near the banks of the Canal from Gamboa to Gatun in places were the grass is most

abundant. It seeks the grassy areas for protection and to feed on sardines.

Plugs, Flies Ogilvie said "the sporting qualities of the peacock bass have been found to be

excellent. They viciously strike a wide

variety of artificial lures and take min- nows readily. They also have been

caught on tadpoles and earthworms.

When hooked they fight a fast, hard

fight, often punctuated by spectacular

head-shaking jumps. They will not

hesitate to use underwater obstructions

to help them escape the hook." Charles Abemathy, who operates a

sporting goods store in Panama, was one

of the first local anglers to catch the new species in this area. He considers the meat, which is white to creamy

colored, excellent for making seviche, even better than corbina which is the

fish most commonly used for this typical dish of Panama.

Abemathy recalls with nostalgia that onlv a few vears ago he could go to Gatun Lake near Frijoles, find a place

to sit and wait for them to bite. "But now vou have to get up very

early to find a place where other fisher- men are not already trying to catch some bass," he said. Ross Anderson, supervisor of physical

education and athletics for U.S. schools,

is an enthusiastic fisherman who has the highest praise for the new breed of Isthmian fish, and says without hesitation, "Peacock bass is the best eating

fish in South America."

The Panama Canal Review 11
AT WHAT date the compass and the mystery of the lodestone first became

known to man has never been definitely

determined. Lodestone's ability to at- tract iron was certainly known to the Greeks in the 7th Century B.C. Thales,

who lived from 640 to 546 B.C., knew

about it. The origin of the word "magnet" is not well established, but it may

have come from the place where the lodestone was first found in the hills of Magnesia in Asia Minor.

Some historians—on the basis of a pas- sage in Homer's Odyssey—have credited the Greeks with the use of the lodestone

to direct navigation at the time of the

siege of Troy. But according to Bertelli, a careful examination of the writings

of more than 70 Greek and Latin authors covering the period of the 6th century

B.C. to the 10th century A.D., failed

to disclose any mention of the directive property of the lodestone. A Legend

There has been a persistent belief that the directive property of the magnet was known to the Chinese before

the beginning of the Christian era. Some wTiters say that it was known as early as 26.34 B.C. A quaint legend tells that in the reign of Huang-ti the Emperor's troops attacked some rebels led by Tchi-yeon, on the plains of Tchoulou. Finding that he was getting the worst of the fight, Tchi-yeon raised a great smoke in order to throw the

adversarx' into confusion. But Huang-ti

had a chariot which "indicated the south" and thus was able to pursue

the rebels. Some modem scholars consider this legend as clearly mythical. Huang-ti was

probably the outstanding figure of Chinese antiquity, the legendary founder of the Chinese Empire, and it would not be

surprising if knowledge and acts were

ascribed to him which really belonged

to a much later epoch.

English Monk

The earliest mention of the use of the compass in Europe occurs in a Latin

treatise entitled "De Utensilibus," writ- ten about 1187 by an English monk,

Alexander Neckam. In another book,

"De Naturis Rerum," he writes: "Mariners at sea, when through cloudy

weather in the day, which hides the siui, or tlrrough the darkness of the night

they lose knowledge of the quarter of the world to which they are sailing,

touch a needle with a magnet which

will turn around until, on its own motion ceasing, its point will be directed toward the north." At the same time (1187), de Provins, minstrel at the French court, wrote a poem referring to the use bv sailors of the compass with the floating needle. References to the compass in Chinese

literature are fairly well authenticated

after the 11th or 12th centuries with some indication that the Arabian navigators were the first to use a compass

in Chinese waters. It \x'as not until the

This lodestone, on display at the Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Va., is 4\i inches

long, 2% inches wide, and 1!4 inches deep.

12 February 1971
end of the ISth century that we know

the Chinese did use the compass. A

primitive floating needle was in use in Chinese waters in the 16th century.

Powers of Magnet

Thus we might suppose: the Chinese

did know of the directive powers of a magnet by 1093 A.D. (according to an

11th century manuscript), but made no

use of that property until 200 years

later; also the Arabs neither invented nor introduced its use to Europe, since

their earliest mention is half a century

after it was first mentioned in Europe;

and, since the compass was in use in western Europe by 1187 A.D., the knowledge of its power must have been

known earlier; and it originated inde- pendently here as early as, if not earlier than, in China.

Perhaps the mystery can best be

explained by the simple fact that the compass was so miraculous that men

were simply loath to talk or write about

it. The first compass must have been

an object of amazement, even witchery.

Many of the first to use it were probably

too frightened to tell anyone of its in- credible power and because he became

a more skilled mariner and was more

in demand, the more he was apt to keep

its secret.

Lodestone

It is to Petrus Peregrinus that we owe

what is probably the first European

treatise on the magnet. He gave a clear picture of the magnet and its properties.

He conceived and made use of a spherical lodestone. He devised methods for locating the axis of such a magnet, find- ing that at the axis poles a short piece

of a needle would stand perpendicular

to the surface of the stone. He must also be credited with discovering the fact that when a magnet is broken into a number of pieces each piece will be

magnet, and with devising the methods

of touch and rubbing for reversing the

polarity of a needle. He had in his improved compass the features needed

to ascertain whether or not the magnetic

needle pointed precisely to the north. In a letter, Peregrinus tells us that the invention of a pivoted nautical compass took place no later than 1269. Once

the instrument was put in service, its

>ise in navigation must have spread

rapidly, giving rise to many refinements.

Entire Globe

The most important thing about a compass is that it opened the way to explore the entire mysterious globe. In

the Middle Ages, mariners clung to the

coast and to the Mediterranean Sea where they could just about smell their way around the huge lake. They would

have lost themselves if out of sight of land for several days on the Atlantic

or Indian Ocean. They still followed

the science of cataloging the stars as advocated by Ptolemy in 150 A.D.

In any case, with the invention of the compass, sailors became bolder. In 1270 Malocello found the Canary Is- lands. Many others followed, but we'll never know how many since each captain jealously guarded the secret of his new discovery.

(With the new found powers of a compass went many superstitions. A

common belief for many centuries was

that a magnet would lose its directive power if rubbed with garlic and mariners were charged not to eat onions or

garlic lest the odor "deprive the stone

of its \irtue by weakening it and pre- vent them from perceiving their correct course." Earlier the lodestone was believed to have all sorts of strange

powers: it could cure gout, dropsy,

toothache, convulsions and had the f)ower to discern the faithfulness of a wife if the stone were laid beneath

her pillow.

)

Wood or Straw The earliest mariners compass consisted of a magnetized needle thrust through a crossbar of wood or straw so

it would float in a bowl of water. Then came the needle pivoted on a pin rising from the bottom of the bowl.

Originally only North and South were

indicated. Later a card with further

points was inserted. The earliest reference to a compass

being used in a specific ship was in 1345

in the British ship Ceorge. Some 200

years later the mariners were sHll complaining of the crudity of the instru- ment, even up to 1800.

It was only after the time of Columbus that the history of the compass be- came more clear. But the actual construction of the compass was not much

improved. The needles were carelessly

magnetized, sometimes one side was

more powerful than the other which

led to grave errors. Often weak needles

lost their magnetism and revolved like a merry-go-round in the middle of the vovage. Little wonder Magellan, on his

trip around the world, carried 35 spare

needles.

Brass Boxes How to keep the needles level during

stormy weather was also a problem vmtil

This traverse board is a part of the

collection of the Mariners* Museum.

Its use is explained in, "The Admiral of the Ocean Sea": "In Columbus' day, the only means of determining longitude was by observing eclipses of the moon.

This was useful on land but not of much use in day-to-day sailing,

so they had to sail by dead reckoning.

On a straight course this might serve, but when it came to tacking there was

no way of telling how much had been

made good. By pegging the traverse board in accordance with the tacking, the steersman kept account of the

sailing and the mate could then from

the traverse board make up the triangle

from which he could see how much

had been made good."

The astrolabe was used to observe the

positions of celestial bodies before the

invention of the sextant.

The Panama Canal Review 13
MYSTERY OF THE COMPASS

the method of gimballing (the compass

bowl was hung by pivots in a ring,

which itself hung by a second pair of pivots at right angles to the first pair) was installed in 1550. Later brass boxes

replaced wooden boxes around the 17th

century.

Almost every scientist and philosopher of the ages worked and mused

about the compass, its magic, its power, and how it might be improved. In 1745

Dr. Gowin Knight demonstrated to the Royal Society how to improve the magnetic strength, and therefore the reli- abihty, of the compass. He would take a normal weak magnet into a closed room

and bring it back stronger than they had

ever seen a magnet. He kept his secret

until he died, but we know now that he

accomplished his feat by placing the needle between a pair of huge com- pound magnets made up of 240 fifteen- inch. bars tied together, all of which had

been magnetized by stroking with a lodestone. This power was transferred

to the needle when exposed to it. In 1766 Dr. Knight took out the first patent

for a compass which was immediately

adopted by the Royal Navy. His device

had a single bar with the cap for the

pivot screwed into its center.

Mystery Solved

When the ship Dover was struck by

lightning in 1749 and the compass sud- denly didn't work, it was Dr. Knight

who solved the mystery. It was sus- pected that the compass had been demagnetized by the lightning. But even new compasses didn't work. Further

study showed that the iron spikes hold- ing the table in place had been magnetized by the flash. Unnatural hazards were always an unrecognized menace to the delicate magic of a compass. As Sir Walter Scott

said: "A rusty nail placed near the fateful compass, will sway it from the truth and wreck the argosy." This was a fact not clearly recognized until about 1850. Even Captain Bligh foolishly kept his

pistols near the compass drawer to entertain a host of navigating errors. Even when the compass was strengthened and perfected there were deviations and variations that affected the instrument like pesky gremlins. This

may be due, we think, to the shifting of the North Pole. It had long been as- sumed in many writings that Columbus

was the first to discover variations in the compass since historians tell of his men

"muttering when the compass no longer

pointed to the 'Pole Star'." But we know now that his compass was constructed with a fault. We had known that variations existed by 1450 as seen in the

construction of German sundials. Nevertheless, Columbus did contribute some

knowledge to the phenomena in proving

that the variations were different in different parts of the world.

Magnetic Pole

We had thought that the exact location of the North Magnetic Pole was

first determined by the famous polar

explorer, James Clark Ross, in 1831—at Longitude 96° 40'W and Latitude

70° ION near Cape Adelaide Regina,

Boothia. But our Air Force has found that the North Magnetic Pole consists of three separate poles situated in a di- ameter of 500 miles. The central pole,

where the earth's magnetic pull is strongest, is on the Prince of Wales

Island or in Melville Bay. Another pole

is on Boothia Peninsula. The third is at Bathhurst. The Prince of Wales Island center is about 1000 miles south of the

tiue geographic North Pole of the earth. The Carnegie Institution of Washington during 1909 to 1929 charted the

earth's magnetic lines, showing how

much the magnetic needle departed

from the true north-south directions in any place. The Shackleton Expedition

in 1909 found the South Magnetic Pole 800 to 1000 miles north of the Soudi

Pole proper, far from opposite to the North Magnetic Pole.

Guinea Coast During the last 80 years the change

in the earth's magnetic pattern of the Guinea Coast has been such that were

it to continue at the same rate, the South

Magnetic Pole would shift to the middle of the Adantic Ocean in about

1000 years, according to Dr. John A. Fleming, former director of the Car- negie Institution. Yet the great mystery of the earth's magnetism which sways the compass

still remains to be solved by science and

explorations. We assume that something

like 95 percent of the earth's magnetism

is due to causes within the earth, but

what they are, nobody yet knows. The

remaining force is mostly due to radi- ations from the sun. Thus with the sunspot cycles and changes in the sun's corona, the positions of the earth's magnetic poles and other patterns are temporarily altered.

It would take volumes to chronicle

all the tales, theories, errors, and corrections that led to the almost perfect compass we have today because it entails

all the science of navigation and effects of the mysterious planetary force to find the simple answer at a particular time to—"Where am I?"

The cross-staff dates back to about 1300. It was used to observe the heavenly bodies so

that latitude and time might be deduced. With the eye placed at one end of the graduated

scale the observer adjusted the crosspiece and the heavenly body was sighted just over

the end of it and the horizon just under the other end. This instrument is a reph'ca of an

original in the British Museum.

The above article is a reprint from

the Port of Mobile (Ala.) magazine. All photographs are courtesy

of The Mariners Museum, Newport

News, Va.

14 February 1971
/^ \,

THE "LANGUAGE of the sea" may

confuse and amaze some landlubbers

not acquainted with the wavs of the

sailor. It's a different language guarded

smugly by watermen whether they are blue water (ocean) sailors or river rats (persons who spend their time on or near rivers). Sav "right" instead of "starboard" or

"left" instead of "port" and even the newest of small boat sailors will fix vou

with an icv stare and set )ou straight. But few sailors realize how many

slang terms used ashore originated

at sea. For example, ivafch, the timepiece

\ ou wear on \'our wrist or carrv in vour

pocket, originated as a word in 1772

when the English circumnavigator and

explorer, Capt. James Cook, referred to the first chronometer used at sea as "our

trust\' friend, the watch."

Ship's Bell Clock

The chronometer Captain Cook was

speaking of was aboard his ship the

Resolution and apparentlv was a ship's

bell clock that could signal each watch

bv the number of bells it sounded. A

watch aboard ship is a portion of time

during which a part of a ship's company is on duty. The watch can also be the portion of a ship's company

required to be on dutv during a

v\'atch. Thus, when the chronometer

signaled each watch, it became known

as the watch. That term still applies to a ship's

chronometer, but bas been refined over the years to mean anv portable

timepiece.

Some obvious and some not so

ob\'ious expressions landsmen borrowed

from the sea include: We're all in the same boat. Here is one of the obvious expressions that came ashore meaning we're all in the same fix.

Men-0*-War

He showed his true colors. This dates from the days of the sailing men-o'-war when it was wise to flv the flag of

Sea Language

That Came Ashore

another nation when approaching a strange vessel. But before going into battle the etiquette of the sea demanded

that \ou hoist (raise) your own colors. When you're groggy you feel unstead\' and weak. That salt\' (smacking

of the sea or nautical life, according to Webster's Dictionary) term started to

get its meaning in the 18th century

when English Adm. Edward Vernon

(1684-1757) ordered that British sailors be given a daih' ration of rum. (This

tradition continued until 1970). Because Admiral Vernon was in the habit of wearing a grogram cloak, his crew nick- named him "Old Grog" and his ration of rum became knov\Ti as grog.

(It was Admiral Vernon who, while

a member in the House of Commons,

clamoured for war with Spain. He said he could capture Portobelo on Panama's Atlantic coast (the Spanish Main)

with a fleet of six ships. He was gi\'en

command and captured Portobelo on November 22, 1739, with a loss of only seven men.)

Prize Fighter

The term groggy was later used to describe a prize fighter who took too much punishment.

Ship.shapc, or all shipshape and Bristol fashion, in sailor's language means a good taut ship with everything clean, neat and in place. Bristol ships of

sailing days were noted for being well kept and well run. So if your kitchen

(galley) is not shipshape, you best get

busy.

Learn the ropes. Old sailing vessels were a jungle of ropes (lines) and all bearing a certain name. When you

learned the ropes you learned your job.

Although the British seem to have

contributed most to the nautical lan- guage, the devil to pay is French. Pay

is from an old French verb meaning to spread pitch (tar) and the devil was a seam near the keel, difficult to reach. Thus, when a French sailor had the

devil to pay he had a difficult task and

a trying time.

Like A Hoe

The term at loggerheads has mellowed over the years. Today two per- sons at loggerheads are in a state of quarrelsome disagreement. The word

originated \\'ith a tool used aboard sail- ing ships called a loggerhead, a steel implement resembling a gardener's hoe

at the end of a long wooden handle. It was used for paying pitch into deck seams—so seamen could pay the devil. Two men were usually employed at

this tedious and nerve %vracking job,

each working on adjoining seams. No

tar could be wasted and none of the

sticky substance left on the deck out- side the seams. Often a race develop)ed

between the two men as they worked

their way up or down the deck, and raw

nerves and rivalry sometimes led to vicious battles with swinging loggerheads that gave the phrase at loggerheads its meaning.

The Panama Canal Review 15
-^\xet«

' i\o

fOO^

to

,yi\nS * ca^ He showed his true colors

^i^rin3 oil On

*^°^^/e<y

^We

^on(^aV

.>oON*-

V>o2

OVe<v

a<v«

tf

•^*^'» fAe

''Opes

iV«

sa<<^'

V)0a^

*^«fer5

VHe/7

'^i'sA

'P

<^o/n,es //)

At losS^'^^^"^'

The devil to pay

16 February 1971
To di'SLiibc an honest and stiaiglit- foiwaid individual we say he is open

and ahovcboard. This comes from the time when tall coastal vessels were open

boats, not decked over. These vessels were often boarded by government in- spectors looking for evidence of smuggling. The "board" part of the phrase comes from "borde" meaning the side

of a ship or boat. So anything that was

open and above board was readily avail- able for inspection.

In the davs when pirating was common, shipowners hoped their ship

would come in. Today, the phrase

tohen my ship comes in denotes sudden

wealth, a meaning which was the same

in the old days. But it had a literal meaning then as men watched the seaward

horizon for sign of a familiar sail. When And If

In the earlv da\s of seaborne trade,

promoters often sent ships to distant lands with hopes of having them return laden with profitable cargoes. To finance such projects the promoter borrowed

mone\, giving the lender a promissory

note to repav the debt. But since no

one could possiblv sav when the vessel and its hoped-for cargo would return, no date was set for repayment of the

loan. Instead the promoter promised

to pay "when my ship comes in." When—and if—his ship came in, the venture would almost certainly pay

off handsomely.

It was just such an arrangement that

sent Columbus to America, except that Columbus did not just wait around for

his ship to come in, but went along

with it. An old Chinese legend is said by manv to be the origin of pouring oil on

troubled waters. , It tells of an ancient

Chinese junk, caught in a terrible storm

with a cargo of fish oil stowed below in compartments separated by bulkheads. When the storm was at its fiercest, and the vessel in imminent danger of going down, the sea around the junk

ceased to break over the tiny ship and

became calm. The captain and his crew

were at a loss to explain the change,

until they discovered that a seam had

split below, allowing fish oil to escape

into the boiling sea.

Swinging Cat

When someone wishes to convey the discomfort of being in tight quarters,

he will often call upon the phrase

there's no room to swing a cat. The

cat was the cat-o'-nine tails used to flog nnrulv sailors.

BLUt MONDAY

When the captain decreed that a

sailor rated a flogging, the place of punishment was usually the brig. It was the custom to have all the punishments that had been adjudged during a week at sea meted out to the unlucky members

of the crew all at one time on bhie

Monday (obvious meaning). If it happened that the brig was too crowded

the first mate would report to the captain, "Sir, there is not room to swing a

cat." The master would then order the

flogging done on deck where the cat- o'-nine tails could be swung with the proper twist of the first mate's wrist. Having mentioned starboard and

port, probably the first words a \oung

novice leams along with fore and aft (front and back, respectively), we

should not let these temis go without

further explanation.

In the early days of sailing, a ship

did not have a rudder as we know it, but a steering oar on the right side, or "steerborde," of the vessel. Over

the centiuies the "steerborde" became

"starboard."

Since the right side held the steering

oar, the left side had to be placed

against a pier or dock when the vessel was in port. Therefore, the port side

(left) of the ship was opposite to that

of the "steerborde." Opposite Side But we are getting somewhat ahead

of ourselves. The old Anglo-Saxon word

for loading was "lading" and thus the

left side of a ship became known as the "lade-borde" side. It later became

"larboard," the opposite from star- board. This expression was changed

onh in the 19th century to port because

of the confusion resulting from the two

similar terms. In a raging storm with

the hvill of the ship pounding the waves

and the wind roaring through the rigging orders had to be shouted. If the captain .shouted "hard to starboard" to avoid jutting rocks or coral and the helmsman thought he said "larboard,"

the vessel would (juicklv end up on

the rocks. But e\'en toda\\ larboard is still a term

used b\ western river seamen.—L.R.G.

Illustrations by Carlos Mendez.

The Panama Canal Review 17
.

Cane Cages

Come in

Many Shapes

By Jose T. Tunon

^^•^URNING waste materials into Im something attractive and sale- ^mJ^ able is the dream of every

potential entrepreneur. That dream

coupled with imagination has turned

the hobby of making reedlike bird- cages into a profitable home industry

in Panama.

A small group of Panamanian farmers near the highlands of El Valle de Anton

spend much of their spare time collect- ing the raw materials and forming them

into intricate birdcages of various

sizes and designs—miniature houses,

churches, fire stations, airplanes, heli- copters, pagodas, and recently, one

7-foot model of the Thatcher Ferry

Bridge was made.

The cages are nul iii.ule of reed, but

• ~-% . -'-

from the stem of the sugarcane and from

the hard center strip of coconut palm

leaves. The farmers most active in this small industry are from El Copecito and El Espino, communities approximately 60

miles west of Panama Cits' near the en- trance of El \'alle—the home of the rare golden colored frog and the strange tree with a square trunk.

Oldest Industry

(Growing sugarcane is perhaps the

oldest and most widespread industry in the Republic of Panama and in the last 20 years it has grown into a major export

industry.

The farmers use every part of the

cane. From it they make a sweet refresh- ing juice called guarapo. In the old days

it was sometimes left to ferment and the

usult was a fairly strong drink the native s called cimarron. Guarapo also is boiled until it has the consistency of molasses or until it sugars. This brown

sugar is molded into blocks and used to make sweets and candies. Until recently, families in the Interior sweetened their coffee with sugarcane molasses or the brown sugar. As the industry grew additional refining was necessary to sell the sugar on the world market. Another industry which uses the sugarcane as raw material is the important rum industry of Panama. Although

the rums are not widely exported, they

are considered b\' many rum drinkers as among the best in the region. After the juice is extracted from the

cane, the fibrous residue, or bagasse, is used for fuel. In some areas bagasse is

Heriberto Sanchez shows the coconut leaf

fiber used to join the pieces of sugarcane stem and to reinforce the birdcages.

At top: Holding a helicopter, one of his more difficult designs, and surrounded by other cages which attest to his skill as an artesan, is Julio Torres of El Espino. Above: Heriberto Sanchez makes a star-shaped cage on the porch of his home in El Copecito.

18 February 1971
made into wallboard. The leaves also are used, for cattle fodder. What is left

is the slender stem, or viruli, of the sugarcane blossom which for many

years has been used all over Panama

for making kites and more recently the birdcages of El Valle.

Consti-uction

Viruli is easy to handle and is fairly strong. The pieces may be cut or broken

at any desired length. Strips of coconut

leaf fiber are used to join the pieces of stem to reinforce the bird cage construction. Though fragile looking, the cages are durable and withstand the weather even if hung outside for years. One of the manufacturers of the bird- cages is Heriberto Sanchez. He is an ex- pert and some of his creations are true works of art. His tools include a machete

for cutting the coconut palm leaves, a well sharpened penknife for extracting

the fibers from the leaves, and an awl

for making holes in the stems to place

the fibers. Most of the cages Sanchez makes are

in the form of a house or a church. But

his pride and joy is a model of the Thatcher Ferry Bridge. For the base he

used two 7-foot lengths of white cane

(of the same family as sugarcane) often used for building the rustic native huts

of the Interior. He sold the bridge cage

to Miss Marsha Collins of the Canal

Zone. It was so big it had to be divided

into three sections so it would fit in the car. According to Sanchez, the best time

to cut vinili is in November when the sugar cane is in bloom. A 13-year-oId

nephew, Enrique Quintero, helps him to cut the cane and to make the birdcages.

The boy's real ambition, however, is to go to school in Panama City and leam

to be an airplane mechanic. The money

he earns goes toward his education.

Filled With Cages

Another artist at making birdcages is Julio Torres, an 18-year-old youth from

El Espino. His father has a grocery

stand on the side of the road. Torres has

a bohio in front of his father's place and

it is practically filled with cages of all kinds. His creations average about 2 feet

in length and 1 foot in width. In the cages are little bars for the birds to perch on. He sells the simple cages for

$1..50 to $2 and the more complicated

ones foi- S3. Others, depending on the work involved, cost a little more. It takes from 1 to 2 days to make a cage, depending on the size.

.\ cage in the form of a house, pagoda,

tower, or airplane takes about a day to make. A helicopter takes a little longer.

Marsha Collins, center, of i:)iablo Heights, with the help of her sister, Cnstma, right, and

Carmen Graciela Lee, displays the model of the Thatcher Ferry Bridge which she bought

from Heriberto Sanchez. In the background is the real Thatcher Ferry Bridge which

crosses the Panama Canal. A fishing boat with cranes and net throwers takes much longer to make and

sells for $3.50. Torres, who has a grade school education, makes his living on the birdcages. Since business is not very good during the rainy season, he

makes most of them in November and

has a large supply ready when the dry

season sets in and visitors go to the area.

Heriberto Sanchez shows the intricate work

involved in fashioning a star-type cage.

k

On some Sundays he earns as much as $35 selling birdcages.

An efiEort is being made by the

National Artesan and Small Industries Service (SENAPI), sponsored by the United Nations and the Panama Government, to find other markets for the cages.

A building material with many uses, viruli

is also used to make picture frames.

Heriberto Sinchez cuts the fully developed

slender sugarcane stem, the material from

which the cages are made.

The Panama Canal Review 19
OFFICE OF THE COMPTROLLER

John R. DeCnimmond, Jr. Supervisory Cashier MARINE BUREAU

Thomas E. Semper

Leader Seaman TRANSPORTATION AND TE BUREAU

Leonard F. Wright

Service Station Attendant

Ervin D. Hicks Guard Supervisor Henry G. Fergus I. Supervisor>' Supply Clerk

Astor N. Lewis

Supply Technician

ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION

BUREAU

Fide! C. Mackay

Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Plant

erator

:endant

HEALTH BUREAU

andrade

Nursing Assistant (Medicine and Surgery) Arnold A. Grenion Pharmacy Assistant

OFFICE OF THE COMPTROLLER

TTieodore R. Jemmott

Bookkeeping Machine Operator William A. Wichmann

Systems Accountant

Alice H. Roche

Super\'isory Accounting Technician John J. Fallon

Payroll Systems Officer PERSONNEL BUREAU

Michael E. Charles

Clerk-Typist ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DIVISION

Cirilo Alexander

Leader, Bindery and Finish Worker

Albertina H. Vaz

Bindery Worker MARINE BUREAU

Joseph N. Springer Clerk Joseph Peters Clerk-Typist Bernard Serbinio Painter

S. Villafranco Carpenter (Maintenance)

Santiago Sanford

Oiler Henry Peters Helper Lock Operator

Ladislao Hernandez

Helper Lock Operator Upton W. Naron Towing Locomotive Oper; Osmond N. Austin Towing Locomotive Oper;

Alfred J. Sterling Motor Laimch Operator

Earle Johnson Motor Laujich Operator Juan A. Henriquez Boatman (Locks) Albert Elliot Leader Seaman

Willston N. KeUy

Oiler (Floating Plant) Carlos B. Ledezma

Leader Line Handler (Deckhand Boatswain)

Jos^ Pereira Line Handler

Pablo Segura

Line Handler Benjamin Quinones

Line Handler (Deckhand)

Francis T. Young

Marine Traffic Controller (Terminal) Ramon Gonzalez

Oiler Manuel I. Alvarado

Oiler Edward H. Womble

Lock Operator (Iron Worker-Welder)

Enrique Garcia Helper Lock Operator Marion B. Woodruff Towing Locomotive Operator (Locks)

Prudencio Sianca Boatman (Locks) Alfred V. George

Leader Seaman

Harold Nf. Brathwaite

Oiler (Floating Plant) Herman C. Lever Leader Line Handler (Deckhand Boatswain) Clarence F. Lewis

Line Handler (Deckhand)

Clarence L. Searles Line Handler (Deckhand) Edgardo U. Petit Marine Traffic Clerk Abraham Felixson

Supervisor>' Supply Clerk

Luis V^Uz

Asphalt or Cement Worker

Byron B. Bowen

Carpenter

Patricio Pinto

Oiler Rufus L. Carey

Control House Operator

Eric A. Ollivierre Motor Launch Operator Pedro Morales Boatman (Locks) Duldy R. Robinson

in-Charge, Towboat

n-Charge, Towboat

Plant) ATION AND TERMINALS

BUREAU

Allie W. Bruno

Clerk Marcelino Rose

Chauffeur

Julio C. G6ngora Guard

Joseph G. Reardon

Administrative Services Assistant Massey Wall

Messenger

Ashton J. Pinnock Lead Foreman (Dock Stevedoring)

Peter A. Tortorici Chief Foreman (Ship Stevedoring) Bruno Nazas

Helper Heavy Duty Equippn'nt Mechanic Thomas N. Etchberger, Jr. Guard

Levy Beckford Cargo Checker

Benito Chiari Stevedore

C. P. Carbones

Laborer (Cleaner) WiUiam R. Dixon

Genera! Foreman (Automotive Vehicle

Operations) Samuel Ellis Cannan {Wood and Steel—Maintenance)

20 February 1971
SUPPLY AND COMMUNITY SERVICE BUREAU

Lancelot L. Llewelyn

Cafeteria Manager

Earl W. Sears Housing Management Officer Curly McCree

Sales Store Checker

Ursil L. Glean

Sales Store Clerk Rose E. Lewis

Sales Store Checker

Hortencio Aranda

Laborer

Nathaniel Failey Laborer

Lessly G. Edwards

Tree Trimmer

Cleophas M. Lyder

Laborer (Cleaner) James S. Raymond

General Foreman (Grounds)

Arturo Range)

Cemeter>' Worker

Sebastian Martinez Grounds Maintenance Equipment Operator

Valentin Arias

\\* a r ehouseman

Tiburcio Gonzalez Stockman (Cold Storage) Rye Birs Leader Stockman Carmen I. Lugo

Marker and Sorter

Carlota Nichols Counterwoman

Angelica de Joya Meat \\'rapper Roderick L. Hart

Clerk Magdalena L. Bushell

Super\isory Clerk Ruben H. Blanchett Supply Clerk Maurice L. Wilson

Supply Clerk Vincent Sealey

Snper\isor\ SiippK Clerk Naziana A. Cenac

Sales Store Clerk Mandolin O. Gittens

Sales Store Clerk Augusta Brown

Sales Store Clerk Ema C. Spencer

Sales Store Checker

Hortense C. Thomas

Sales Store Checker

Alipio Galv^n

Laborer (Heavy)

Cilberto Jimenez High Lift Truck Operator (Cold Storage) Frances M. Jones Warehouseman

A. Brathwaite

Dr>' Cleaner Ralph H. Worme

Ice Cream Maker

Enid M. HaU

Clerk Charles T. Mayers

Snppl>' Clerk Dorothy A. Headley

Supply Clerk Ceraldin L. Watson

Supply Clerk

Albert Smith

Supply Clerk Cyrus A. Morris

Supervisory Supply Clerk

Virginia M. Orville

Sales Store Clerk

Luther E. Gray

Leader Laborer (Heavy) Lanford Gittens Laborer

G. G. Blandford Leader Carpenter

Llewellyn O. Bowen

Lead Foreman (Grounds)

Julio Arauz R. Garbage Collector Nazario De Gracia Ground Maintenance Equipment Operator

(Small) Honorio Magan

Crane Hookman

James Griffith Leader Spotter Samuel C. Turner Cook

Silvia G. Wint Cook (Short Order) Wilford B. McQueen

Lead Foreman (Meat Cutter) Alfred Coward

Utility Worker ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION

BUREAU

Edwin J. Compton

Super\isor\' Construction Inspector

Jose D. P^rez Surveying Aid

Joaquin Martinez

Electrician (Lineman) Enrique A. Jaen Meter Repairman

Koremaji^Puart er9

Prosperl Leader Asphalt or Concrete Mixing Plant Operator

Hilario Rodriguez Boatman

Gabriel Rivera Seaman

Aquilino Castillo Seaman

Martin Caceres Seaman

Ivan Temple

Leader Seaman

Patrocinio Gonzalez

Oiler (Floating Plant) Ray D. Wilson, Jr. Mechanical Ensineering Technician

Alberto Arispe C. Surveying Aid

Willard W. Huffman

Leader Central Office Repairman Manuel M. Tello \\'inchman

Louis E. Jarrett Painter (Maintenance) Venancio Arauz Seaman

Walter W. Shan

Leader (Deck Operations, Dredge)

Alfonso Headley

Oiler (Floating Plant) luan T. Flemings

Oiler (Floating Plant) Wilfred N. Grant Cook (Floating Plant)

Auguste J. Agnoly

Helper (General) Thelma M. Sasso

Secretary (Stenography)

Charles S. Malsbury

Meteorological Technician (General) Alva A, Nurse

Helper Electrician Paulino Ruiz

Electrician (Lineman) Everardo Asprilla Leader Painter (Maintenance)

Jesus M. Medina

Painter (Sign) Cleveland G. Davis Helper Pipefitter Charles W. Jarvis Carpenter (Maintenance) William C. Williford Chief Foreman (Building and Maintenance

Shops) Rupert S. Brown

Maintenanceman

Alphonso A. Cox

Residual Fuel Treatment Plant Operator Stephen J. Henry

Industrial Tractor Operator

Alberto Simpson Crane Hookman (Heavy)

Gertrudis Rodriguez Seaman

Juan D. Mor^n

Seaman

Jo$£ M. Anchundia Seaman

Rupert A. Frank

Chief Engineer, Towboal Hemin Arroyo

Oiler (Floating Plant) Juan D. Colome

Oiler (Floating Plant)

CIVIL AFFAIRS BUREAU

Juan A. Cazoria

Liaison Agent

Robert A. Wainio

Super\isor\- Customs Inspector Horace I.. Smith Customs Inspector Kenneth K. Coleman

Fire Captain David W. Lowe, Jr. Fire Lieutenant Robert W. Lawyer

Police Lieutenant

Ethel L. Lucas

Clerk-Typist

Sylvia J. Stoute Teacher (Junior High-L. A. Schools) HEALTH BUREAU

Alphonsine Almont

Nursing Assistant Claren A. Boyce

Nursing Assistant (Medicine and Surgery) Ephraim B. Campbell

Nursing Assistant (Psychiatry) Vernon Edwards

Nursing Assistant (Psychiatry) Ruth A. Fishboufih Medical Record Librarian Frederick H. Taylor Nursing Assistant (Operating Room)

Mary B. Pitterson Clerk-Typist

Luis Sampris

Laborer (Heavy)

Anniversaries are on the basis of total Federal service.

The Panama Canal Review 21
The Reefer Trade

\\

Keeping It @@@|J'

At lop: The new "E^arta," a modem United Fruit refrigerated ship, is loaded with bananas at the Almirante pier in the Republic of Panama. The bananas are shipped to the dock in railroad cars. Bottom: The ice delivery wagon sets out from the Cristobal Cold

Storage Plant in 1910. Before the day of the reefer ship and frozen foods, the ice wagon

was a common sight in the Canal Zone.

By Eunice Richard

/^WHERE WAS no cold storage I plant— so we bought most of our ^mir meat from a man who peddled

it from a horse's back. He would come

over from the slaughterhouse at Empire

and peddle the meat through the streets of old Culebra and Rio Grande. It was

far from tempting stuff but we were

working hard and were hungr\'. Of

course there was no ice and such butter

as we had came tinned—vegetables rot- ted rapidly and we lived largelv out

of cans." This was a stor\' told bv John J. Meehan, Panama Canal construction worker in early 1905, shortly after the United States started work on the Panama Canal. Meehan was soon to learn firsthand

of the wonders of refrigerated and

frozen food and the methods that were

being worked out to transport it to the Isthmus. From the early days, when the Canal

brought in a few tons of chilled meat,

to today when hundreds of fast new

refrigeration ships pass through the Canal carrying frozen and chilled cargo, the system of preserving and tiansporting food around the world has pro- gressed from the stage of the horse- drawn cart to the jumbo jet. The Isthmian Canal Commission soon

discovered that the vital problem of subsistence and the provision of a plentiful

suppK' of fresh and healthful food for Canal workers was as important as the

sanitation of the Canal Zone.

65 Years Ago

It was in late 1905 that the commission, assuming full responsibility for feeding its employees and their dependents, decided to erect a cold storage

plant, install refrigeration machinery in the Panama Railroad steamers for trans- portation of perishable supplies, and

order refrigerator cars for the Panama

Railroad. Bv 1907 the subsistence depot at Cristobal was the principal source of food supplv for the 50,000 people liv- ing in the Canal Zone. A train of 13

cars, 8 for cold storage and 5 for other

supplies, loaded with foodstuffs and ice,

left Cristobal every morning at 4:30 a.m. and delivered supplies at points along

the construction line. Canal Zone housewives, fresh out of the temperate climates, where storage

of food was never too much of a problem, had to be instructed by the Commissary Division on the purchasing and

22 February 1971
keeping of cold storage meats and fowls

in the tropics to insure their being kept "sweet and wholesome."

The Canal Recoud in 1907 said there

ivas an impression in the minds of some

people in the Canal Zone that cold stor- age meats were not wholesome, an impression which was erroneous. The Reconi) reassured evervone: "In fact, there

is vcr\ little meat used in the United

States that is not put in cold storage,

and it adds to the quality and whole- someness of the meat to chill it prior to

use. This applies to all varieties of meats and bv a little care on the part of those buN ing meats from the cold storage, the people on the Isthmus can have as good

and wholesome meats as can be pur- chased in New York or elsewhere."

Fresh Supplies

Bv 1910, the Canal Record reported

a movement of fresh supplies, many of which are still being brought into the Canal Zone b\' refrigerated ships

from the United States, but most fresh

fruits and vegetables now being con- sumed locally are grown in Panama.

The Record said the first fresh fruits

to be brought to the Isthmus in 1910 were 2,000 pounds of cherries and 1 ,000

pounds of plums arriving from New Orleans. Another ship from New Orleans

brought blackberries, cherries and 2 tons

of new tomatoes. Despite the fact that in the early days

Canal officials were somewhat slow in supplying cold storage food to construction emploxees, the method of refrige- rated transport bv sea was by that time more than 30 years old. According to a recent article in the American Bureau of Shipping quarterly

magazine. Surveyor, general cargo vessels first carried some chilled commodities in special insulated compartments

(including New England ice packed in straw and sawdust for shipment to

tropical India )

.

Reefers

Large scale shipping by refrigerated

ships—nicknamed "reefers"—seems to have gotten started in the 1870's when auxiliarv steamers began carry- ing frozen beef carcasses from the United States and Australia to the United Kingdom.

Freezing was maintained by recir- culating air around blocks of ice. British ship operators, who first applied

mechanical refrigeration to ocean transport, soon began adopting systems

where brine was used as a secondar\

refrigerant; a primary refrigerant transThe "Santa Lucia" with 1.31,000 cubic feet of refrigerated cargo space is a good example

of a general cargo ship with substantial reefer capacity. The 560-foot vessel was built by Sun Shipbuilding in 1966 for the Grace Line (now Prudential-Grace).

The old 330-foot "Esparta" was one of the first ships built especially for the United Fruit

Co.'s banana trade. It was delivered in 1904. A single-screw coal-burner, she carried 45,000 bunches of bananas and 18 passengers at 12!4 knots.

t BANANAS 4 FRUIT (DCCIDOOUS) • ... FISH AND SHELLFISH a^^B B££F. SHEEP. BUTTER AND CHEESE

Map shows major international reefer routes. Bananas from Africa to Italy are shipped

overland to bypass the Suez Canal.

The Panama Canal Review 23
Assisted by the Panama Canal tug "Rousseau," a United Fruit ship moves through

the Panama Canal on way to the east coast United States.

mitted its cold to brine, which was

piped to locations in each hold where

air circulating fans blew across the cold brine coils. The United Fruit Co., formed in 1899

when an interest developed in tropical

fruits, particularly bananas, for markets

in North America and Europe, was one

of the Canal's first and best customers.

It was also one of the first companies

to transport refrigerated supplies to the Canal construction workers. The banana

ships brought supplies to the Canal and

carried bananas north, an arrangement

advantageous to all concerned.

The banana boats were reallv the

first refrigerated ships. The practice

had been to carrv bananas under ventilation in specially constructed vessels making 9 knots, a good speed for their day. When the British idea of applying

refrigeration to bananas was tried, no

one knew what would happen to a large mass of banana bunches exposed to cold.

It was tried with Costa Rican fruit in

In the days before refrigerated ships, beef had to be transported on the hoof. Typical

of the operation is this scene showing cattle being unloaded at Callao, Peru.

an old wooden ship named the Venus,

specially fitted for the experiment. After a series of tiial and error experiments,

a carrying temperature of 53° was established for bananas and the true banana

boat was bom.

Diesel Power

As time went by, capacities increased

from an average of approximately

180,000 cubic feet in the earlv 1950's

to the present average of about 300,000

cubic feet, with a dozen or more in the 400,000 cubic foot range. With the

larger vessels came higher speeds and

the 16-knot vessel of 15 vears ago has

become the diesel powered 19- to 22- knot ship of todav. Three recenth' placed in service bv the United Fruit Co. which use the Panama Canal are

the Mafina, Mafagua, and Movant, each

with a capacity for 175,000 40-pound

boxes of bananas and with a service speed of 22 knots. Today, hundreds of reefer ships pass through the Panama Canal, but United

Fruit is still one of the largest operators

of full refrigerated ships. E^ch month

more than 40 pass through the Canal in both directions. Other reefer operations using the Canal are the Belgian Fruit Lines, and

the Willi Bruns Fruitships which specialize in regular service delivering ba- nanas in 14 days from Guayaquil, Ecuador to Antwerp, Belgium via Cork, Ire- land. On the return voyage, the Belgian

ships may carry automobiles, cardboard

rolls, and general cargo. According to the Surveyor, the highest volume reefer trades are from New

Zealand and Australia to North America and the United Kingdom. These

routes were created to transport New

Zealand and Australian beef, veal, mutton, lamb, cheese, butter, and fruit. In 1966, Australia's reefer trade handled

about $400 million worth of produce,

$240 million of which was accounted

for by 285,500 tons of fresh, frozen, and

chilled beef and veal. New Zealand's

reefer exports totaled $505 million in 1966 most of which was butter and

lamb.

Beef Exports

Most all of the New Zealand and Australian reefer ships enroute to the U.S.

east coast and Europe use the Panama

Canal, and between them thev account

for 30 percent of the world's beef experts, which total about 1 million tons. The captive or companv-owned operation is best represented by the United

Fruit Co.'s "Great White Fleet" which

annually transports about 100 million

boxes of bananas to North America and

Europe. Sixty percent of the bananas

originate from companv-owned or oper- ated plantations in Panama, Honduras,

Costa Rica, and Guatemala. The re- maining bananas sold bv the companv

are purchased from independent suppliers under contracts with the compan^, and on the open market. Much of the tramp reefer business

originates from opposite seasons in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere

when fruits harvested in South America,

South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand are shipped to Europe and North

America from February through June. From September through December

deciduous fruit is shipped from the northwestern United States to South

America and Europe.

Manv companies such as the Flota Mercante Grancolombiana S.A., another

Canal customer, which operates a 40-ship fleet of 400,000 deadweight

tons, carries reefer cargo when it is available, in small refrigerated compartments.

Continued Demand

The Surveyor says that it is a cer- tainty that the demand for refrigerated cargo space will continue to rise, probably at an annual rate of 5 to 7 percent,

and that new refrigerated ships will be

built to meet this demand. But whether

these new ships will be of the conventional break-bulk variety or container

ships with hundreds of refrigerated containers each cooled in a reefer hold

when below deck or by a clip-on unit when on deck, will be decided later. These methods are already being used

by the Prudential Grace ships, general cargo vessels with reefer and container

accommodations, which carry Panama

shrimp to New York. The ships operated

by Sea Land Service on an intercoastal trade also have refrigerated container

accommodations. It is quite probable,

the Surveyor article says, that in coming decades a considerable segment of the world's refrigerated cargo fleet will be containerized. Refrigerated routes from New Zealand and Australia to the United Kingdom and North America, many of which

pass through the Canal, probably will be first to see large scale container operations. But, the Surveyor article concludes, regardless of the form reefer ship

operations may assume in the years to come, the refrigerated ship will continue

to thrive as an essential vehicle in feed- ing tens of millions of the world's population.

24 February 1971
SHIPPING NOTES

New Cruise Liner

A NEW cruise ship named the Ocean

Monarch will be placed in service this spring by the Shaw Savill Line, joining the popular Southern Cross and Northern Star, both regular Panama Canal

customers during recent years. The

Ocean Monarch, the former Empress of England, is being converted at Cammell Laird Ltd. of Birkenhead, England, into a one-class tourist ship capable of carrying 1,400 passengers. It is the biggest conversion undertaken in England in many years. The increased passenger accommodations will be provided by removal of cargo spaces, hatch squares, and trunks. Extensive work also is being undertaken in reconstruction and modernization of crew accommodations. The exist- ing funnel deck, formerly unused by

passengers, is to be fitted with screens and decked over to make an additional simdeck area. The plans call for construction of an entirely new lido area which incorporates a new swimming

pool, paddling pool, and bar. According to an article in the Fairplay International SrappiNG Journal, the popular feature of both the Northern Star and Southern Cross is the Tavern. The Ocean Monarch is to have

a Tavern, too. It is an additional room

seating 250 j>ersons with bar and dance

floor, opening on to a veranda deck

which is to be constructed. Extensive

alterations will be made to the Empress

Room to enable live shows to be presented. The 200 seat cinema is to re- main so it will be possible to accom- modate more than half the passengers

at one time for either a movie or a live show in the theater. Other innovations

are a bank, shopping area, and a shore

excursion office. The Ocean Monarch will enter the

cruising scene in April when she will

sail from Southampton on a Mediter- ranean cruise. The Shaw Savill Line

will offer a total of 26 cruises in 1971.

Pacific Ford is the agent at the Pan- ama Canal.

Underwater Tanker

WITH OIL pollution paramount among

the problems facing oil companies, a proposal by General Dynamics to trans- port oil by means of underwater tankers could start a revolutionary trend in shipping. The company already has plans

to build 900-foot submarines to move

oil from the Arctic to ice-free regions

of the North Atlantic. Roger Lewis, president of General

DvTiamics, said, "The Arctic submarine,

operating submerged, enjoys a steady

28 degree temperature and protection

from ice, wind, waves, and storms. In

this constant and protected environment, the submarine is exposed to a minimum of environmental hazards." As proposed, the tanker will be capable of carrying 170,000 tons of oil in her rectangular-shaped hull. She would

have a beam of 140 feet and a hull depth of 85 feet. Tvdn screws would

give the submarine a speed of 18 knots. Lewis said studies showed "the sub- marine-tanker will achieve substantially lower costs than those attributed to projected pipeline systems."

- - v .......

.

PANAMA CANAL TRAFFIC

STATISTICS FOR FIRST 6 MONTHS

OF FISCAL YEAR 1971

TRANSrrS (Oceangoing Vessels) 1971 1970 Commercial 6,791 6,760

U.S. Government 311 635

Free 60 54

Total 7,162 7,449

TOLLS*

Commercial.-- $47,483,969 $47,037,608

U.S. Government-- 1,888.257 3,595,285

Total $49,370,226 $50,632,893

CARGO"

Commercial 59,709.183 55,739,168

U.S. Government 1,345,737 2,359,144 Free 90,215 81,538

Total 61,145,135 58,179,850

•Includes tolls on all vessels, oceangoing and

small. ••Cargo flsuies are In long tons.

N

UM

B

ER

F

TRA

N

S

IT

S

1,300
SHIPPING

New Cruise Service

NORWEGIAN STEAMSHIP companies have formed a joint subsidiary to operate a new worldwide passenger

cruise service. The new cruise company, Royal Viking Line, has signed a $70 million contract with a Helsinki shipyard for the construction of three luxury cruise liners. Each ship wiU be able to carry 520

passengers in 280 stateroom and have

a gross tonnage of 21,500 with a service speed of 21.5 knots. The first liner is scheduled for delivery in June 1972 and

the two sister ships in 1973. Warren S. Titus, former president of American President Line's passenger

service subsidiary, was named president

of the new company. Headquarters of Royal Viking is in San Francisco.

Largest Transport

GENERAL DYNAMICS Corp. at its shipyard in Quincy Mass., is construct- ing the world's largest cargo transport

for the Lykes Bros. Steamship Co., Inc. Named the Doctor Lykes, the ship is among the new class of commercial

cargo vessels known as Seabees—a type

of barge carrier. Doctor Lykes, was designed to pass through the Panama Canal if necessary. She will be 875 feet long and will have

a beam of 106 feet. The ship will have

a power plant of 36,000 horsepower, the

largest ever installed in a single-screw cargo vessel, and will be capable of producing speeds of 20 knots or better. The Seabee class has an advantage

over conventional ships in that the vessels are not required to enter crowded

ports. The ships can anchor in any protected offshore area and unload all their barges in as little as 13 hours. The Doctor Lykes will carry 38

barges containing 24,500 long tons of cargo. The cargo space can be used to carry 1,800 containers of standard size, roll-on/roll-off vehicles or unitized

loads. The Seabees also can carry 15,000

tons of liquid cargo, giving the ships a cargo-handling flexibility unmatched by

other vessels.

CANAL COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC BY NATIONALITY OF VESSELS
PRINCIPAL COMMODITIES SHIPPED THROUGH THE CANAL

(All cargo figures in long tons) Pacific to Atlantic

Commodity

Ores, various Sugar

Iron and steel plates, sheets and coils Boards and planks Petroleum and products

Metals, various Fishmeal Pulpwood

Food in refrigeration

( excluding bananas) Petroleum coke Bananas Plywood and veneers

Iron and steel manufactures,

miscellaneous

Iron and steel wire, bars and rods Canned food products

All others

Total __-

First Half, Fiscal Year

1971
CS\JLl.±lCtSLT'-y 0£i>X><

5ainne theme

SEVICHE

shrimp seviche, served with saltines, tops the list of fa\orite Panama hors d'oeuvres. Its fame also has spread to the United States where it is served at cocktail parties and dinners.

By Fannie P. Hemdndez

ONE OF the most popular and well- known hors d'oeuvres in Panama is a raw fish dish that is becoming more and more popular at the most discriminating

restaurants. Called seviche, this zippy Latin

American appetizer also is sp>elled se- biche, cebiche, or ceviche—depending

upon the locale. Basically, seviche is made of any

good quality white fish, shrimp or scal- lops "cooked" in citrus juice. Several

countries claim the origin of this ingenious way of serving fish not cooked in the customary manner. Peru, Ecuador,

and Panama, all refer to it as their very own.

Centuries ago, however, the Japanese were dipping raw sardines in soy sauce and popping them into their mouths,

and Sashimi, fish marinated in soy sauce and lemon juice, has been a favorite Japanese dish for about 2,000 years. Sashimi could very well be the forerun- ner of seviche. Lemon juice for preserving fish was

introduced into Japan from China or another area of Asia where citrus fruit had its origin. As Japan is surrounded

by waters swarming with fish, this food

has been an important item in the Japanese diet since ancient times.

Spirited Appetizer

Whoever first hit upon the idea of cooking by marinating in citrus juice : deserves credit for a favorite hors

'

d'oeuvre being ofiFered at cocktail par- i

ties and dinners, not only in Latin ! America, but in many cities in the United States and other countries where

hostesses have discovered the excellence

28 February 1971
^\ '

of the tast)-, spirited appetizer. The idea

has caught on and spread Hke the fire of the nippy hot peppers that enhance

the flavor and aid the cooking process. From its probable humble source in Japan, to its enthusiastic acceptance in Peru, Ecuador, Mexico, and Panama,

the respectability of the raw fish appetizer has extended to well-known res- taurants in New York City. Immediate

acceptance and continued popularity of seviche may be due to the fact that it

is not only pleasing to the palate but

also nutritious and simple to prepare. Any food which can be prepared ahead

and served the following dav, or even

da\s later, is bound to win the approval

of today's busy hostess. The Marinade

Variations in the flavor of seviche

depend upon the particular citrus juice or combination of juices and the other

ingredients used in the marinade. The

marinade juice could be lemon, lime,

or sour orange, or a combination of two,

or even all three juices. The acid in the

citrus juice and the action of salt called

for in recipes prevent the growth of micro-organisms in the fish, softening

the fibers as they penetrate. The en- hancing ingredients—hot pepp>ers, green

peppers, garlic, and onion—give seviche

its pleasing gusto. Each Latin American country has

given seviche its own touch of indi- viduality by adding its own particular

garnishes. In Peru, seviche is served

with slices of cold sweet potatoes or com-on-the-cob, while in neighboring

Ecuador, it is accompanied bv popcorn, potato chips, nuts, or the giant

kernels of com native to that country.

Panamanian hostesses serve seviche

uith buttered saltine crackers or in dainty pastry shells. It is also served in a large crystal bowl with the guests

helping themselves, either by spearing

it with toothpicks or filling the pastry

shells. In Mexico, seviche is accompanied by slices of raw onions and

served on toasted tortillas.

Favorite Recipes

Following are a number of favorite recipes for making seviche. Depending

on how it is served, 1 pound of fish is enougli for four to six servings.

Here is a version of seviche which

Japanese housewives were making hundreds of years ago. They call it sashimi

and serve it with horseradish or very

strong mustard. (Note the omission of hot pepper.)

2 pounds fish fillets 2 cups lemon juice

Ji cup soy sauce a cup thinly sliced onions a teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon salt Remove the skin from fillets and slice

Vs inch thick. Mix the other ingredients

and pour over the fillets which have

been placed in a glass bowl or platter. Let it marinate overnight.

Peruvian Seviche

The Peruvian cook cleans the fish and lets it soak in salt water for 10 minutes and then removes it and

pats it dry.

1 pound fresh fillets of corhina, red snapper, or any good quality whitefish

juice of three lemons

juice of three sour oranges or limes one medium onion, thinly sliced

salt and pepper to taste a pinch of cayenne pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

1 hot pepper, chopped fine 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 2 tablespoons chopped cdantro (coriander)

Cut fish into pieces and place on a

platter. Place the thinly sliced onions on the fish. Then add the remaining

ingredients, covering with the juices. Place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours

before serving. Serve on bed of lettuce and garnish with cold sweet potato or com-on-the-cob.

Enjoying an appetizer of corbina seviche in the DeLesseps Room at Hotel El Panama

are Mr. and Mrs. Stephen A. Bissell of Balboa. Corbina seviche is served at most hotels and restaurants throughout the Republic of Panama.

The Panama Canal Review 29
rl-
50 Years Ago

J.S. NAVAL and aviation history was

Tiade in 1921 as the major parts of the

Atlantic and Pacific fleets gathered at he Panama Canal. Fourteen U.S. Navy

seaplanes left San Diego for a 3,200-

nile journey to Panama in December

1920. Only 12 made it-stiU something

if an event 50 years ago when U.S. avia- don was just in the infant stage. They

irrived here in ]anuar\'.

The ships came to the Canal

From Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, passing

through the Canal on January 20 and

clearing January 24 for Callao, Peru. They returned February 18 and re- mained a week before returning to Guantanamo. The battleships Mississippi and New Mexico and the hospital

ship Mercy anchored in the inner harbor

on the Pacific side. The other vessels anchored in the bay east^vard of Naos

Island and seaward of the anchorage of the seaplanes which arrived on January

15. There were approximately 50 warships in the armada.

The seaplanes covered the 3,200 nautical miles in 17 days with 8 intermediate stops. Two failed to make the

trip, one because of a storm and the other developed engine trouble.

a o o The battleship New Mexico, flagship of the Pacific fleet was put into drydock

in Balboa on January 19 for routine work. It was the largest ship (6.34 feet) to dr\dock at the Canal up to that time. The Chilean dreadnaught Almirante,

just slightly smaller than the New Mexico, went into the same drydock on Jan- uary 14. The handling of two such ships

in a week was an historic event for the Balboa drvdock.

CANAL HISTORY

25 Yzars Ago

SHIPPING WAS beginning to resume

regular schedules 25 years ago as the Canal Zone along with the rest of the uorld slowly returned to peacetime

operations following the cessation of

hostilities in the Pacific. The prevailing Pacific-bound traffic reversed in October 1945 as a large

number of vessels began arriving for

transit to Atlantic ports. On October 22

and 23, transits were restricted to Atlantic bound ships only in order to relieve the congestion which had occurred in Balboa. On those 2 days 68 ships passed

through the waterway.

o o o

In December 1945, Balboa ceased to be the homeport for a fleet of oil tankers employed in carr\'ing cargoes to the

Pacific war theater.

During the year the Panama Line's three combination passenger-cargo

ships, Panama, Cristobal, and Ancon, were returned to the Canal organization after serving several years in war

service. The vessels suffered no major

damage during the war. The SS Panama

and SS Cristobal were operated by the

U.S. Army as troop transf)orts while the SS Ancon, after being utilized as a troop

transport for a short period, was con-

\erted by the U.S. Navy into a communications and command ship. The

Governor's annual report said the return

of the ships would bring long awaited

relief to Canal employees who lacked adequate transportation the previous

5 years.

U.S. Navy torpedo destroyers at Balboa, February 22, 1921.

10 Years Ago

DECEMBER 1960 began with a deluge

of rain that concentrated more on the

Atlantic side than on the Pacific. Diu-- ing the first 6 days of the month Cris- tobal reported 19.30 inches of rainfall during a 24-hour period.

The John F. Wallace, first of the Pan- ama Canal's three new and more {wwerful tugs, arrived in Cristobal early in January 1961. On the way to the Isth- mus, the new vessel participated in a rescue mission involving a group of Cuban refugees off the coast of Florida.

A contract for installation of air conditioning in four Panama Canal oflice buildings in Ancon and construction of a central chilled water plant to service the buildings was awarded to W. B. Uhlhom Construction Co. of Texas at a base bid of $224,500.

Foundation tests with pressures up

to 100 tons per square foot were used

to test the strength of the rock on which

the foundations of the new Gorgas Hospital annex was to be built. The tests were made in January 1961 by the Pan- ama Canal Maintenance Division with

pressure applied on a steel column sunk

50 to 60 feet into the earth.

One Year Ago

MORE THAN 5,500 Panama Canal

employees received pay raises effective February 1, 1970, as a result of the Fair Labor Standards Act minimum wage

provisions. The new increases raised the minimum rate from $1.30 to $1.45

an hour.

Installation of new rubber fendering,

which is designed to minimize damage

to ships should they strike the locks'

walls, was started last January 18 in the

east lane of Miraflores Locks. Similar rubber fendering had been installed in the other two sets of Panama Canal

locks and was one of a series of

projects carried out by the Marine

Bureau to improve service and speed

up ship transits.

The Panama Canal Review 31




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