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HAROLD R. PARFITT

Governor-President

RICHARD L. HUNT

Lieutenant Governor

FRANK A. BALDWIN

Panama Canal Information Officer

PANAMA ANAL j

WILLIE K. FRIAR

Editor

Writers Vic Canel, Fannie P. HERNANDEZ,

Dolores E. Suisman

Official Panama Canal Publication

Review articles may be reprinted without further clearance. Credit to the Review will be appreciated. The Panama Canal Review is published twice a year. Yearly subscription: regular mail $1.50, airmail $3, single copies 75 cents. For subscription, send check or money order, made payable to the Panama Canal Company, to Panama Canal Review, Box M, Balboa Heights, C.Z.

Editorial Office is located in Room 100, Administration Building, Balboa Heights, C.Z. Printed at the Panama Canal Printing Plant, La Boca, C.Z.

Contents

Postage stamps provide a unique

look at local history 4

Triumph of Canal diggers

vividly depicted

Airmail service to the Isthmus

marvel of the age in the 1920's 10

Lindbergh opened route between Miami and

Cristobal

Those were the days when ... 13

Passengers had the luxury

of wicker chairs and

open windows

Canal Zone—Paradise for hird watchers 14

Preservation of forests assures profusion of

tropical birds

Painting the birds 22

Lois Morgan's watercolors

delight library patrons

Culinary Capers

Marine Bunkering

A vital service for Canal customers

25

30

At left: The "Quern Elizabeth 2" and three other nipersized thlpt moot through Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal. The "QE2"

(loti left) set a netv toll record when *hr

transited Starch 29 on an around-the-unrld

cruite. Shi vaid $68,499.46.

(Photos are by Kmn Jenkhu, Don Goode, and

Arthur I.. Pollack.)

OurCover

T

<HE "BRIDGELESS" THATCHER

Ferry Bridge stamp, one of the best known rarities in the stamp world

is among the Canal Zone stamps

appearing on the cover of this edition. Six of these misprinted stamps are along the right side of the page and

can be compared to the perfectly

printed stamp, with the bridge in

silver, which is shown on the first dav

of issue cover at the top of the page.

The bridge stamps are from the col- lection of the Canal Zone LibraryMuseum which has 50 of these rare stamps; 50 are in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.; and the only others in existence are 50 that arc

in the hands of private collectors and

stamp dealers. (For further information on this famous stamp, see the storv which begins on p. 4.) Among the other stamps on the cover

are examples of the handsome 25th

Panama Canal anniversary stamp series showing the "before and after" of Canal construction sites; the regular

series which honors the builders of the

("anal; and the new 13-cent dredge

Cascadas stamp. All of the stamps are from the collection of Louis R. Reves,

Administrative Officer in the Canal

Zone Postal Division.

To produce this photograph, the stamps were arranged on a sheet of

glass and suspended several inches

above the shears and the red. white,

and blue ribbon used in the ribboncutting ceremonv that marked the opening of the bridge, October 12. 1962. The cover was designed bv

Willie K. Friar and photographed by

Arthur L. Pollack.

The Panama Canal Rlvii:\
CANAL ZON E POSTAGE

, E P S A •

-

Stamps provide

a colorful look

at local history

The story of the United

States' construction of

the Panama Canal, one of

the world's great

engineering achievements,

is told in Canal Zone stamps

By Eunice Richard

PHILATELY IS ONE OF OUR

most interesting hobbies. It also has a distinct educational value. Here

in the Canal Zone, the stamp collector's attention is drawn to one of the richest sagas in the history of the United

States, the man-made funnel through

which flows the commerce of the world. "The postal history and stamps of the Canal Zone Government vividly

reflect the early trials, heartbreaking

failures and glorious completion of the Panama Canal. These bits of postage

depict the ingenious planners, scenes of

their work and the determined Canal

gers accomplishments."

Thus wrote former Gov. William E.

Potter in his introduction to the book,

il Zone Postage Stamps," which was published bv the Canal Zone

eminent in 1961. Prepared bv the late Judge E. I. P. Tatelman, Magistrate of the Cristobal Court, this book, which is still sold at

local post offices, gives a thorough

account of Canal Zone stamps, dis- cusses the subjects depicted on the stamps, and tells the story of the I Zone Postal Service. The Canal Zone regular stamp issue

is, bv far, the oldest in use anywhere

. according to research by the Caribbean Stamp Club. These stamps

are referred to by collectors as the "14th Canal Zone series." Stamp buffs term these regular issues "definitive"

issues. This issue was first recom- mended in 1928 by < ilhoun,

who was Director of Posts for the (anal Zone from 1916 to 1947.

The 1-cent green Gorgas stamp,

which came out October 3, 1928, is believed to be the oldest stamp in the world in terms of continuous use. Other

oldsters and their dates of issue are

the 50-cent Blackburn, issued in 1929;

the 20-cent Hodges, 15-cent Smith,

and 20-cent Rousseau, all issued in 1932; the 3-cent Goethals issued in 1934; and the 30-cent Williamson, last

of the lot, issued in 1940. The Caribbean Stamp Club members and other stamp collectors have

scanned stamp catalogs and journals

for possible rivals to these venerable

stamps but no close competitors could

be found for the 1-cent Gorgas or the 50-cent Blackburn.

Stamp collectors are interested in these stamps but perhaps the most

coveted bv collectors and best known

to the average citizen is the 4-cent Thatcher Ferrv Bridge commemorative

stamp, issued in 1962 to mark the opening of the bridge across the C .mil

at Balboa. A full sheet, 200 hundred of these handsome stamps, was printed perfectlv like all of the others in the

issue, except for one important detail—

the bridge was missing.

Somehow during the press run that overprinted the bridge in silver, this sheet did not come in contact with the printing plate. This sheet probably

had adhered to the sheet directly on

top of it as it passed through the press. The Thatcher Ferrv misprint became

one of the world's most famous stamp

errors. Word of the error spread fast

when Henrv L. Harris, prominent

Boston stamp dealer found, in checking

his order of 5,000 of the commemorative stamps, that he had a sheet of 50 stamps without the bridge.

About the same time that collector Harris found that he possessed what

amounted to a philatelic bonanza, the Canal Zone Postal Service discovered

that it also had 150 of the misprinted

stamps.

The United States Post Office Department suggested to the Governor

of the Canal Zone that more of the stamps without the bridge be reprinted

in order to flood the market with identicallv misprinted copies, which would

have destroved the potential worth of

the 50 original misprinted stamps

owned bv Harris. This was an act that would have

blunted much of the fun and excite- ment of stamp collecting for the

millions who are alwavs hopeful of finding a rare error. Harris promptly (

appealed to the Federal District Court

for a restraining order. There were protests from stamp collectors all over the world and Harris proved to be a stalwart champion of

their cause. After nearlv 3 years of

legal action, the Federal District Court

in Washington, D.C., ruled in favor of Harris in his suit to prevent Canal Zone

postal authorities from deliberately

printing more of the bridgeless stamps.

The misprinted stamps in the possession ol ( anal Zone postal authorities were disposed of in the following manner. A sheet of 50 was laminated

Summer 1977
- i ^B I M

and deeded to the Smithsonian Insti- tution in Washington, D.C., where the stamps have become a star attraction; 50 more were laminated and given to the Canal Zone Library (6 of the 50

appear on the cover of this magazine);

and the remaining 50 were destroved. Seeing that these stamps are now worth

$3,500 each, this must have been an

heartbreaking task for some emplovee.

The Canal Zone Postal Service has

a colorful history that dates back to 1904. when it was established as part

of the Department of Revenues under

the supervision of the Treasurer of the Canal Zone. Paymaster L. C. Tobev,

CSX, was the first Director of Posts. Post offices were first opened at La

Boca, Ancon, Cristobal, Gatun, Culebra, Bohio, Corgona, Matachin, and

Empire. They were operated then by

railroad station agents as postmasters.

The Canal Zone Postal Service has

operated as an independent postal svs- tem from the beginning and is established as such by Act of Congress of the United States. When the Canal Zone Postal Service was first established on June 24, 1904,

a small supply of 2i, 50, and 10c Panama provisional stamps overprinted

"Canal Zone" horizontally in roman

capitals were obtained and used. Colombian stamps overprinted "Pan- ama," "Canal Zone" and stamps issued by Panama overprinted "Canal Zone"

were used between the years 1904 and

1924 in conformity with the provision

of an executive older issued in 1904

b) Secretary of War William H. Taft. U.S. stamps overprinted "Canal Zone"

were initially used in 1904 for a short period of time and again commencing
CANAL ZON E POSTAG

1928, but this particular stamp is no

longer in use. The current Canal Zone

postage stamps consist of a series of 14 ordinarv stamps. Ten picture members of the Isthmian Canal Commission

and others who plaved a major part in Canal Zone historv or in construction

and operation of the Panama Canal. The other four picture the Canal's Administration Building at Balboa

Heights; the Goethals' Memorial at Balboa; Fort San Lorenzo, on the

Atlantic Coast; and the dipper dredge

Cascadas.

There have been a number of commemorative stamps, the most hand- some being the set of stamps issued on

the 25th anniversary of the opening of

the Panama Canal. Judge Tatelman,

writing in the book on Canal Zone

stamps, said thev were considered the

finest in designing and engraving and

even the Bureau of Engraving and

Printing in Washington, which is usuallv restrained in comments con- cerning its work, expressed pleasure in

the design and the excellence of handling.

Tatelman reported an interesting

prologue to this series involving Pres- ident Franklin D. Roosevelt, his in- terest in stamps and his interest in this issue in particular.

A few years before the 25th anniversarv of the Canal, President Roosevelt

arrived in Balboa aboard the U.S.S. Houston. He was presented, by Canal

officials, with an album showing Canal

scenes of the construction era and

matching pictures of the same areas showing the completed job. Fascinated

with the contrast, he suggested that there existed in these before and after

President Roosevelt

suggested the design

for the 25th anniversary

commemorative stamps

ranklin D. Roosevelt, accompanied by the President of Panama, Dr. Harmodii urs the Canal 7< H to the Isthmus. It was at

this time that h nd after" stamps seen at the top of this page.

scenes, the makings of a fine stamp

series which could be used to com- memorate the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Panama Canal. The Governor of the Canal Zone, on December 7, 1938, approved the sep- arate scenes of "before" and "after"

for a series of 16 denominations for the ordinarv stamps and six values for airmail stamps. In addition to the 25th anniversarv, the airmail stamps

commemorated the 10th anniversary

of the Canal Zone's regular airmail

service. Some of the other commemorative

stamps issued bv the Canal Zone Postal Service over the vears honor the 25th

anniversarv of the foundations of the Smithsonian Research Laboratorv at Barro Colorado Island, the California Gold Rush, the 75th anniversary of the opening of Gorgas Hospital, the West Indian workers who helped build

the Panama Canal, the 100th birthday

of President Theodore Roosevelt, and | the 50th anniversarv of the Boy Scouts

of America.

More recentlv there have been special stamps issued to recognize the world united against malaria and the golden anniversarv of the opening of the Panama Canal. But a new stamp does not appear from nowhere. When a proposal for a new stamp is made, it sets in motion

the Governor's Canal Zone Stamp Advisorv Committee which decides on the

color, design, and occasionallv, the denomination of the new stamp. The

latter, as a rule, is decided in advance

by the needs of the postal service. The advisory committee meets only

when it has work to do in connection

6 Summer 1977
with the Canal Zone postal system.

A suggestion for a new stamp may be

originated by a member of the committee, by someone outside of the committee, by an outside organization or by an increase in postal rates which

necessitates issuance of a stamp in a new denomination.

Members of the committee are Civil

Affairs Director, Fred Cotton who is chairman of the group; Executive Secretary J. Patrick Conlev; Donald \Y.

Pate, Franklin Kwai Ben, and Robert

Donaldson of the Engineering Division; and Thomas E. Peterson and Bettv Boyer of the Personnel Bureau. Approval of a design by the Advisory

Committee is the last step before sub- mission of the final sketch of the stamp

to the Governor for review and final action before it is sent to the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington, D.C., bv the Director of

Posts. The most recent issues placed on

sale were the 13-cent ordinary stamp,

both in sheet and booklet form, and

the 22-cent and 35-cent airmail stamps.

Jin 13-cent ordinary stamp which

generated great philatelic interest fea- tured the Panama Canal dipper dredge

Cascades. It is based on a painting \>\ Alwyn Sprague, a local artist, an,! depicts the important role plaved h\ the Dredging Division in the maintenance of the Panama Canal. It is one

This 1906 scene shows a mail icagon waiting at the Cristobal Post Office, which at that time was located in the same building as the commissary.

The wagon, at right, is delivering goods to the commissary.

of a series of paintings on Canal operations which was reproduced in the 60th anniversary edition of the Pan- ama Canal Review. All 13 of these

paintings, including the one from which

the stamp was made, are now on dis- play at the Canal Zone LibraryMuseum.

As Tatelman noted, the receiving

and distribution of mail in the Canal

Zone as well as efficient dispatch were

of utmost importance if the Canal

"diggers" were to remain here and be

kept happy.

Recognizing the importance of the establishment of post offices, Gen. George YV. Davis cabled Admiral

Walker in Washington as follows: "Must immediately institute a mail

service upon Zone. Have appointed

acting postmasters Cristobal, Gatun,

Bohio, Gorgona, Bas Obispo, Empire,

Culebra, La Boca, Ancon, which should

be officially designated United States post Offices; Cristobal and Ancon,

money orders. Request Post Office Department and Superintendent Posts re- port to me with equipment, blanks,

instructions, supply of United States postage stamps surcharged Canal Zoni Panama. I send names of postmasters

by mail \Vednesday."

AN UNUSUAL MAIL DELTVERYMail (subscriptions to Victory Bonds) went through the Canal by submarine

in 1919.

The Panama Canal Revif.w
Above left: Lew C. Hilzinger, Director

of Posts, and Louis R. Reyes, Administrative Officer in tlie Postal Division,

discuss postal matters at the Philatelic

Agency in Ancon. Right above: Boat

mail brought by train from Cristobal

is unloaded in Diablo. At left: Mort

Jordan and Claude Burgess sort airmail

at Balboa Post Office. Left below:

Cristobal postmaster \V. A. Alonis

discusses a postal problem with

Eduin \V. Reid who is sorting mail at

tlie Cristobal Post Office.

A history of the Canal Zone post

offices is a history of the progress of the construction work. As work shifted

location or was completed, post offices were moved or new ones opened to follow the workers. When work started

at Miraflores Locks, a post office was

established there. When the waters of Gatun Lake commenced to rise, many

of the construction townsites were abandoned and with them the post

offices and some of the old post offices along the Chagres River valley now

lie beneath the waters of Gatun Lake. Todav, there are two main post

offices in the Canal Zone. They are in Balboa and Cristobal. There are 13 branch offices and one delivery unit

facility. Postal employees number 116 and

include both United States and Pan8 Summer 1977
Above: Conrad Blades serves patrons

at the Gamboa Post Office. Above

right: Employees at work sorting mail

are reflected in wall mirror. Below:

In sharp contrast to construction-day

facilities, which were often located

in the train stations, is this modern

building at Gamboa. At right: A bust/

day at the Balboa Post Office, one of

the two main post offices. The

Balboa Heights Post Office has been

changed to a delivery unit facility.

amanian citizens. They handled 27,838

tons of mail during fiscal year 1976,

including surface and airmail. Receipts during fiscal vear 1976 totaled 81,729,261.17.

This is a far cry from the first year

of operation in 1904 when stamp sales

in one month were $655.54.

The Canal Zone Postal administration is unique in its establishment and

operation. It has its own postal regulations, yet the United States regulations are applicable. Its postal laws are contained in both the Federal Statutes and

the Canal Zone Code. It does not belong to the Universal Postal Union

but adheres to its policies. It is not

within the United States Post Office Department, but like that organization,

is a unit of the United States Government.

The Panama Canal Revi
^

€Pt COL. LINDBERGH TO OPEN DAWN

TO DUSK SCHEDULE TO CRISTOBAL

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NEW YORK, April 22 V

lonel Charles A. Llndl take of| In a regular Pan- Atrwaya piano dalar- •ornoon from Mtn ni i ("or

i from whew he will O 'ind.iv ni'ii n'.ns 6 00 C^ e^

1, Orlitobal in » rtawn fcV^fc M IhniiKuratlng th« QS^eN xC° a nnll tervlre bo- ^% <&\<b ' Bt»tea and

,o*'«

<*&

^v*>°'%

expects to o'elork in via Gracll

moll mull

-V vV a* >^^> .J ronntrles

' «vN The mnll fr^**4 at Cristobal ^ rlcan Oraro \i r 'or Buenoa Aires.

THE CRISTOBAL POST OFFICE

was astir this morning over the

tact that mail can now be delivered

from New York to the Canal Zone in

five and one-half hours less than two

davs," the Star and Herald of Panama

reported back on April 29, 1930, fol- lowing the arrival at France Field of the mail plane from Miami, piloted b\ none other than Col. Charles A. Lindbergh. Fortv-seven vears later this might

still be a record delivery time, many

of today's Canal Zone postal customers

will tell you. But back in the 1920's and 1930's there were no complaints. Airmail

service to the Isthmus was the marvel

of the age and Lindbergh the hero of the centurv. As a technical advisor to pioneering Pan American Airways, he

made four trips to France Field from

Miami as pilot of the plane delivering the mail. Sorting the 200 or more pounds of

mail on that first direct United States- Canal Zone flight kept the Cristobal Post Office personnel busy throughout

the night and at dawn the following

dav, the mail was loaded on a Pan

American Grace Co. (Panagra) plane

for the first long haul mail flight down

the west coast of South America.

While establishing the new airmail

services between the United States and

Panama, Lindv soon became a familiar

figure on the Isthmus. But his comings

and goings were recorded in minute

detail bv the local press. So much so

that he descended from the realm of the angels to the level of the common

man.The Panama Spanish press in 1930

concluded that Lindbergh, who was

given such a cordial welcome in Pan- ama in 1928 on his first visit in the

Spirit of St. Louis, had become "about

as inspirational as a Chicago sausage

factory." Prior to Lindbergh's arrival on the

U.S. Army seaplane prepares to take off for first local airmail flight, October 18, 1918.

inaugural Central American flight in 1929, an editorial in the Panama

American noted that it was almost a vear since he had been greeted so enthusiastically in Panama and the Canal Zone.

"Little preparation is being made for

his reception this time while 12 months

ago, he was the Viking of the Air, the Lone Eagle, the lone conqueror of the treacherous Atlantic, the Goodwill

Ambassador.

"This vear, he is just an ordinary

businessman blazing a trial for a commercial company which proposes to operate airplane service from the United

States to Panama. His achievements in the air remain supreme and he is still prominent. But the spark of romance

has flickered out." These statements made the Lone

Eagle one of the bovs but it did not

detract from the fact that he was one

of the pioneers that made airmail

service a household word and turned

both Lindy and the postal service into such a routine matter that mere mortals dared to criticize. Airmail service from the United

States to Panama was first started in 1929 between Miami and France Field

under contract with Pan American Air- ways. The route went through Central America via Cuba, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, entering Panama

at David.

This route, also officially inaugurated

bv Lindbergh, was set up following

several vears of study and surveys and

experimental flights along the proposed

routes. Before the mail flights became commercial, the U.S. Army Air Force,

which controlled the only landing fields

in the Canal Zone, was giving strong

support to the idea of getting mail out

of the Canal Zone by air. The first mail ever to be carried by

air in Panama, however, was a local job

and was loaded in Cristobal aboard a U.S. Armv single engine amphibian

plane October 18, 1918. As part of a campaign to promote the sale of Liberty Loan subscriptions during

World War I, most of the 919 pieces

of mail were bonds. The so called "aero" dispatch from Cristobal to Bal- boa was carried non-stop on the plane

piloted bv U.S. Army Air Force Maj.

W. W. Wynne. It took 30 minutes of

flying time but nearly an hour in all

to deliver the mail to Balboa Heights.

Bv 1920. the idea of sending mail

bv air to the United States was being

promoted and a dispatch of mail con10 StlMMEB 1977
sisting of 621 letters, 89 cards and

9 pieces of registered mail was placed

aboard an Army Air Force plane at France Field early on the morning of October 6, 1920. Among the letters was a notice from

Crede Calhoun, Canal Zone Director

of Posts, to the U.S. Postmaster General in Washington, D.C., noting that the letter was being sent bv the first dispatch of mail to be made from the Isthmus of Panama to the United

States bv "aeroplane."

"I take this opportunitv to express

to you my kindest consideration and

the hope that this mav be a forerunner

of the eventual establishment of aero- plane mail service between the United

States and Latin America."

This grandiose beginning of an early

air age project had an anticlimactic ending, however. Lt. Charles B. Austin.

pilot in the U.S. Armv Air Service, en- countered impossible weather conditions nearing the island of Jamaica and

he was compelled to return to France

Field. All mail, including the confident

message to the Postmaster General in Washington, was unloaded and dis- patched from Cristobal by the SS

Orhita sailing for New York via Norfolk.In an effort to speed up the mail

delivery' between the Isthmus and the United States, arrangements were made

in 1922 between the Canal Zone Post

Office and postal authorities in New

Orleans to have the Canal Zone mail

sacks picked up bv hvdroplane off in- coming mail ships at the mouth of the

Mississippi River. The sacks were flown back to New

Orleans and put on the first outgoing

railroad train. This advanced mail des- tined to New York and the U.S. West

Coast from 6 to 18 hours depending

on the railroad connections.

Transcontinental airmail service was

estahlished within the United States bv

1924 and the hvdroplane service was

used to connect with this too. Notices

of the airmail service schedules were

put up in all Canal Zone post offices and charges were set at 8 cents a

postal zone with the addition of the

regular 2-cent rate for the Canal Zone

added.

Thus a letter weighing 1 ounce or

less mailed in the Canal Zone would

cost an Isthmian resident 10 cents to send it from the Canal Zone to Chicago

via New York. If it went from New

York to San Francisco or from San

Francisco to New York it would cost 26 cents. The regular postal rate in

those days was 2 cents within the United States and to countries having

a postal convention with the United

States. Those sending letters elsewhere

paid 3 cents. The first airmail flights between the Canal Zone and Costa Rica were started

in 1925 following a trial run inaugurated by the U.S. Army Air Force.

In February of that year a bill was

introduced into the U.S. Congress to establish airmail service between New

Orleans and the Canal Zone at rates prescribed bv existing law. It authorized the Postmaster General to pur- chase or lease such flying fields, hangars

and other equipment necessary for serv- ice and to construct facilities with an

appropriated fund of $1,500,000.

Lindbergh opened airmail

service between Miami

and Cristobal lint

U.S. Armv made first

local airmail flight

Things did not move too fast and

although there was an airmail service between the Canal Zone and Colombia

and the Canal Zone and Costa Rica, bids for the airmail line from Key West

to Panama were not advertised until 1928. The contract was awarded in Julv 1928 to Pan American Airways

which was then running a passenger and mail service between Kev West

and Havana, Cuba.

Lindbergh celebrated his 27th birth- day by hopping off from Miami

Februarv 3, 1929, to make the first airmail flight to Panama. He made the

trip via Havana, Cuba; Tela, Honduras; Managua, Nicaragua; and David.

Panama.

With him on this trip were John

Hambleton, Vice President of Pan

American, one mechanic and one radio

operator. He also had six bags of mail. Juan T. Trippe. President and founder

of Pan American, traveled part of the wav.Although his receptions in the vari- ous countries were to be informal,

hundreds of people managed to get to the airport to greet the famous fiver when he arrived. At France Field there win- more than 1.500 including news- men and newsreel photographers.

Said the Panama American on this

historic occasion "The airmail arrived here on time today. Airmail Pilot Charles A. Lindbergh was at the stick. "Scheduled to arrive at 4 p.m., the Lone Eagle zoomed over France Field

as watch hands pointed exactlv to 4 o'clock. Two sportive P. W. pursuit

planes were flying formation on each

side. Three minutes later he had

landed the big Sikorskv and opened

the longest airmail route in the world. He estimated that he had flown about

2,000 miles from Miami to France

Field." As reporters surrounded the plane,

Lindbergh refused to pose for photographs until he had checked out the mail bags and received a receipt for them from Director of Posts, Crede

Calhoun and Postmaster Gerald Bliss. When the famous flier opened the Pan American Airwavs direct mail route between Miami and Buenos Aires April 28, 1930, he landed his twin

motored Sikorskv at France Field ahead

of his scheduled fl\ ing time from

Havana to Cristobal bv almost 2 hours. Said the Panama American; "Al- though soaked to the skin after being

exposed from an open cockpit to a downpour of rain, Lindbergh was

smiling happilv as he crawled out of the plane. Delivering to Gerald Bliss. Cristobal Postmaster. 215 pounds of mail consigned from various points in the United States to South America and

the Canal Zone, Lindbergh officiallv inaugurated the new 7-dav airmail

service from New York to Buenos Aires and Montevideo."

Flying the mail or anv other air service was not easv in those davs and

compared to the present dav routine

jet flights, it was downright hazardous. In addition to the vaguaries of the weather at the low levels the tin- pressurized planes had to flv, pilots also had to travel during davlight hours

and land at primitive, makeshift air- ports. Taking over at the Isthmus from

Lindbergh on that inaugural South

American mail flight in 1930 was Llovd

R. "Dintv" Moore, veteran Pan American-Grace Airwavs pilot. Moore left France Field at 6:26 a.m., April 29. and landed at Santa Elena. Ecuador at 5:48 p.m., stopping on the wav to refuel at Buenaventura, and

Tumaco in Colombia. He was accompanied onlv bv a copilot and a radio operator who reported a flight continuously- harrassed bv strong headwinds as far as Tumaco and an almost

The Panama Canal Review 11
•a.

/ I

* tended suela arid

.^H'rtVt rBl

'ferrTrt tonal Air foas

C r lB '-.u

'.--"~

n*.t"ernrt

"

«i ; 'Hi. .'.um> . <ht<^

Lindy Makes DdiBery Of Mail R A

^"(i(c/i #e Started New 7-Day Sen

l.flxM l>. I

First-day airmail cover now on

display at Smithsonian Institution

in Washington, D.C.

impenetrable fog from Tumaco to Santa Elena. At Talara, Peru, the mails were rushed to another waiting plane

which took them to Lima.

From Lima the mail flight continued

down the coast of South America to Santiago, Chile. Bundled in arctic flying togs, the pilot took off from Santiago earlv in the morning, crossed the Andes, flying sometimes at an altitude of 20,000 feet, and landed in Buenos

Aires at 4:30 p.m. The express airmail service from

Miami, inaugurated in 1930, was onlv one of many airmail routes Lindbergh

sponsored personally within the United

States and to Panama. The Colonel

himself could not remember how many

when he was interviewed at France

Field. It was the beginning of the air- mail age and still a matter of wonder.

Canal Zone Gov. Harrv Burgess,

writing to J. M. Eaton, Pan American

Airwavs General Manager in New

York, said: "It has been brought to mv

attention that letters originating as far west as Des Moines, Iowa, and Minneapolis, Minn., arriving on Pan American Airwavs plane last Sunday, were

received bv the Canal Zone postal serv- ice 50 hours after thev were mailed at the office of origin. Rapid and reliable communications service is vital to the

Panama Canal offering to the best ad- vantage its service and facilities to business interests using the waterway."

Stamp collectors, an avid breed, were no different in those davs from

what they are today. Post offices on

the Isthmus had as much trouble with

the collectors as they did establishing the first regular airmail routes. Both on this first flight via Central America and the later one direct from

Miami, the bags contained thousands

of first-day covers most of them con- signed to stamp collectors who made

all kinds of requests, sent monev and

stamps and generally gave a bad time

to the hard working postal clerks. Lines of people 15 deep waited at the windows of the various Canal Zone

post offices to purchase stamps and the

special first-dav cache for the cancellation of the first airmail letters to be

sent from the Isthmus to the United

States. The cache was designed bv Meade

Bolton, then Section Office Engineer

at Balboa Heights, and showed a tri- motored monoplane flying over Gail- lard Cut with a ship beneath it in the Canal.

Interest was doubled bv the fact that Lindbergh was flving the inaugural

flight and bv the time post offices closed on departure date, more than 30.000

letters were processed.

The work was accomplished not without some grief and a lot of burning

of the midnight oil. In a memo to Director of Posts Calhoun, Stacev

Russell, the Canal Zone Postal In- spector, noted some of the difficulties. Of the approximately 22,000 letters received on the first flight, most were

individual requests for first flight covers Since thev contained monev and

stamps, he handled them personally and

succeeded in dispatching 42.061 articles on the return inaugural flight. Some of the collectors, he said, made

unreasonable demands that could not be filled and several hundred letters arrived with 5-cent U.S. postage affixed which could not be used here. Others

sent $1 and asked the post office to return 10 or 15 covers. Each wanted

special attention, perfectly centered

stamps and the autograph of the post- master and the pilot—who was Lindbergh. Postmaster Bliss complied with the autograph in these cases, but, said

Russell, naturally no attempt was made

to obtain the pilot's autograph. E.R.

12 Summer 1977
Those where the days . .

when the passengers opened the windows

THE TRI-MOTORED FOKKER

planes used bv the U.S.

Postal Service, were capable of carrying 8 to 12 passengers and

800 pounds of mail. To give some

idea of what it was like to be

a passenger on one of these flights, an excerpt from a 1928 Pan American brochure is reprinted below.

It will be noted that passengers in those davs had the luxurv of wicker chairs and could open

the window to enjoy the breeze. The fare on this trip between

Key West and Havana was $50

and included 30 pounds of luggage. Excess baggage was carried

at the rate of 25 cents per pound

"when the capacity of the plane

permits."

ALL ABOARD!

Motors drum pleasantlv, spinning

glinting propellers in the earlv morning sunshine, as a little group

emerges from the Passenger Station and strolls leisurely down the path.

Those who are making their first trip by air are wont to exclaim

at the size of the airliner—its sturdy

yet graceful lines that impart such

a definite impression of power

and reliability. The interior of the plane, with its spacious and

luxuriously furnished cabin arouses

admiration. Wicker chairs beautifully

upholstered are ranged four in a row on either side of the cabinleaving ample leg room and a clear

aisle up the center. As the passengers settle themselves for the journey, the Assistant

Pilot furnishes each with reading

matter, inquires after individual comfort, then takes his place next

to the Chief Pilot. There is a subdued distant roar, as the

propellers begin to whirl faster and the plane taxies gently forward

for the take-off. It gains speed.

Some seasoned air traveler casually

remarks—"We're off!," but were

it not for the cessation of the rumble of the wheels on the ground,

the fact that the plane had arisen

would scarcely be noticeable. The Pilot rises in a wide arc, and Key West with its white

buildings slips gently away beneath. Meacham Field, where the plane

took off, swings into view.

The Airliner straightens her

course, heading out to sea—pink

and white coral reefs are discernable

through the clear blue water of the Gulf. The little island Key

becomes an emerald set in blue,

studded with tiny pearls of white

houses. Ahead as far as the eve can see

are snowcapped waves in endless motion, sparkling in the sunlight.

A refreshing breath of cool air pervades the cabin, as a seasoned

air passenger slides back the window next to his chair. Others soon follow suit, finding the operation absurdly simple and the window easily adjusted to meet

individual taste. Above are corded nets in which

small articles of apparel mav be

placed—hats, top-coats, sticks, briefcases and other things that the traveler mav wish to have at close hand.

There is a compartment for heavier luggage aft, also a lavatory

and storage space for mail. Pan American Airways, Inc., holds

exclusive contracts for this service. The Post Office Department requires

strict maintenance of schedules and exercises a general supervision over the Company's operations,

in order to protect and safeguard

the mails. But to return to the flightPassengers aboard this modem

Magic Carpet converse freelv, untroubled by the muffled roar

of the engines. One points out far below a six-masted barkentine,

reminiscent of the days of Captain

Kidd—another sights the car fern

which appears at the halfway

point in the air journey, on her

run between Havana and Key West. The White-Uniformed Assistant

Pilot emerges from the cockpit

(Photos from 1928 Pan American brochure)

Palsengert boarding Pan America* and cheerfully supplies interesting

information to those who are taking

their first flight. It is learned that the load carried by the plane is checked three times before the

take-off, and limited to the point

which enables any one of the three engines alone, to keep the plane in the air until one shore

or the other is reached. Suddenly land is sighted—the coast of Cuba—and soon Havana

Harbor swings into view, with

Morro Castle guarding its narrow

entrance, and the famous Malecon

Drive stretching along the opposite

shore, and all around a sea of white houses. Havana from the air—a sight not soon forgotten. Surelv a visit to Havana, the enchanted citv, the Monte Carlo

of the New World, is in itself a

sufficient lure to the traveler, but - add to this the fascination of making

the journey over the turbulent

Straits of Florida bv Airliner, and

the urge to go becomes irresistible.

The Panama Canal Review 13
Canal Zone

Happy hunting ground

for bird watchers

By Willie K. Friar

FROM THE TIME THE FIRST

parrots from the South American

jungles were taken to Europe bv sailors who had adopted them as companions

for their long and arduous voyages,

tropical birds have excited the imagination of nature lovers. The colorful profusion of tropical birds in such close proximity to homes

and offices is one of the first impressions

of the new arrival to the Canal Zone. But it is not by accident that the Canal Zone has become a paradise for bird watchers. The builders of the

Panama Canal were men of vision and

they made careful plans to preserve

forest areas, wherever possible, not only to protect the watershed so vital to the operation of the Panama Canal

but to preserve the habitats of the

wildlife in the area. As soon as the permanent towns were

built, top priority was given to the planting of trees and shrubs. A "Citv

Beautiful" movement was started and

the Canal Record of May 15, 1915,

reported: "In connection with the landscape

Mateo Siincliez, of the Grounds Branch, waters a newly planted palm on the Prado

in Balboa. These young trees will replace the old ones, now more than 62 years old. which were planted when the permanent towns of the Canal Zone were built. Early planting of trees assured the propagation of the colorful tropical birds

in the housing areas.

work being done in the permanent

towns of the Canal Zone the horti- culturist supervising the work is en- deavoring to secure the cooperation of

all residents in beautifying the towns by means of plants, shrubs, and trees. He points out that no place in the world offers better opportunities for

this purpose, as the climate of perennial summer allows plants a continuous

Preservation of forests

and planting of trees

make the Canal Zone a

naturalist's paradise

development to more and more attractive forms. Tasteful planting, he states, and proper community care, will relieve the glistening newness of the new concrete town of Balboa, gradually conceal

its angularity, and eventually transform

it into a beautiful dwelling place,

delightful to live in." The flower and fruit trees planted at

this time quickly filled with birds and

a large bird population developed in

all the towns. Also helpful to the sur- vival of the birds in the Canal Zone, was the decision to place the utility

lines underground, not only adding

significantly to the beauty of the towns

but eliminating a hazard for birds. Few

people are aware thart flocks of migrating birds frequently sever their wings

when thev accidentally fly into these

lines. An ornithologist's delight, the Canal

Zone has more varieties of birds than

14 Summer 1977
A sampling of the 880 species of birds found on the Isthmus, photographed by Officer John V. Brown, of the

Canal Zone Police. These are familiar to most local residents. Left to right, by rows: Toucan, Tropical Kingbird,

Red-legged Honeycreeper, Orange-chinned Parakeets, Red-crowned Woodpecker, and a flock of parakeets eating bananas

at a backyard bird feeder.

The Panama Canal Review 15
One of the few places

in the world where

such a great variety

of birds can be seen

with so little effort

all of North America above Mexico.

Approximately 880 species have been

identified here. There are several groups of people

who are particularly interested in the

local birds. There are the bird watchers, manv of whom belong to the Canal

Zone Chapter of the Florida Audubon

Society. They go on field trips and

wander through field and forest with

binoculars identifying birds and keeping annual records. Thev are especially interested in finding a particular tvpe

bird unusually earlv or late in the season or seeing a rare species, like the

quetzal, which is still found in the Panama highlands.

A second group is made up of orni- thologists who represent a branch of

biological science and studv such things

as how birds developed in the course

of evolution and how the individual

survives, including feeding habits,

migrating, breeding, nesting, etc. Almost evervone, voung and old, appreciates birds and feels a special

jov at hearing their songs and watching

their activities. But for anv bird fancier to pursue

this interest, there must be, of course, an abundance and variety of birds and

this requires preservation of their habitats. Since many tropical birds make their homes in the large old trees of the

forest thev leave the area as soon as the trees are cut. They need the jungle

canopy for shade and the hollows in the trees in which to make their nests. Once destroyed, the tropical forest does not grow back as manv people

believe. A dense jungle tvpe growth

does begin immediately but it is usually

scrubbv growth and not the same as the old forest with the large sturdy

branches and the verdant growth of

leaves, orchids, and bromiliads, which

are typical of the trees which are manv

years old. The process of regrowth is

so slow that, for all practical purposes, once the jungle forest is destroyed, it is abandoned forever bv the birds that used the area as their habitat. Manx' of the irreplaceable old trees of the Isthmus have disappeared. But

because of the foresight of the late Dr. Thomas Barbour, well-known naturalist, who proposed the establishment

of the Madden Forest Preserve, and

to the efforts of the late Canal Zone

Gov. Harrv Burgess, the Canal Zone

remains a veritible wonderland for the

bird watcher or amateur naturalist. Writing in 1930 about the establish- ment of the Madden Forest Preserve, Dr. Barbour said, "This forest reserve abuts on country with a considerable

rural population as vou cross the boundary of the Canal Zone, to which

the reserve extends, and passes into the territory of the Republic of Pan- ama. The area is not sufficiently extensive to support manv of the large native animals but manv of the small species are abundant and will increase with

protection and the birds are very satis- fying indeed and are to be seen in numbers and great variety. There are

several fine colonies of the hang-nests

or oropendulas."

It was also through Dr. Barbour's

efforts that Barro Colorado Island has

been preserved. It is a hill converted

into an island bv the rising waters of the Chagres River following completion of the Gatun Dam. Birds, as well

as animals, fled to safety here and as

i result, a great varietv are concentrated

in this sanctuary. Barro Colorado, administrated bv

the Smithsonian Institution, is ideal

for the studv and observation of tropical birds as trails have been chopped

through the jungle so that it is possible

to view birds in their natural environ- ment. Todav, the Madden Forest Preserve with its giant espave and cuipo trees covers nearly 6 square miles of the Canal Zone and is a popular spot for bird watching. But the struggle to protect the area from squatters and timber poachers

began at the time of its establishment

and continues todav. Canal Zone police

keep a regular patrol and watchful eve on the preserve but poachers si in in and squatters practicing slash and burn

agriculture continue to invade and

destroy the forest. Panama is a biological crossroads of North and South America containing

plants and animals from both continents and is considered by some scientists to be the most biologically diverse country in the world for its size. Here

one can find within a small easily ac- cessible area, an enormous varietv of bird life but conservation of habitats

is an escalating problem as man's impact on the environment becomes in- creasingly strong.

It is significant that after Balboa

discovered the Pacific Ocean and

claimed the land for Spain, a part of

his ritual was to cut down a tree.

It is still almost a ritual in parts of the Isthmus to attack the trees as soon as a road is opened through an area and

the people come in.

In addition, the constant burnings

during the drv season decimate the

forests. Although fires have little effect on the untouched thick tropical forest where no cutting has been allowed, the edges are vulnerable to repeated burnings and the forest gradually retreats

until only sawgrass and other undesir- able grasses continue to grow. Anvone driving through Madden

Forest can observe this process. The

moment one leaves the protected area

there is onlv sawgrass. The tropical

soil which once supported giant trees has dried out from exposure to the sun and has become barren and all the

colorful birds have deserted the area.

Bisected by the Trans-Isthmian Highway,

Madden Forest Preserve, is an

easily accessible wonderland

for bird lovers.

16 Summer 1977
Continued preservation of

habitats is necessary for the Canal

Zone to remain a bird sanctuary

Above: Canal Zone Police Officer,

John V. Brown, a bird watcher,

shows some of his color slides

to Balboa Elementary students.

Above right: Second grade students

place some crumbs on tlw bird feeder built

for them by Officer Brown.

It is hoped that in all future plans

for the Canal Zone, measures will be

taken to permanently insure the pre- servation of forest areas such as Madden, Ancon Hill, the Pipeline Road

area near Gamboa (a particularly valuable area for bird watching) Barro Colorado and other areas, such as Fort Sherman and Fort San Lorenzo on the

Atlantic side, not just for bird watchers

but for the enjoyment of all nature

lovers. Bird watching is the hobby of an

increasingly large number of people,

as evidenced bv the number of tourists who come to the Isthmus for this purpose. Amateur naturalists have made

many important contributions to orni- thology and the study of birds continues to contribute much to the

theoretical and practical aspects of biology. As objects of general interest, birds have always been a part of the writings

and art of man. Stories about birds are

a part of all ancient cultures. Bird

figures are found in ancient Egyptian

hieroglyphs and paintings. Aesop's

fables are filled with bird characters. One of the most impressive of the drawings on the Nazca plains of Peru

is a bird.

Bird watching is a hobby tliat requires little equipment

However, to reach the habitats of some of the rarer

birds, a canoe and jeep are helpful.

*

The Panama Canal Review 17
The Natural History

Society donated

bird watercolors to

Canal Zone

Librarv-Museum

In 1928, Bertha Bement Sturgis, who

was a strong advocate of conservation

in her popular "Field Book of Birds

of the Panama Canal Zone," wrote: "Many of the birds are valuable to man as destrovers of insects, as game

birds, or food; while those that are not

useful are for the most part quite

harmless and often very beautiful and

interesting creatures, which all who

have a love of nature enjoy seeing and

becoming familiar with.

"It cannot be too strongly emphasized that now is the time to begin

svstematic and earnest efforts to pre- serve the wildlife of the Isthmus, and

to set aside reservations for the purpose

while it still can be accomplished with

a minimum of trouble and expense. Ten or fifteen years hence the difficulties and cost will be many times greater

and it will be too late to save manv of the larger and rarer species of birds and animals, as far as the Canal Zone

and the more accessible parts of the Republic are concerned."

She went on to propose the organization of a natural history societv to work

for the preservation of the native birds and animals.

In 1931, such a societv was organized. It was called The Panama Canal

Natural Historv Society and from the time of its first meeting on August 19, of that year, the list of scientists who

addressed the group read like a page

from "American Men of Science."

There was Dr. Arthur H. Compton,

professor of phvsics at the University

of Chicago, winner of the Nobel Prize

in phvsics.

There was Dr. Thomas Barbour.

Director of the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology and Dr. Frank- Chapman, Curator in Chief of Ornithology for the American Museum of Natural Historv, one of the world's

greatest ornithologists.

The society held meetings for many

vears at the Smithsonian Institution

Building in Panama City. The society

became a memorable part of Isthmian

history and has served to foster interest and studv of insect, reptile and other

wildlife forms on the Isthmus. The

membership included many well-known

Canal Zone residents who were here

during construction days and who con- tinued to work with the Canal follow- ing its opening in 1914. Quite a few

influential citizens of Panama were

included in the membership.

Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt was a guest

at the meeting addressed by Dr. Chap- man and the President of the Republic

of Panama and the Governor of the Canal Zone were honorary members of the society. Dr. James Zetek, at that time the

director of Barro Colorado Tropical

Research Station, was the first president

of the Natural History Society and

Dr. Barbour and Dr. Chapman became

charter members.

The society was formed to stimulate

interest in local natural history and

to give local residents contact with the eminent scientists who frequently come

to this region, particularlv to Barro Colorado to studv tropical wildlife. When the society was disbanded

several years ago, the remaining members still on the Isthmus voted to use

the funds left in the treasury to pur- chase the watercolors of Canal Zone

birds which had been painted by

Lois Morgan. (Story on Miss Morgan

is on p. 22.) These were donated to the Canal Zone Library-Museum and

all 28 of them may now be seen hanging on the walls of the recently

renovated library.

Eight of these paintings are re- produced in the centerfold of the Review.

Birds shown in the centerfold are,

left to right, top row:

1. Barred Antshrike (Thamnophilus

doliatus)

2. Palm Tanager (Thraupis pahnarum)

3. Variable Seedeater (Sporophila

aurita)

4. Tropical Mockingbird (Mimus

gilvus)

5. Orange-chinned Parakeet (Brotogeris jugularis)

6. Yellow-backed Oriole (Icterus

chrysater)

7. Red-legged Honeycreeper (Cyanerpes cyancus)

8. Squirrel Cuckoo (Piaya cayana)

The Oropendula female is a skillful

weaver. Here she weaves the bottom

of the nest while the male

keeps watch for predators.

18 Summer 197
The Oropendulas are among the most interesting local birds with their long strange hanging gotird-like nests

which are built in colonies in careftdh/ selected trees. The female nest builders have the peculiar habit of stealing

fibers from a neighbor's nest when she is away and quickly weaving it into their own nests.

The Panama Canal Review 19

1 m
Painting

Lois Morgan's watercolors

delight patrons at the

fanal Zone Library-Museum

THE BIRDS I HAVE PAINTED

are not rare jungle birds but are ones that I have come to know. With

a few exceptions, most of the birds are fairly common." This is the wav

Lois Morgan explained the subjects she

selected for her paintings of birds of the Canal Zone. Eight of these watercolors are featured on pages 20 and 21.

All 28 watercolors in the collection are on permanent display at the Canal Z-me

Libran-. Miss Morgan came to the Canal Zone

in 1947 and taught science, art, social studies, and math to junior high school

students until she retired in 1973 and

returned to Toledo, Ohio, where she was born and grew up. She received

her Bachelor of Arts in Education

Degree at the Universitv of Toledo and

studied art at the Toledo Museum of Art and with Eliot O'Hara at Goose

Rocks Beach, Maine. She also taught

art at the Toledo Artists' Club and

Toledo Women's Club.

In her spare time, one of her hobbies was capturing in watercolors the places she visited. She has painted landscapes

in Maine, New Hampshire, Louisiana,

Ohio, Michigan, Costa Rica, Ecuador,

Peru, Bolivia, and Panama.

In addition to her well-known bird

collection, she did a series of tropical flowers and grasses and another of her

shows featured paintings of Louisiana

landscapes painted while she was in Baton Rouge on a Ford Fellowship.

The fellowship was granted to Miss

Morgan to enable her to studv botanv,

paint watercolors of local flowers, and

visit historic sites relating to her teach- ing of social studies. Her work is well known in the United

States as well as on the Isthmus. She

has had work accepted in juried watercolor shows in Ohio, West Virginia.

and New York as well as in her hometown, where she has had shows at the Toledo Museum of Art and the Toledo

Artists' Club.

This 1962 photograph shows

Lois Morgan putting finishing touches

on a bird uatercolor at her home in Balboa.

Retired since 1973, she now lives

in Toledo, Ohio, where she continues

to pursue her interest in painting.

22 Summer 1977
It's fun to find

the female birds

whose feathers

may blend in with

the foliage

A familiar figure around the Canal

Zone for manv vears, Miss Morgan

attracted crowds as she sat absorbed

in her work of painting flowers, grasses, or birds but she said this never dis- turbed her. She also noted that cats, dogs, and even one snake showed up

to watch her at work. In discussing the bird paintings and her painting tech- nique, Miss Morgan said:

"I paint in transparent watercolor and use no white for lighting. Anvthing

that is light must be kept light or scratched out after the painting is done.

I have no white in mv paints.

"I have been interested in birds all mv life, and I have been interested in the different birds I saw here. I had

been thinking of painting some of the common birds as well as some of the common plants of Panama and the Canal Zone and have been making bird sketches for some years. "In painting the birds I have done

them from life making sketches and

notes and watching them for hours dav

after dav. When I felt I "knew" the

birds well enough I would sketch them

in poses that I had seen them assume and that to me were characteristic of the bird. Then I would check mv notes

against Mrs. Sturgis' descriptions (au- thor of "Field Book of Birds of the Panama Canal Zone" ) , and if there was a discrepancy, I would study the

birds some more. After I had painted

the bird, I would keep on observing

to see if I had painted it as I thought

it should be done. Some of the birds came within several feet of me but most of the studv was done through

binoculars. "Mv first bird paintings were done

directlv in watercolor, but, as mv paper

supplv diminished, I began sketching

the final picture in pencil first and trans- ferring mv sketch to the watercolor paper and then painting.

"It has been a fascinating projfH

Ellen Martin, secretary to the Recreational Services Officer in the Civil Affairs Bureau,

compares the reproductions in the centerspread of this edition

to the original icatercolors on display at the Canal Zone Library-Museum.

and one that has been of increasing

interest. The Canal Zone Library has an excellent collection of bird books

and I have been interested in all of them. I enjoved particularly the in- formation about some of our com- mon birds—the blue tanager, crimsonbacked tanager, blue honeycreeper, and

the boat-tailed grackle in "Life Histories of Central American Birds" by

A. F. Skutch. "Field Book of Birds of the Panama Canal Zone" by Bertha B. Sturgis is the best book on the birds

of the Zone." (A new book, published this year, "Birds of Panama" by Robert S. Ridgelv offers bird watchers up-to-date

iiifui niation about bird watching in the (anal Zone. It is available in the Canal

Zone retail stores.) "The birds are painted approximately

life size. However, since thev can compress ihonisclves and (luff out their

feathers and then stretch themselves

out and smooth down their feathers, their size changes so much in life. They

can change from tender, roundheaded,

lound-eyed Easter chick types to small- headed, feathered reptilian contours. Their color changes according to the

light and the season, and I think, varies greatlv in different members of the same species."

Her extraordinary collection of local birds features those familiar to residents

of the Canal Zone as well as the notso-familiar "cacique," which Miss

Morgan savs she just happened to dis- cover at a feeding station on Ancon

Hill.Since her retirement, Miss Morgan

continues to paint but also donates

time to the mobile meals program for shut-ins and teaches English to the

foreign born at the International

Institute in Toledo.-WKF

The Panama Canal Review 23
24 Summer 1977
A

CALL TO LOCAL LOVERS

of the culinary arts to share their favorite recipes with other Review

readers brought forth a plethora of

diner's delights for our summer issue. Among the many who responded was a professional chef whose story appears on page 28, and a long time

Canal Zone resident who came back

with a counter-request for a special salad dressing fondly remembered from

the days of the old Tivoli. A little digging in the files of the

Canal's Supply Division produced not only the requested roquefort dressing

but the more traditional Tivoli Dressing

which was a trademark of the elegant

old hostelry in its heydey.

Rushed to completion in 1906 for the arrival of President Theodore

Roosevelt, the first of a long line of

celebrities and distinguished guests to sign its register, the Tivoli closed its doors in 1971. The building was dismantled, but

many of the furnishings, silver and

chinaware were salvaged and put up

for sale as nostalgic reminders of another era. First opened as a commercial hotel, the Tivoli became a government guest house in 1951.

In construction days and in the years

to follow, the Tivoli was a popular

social center and a favorite eating place

with Isthmus residents.

By Vic Canel

Readers* Recipes

Lemon Cream Cheese Salad With

Shrimp Dressing

(Show-n at left)

Salad: 2 Cups boiling water 2 Packages lemon jello (3 ounces each)

1 8-Ounce package cream cheese

'» Cup light cream

1 Cup chopped celery

1 Cup pitted ripe olives, sliced

1 Cup whipping cream ('A pint) Pour water over jello and stir. Chill

until just svrupv. Soften cream cheese

with cream and fold into jello. Add

celerv and olives. Whip cream and fold

into jello mixture. Put mixture into mold and chill in refrigerator for 24

hours.

Dressing:

1 Cup mayonnaise 2 Tablespoons lemon juice IK Tablespoons grated onion 4 Tablespoons fineh/ chopped pimento

K Cup chopped cooked shrimp

Mix well mavonnaise, juice, onion,

pimiento and shrimp and chill until readv to serve. The dressing mav be

served over the mold (after it has been

inverted onto serving dish) or on the

side.Serving plate mav be decorated with

small whole cooked shrimp, hard boiled egg halves and tomato wedges.

Noreen Singer

Rakort Spenot

( Layered Spinach

2 5-Ounce packages wide noodles 2 Packages frozen chopped spinach or 2 cups fresh cooked spinach

(chopped)

3 Tablespoons butter or margarine 2 Tablespoons four

)i Teaspoon salt (or to taste) % Teaspoon Hungarian paprika

ii Teaspoon black pepper

!s Teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 Cup milk K Pound Swiss cheese, coarsely grated

Cook noodles as directed on package, drain and rinse. Cook spinach and

drain well. Check both for salt and

add to suit taste. In saucepan, melt

butter, stir in flour, salt, paprika and

pepper. Gradually stir in milk. Cook

until thickened, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and stir in the

spinach. Grease 12x8x2 baking dish. Arrange half of noodles in dish, sprinkle

with one half of the cheese; spoon

spinach mixture over cheese; add re- maining noodles and sprinkle other half

of the cheese over top. (Paprika can be

sprinkled over top of cheese for faster browning or more desirable color.) Bake at" 350°F 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Yield: makes 8 generous servings. Can be served with any

entree—chicken, beef, veal, lamb chops

or fish. Can be made day before and

refrigerated.

Sue Wallace

Toasted Coconut Chips

1 Coconut

Salt to taste To prepare coconut, pierce eves in end of coconut and drain liquid. Crack

coconut open removing meat in fairly

large chunks, when possible, and run

potato peeler down edges to make

strips. Spread bv layers in roasting

pan; sprinkling each layer generously

with salt and toast in 300° oven for approximated 1 hour, stirring occasionallv. When done thev will be

golden brown and crisp. Cool. Pack

looselv in an airtight container. One

medium coconut will make 1 one- pound can of chips.

Karen Palumho

Pickled Carrots

1 Can tomato soup

1 Onion, diced

1 Green pepper, diced K Cup salad oil

1 Cup sugar X Cup vinegar

1 Teaspoon French mustard

1 Teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper to taste 3 Cans sliced carrots, drained Mix all ingredients. Add the carrots

last. Place in covered dish or jar. Refrigerate for several hours before

serving.

Margie Ruoff

The Panama Canal Review
^^>

Tivoli Dressing

1 Cup sugar

)s Teaspoon dry mustard

4 Tablespoons catsup H Garlic clove (pressed) K Medium sized onion, chopped

1 Cup oil

1 Cup cider vinegar

Mix sugar, mustard, catsup and

garlic. Add oil. Blend or whip until creamy. Add vinegar and blend or whip until thick and creamy. Pour into 2 quart container. Add onion and let set from 6 to 24 hours in refrigerator.

Roquefort Dressing

1 8-Ounce package Blue cheese

8 Ounces sour cream

54 Medium onion, grated

1 Small garlic clove Dash Louisiana Hot Sauce Dash Worcestershire Sauce Mayonnaise to thin dressing

Crumble the cheese and blend with

sour cream. Add the onion, garlic, the sauces and mayonnaise. Let set in refrigerator overnight.

Tivoli menu covers and Tivoli china are from the collection

of J. Winter Collins, Retirement/ Housing Counselor.

Tivoli silver is from the Canal Zone Library-Museum.

G^^

26 Summer 1977
Stuffed Olive Fritters

1 1-Ounce can pitted black olives (jumbo size)

5» Cup finely chopped onion

1 Tablespoon bread crumbs (very fine) 4 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 2 Tablespoons tomato juice % Cup Bisquick mix

)* Cup milk

1 Egg

Oil for deep frying

Drain olives. Combine onion, crumbs,

2 tablespoons cheese and tomato juice

to form stiff mixture. Stuff mixture into centers of olives. Beat Bisquick with

milk, egg and remaining cheese to make batter. Pour about 1" of oil into pan and heat to medium-hot. Dip

stuffed olives into batter and frv in

oil until golden brown and crisp. Keep

turning olives to brown evenlv.

Noreen Singer

Avocado Omelet

4 Eggs

2 Avocados

1 Tablespoon dry onion flakes H Teaspoon salt

1 Cup grated Swiss cheese

4 Teaspoons butter Separate the egg volks from the

whites. Peel and mash the avocados. Combine the mashed avocados with

the egg yolks, onion, salt, and V2 cup

cheese. Blend until smooth and

creamv. In another bowl, beat the e^a

whites until stiff. Combine with the avocado mixture and stir until all in- gredients turn bright avocado sreen. Melt the butter over medium heat in a 6-inch frving pan. Pour % of the

batter into the pan, allow omelet to turn a light golden brown, flip completely and sprinkle with the grated

cheese. Allow second side to turn

trolden brown. Cover and cook for 2 minutes more while the cheese melts. Serve immediately. Makes 4 omelets.

Roy Howell

Paper Bag Apple Pie

Crust for deep dish pie

Filling 7 Cups of apple chunks

K Cup sugar

2 Tablespoons lemon juice 2 Tablespoons flour H Teaspoon cinnamon

Topping

% Cup sugar % Cup flour

1 Stick butter Combine Vz cup sugar, 2 tablespoons

flour and cinnamon. Sprinkle over

apples, coating well. Spoon in shell. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Combine

topping ingredients, cutting in the

butter and sprinkle over the apples.

Slide the pie into a large paper bag

and close it with paper clips. Bake for

1 hour at 425°F. Split bag open and

serve. Note: The paper bag will not work

if it is recycled paper.

Beverly Hoffman

Potatoes Supreme

6 Medium potatoes, boiled and peeled

Salt and pepper to taste % Cup butter or margarine, melted 2 Cups shredded Cheddar cheese % Cup chopped green onions

1 Pint dairy sour cream Grate potatoes coarselv. Mix with

remaining ingredients and put in shallow I-IV2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle parslev on top and dot with

butter. Bake at 350°F about 35 minutes. Makes six servings.

Donna Grubbs

Barbecued Pot Boast

Beef pot roast (blade, arm or chuck,

3 to 4 pounds)

2 Teaspoons salt

Ji Teaspoon pepper

2 Tablespoons fat % Cup water

1 8-Ounce can tomato sauce 3 Medium onions (minced or thinly sliced) 2 Cloves garlic (minced)

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

li Teaspoon paprika

% Teaspoon dry mustard (Colmans)

% Cup lemon juice

J» Cup chili sauce

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Vt Cup vinegar

Bub meat with salt and pepper, brown in hot fat. Add water, tomato

sauce, onion and garlic. Cover and

cook over low heat F/2 hours. Combine

remaining ingredients and pour over

meat. Cover and continue cooking for about 1 hour ... or until tender. Be- move meat, thicken graw with either

flour or cornstach (whichever is -the preference). Serve immediately. (This

recipe, like many, improves with re- heating.)

Sue Wallace

The Panama Canal Bevtew 27
Cuanabana Sherbert

% Cup sugar

1 Cup water

1 Cup light cream

2 Cups guanabana puree

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1 Egg white Puree guanabana pulp by putting it through a colander, forcing it through

a sieve, or squeezing it through cheese

cloth. Combine sugar and water and boil 5 minutes. Cool to lukewarm. Add

puree and unbeaten egg white, cream and lemon juice. Freeze in an ice- cream freezer using 8 parts ice to

1 part salt.

Muriel Anderson

^^S

Quick Chocolate Mousse

1 6-Ounce package chocolate chips 2 Whole eggs 3 Tablespoons very strong hot coffee 2 Tablespoons rum or Grand Marnier

(GM preferred)

H Cup scalded milk Combine all ingredients in blender

and mix at high speed for 2 minutes. Pour into four dessert dishes and chill for about 2 hours. Top with whipped

cream before serving.

Deborah Livingston

^^)

Refrigerator Pickles

8 Cups sliced cucumbers

1 Cup diced onions

1 Cup diced celery

1 Cup diced green peppers Mix and let stand for Vi hour.

In the meantime make the brine. 2 Cups sugar

1 Cup vinegar

1 Teaspoon celery seed

1 Teaspoon mustard seed % Teaspoon turmeric Mix all in pan. Bring to boil and let cool. Pour over vegetables and mi\

well. Put in jars and refrigerate. Let

stand for 10 davs before using. Makes

3 pints.

Mickie Kramer

Alva L. Osavio, who sent

in his recipe for

Quiche Bretagne, removes

the delectable dish from

the oven in the

Dredging Division kitchen

in Gamboa.

By Dolores E. Suisman

SOME PEOPLE COOK AND

others are cooks. Alva L. Osavio

is a cook. As is so often the case, fate plaved a part in casting him in the role he has filled to perfection.

It began with Hungarian goulash.

Back in 1940 when Osavio was a brand-new second cook on the tug

Favorite, the captain wanted Hungarian goulash for lunch and asked

Osavio if he could make it. Although

the ambitious young man had never heard the words before, without batting an eye, he nodded and dashed for the

nearest cookbook. When not only the caDtain but the officers and crew agreed

it was the best goulash they had ever

tasted, Osavio's star began its rise. Assigned now as the Dredging Division's Food Supervisor, Osavio is in charge of procurement, storeroom,

kitchen, and galleys on the division's floating equipment. But he doesn't cook. The box lunches his cooks prepare

for men working overtime are as tasty

as he can make them, but it's not the same as poring over cookbooks, preparing menus and serving big steaming

hot lunches to hard-working hungry

men.

Osavio was 17 in 1939 when he

went to work as a pinsetter in the Gatun Clubhouse bowling alley. Three

times in one year he was promoted:

to waiter, pantryman and cooks helper.

A little later he transferred to the Lighthouse Division as a messman,

second cook, and, when the captain

needed someone good at math to do

subsistence reports, to steward over men his senior in age and grade.

Osavio's career and the Favorite's menus brightened again in 1945 when

the tanker Royal Oak transitted the Canal. A cook-to-cook talk with the

ship's steward, a seagoing veteran of

ships' galleys, ended with a gift that is now the treasure of Osavio's huge col- lection of cookbooks: volumes entitled "How To Cook on Shipboard," "How

To Bake on Shipboard," and "How

To Order Food for Shipboard."

The new tug Taboga came into service in January 1949 and Osavio, now a real pro himself, was put in charge of feeding all of the men working on the Canal's floating equipment.

He often went to sea himself to cook

for those who went out to repair lighthouses on the reefs that guide ships

along the Atlantic coast to the Panama

Canal. Twice he traveled far beyond the lighthouse reefs. A trip to Jacksonville,

Fla., to pick up a new barge and tow

it to Cristobal turned into a month's

28 Summer 1977
layover in the United States when the Coast Guard wouldn't allow the tug

to leave while hurricane warnings were up. The "Red Letter Days" in Osavio's

life involve feeding people: "Dredging

Division Day," August 15, 1970, when

he walked around and around the entire division area until his feet ached

supervising eight cooks as they pre- pared fried fish, cole slaw, hamburgers

and hotdogs for 3,000 people. And

March 15, 1973 when Gov. W. P. Leber hosted 250 U.N. Security Council delegates aboard the Atlas tied up

at Miraflores Locks. In rare unanimous

agreement, the delegates approved of the buffet lunch of tropical delicacies that Osavio served. Osavio has long had a desk-andpaper-work job but he has never stopped cooking. At work he leaves his

office to get out in the kitchen with his men "to keep his hand in." And at home he cooks when he's allowed in the kitchen—which isn't often. His

wife, the former Doriel Piggott of Gatun, says he only wants to get into her kitchen to show off. But he does

do the cooking for parties and church

suppers when he makes his most

popular, and often original, dishes. Most

requested are his famous Johnny

Mazetti and chicken chow mein.

Saturdays he and Doriel go to his cousin's home in Bethania were Osavio

experiments with new recipes. Once it was Quiche Bretagne (his recipe is at

right) which, he savs, "just happened"

when he was making a Quiche Lorraine

and his cousin came home from a

fishing trip with some crabs. Osavio

tossed in crab meat, added some

shrimp that were in the refrigerator

and had a dish that drew raves and

has come to be one of his most soughtafter recipes.

Now he is experimenting with three Ceviche recipes—one from Bolivia, one

from Peru and one from Mexico.

Osavio, who was born in Gatun and

attended Gatun Elementary School and

the Baptist Academy in Cristobal, lives

in a home in Paraiso filled with letters of appreciation, certificates of commendation and many other forms of

recognition. Twice he has received out- standing performance awards with

quality step pay increases. He is proud of these signs of the

success of his 38-year career but he is most proud of the sign of approval that comes when those eating one of his meals ask for seconds.

^Q^Z)

Quiche Bretagne

V4 Cup mayonnaise

3 Eggs, beaten 1% Cup (7/2 ounce can crabmeat, drained and flaked)

1 8-Ounce package natural Swiss cheese,

sliced and cut into pieces

1% Cups shrimp, cooked and cut into pieces

Tablespoons flour Cup white wine or cooking sherry

Teaspoon parsley flakes Teaspoon salt Cup thinly sliced onions Cup chopped scallions (about % inch

long)

Cup pimientos, minced

Cup thinly sliced celery

One 10-inch unbaked pie shell, chilled in refrigerator. Combine mavonnaise, flour, eggs, and wine and mix

until smooth as velvet. Stir in crab- meat, shrimp, Swiss cheese, celerv,

parsley, salt, pimiento, scallions and

onions. Pour into pastrv shell. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 40 minutes. Serves 8.

Dredging Division's

food supervisor is

a creative cook

G^^)

Above: The freshly baked Quiche

Bretagne is seen close-up on the table

of a tugboat. In the background is the dredge "Cascadas." Below: With wine, a special treat.

The Panama Canal Review 29
Marine Bunkering

An aerial view of Balboa shows a part

of the commercially owned and the Panama Canal Company owned and

leased tanks at the La Boca Tank Farm.

Plays a vital

role in the

operation of the

Panama Canal

THE PANAMA CANAL MARINE

Bunkering Division, one of the

largest hunkering operations in the world, handled 5,200 ships during

fiscal year 1976. On a comparative

basis, this was about 43 percent of the more than 12,000 oceangoing commercial vessels which transited the Canal during that period.

In February 1977, the Remuera, a northbound containership, took on 43,500 barrels of fuel at Pier 16, Cristobal, having a value of some S600.000

at current local prices. In July 1973,

By Fannie P. Hernandez

the price of fuel in Cristobal was $3.85 per barrel vs. $14.14 per barrel at the present time. The average bunker order todav has a value of approximated

$53,000.

The bulk of all products moved

through Panama Canal pipelines is the propertv of six major oil companies

operating in the Canal Zone and Pan- ama, and the Canal's Marine Bunkering Division charges onlv for hose

handling, pumping, and the use of pipelines. Prior to the recent decline in transits

30 Summer 1977
One of the largest

bunkering operations

in the world

caused bv the worldwide recession, oil volume handled in the Canal Zone

made it the largest bunkering service

in the western hemisphere and the

third largest in the world. The largest

operation in the world is in the Kuwait

area and the second largest is Europort

( Rotterdam-Amsterdam)

Following the end of coal bunkering at the Canal, the petroleum workload climbed upward steadily at an annual rate of 4 to 5 percent until the middle of last vear when higher prices

caused a downturn.

From the two coaling stations es- tablished in Canal construction days, the Marine Bunkering operations at the Panama Canal have evolved to become an integral part of services offered to transiting ships at the ports

of Cristobal and Balboa. (The term

• **- _V'-A

Conveyors for transferring coal from the pit to ships can be seen in this 1921 photograph of the old coaling station at Balboa.

Serving Canal customers for more than 62 years

The tanker, "Opalia." is serviced at Dock 7 in Balboa, a tanker discharge and bunkering

berth. In the foreground is a gantry crane used for handling containers.

bunkering comes from the word

"bunker," a compartment in a ship for storing fuel.) Todav, bunkering in- volves the use of heavy, portable oil hoses and fixed pipe connections

between a storage tank and the ship

with valves to control the flow of fuel. Reducing fuel costs and other ex- penses of ocean transportation were a

basic consideration of the Panama

Canal before it was opened. It was

recognized in toll studies made in 1912 that toll rates and the cost of fuel would greatlv influence traffic through

the Canal. To attract shipping to the waterway, it was necessary for the Canal to be equipped with facilities

for supplying vessels with coal, fuel

oil and other provisions that would be

comparable to those offered at the main ports of the world.

bi "Panama Canal Traffic and Tolls,"

studies bv Emery R. Johnson in 1912.

it was indicated that "Government

coaling stations will give the Panama

Canal greater traffic and larger reve- nues." Providing coal at the Canal for merchant vessels making long voyages was an important factor in competing

for the traffic which was free to move

bv more than one route. Businessminded shipping companies were aware

Thf Pavama Canal Rfvifw 31
Fuel Distribution System Operator Hugh Cole conducts

tests at the boiler water testing laboratory in Balboa.

Operator John Webly makes an adjustment on a by-pass valve on

a turbine pump at the Balboa Plant.

also that bv being able to cut bunker

space in their vessels there would be more room for cargo. To provide this service, coaling

plants were established at Cristobal and

Balboa, in 1914, soon after the Canal was opened to world commerce. At

Cristobal, ample wharf space was built and coal handling machinery was pro- vided for loading and unloading the

colliers bringing coal from Virginia and

West Virginia, and for loading it onto

the barges. Covering 20 acres, with

"coal pile" space 1,800 feet long by

460 feet wide, the Cristobal coaling

station was said to be the largest single coal receiving and distributing plant

in the world at that time. The two plants had a normal stor- age capacity of approximately 500,000

tons of coal and sales ran as high as 45,000 tons a month. The sale of coal was then a growing business for the Panama Canal and for several vears the coaling plant at Cristobal was one

of the most important harbor operations.

Vessels took on coal at Cristobal from barges or from cars alongside

the wharf. It cost 85.40 a ton and the use of the steam hoist and crane was

$1 an hour. At Balboa, the price was

$1 more per ton. In addition to coal, fuel oil was

available at 81.30 a barrel at Balboa

from the Union Oil Co., the oldest petroleum company identified with the construction and operation of the Pan- ama Canal and the Panama Bailroad. A lease granted bv President Theodore

Boosevelt in 1906 to Union Oil stipu- lated that the company pay 8500 a month for the support of the public- schools in the Canal Zone and furnish the Isthmian Canal Commission and

the Panama Railroad all the oil thev

needed at 90 cents a barrel. Later, the lease was amended by

doing away with the monthly payment

Above left: Fernando Romero, one of

the three fuel distribution system foremen

on duty 7 days a week, gives

instructions over the VHF radio as he

coordinates bunkering operations at the

La Boca Tank Farm. At left:

Froildn Diaz. Arcadia Batista and

Manuel Lopez hook up a

2.300 barrel per hour bunkering meter.

32 Summer 1977
'^ W^^k; ;*

At Mount Hope, James Dodd stands at the control panel of a new

package boiler while coworker Henry Fergus drains the filter.

Walter F. Boyd, wears safety ear protectors, as

he works at the Mount Hope Plant.

for the schools, exempting the com- pany from taxes in the Canal Zone,

fixing the price of oil at $1.10 a barrel, and limiting the volume to 60,000

barrels a month. Oil consumption,

however, increased at such a rate that supplemental agreements had to be

made. Union Oil constructed the first pipeline across the Isthmus in 1907.

It was the first pipeline across the Continent and was removed bv the War

Department after the Canal was built. In 1914, when the Canal opened,

89 percent of the world's shipping

depended on coal, while bv 1936 onlv

slightly over 50 percent was using coal. Black smoke pouring from the funnels

of vessels was still a common sight at the Canal until the early 1950's but

coaling davs were coming to an end. During and shortly after World

War II, the U.S. Naw converted most

Above right: Jack Rtioff, left. General

Manager, Harbor Terminals Division and

Edward H. Benscn, Acting Manager,

Bunkcrittg Division, discuss

operations. At right: Mike Kandrin,

Fuel Distribution System Operator,

starts up a 4,000 barrel per hour turbine

scrcic pump to deliver fuel to

a customer.

of its ships to oil and the two coal

plants became less and less important.

Business picked up slightly during the war when a few of the old coal burners were pressed into service. But sale of coal declined so steadily

after the war that the Panama Canal

retired from the coaling business. Part

of the equipment at the Balboa Plant had already been altered to handle

sand and gravel and the plant was

closed as a coaling station in December 1947. The Cristobal Plant was

closed in December 1951 and the

entire plant scrapped.

Bunkering operations were until re- cently handled bv a section of the Ter- minals Division. Because of the importance of these operations to the

Canal's basic mission, the volume of

business, and the complexity of bunkering functions, marine bunkering operations were made an independent unit, becoming in 1974, the Marine Bunkerins Division.

The Panama Canal Review 3.3
At right and on opposite page,

workmen install new fuel lines

for bunkering and tanker

service at pier 16 in Cristobal.

Marine Bunkering operates two

major oil handling plants, one on each

side of the Isthmus. The plants are equipped with storage tanks, pipelines,

hundreds of valves, pumps, boilers, hoses and other equipment to receive,

store and deliver fuel to ships. Both

oil handling plants were placed into operation in 1914 and a number of the

original tanks, pipelines, pumps and

other equipment are still in use. On the Pacific side, a tank farm and

pumping plant are located in La Boca

with pipelines to and installations on

or under Docks 4, 6, 7, 14, 15, 16

and Pier 18. On the Atlantic side, the tank farm

and pumping plant are at Mount Hope

with pipelines to and installations on

or under Docks 9 and 10 and Piers 6,

7, 8 and 16. Docks 6 and 7, Balboa,

and Pier 16, Cristobal, are primarily tanker discharge and bunkering facilities. Other docks and piers are used

for combined cargo operations and

bunkering.

The common pipeline svstem in- cludes about 28 miles of pipeline of various diameters at each terminal. There are 47 storage tanks of 1,885,600

barrels working capacity in active service on the Pacific side and approximately 2,095,500 barrels of space in 44 tanks at Mount Hope, including

Panama Canal, commercial and some

U.S. Navy' facilities. Included in the operations is a direct pipeline tie-in from the refinery at Las Minas. Daily

pumping of fuel is provided for the

electric plant in Panama Citv. When oil is to be pumped to or from a pier, hoses, adapters, blenders, meters and other equipment have to be

brought out, assembled and after use disassembled and stored. Other equipment includes hose trailers and cranes

for lifting hoses into position. Connecting and disconnecting hoses and

blenders may take from half an hour

to two hours and the total bunkering

time varies with the number of barrels

lifted and the pumping rate. Approximately 185 employees working three 8-hour shifts, 24 hours a dav

throughout the year, attend to Marine

Bunkering activities on both sides of the Isthmus. Their duties include the discharge of petroleum products from

tankers and providing for the basic fueling services of bunkering on the

piers. The shoreside pumping, gauging

of tanks, and dockside assistance service an average of 15 vessels a day. At

the real core of the operations at both

plants are the pumps, manifolds and

boilers manned by Fuel Distribution Svstem Operators, Boiler Tenders and

Fuel Distribution Svstem Workers.

Fuel Distribution System Operators,

highly skilled employees, are responsible for round-the-clock operation of the manifold, pump and boiler systems.

Bunkering crews usually consist of a

leader and four employees who per- form the hook-up of the heavy hoses. Once a vessel orders bunkers, the

leader goes aboard the vessel and

checks with the engineer to verify the

ship's requirements. He then reports to the Operator at the operations plant

verifying the amount and type of bunkers to be taken on. Crews must accomplish their duties promptly as vessels usually want to move in and out of the ports quickly

due to high operating costs. Various

types of mechanical bunkering devices

have been developed to reduce a ship's

time in port, an important economic

aspect in shipping operations.

While the petroleum industry has

intensified its efforts to eliminate oil

spills at terminals and elsewhere, ac- cidents inevitably occur due to human

error or equipment failure. Bunkering

crews worry about these spills and

guard against oil pollution of Canal

Zone waters. Bunkering personnel

constantly monitor hoses and shore connections to detect any leaks. Containment and clean-up equipment are

available at both ports on a standby

basis, and in case of a spill, quick

action is taken to stop the discharge

and contain the spill, with the aid of Dredging Division's Oil Pollution Control Unit. The heart of the distribution system

at each terminal is a manifold which

allows products received from tankers

to be directed to the proper tanks and

from the storage tanks to various pumps which then direct it through

pipelines to piers, Panama Canal

powerplants, or to other storage tanks. There are seven oil transfer pumps,

ranging from 5 to 60 years old, at each terminal plant, varying in capacity

from 600 to 4,000 barrels per hour. Power to operate the majority of these pumps is supplied bv three modern

"automatic" steam boilers of approximately 700 horsepower each. The old

brick boilers were not automatic and

34 Summer 1977
required hard physical labor to operate

them.

Joseph Drake, a huskv boiler tender

whose service with bunkering operations goes back to 1939, recalls that his work was more difficult in the old days

before the new bunkering devices and

wharf equipment were developed. '"\Ye

used block and tackle to boist the

hoses up to the ship. The hoses were

heavv and the 50-pound flanges on

each end made them quite a load. Carning a 4-inch hose on my shoulders,

sometimes quite a distance down the

pier, was a hard job even for a big

fellow like me. A less able-bodied man

would have buckled under the weight,"

Drake remarked.

He noted too that the location of a

vessel's intake connection often created

a problem as ship designers apparently

did not take into consideration the

necessity for fueling until the design was complete and piping connections were added anv place. As a result, the manifold on one vessel was found

amidships, on another it would be near

the bow, and on another, at the stern. Newer vessels have adequate piping

and connections are conveniently lo- cated, but some of the old ones still

in operation provide real challenges to ingenuity. For instance, where do you

hook a block and tackle arrangement

to lift and support bunkering hose for a connection located on the vessel's gallev overhead with nothing above

but the blue sky?

Drake recalled that since fewer

ships were coming through the Canal

in those pre-war days, the men had

time to perform other duties on the

piers or at the plant. On a slow night,

it was not unusual for a couple of the men to get out the lawn mowers, turn on the flood lights and cut the grass near the plant. One fringe benefit the bunkering men had in those davs was

the good meals thev were offered aboard the vessels thev were working

on. "We could have all the food we

wanted, be it breakfast, lunch or

dinner," said Drake wistfully. This

practice was changed a few vears ago and the men no longer are permitted

to accept invitations to go aboard

vessels for meals. Gauging tanks and assuring that thev

are not overfilled are the duties of gaugers at the Balboa and Mount Hope

tank farms. A gauger needs to be alert and agile while climbing the tanks or moving in and out and around the tank farm. He also soon develops a skill

Improvement projects have totaled

more than one million dollars annually

for the past few years

The Panama Canal Review 35
From steamships to supertankers

In 1917, wlien this photograph teas made, the Cristobal Coaling Station was the largest coal receiving and distributing plant in the world.

'.. ***

A vessel takes on bunkers at Pier 16 in Cristobal. In tlxe foreground is a

tanker discharge riser for loading and off-loading fuel.

with mathematics and knows that each

Va inch of petroleum product in a

large storage tank equals a certain number of barrels for the different size tanks. In the petroleum industry, a barrel is 42 gallons. Fuel oil, gasolines,

diesel oils, solvent and toluene (re- sembling benzene, used as a solvent and anti-knock agent for gasoline) are stored in the more than 90 tanks at Balboa and Mount Hope. A rigid

accounting system is necessary for the various commercial firms to follow and monitor these highly valued

commodities.

Before tankers are allowed to dis- charge any product into the pipeline

system, tests are made on samples

taken from the vessel. Tests for flash point are made and products must meet certain minimum or maximum

standards. Pointing out how important

it is for the right fuel to be routed to a certain tank or a vessel to receive the product it has requested, manifold operator Manuel Aparicio recalled an inci- dent several years ago when a vessel supposedly unloading heavy diesel dis- charged ammonia instead. It took 2

years to clean out the tank and make it serviceable again. "A nightmarish mistake, yes, but it can easily happen

nowadays when vessels often carrv

three or four different products—gasoline, diesel, crude or a blend", said Aparicio, adding that, luckilv, he had

nothing to do with that costlv blunder

years ago. He checks samples of pro- duct every half hour when loading or unloading to make sure it is the right

product and is going where it should. Since vessels of many nations re- ceive bunkers at Canal Zone piers

PANAMA CANAL TRAFFIC

TRANSITS (Oceangoing)

Commercial . U.S. Government . Free

Total

Commercial

U.S. Government .

First quarter FY 1977

2,88721

5

Firsf quarter FY 1976

3,03125

7

3,063

Transition quarter 3,03718

4

2,913 3,059 TOLLS • $38,167,041 $32,728,464 $35,286,837 180,176 257,773 168.585 TotaL $38,347,217 $32,986,237 $35,455,422

CARGO •• (Oceangoing) Commercial 31,851,363 29,953,719

U.S. Government-. 49,469 69,296

Free 18

30,888,300

55,383

Total- 31,900,832 30,023,033 30,943.683

° Includes tolls on all vessels, oceangoing and small. 00 Cargo figures in long tons. Note: Effective 10-1-76 the fiscal year for all U.S. Govern- ment agencies was changed from July 1 through June 30, to October 1 through September 30. For continuity purposes,

July, August, and September 1976 were designated the Transition Quarter. Figures shown for the First Quarter of 1976 correspond to the new fiscal year.

Statistics compiled by the Executive Planning Staff.

36 Summer 1977
through contracts with major oil companies, occasionally a language barrier

arises. A selective use of sign language

and terms common to the petroleum

business throughout the world are nor- mally sufficient to enable bunkering

personnel to deal effectively with any

vessels wishing to replenish their bunkers.

In addition to routine bunkering

operations, the Marine Bunkering Division extends special assistance to

vessels experiencing problems while

transiting the Canal.

Last year, when the gasoline tanker Mobil Aero had its propeller back off

the tailshaft and lodge against the

ship's rudder in Gatun Lake, it was

necessarv to make arrangements for transferring the gasoline from one

tanker to another. The vessel in distress was moved through Gatun

Locks with tug assistance to pier 16,

Cristobal. Later 252,474 barrels of gasoline were transferred from one side

of the pier through pipelines into the tanker Mobil Lube. The ship transited with the cargo on toward its destination, while the Industrial Division

effected the necessary repairs to the Mobil Aero. When the crude oil tanker Lijkomedis developed hull and other problems this past January, a cargo of 165,000 barrels of crude oil and 30,000

barrels of fuel oil was transferred from

this vessel under strict precautionary

safety measures to the Esso Parentis. another tanker lving alongside the opposite side of the pier.

In both cases, the value of the cargo

at todav's prices was extremely high, the vessels were anxious to overcome

their problems, safelv transfer their cargoes and get both ships and cargoes moving on toward their respective

destinations.

Currently, the Marine Bunkering Division has numerous plant improve- ments underway that include line renewal, installation of new pumps, and

a meter prover at Balboa. In the last few years improvement projects have

totaled over SI million annually. Every

effort is made to maintain the petroleum distribution system in a first

class condition and to continue serving

shipping at the terminal ports of the Canal with dispatch and efficiency.

OCEANGOING COMMERCIAL TRANSITS BY NATIONALITY

First Quarter 1977 First Quarter 1976 Transition Quarter

(Oct.-Nov.-Dec.) (Oct.-Sov.-Dec.) (July-Aug.-Sept.)

No. of Long No. of Long No. of Long

Nationality transits tons of cargo transits tons of cargo transits tons of cargo

British 261 2,605,611 319 2,916,314 298 2,897,587

Chilean 50 413,020 45 475,918 42 360,422

Chinese, Nat'l 28 415,677 27 324,208 31 412,129

Colombian 45 76,980 51 70,324 49 77,388

Cuban 20 118,745 13 52,370 20 83,447

Cypriot 24 95,944 24 87,428 22 93,345

Danish 74 550,846 77 496,429 62 503,223

Ecuadorian 43 483,129 36 219,822 51 514,569

French 43 303,344 49 271,962 46 296,937

German, East 26 30,189 19 21,972 15 24,189

German, West 145 970,379 150 890,739 157 856,210

Greek 246 4.174,787 227 3,546,080 279 4,311,095

Italian 43 230,032 65 514,151 57 297,029

Japanese 233 2,439,741 250 2,034,314 229 2,289,244

Liberian 432 7,939,654 402 7,270,529 461 7,150,210 Netherlands 51 348,276 89 508,794 58 413,973

Norwegian 143 2,328,318 160 2,223,375 180 2,674,792

Panamanian 269 1,970,427 235 1,715,370 263 1,789,166 Peruvian 40 341,396 62 656,778 37 393,676 Poland 23 185,693 24 92,823 18 41,109

Singaporean 22 213,022 21 182,055 22 232,898

Soviet- 42 262,771 49 170,687 60 249,248

Swedish 78 778,094 80 1,095,785 75 756,804

United States 281 2,341,817 276 1,965,761 248 2,046,044

Yugoslavian 26 207,374 13 69,941 34 321,136

All other 199 2,026,097 268 2,079,790 223 1,802,430

TotaL 2,887 31,851,363 3,031 29,953,719 3,037 30,888,300

OCEANGOING COMMERCIAL TRANSITS

OVER PRINCIPAL TRADE ROUTES

First quarter FY

1977

(Oct.- Trade routes .VotDec.) East Coast United States-Asia 664 Europe—West Coast South America 269

East Coast United States-West Coast South America 237 Europe—West Coast United States/Canada 220 Europe—Asia '"* Europe—Oceania 101

East Coast Canada—Asia 81 United States Intercoastal (including Hawaii) 123

East Coast South America—Asia 8^ West Coast South America—West Indies 95

All other 936

Total 2,887

First
PRINCIPAL COMMODITIES SHIPPED THROUGH THE CANAL

(in long tons)

Atlantic to Pacific

Transition

First quarter First quarter quarter Commodity 1977 1976 (July-Aug.- (Oct.-Nov.-Dec.) (Oct.-Nov.-Dec.) Sept.) Petroleum and products 3,745,446 3,397,766 3,888,207 Coal and coke 3,444,108 4,496,014 3,545,265 Corn 2,380,572 1,887,020 2,436,430

Soybeans 1,315,491 1,433,790 1,032,309

Phosphate 864,845 799,149 735,478

Wheat 677,708 664,638 967,607

Sorghum 657,751 478,960 548,075

Ores, various 444,377 358,654 310,266

Metal, scrap 356,439 500,425 200,940

Chemicals, unclassified 278,337 246,943 299,236 Manufactures of iron and steel 185,481 175,989 288,014

Sugar 162,859 175,095 140,767

Fertilizers, unclassified 161,436 89,503 155,643

Paper and products 116,386 121,374 115,888

Machinery and equipment (excluding autos,

trucks, and accessories) 110,991 147,466 118,249

All other 2,569,869 2,559,852 2,789,032

Total 17,472,096 17,532,638 17,571,406

Pacific to Atlantic

First quarter Commodity 1977

(Oct.-Nov.-Dec.) Petroleum and products 2,403,579 Manufactures of iron and steel 2,089,971

Ores, various 1,492,487

Lumber and products 1,162,362

Sugar 856,625

Barley 517,284

Woodpulp 484,978

Food in refrigeration (excluding bananas) 412,509 Bananas 375,251

Metals, various 353,993

Sulfur 255,406

Molasses 231,582

Autos, trucks, and accessories 194,037

Fishmeal 170,457

Paper and products 153.988

All other 3,224,758

Total 14,379,267

CANAL TRANSITS-COMMERCIAL AND U.S. GOVERNMENT

First quarter 1977 First Transi- (Oct.-Nov.-Dec.) quarter tion

. '

. 1976 quarter

Atlantic Pacific (Oct.- (July-

,-, . , to to Nov.- Aug.- Commercial: Pacific Atlantic Total Dec.) Sept.) Oceangoing 1,422 1,465 2,887 3,031 3,037 Small 1 98 78 176 141 204

Total 1,520 1,543 3,063 3,172 3,241

U.S. Government: Oceangoing 12 7 19 25 18 Small' 54 16 70 32 36

Total 66 23 89 57 54 Grand Total 1,586 1,566 3,152 3,229 3,295

1 Vessels under 300 net tons, Panama Canal measurement, or under 500 displacement tons. Note: Effective 10-1-76 the fiscal year for all U.S. Government agencies was changed from

July 1 through June 30, to October 1 through September 30. For continuity purposes, July, August, and September 1976 were designated the Transition Quarter. Figures shown for the First Quarter of 1976 correspond to the new fiscal year.

Statistics compiled by the Executive Planning Staff.
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