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V
HAROLD R. PARFITT

Governor-President RICHARD L. HUNT

Lieutenant Governor ^^ PANAMA ^^^1 CANAL ^

WILLIE K. FRIAR

Editor, English Edition JOSE T. TUNON H.

Editor, Spanish Edition

OfFicial Panama Canal Publication

Writers Vic Canel, Fannie P. Hernandez,

Franklin Castrellon and Pandora Aleman

FRANK A. BALDWIN

Panama Canal Information Officer

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.S0, 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

Bateas 3

Panama's painted plates with

distinctive pre-Columbian designs are favorite souvenirs.

Culinary Capers 8

Recipes for exotic drinks to

sip and savor and desserts with a special flavor.

The "QE2" 13

Around-the-icorld-in-80 days

cruise includes record breaking transit of the Panama

Canal.

What happened to the "Bremen? 22

The dramatic demise of a history-making ship.

Horses 23

Hundreds of horse owners

find family fun and friendly

competition at local shows.

Oil 29

The smaller tanker plays a

vital role.

Credits: Photos by Kevin lenkins ( p. 6 batea designs and p. 15 "QE2"), Robert Friar (p. 4

batea bnuls), Don Goode (p. 16 "QE2" in Gaillard Cut and horses p. 23, 24, 25, 27),

Sketch i>. 29 by Carlos Mindez.

OurCover

The muted colors of the batea on our

front cover are the result of many years

of research by EHana Chiari, the orig- inator of this Panamanian art form.

\Vith plant pigments and clay, she has been able to reproduce the colors which

appe;u- on pre-Columbian clay pots and

plates, such as those in the foreground

of the photograph. A part of the collec- tion of the 19.3d Infantry Brigade Museum at Fort Amador, these artfully

decorated pieces were loaned for the photograph by Irene Chan, curator of the museum. The original design on this batea,

which belongs to Dr. Horace Loftin, of the E.xecutive Planning Staff, came

from a pre-Columbian plate dug up in Parita in Herrera Province. It depicts a

small fish who found a haven when the

three large fish chasing him ended up

chasing each other. On the back cover are four bateas painted by Dr. Leo M. Hettinger, who

uses acrylics to paint bateas that fea- ture dramatic bright colors on a stark white background. His designs, copies

of original ones found in museums, depict alligators, snakes, and other animal

gods giving birth to small replicas of themselves, which are symbolic of the

continuity of nature. The two plates at the bottom are original clay plates

made by pre-Columbian potters. The

bateas are standing on ancient handcar\'ed metates. The cover photographs as well as all others in this issue, unless otherwise

credited, are by Arthur L. Pollack.

o a o

In the centerspread of this issue is a charcoal drawing by John Morton, of the Executive Planning Staff, which

shows the Queen Elizabeth 2 in Miraflores Locks. It has been reproduced on

special paper and inserted so that it can be easily removed for framing.

2 Fall 1975
A revival of an ancient art form,

Panama's distinctive bateas are a

colorful combination of

creativity and craftsmanship

PANAMA'S BEAUTIFUL BATEAS

with their distinctive pre-Columbian designs, make delightful decorations and are among the most soughtafter souxenir items en the Isthmus. As Panamanian as the pollera, the mola and the mosqueta, these artisticalK' painted wooden plates, which come in various sizes and shapes, are

the outgrowth of an ancient art form

re\ived some 40 years ago by Diana

Chiari, a well-known local artist.

nian\- rural households. These plates

with upturned edges called bateas, are used for evervthing from carrving the

\\ ash to and from the ri\er and clean- ing rice to sening as dinner plates. As a voung graduate of the Normal

School in Panama Citv, Diana was sent

to La Arena, a potter's village in Panama's interior, to teach school. While

cniploved there, she learned potterymaking from the mothers of her stu- dents who came to the classroom to Bateas

During a ceremony held last year at the National Museum, Diana was pre- sented the Order of Manuel Jose Hurtado, the Republic of Panama's highest

honor bestowed upon a teacher. The

award was in recognition of her in- \aluable contributions to the promotion

and appreciation of native creativity

and craftsmanship.

A display of her artistn' that evening

included ceramic plates, textiles, a number of other articles fashioned from

clay, and sexeral bateas painted with

her original designs.

The idea for the batea of the type

popular toda\' germinated in Diana's

mind after she began decorating the

primitixc clay di.shes used for making

tortillas in the interior of Panama.

Toinnsts admired her colorful clay

plates with the unusual designs but

hesitated to buv them as souvenirs

because thev were heavy and easily broken. To solve these problems, EMana

experimented with painting the same

designs on the wooden plates which are considered an indispensable item in

By Fannie Hernandez

teach the craft that had been a community activity for centuries. LLsing the

traditional, simple methods, she kneaded

and shaped the clav, went to the river

for the rounded stones used to polish the pottery and collected dried cow

dung from the fields for firing the clay.

Her enthusiasm and innate creativity in the use of the native elements was .so keen that soon she was teaching the vil- lagers. Women, children and men, who

had previously shunned pottery-making, were inspired by her to learn new

methods for impro\ing their techniques

without losing the traditional quality

and nati\ e touch. Like Millet, the French peasant who

became a celebrated painter and ref- erred to art as a "treating of the commonplace with the feeling of the sublime," Diana's sincere belief in the pure

native art form nibbed off on the potten- makers, who began to take

pride in their creations. Gradually potterv-making became the livelihood of man\' of the villagers. Later, it became

a home industiv and an art. Todav, the

Bateas by Diana Chiari, originator of the Panama art form.

TiiK Panama Canal Review
I

<

La Arena Ceramics Center, which she founded with the help of her brothers Gilberto and Carlos, is flourishing. The

beautifully made dishes and pottery are

attracting attention not only in Panama

but also abroad.

Diana's bateas also ha\'e caught the eye of connoisseurs and are sought by

collectors, museums, art galleries and

others who appreciate the simplicity

and originality of native art. In the United States they have been

exhibited at Macy's in New York City,

at the University of Arkansas Museum,

the Stuhr Museum at Grand Island,

Xebr., and at the Art Center in Louis-

\ille, Ky. The largest batea she has

e\er made was 4 feet in diameter, the

smallest, 2 inches by 3 inches. In addit.on to being decorative, bateas can be

used as table tops or serving trays and

are popular as gifts. In the early stages of batea making,

Diana spent many hours at the newly

opened National Museum, carefully

sketching the designs painted on the

A contribution to Panama's cultural heritage . .

.

>'.-4i!»

Diana Chiari adds a finishing touch to one of her bateas. Using plants and earth, she revived an art, gave character to a humble craft and pride to its creators. Her bateas are sought by connoisseurs, museums and art galleries. At left, is one displayed at the National Museum of Panama and above, are some

of her bowls and a fish-shaped batea.

Fall 1975
]iiuseiiin's collection of precious pre- Cioluinhian artifacts which had been

dug up in Code Province and are known as the "Code Culture." These

are considered particularly valuable because of their fine quality and the

indelible natiue of the colors, which

neither age nor humidit\' have destroyed.

Determined to reproduce the authentic muted designs of the ancient ce- ramics, Diana began experimenting

with the plant pigments and clays emplo\ed bv the primitive potters to color

their wares. She had quickly mled out commercial enamels and lacquers as being too ])right. After much trial and

error, she achie\'ed what she believes

to be the original Indian colors which

are today the trademark of her bateas. E\er\thing she uses comes directly

from nature. The revival of an art employing

plants and earth, the very essence of nature, and giving this humble craft character and stimulating pride in its creators, are Diana's contribution to Panama's cultural heritage.

Using plates made of "cedro espino"

of the mahogany family for her bateas,

Diana sands the wood until it is perfectly smooth. Then, using a damp rag, she applies a creamy, white colored

clay wash. When it has dried, using a

soft lead pencil, she sketches free hand

on its concave side the pre-Columbian,

highlv-stvlized design of an insect, bird,

alligator, or other animal, typical of the

early wares. Using nature's colors, she

paints the design and when it is thoroughly dry, applies a protective coat of alcohol and acid resistant lac- quer to both sides of the plate.

Since Diana's bateas appeared, decorating wooden plates has become one

of the most popular native household

arts on the Isthmus.

A batea decorated with the Seal of the Canal Zone, the creation of Eddie J. Aanesen, is one of the most

sought after gifts for retirees.

Isthmian residents, from preschoolers

to retirees, are enthusiastic students in the various batea-painting classes held

at hobbv shops and clubs. A well-known

liatea painting instructor is Arthur

Moki'av, an Armv civilian employee,

who has taught many Isthmians the new art form. His articles on batea- making can be found at the Canal

Zone Library. Dr. Leo M. Rettinger, who until his ictirement was Chief of the Outpatient

Clinic at Gorgas Hospital, is an expert

butea-painter. He buys the wooden

plates from vendors on Kennedy Avenue, sands them carefully and then

applies a wood filler solution to close the pores. After preparing the surface

of the batea, he paints it a stark white,

contending that the original pre- f'olumbian artifacts were white. When

the white background has dried, he

applies the design with a stencil. Using

acrylics. Dr. Rettinger paints bateas

til at are deep colored and dramatically

l)ea\itiful. Eddie I. Aancscn, a retired mer-

< hint marine captain, who was bom in Norway and went to sea as a young

lad, found batea painting a relaxing,

pleasant pastime in his sun-drenched

house in Santa Clara, prior to his departure for the United States this year. An Isthmian resident for more

than .30 years, Aanesen has taken an

a\'id interest in pre-Columbian art based on the Code Culture and has

compiled a collection of 50 authentic

pre-Colinnbian designs in color which

he uses to decorate his bateas. In addition to these motifs, he specializes in painting bateas with crests and insignia

including the seal of the Canal Zone. Using plates of "lowland cedro," a

fine wood also of the mahogany family, Aanesen dries the wood for a period of 6 to 7 weeks. When he is sure that the wood is completely di^v, he sands it and

seals the wood pores with a sanding

sealer. He then adds the first coat of \arnish. When it is dry, the batea gets

another sanding and is ready for the design. Following the Indian art of Code,

which was always outlined in black, he

uses a soft black lead pencil to trace the pattern onto the batea. Then very

carefully he paints the design and after

it has dried, processes the back of the

batea. When it is thoroughly dn', he

applies a plastic spray. A coat of varnish

is the final process in batea-making.

The P.anama Canal Review
A popular local pastime, batea

painting appeals to all ages

Dr. Leo M. Rettinger puts the finishing touches on a batea showing scrolls and serpent design adapted from the Pre-Columbian plates found in Code Province. Dr. Rettinger uses acrylics on a white background.

Maggie Rodriguez, deputy circulation supervisor, and

Cesar Ceville, student assistant, Canal Zone Library-Museum,

use a lunch break to trace batea designs from the collection of Arthur Mokray available at the library to batea makers.

Pretty Karin .4nn Foley, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Foley

of Fort Clayton, sands a wooden plate in

a batca-making class, a part of the Fori Clayton Pre-Teen Activities Program.

Mrs. Martha Jordan, instructor in the Fort Clayton Pre-Teen Activities Program, helps Randy Harford

select a design and paints for his batea which has already been dried and sanded.

6 Fall 1975
le living room of her France Field home, Mrs. Beulah K. Smithson displays a tew

of the bateas she has made in the past 20 years. A nurse in the Medical Surgical Service

at Coco Solo Hospital, Mrs. Smithson learned the art of batea-making in one of Arthur Mokray's evening classes at the Cristobal Woman's Club in 1954.

senapi

PRESENTS...

LIKE TO TRY IT?

Here is a step-by-step method of batea-decorating. (Mcllhenney, Canal

Zone Library).

1. Dry the batea by placing it in a dry

closet for at least 10 days. (Do

not stand it on its edges as this may warp it.)

2. Sand it until very smooth, using first a medium and then a fine sandpaper.

3. Apply a mixture of 50 percent

Sander Sealer and 50 percent

lacquer. Give the batea at least three coats, sanding lightly with

fine sandpaper between each

coat.

4. Trace or draw the design on the batea with a soft lead pencil.

5. Paint with Roger's Brushing Lac- quer that comes in red, black,

blue, white, brown and yellow.

To bleach a batea before painting,

apply a solution made of 3 tablespoons

of lye in 1 quart of water. Let it stand

a few minutes and then brush with a strong pero.xide. Allow to dry and then

apply a second coat. Let it dry and

then paint. (Caution, lye is poison and

should be handled as such.)

The Canal Zone Library has a col- lection of patterns laminated on card- board for decorating bateas which

batea makers may trace. The patterns, which also indicate the colors to use, were prepared by Mokray.

No display of Panamanian arts and crafts would be complete without the batea. This exhibit at the Canal Zone

Library-Museiun was arranged by the Panamanian National Service for Crafts and Small Industries (SENAPI).

The P.\xam.\ C^nal Review
Culinary

IfctfOlBi

f?

-^ffliANYONE WHO CANNOT LOOK

back on childhood, remembering

the earlv-moming fragrance of freshly

ground coffee brewing on the back

Ijurner, has missed an indescribable joy.

Cafe, kaffee, koffie, "cuppa Java," bv

whatever name it is known, cascades

of it are consumed daily. As a panacea,

a pick-me-up, a stimulant, an instant

restorative, coffee is the national drink

of the western world, and well on the way to becoming the favorite uni\'ersiil be\'erage. For most, the day begins with a steaming cupful of the brew; and man\-

feel they cannot get through the da\'

without quite a few. The "coffee break"

has become a wav of life at home and

in the business world. Coffee drinkers in the United States are downing approximately 500 million cups a day—sipped, savored or gulped

in a hun-y. Many who are not drinking

it are using it in cooking or to add

subtle flavoring to dishes. The coffee pot is brewing to the tune of millions

of dollars \'crified by statistics that show the United States imported coffee valued at SI, .5 billion in 197.3. The histoiy of coffee and coffee- drinking is replete with colorful tales. According to one concerning its dis- co\erv, the founder of coffee was a legendary moUah. an Arabian monk,

who after obser\ing the strange capers and sleeplessness of his goats that had

fed on the berries of an evergreen

l)usli, tried some himself. Feeling stimulated, he proclaimed the wondrous

properties of the sweetish, red berries. The origin of coffee has been traced

to an area in southwest Ethiopia called

Kaffia. where the hushes were found

growing wild and taken to Arabia about

500 A.D. That first "coffee break"

more than 1,000 years ago launched

a worldwide tradition which inspires

vigor, relieves fatigue, stimulates mental acti\itv, is a symbol of friendship

and dominates the economy of many

countries. Despite the efforts of the Arabs to maintain a monopoly on the industry,

coffee drinking spread and was in- troduced into Europe in the 16th century. As with any novelty, it encountered the most absurd objections, fall- ing in and out of favor, according to the

prevailing medical, political and reli- gious customs and restrictions. In England, where it first gained popularity, those opposing the new drink called it "svnip of soot" and "essence of old shoes" and a women's petition against

its use claimed that it made men sterile. Others e.xtolled its stimulating effects. A coffee advertisement in 1652, believed to be the \ery first and now on

display in a British museum, praised

its exhilarating properties, saving it was

"good for sore eyes" and attributed to

it the power "to cure and prexent

dropsy, gout and scur\'y."

Amid these ridiculous pros and cons, coffee gained popularity at the inns which were then turning into centers of

political, social and literary activities, and were later to become the hub of business dealings. Coffee was welcomed

by the people of the working class, whose libations of ale and wine in the morning often rendered them a little tipsy and unfit for work. It can be said

that coffee sobered up the populace. Coffee drinking flourished in the European countries; the French and

Italians welcomed it with fcnor. and

it was introduced and accepted from

country to country.

There are several x-ersions of how

and when coftee came to America. According to one source, the Spaniards

brought it from Africa to Cuija, from

where it was introduced into Panama

as early as 15.38 and then spread to Ontral America.

Another story credits a French offi- cer serving in Martinique with liringing the first coffee plant to the Caribbean in 1720. Seedlings from that plant were sent to nearby islands and from

there coffee cultivation spread to Brazil,

which today is this hemisphere's greatest producer. The Dutch and the English are credited with taking coftee to several South American countries. In Colombia, also among the world's lead- ing coffee producers, the first coffee

se:.'ds are said to have been planted bv

Jesuit missionaries, and coffee cultivat'on on a large scale was started in 1821. Its culti\ation spread throughout

tropical America and today, at least 14 coimtries grow coffee commercialK'.

In today's fast paced world, more

and more people are using instant

coffee, a dried extract of freshly roasted

coffee beans, the wonderful discovenof a Cuatemalan physician of Cerman

orig'n named Di\ Federico Lehnhoff

\\'\ld. According to a recent article on

the subject in the "Americas" magazine,

bv Cuatemalan journalist Edgar A.

A veritable "United Nations" is represented in this row of coffee mugs,

cups and deniitasses including a carved wooden shepherd's cup from

Yugoslavia and a French silver mug

from which a Panamanian child drank

her first "cafe au lait" more than 100 years ago. Others are from China,

Czechoslovakia, Denmark, England,

Greece, India, Ireland, Japan

and the United States.

8 Fall 1975
. . . to sip and savor and to add a subtle flavor.

fiiE Panama Canal Review
Drop by drop,

boiling water is poured

through pulverized

coffee to make "tintura."

Shown are a few brands

of Panama coffee.

\icolle, the doctor-reseaicher made the discoxeiy in the early 190O's quite by

chance, when he forgot to drink a cup

of coffee. Days later he found the liquid

gone and a fine powder remaining in the cup. His scientific mind at work, he

poured boiling water over the coffee grounds and presto! obtained a new

cup of coffee. Interestingly, the Pan- ama Canal and soluble coffee were

being created at about the same time. While the Canal was being constiiicted. Dr. Lehnhoff W'yld was doing research on his new process of dehydrating

liquid coffee to obtain a product whose

color, taste and aroma equaled the

original liquid coffee. He had to do

extensi\e research also to obtain the machinery necessaiy to manufacture

the new product, .\fter finding the answer in the technical advancements

of German industry, he established a company in Guatemala. Soluble coffee was well accepted and soon large ship- ments were sent to Emope. Another

company was established near Paris in 191.3 l)ut the outbreak of World War I caused the soluljle coffee industiv to close down in 191.5, mainly due to the

shortage of skilled workers, who went

off to war, and the lack of ships to transport the coffee. (Soluble tea is also the result of Dr. Lehnhoff's research.)

Since that time, soluble coffee or "instant" as we call it today, has

acliieved a perfection and popularity

iar l)e\'ond the doctor's dreams.

rhe bulk of coffee for consumption

in Panama was imported from Costa

Hiea until recent years when the Lan- dau family of Boquete and French and

American coffee growers in that area

joined forces to de\elop the coffee in- dustry. From 4, .500 to 5,000 tons were

produced annualh- in the 1960's. Today, from 7 to 10 percent of all land

under cultivation in Panama is planted

in coffee. About 35,000 farms in just

about e\ery province in the countr)'

grow coffee, with about half of the

entire production grown in a few large

coffee plantations on the mountain

slopes in the N'olcan region and the boquete district of Chiriqui Province. Ninety percent of Panama's export

coffee is grown in this belt of volcanic

soil ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 feet

in altitude. The mild Arabica type

coffee (one of the three principal species

culti\ated for the coffee industr^) pro- duced in this area is well accepted in the world market, with most of it going

to Germany, the Netherlands and the United States. Of Panama's 1975 coffee crop of 110,000 quintals (hundred

weight), Chiriqui Pro\-ince produced

approximately 60,000 quintals. The re- mainder was produced on small farms

in the highlands of Herrera, Code and

\'eraguas, mainly near Santa Fe. An

e\en larger coffee crop is expected next

vear, according to Panamanian coffee

experts. More than two-thirds of the coffee produced is consumed locally and a

quantity is sold to the Canal Zone for

resale in its retail outlets or to be ser\ed

in restauiants and other facilities. In 1974, the Panama Canal organization

purchased 36,942 pounds of Panama

coffee with a dollar \-alue of nearly

^32,000 from Duran, Sitton and Tome.

S.A. of Colon, the principal coffee firms

in the Republic.

The Coffee Institute, a Panama gov- ernment agency, gi\es technical ad\-ice

and purchases all coffee for export and

handles export sales. An important commodity in Canal

traffic, coffee mo\es through the water- way along international trade routes to

all parts of the world. A grand total of 558,000 long tons passed through the Canal last year. An even greater

amount, 614,000 long tons moved

through the Canal in 1973. Making coffee is not a slapdash business. Coffee should be measured carefully. A \eiy clean coffee maker, rinsed

in hot water to remo\-e any residue

from the last pot, is important. A taie

coffee connoisseur will have a coffee

mill, as he knows that no coffee can match that made from freshly ground

beans.

\\'hen preparing instant coffee, make

sure the water is boiling. Add the

coffee according to the strength desired and stir. Cover it and let it simmer a few minutes. This lets the coffee flavor mellow.

There are dozens of exotic brews.

.•\mong them: Italian Espresso, especially strong coffee, prepared by forcing steam under pressure through powdered coffee; the moisture falls into the cup and condenses to form the beverage. Mocha, a mixture of coffee and

cocoa or chocolate; Syrian Coffee, served with cracked cardamon seeds, strong

and sweet; Turkish Coffee, made in a copper or brass pot, very strong and

sweet, as it goes through a process of three boilings; Mexican Coffee, a mixture of coffee and chocolate, whipped

or beaten to a froth with a wooden

stick called molinillo; Cafe "Carretero,"

Cuban style coffee, presugared and

filtered through a cloth strainer; and

Panama's "tintura," an essence of coffee made by filtration, using a fine cotton bag fitted into the coffee pot. Boiling water is poured through the puKerized coffee, drop by drop. One tea- spoon of this tintura to a cup of milk is sufficient. It is not uncommon for Pan- amanians to take a bottle along when

tra\eling abroad. Also common at the Panamanian breakfast table is the proper "cafe au lait," half hot milk, half strong coffee, poured simultaneously.

On the following pages are a few

suggestions for special coffee be\erages

that are bound to please coffee drinkers and gain new members for the coffee

cult. F.H.

10 Fall 1975
CAFE BRULOT

6 heaping tablespoons instant coffee 4 cups boiling water

Stir, cover and let set. Combine in a chafing dish: 1 piece each of orange and lemon peel cut into verv thin strips, 4 pieces cinnamon stick, 1 tablespoon

cloves, 24 sugar cubes, % cup brandy.

Combine these ingredients, ignite and

let burn about half a minute. Stir carefully. Add coffee slowly and serve. This makes enough for 12 demitasses

and is especially nice for a festi\'e occasion.

IRISH COFFEE

/4 Clip Irish whiskey

8 teaspoons stigar

S^'i Clips hot, extra strong coffee Whipped cream Pour whiskey into 4 preheated

glasses or cups. Add sugar and coffee;

stir to dissolve the sugar. Float 2 table- spoons whipped cream on top and

drink through the cream if you can.

Tin; Pas \M..\ Canal Revikw 11
COFFEE CUSTARD

6 eggs

Vz cup sugar

Vi teaspoon salt

1 cup strong coffee

1 can evaporated milk 2 tablespoons sherry wine Beat eggs slightly; add remaining

ingredients and mix well. Pour into sugar glazed mold. Set in a pan of hot water and bake at 350°F, 40 to 45

minutes or until a silver knife inserted

in the custard comes out clean. Cool

before removing from the mold. For the glaze: In a heavy saucepan combine ^ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon water and bring to a boil over low heat. Increase the heat to moderately high

and cook the syrup, rotating the pan

gently, until it is a caramel color. Pour

into a VA quart mold, turning to cover

the mold completely with the caramel

glaze. The glaze also may be made in the mold if it is of heavy metal.

More Exotic Drinks and Desserts

VIENNESE COFFEE

V2 cup cream

1 tablespoon confectioner's sugar

V2 tablespoon vanilla 3 cups hot strong coffee

Vz teaspoon grated orange peel 4 cinnamcm sticks Combine sugar, cream and vanilla; beat until stiff. Pour coffee into 4 cups. Float the whipped cream on top and

garnish with orange peel. Put a cin- namon stick in each cup. When using

instant, pour the water directly onto

the coffee.

COFFEE NECTAR FROM TRINIDAD

2 tablespoons instant coffee 2 cups cold water

1 tablespoon Angostura bitters

1 pint vanilla or coffee ice cream Put ingredients in a blender and

whirl until very smooth and creamy.

Serve in tall, chilled glasses. Serves

three to four.

Here is a beverage sure to thirsty teenagers on a hot day.

MOCHA MILK SHAKE

please

4 tablespoons instant coffee 4 tablespoons instant cocoa 4 tablespoons sugar

V4 cup cold water 3 cups cold milk

1 pint vanilla ice cream Put all the ingredients in the blender

and whirl about half a minute.

BRAZILIAN COFFEE

3V4 cups hot strong coffee % cup creme de cacao % Clip whipped cream Add the creme de cacao to the

coffee. Pour into four mugs. Top with

whipped cream.

COFFEE ICE CREAM

1 14-ounce can of condensed milk 3 tablespoons instant coffee, level

',8 teaspoon salt

Vg teaspoon almond extract Combine ingredients and pour into freezer tray. When soft-frozen, remove

to a bowl and whip to a thick smooth

consistency. Return to freezer tray. Makes about a quart. Serve with pecan

sauce made by chopping M cup pecans and adding them to 1 cup of maple

syrup; or use the ice cream to make the following ice cream dessert:

ICE CREAM CAPPUCCINO

1% cups double strength coffee

'/4 cup apricot brandy

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Bring to a boil and remove from the

heat. Pour over scoops of coffee or

vanilla ice cream. Top with shaved

chocolate. Serves 6. For instant, use

1 teaspoon per cup of water.

12 Fall 1975
DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE THAT

this great Canal which was built

so many years ago can transit a liner

this size"; "a fascinating operation";

"amazing that it is in such good operating condition after so many years";

"a thrilling experience." These are a few of the remarks made by some of the 1,400 passengers aboard the Queen

Elizabeth 2 as she made her history

making transit, March 25. A Panama Canal record that has

stood for .36 years was broken when

the QE2, as she is commonly known,

became the largest passenger ship to

transit the waterway. She made a northbound transit following her arrival from Acapulco on an around-the-world

cruise. The Canard liner, which is 963 feet long and has a beam of 10.5 feet, broke

the record held by the German flag- ship Breinen, which transited February' 15, 1939. The Bremen was

936.8 feet in length and had a beam

of 101.9 feet. The ship also broke the

Canal's toll record for passenger ships.

She paid $42,077.88, far surpassing the Bremen's toll of $18,172.08.

Advance planning for the record

breaking transit began as early as September 21, 1973, with a meeting of Marine Bureau personnel, R. A. Woodall, Chief Officer of the QE2, and

D. H. Morrison, Area Representative

of the Pacific Steam Navigation Co., agent for the ship. At this meeting, the Cunard representative emphasized that the ship had

never experienced any navigation difficulties and had been able to dock in New York, even in icy conditions, with- out the use of tugs. He noted that

ordinarily the ship handled so well

that onlv one pilot was required for docking and no problems of navigation

through the narrow confines of the Canal were expected.

All eventualities were carefully considered even including the possibility of an emergency which might require

the remo\'al of a passenger by stretcher

at the locks. It was agreed that this could be accomplished without any

difficultv. Although it was recognized that the QE2 would be a tight squeeze in the

1,000-foot bv 110-foot locks, no unusual

problems were anticipated and the ship

Above: Control house eaves are folded down to make room for the bridge of

the "QE2." At right: The giant liner

squeezes through Miraflores Locks.

would be handled in the same way as other Panamax vessels. (Panamax vessels are those of the maximum size that can pass through the locks of the Canal). However, because the bridge

of the ship extended 118 feet, plans were made to fold down the eaves of

all of the control houses. Since this problem has been faced with other super ships having unusual protrusions, the ea\es are on hinges. As the largest passenger ship still ih

acti\'e sers'ice and probably the most

widely publicized, the QE2 attracts a

The record breaking transit of

The

By Willie K. Friar

The Panama Canal Review 13
^rnpto^

great deal of interest wherever she

goes. Since the liner has been the vic- tim of a bomb threat and is a target

for tenorist attacks, Cunard requested

security measures for the ship be drawn

up well in advance and the Canal Pro-

,• Los Angeles

Acapuico • Port Everglades

\Cri

Cartagena ^c,

Salvador Bahia Rrode Janeiro

Around the world in eighty days

via the Panama Canal

tection Division began preparations as soon as the vessel's arrival time was

confirmed.

With large crowds anticipated at the

locks on both sides of the Isthmus, the QE2 was scheduled to transit through

the west lane, which is farthest from

the spectator area, to minimize security

problems. All center walls and control houses were declared off limits to \isi- tors and Canal employees except for maintenance and operations personnel

and a limited number of VIP's, news- men and photographers. The latter in- cluded representatives from Panama

and several other countries as well as UPI, AP, Newsweek, Time, and a Canadian television film crew. Crowds began gathering before dawn

on the day of the transit, and Canal

Zone policemen were assigned to Mirafiores Locks to handle traflBc. The

regular parking lot at Miraflores was

quickly filled and cars were then di- verted to all available areas in the

vicinity. A total of 1,291 visitors passed

through the main gate at Miraflores between 6 and 8 a.m. but this was only

Yokohama 4

Hong Kong at^

Bombay

Mahe Seychelles

a small percentage of the actual number of spectators who could be spotted

atop even the highest hills along the Canal, many with cameras and field glasses.

The local crowd had a much easier time seeing the liner than the Japanese

when the ship came into port in Yokohama. There, spectators not only stood

in line for many hours but paid 30 yen

(about 10 cents) to walk by the ship.

Directed by the port security force, the

line filed past the ship on a 24-hour

basis for the 3 days the ship was in port. One crewmember estimated that

at least 250,000 Japanese \iewed the ship in what he felt was a remarkably

disciplined operation.

The liner, which was en route to New York, arrived at the Balboa an- chorage at 4:35 a.m. and was boarded

shortly after 5 a.m. by 11 admeasurers.

Nine of them left the ship at Cristobal but J. C. Baker and Richard J. Bjorneby remained on board until the ship

reached Port Everglades to finish the measuring. The cooperation they re- ceived on board was excellent and

made for a smooth and pleasant operation of probably the most difficult job the admeasurers have had so far. Passengers looked with curiosit\- at the preoccupied men with tape measures who were hard at work throughout the transit. Everxone was friendlv and helpful but B]orneb\' reported one

disconcerting moment when after being

asked to remove his shoes in the Turkish bath, he was soon leaping about in surprise as he discovered the floor was

blistering hot. Four pilots were assigned to the QE2

as is routine for ships of this size. The\' were control pilots, Capt. Furman D. Saunders and Capt. Robert F. Bo\d

and assisting pilots, Capt. Joseph J. Schack and Capt. Paul L. Skrable. The QE2 received routine handling

as far as all locks operations were con- cerned and onh' eight towing loco- motives were used. Since the Bremen was not onh- the

largest ship to transit the Canal 36

vears ago but also the first commercial

vessel of more than 50,000 gross tons

in the nearl\- 25 vears of Canal opera14 Fall 1975
Control pilots, Capt. Robert F. Boyd,

left, and Capt. Furman D. Saunders,

talk with Capt. Mortimer Hehir, master of the "QE2."

tions, she received special handling

and many extra precautions were taken, 'fourteen locomotives were assigned to the Bremen and there were five pilots, one control pilot and four assistants.

It must be noted, however, that the locomotives now in use are more powerful than those assigned to the Bremen.

In addition to the regular lockmaster,

a supervisor or lockmaster was at the bow and stern of each wall at each of the locks watching all operations and

ready to handle any emergency. One

of the concerns, according to a local newspaper account, was that since the Bremen was a German ship, and World

War II was about to begin, it might be

involved in some attempt to sabotage

the Canal. Also of concern was power failure since 14 locomotives had never before been used at one time on a lockage.

-All went well however, and the ad- measiuers were able to finish their work l^efore reaching Balboa. The

Bremen was on a cruise around South

America and was making a southbound

transit. After the tolls were computed, the

ship's owners protested the cost as being too high and the Canal was later called upon to explain some of the

charges. In a letter to the German

"Reichschiffsvermessungsamt," the di- rector of admeasurement explained that

"all lobbies, vestibules, fo\ers or entrances which conjointh' serve state- rooms as well as public rooms do not

qualif\- as public rooms. " These, the\-

noted, could not be exempted from

charges but the Canal agreed to exempt

"the shooting gallery," "the blacksmith

shop and copper smithy." A barbershop

which the ship's officials wished to deduct as a public room was disallowed

because it was discovered that it was

used exclusively by the crew. The total time for the Bremen's transit was slightlv over 10 hours compared to the 8 hours and 4 minutes

required for the QE2. The Bremen had some problems with high winds.

The Cunard liner arrived at Miraflores at 6:27 a.m. and cleared Gatun

at 2:31 p.m.
For passengers aboard the QE2, the Canal transit was a high point of one

of the most luxurious cruises of modern

times. They ate their lunch on trays to be able to watch the entire operation.

They were on the final leg of a cruise labeled "Around-the-World in Eighty

Days" which had taken them to 24 of the world's most exotic ports. This was

the first time since World War II that Cunard had undertaken a world cniise and during the voyage the ship

visited five continents and crossed three

oceans. Included among the many land

tours were African safaris and visits to the Taj Majal, and Mainland China.

The longest stretch of ocean travel was

the 3,049 miles between Yokohama

and Honolulu and the shortest time

between two ports was the 44 miles between the ports of Cristobal and

Balboa. The ship covered .31,000 miles before the cruise terminated in New

York, March 31. Providing all the comforts of a 13

story floating hotel, passengers' accommodations started at $.5,400 per person with the ultimate luxury being the two

penthouse suites which went for nearly

$100,000 each. For this price, the occupants had two rooms arranged on two decks, one above the other, an in- side private staircase, two private oceanfront decked patios, two private

bars, a day steward, night maid, and

the satisfaction of having the best. The decor in the Trafalgar Suite was

inspired by Admiral Nelson's quarters on his flagship H.M.S. Victory. There is a replica of the Admiral's desk among

the furnishings and an oil painting of Lady Hamilton. Both penthouses can be set up so that either the upper or lower level can become the bedroom or

sitting room. There are walk-in closets, and the private patios on both decks

give a vantage point for viewing all of the special portside activities that were

arranged for most stops along the way. The other penthouse suite is similar but decorated with Queen Anne period

furnishings including a painting of the former British queen. Twenty other

suites have private patios.

About 1,100 crewmembers were

aboard to handle all the needs of the 1,400 passengers. Included in the stafl[ are some chefs and other staff members

from the France, which was withdrawn

from service.

In addition to all of the other social

activities aboard the ship, there was a nightiv cocktail party and dinner hosted

by Capt. Mortimer Hehir and his wife. A different group was invited each

night making it possible for all of the passengers to "sit at the Captain's table"

at least once during the cruise. Mrs. Hehir said that she was allowed to

travel with her husband 3 months of the year and therefore was able to go on the 80-day around-the-world cniise. She said the nightly dinner had made

it possible for her to get to know the passengers which had added a great deal to the pleasure of accompanying

her husband.

Aboard the QE2 at the time of her

transit were passengers of 18 nationalities. Sixty-five percent of the 1,400 pas- sengers were from the United States. Among them was Lillian Gish, still well known all over the world as the star of more than 100 Hollywood silent films. She came aboard at Capetown, South

Africa, and had been giving lectures on the history of films from 1900 to 1928. Luxurious dining aboard the ship is provided by three restaurants which

feature a five-course breakfast and a seven- and eight-course lunch and

dinner. Lending an international flavor

to the varied menus are dishes like Roulade de Veau Bourguigonne, Canard a rOrange, Mousse au Chocolat,

and Crepes Flambe. The "wine cellar"

is stocked with 2.5,000 bottles. Passengers can work out in the gym,

take a Turkish bath or sauna, play

table tennis, bridge, see the latest movies, try their luck in the casino or dance all night in several cabarets. Aboard the 0E2

The "Queen Elizabeth 2" passes through Caillard Cut on her northbound transit to New York where the cruise terminated.

I' « f

^

*,

Chefs, bartenders, stewardesses, and other members of the crew line the forward rails to get a close-up view of transit operations as the 105-foot beam of the "QE2" is fitted into the 110-foot wide lock chamber at Miraflores. Centerfold: Sketch of "QE2" in Miraflores Locks.

16 Fall 1975

s--^'"-*

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77

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There are three swimming pools, one

indoor and two outdoor, nine bars, two

main balhooms, a shopping center, a

daily newspaper printed aboard the

ship, and all the other things you

would expect to find at an exclusive

resort. As the most modem ship of its day, the Bremen also printed a daily news- paper aboard using a method similar to that used on the QE2. At that time, a new invention had made possible the

transmission by radio of complete

newspaper pages and transferring of the material onto plates for reproduction on ordinary printing presses. The

process, which was tested on the Bremen in the spring of 1932, was

created by Adalbert Gurth, of Switzerland, and was an important step in the de\elopment of such services as the

transmission of photographs by wire. Actually, the Bremen had one capability that the modern day QE2 does

not have. It could carry and launch an

airplane by use of a catapult located between its two funnels. By using the plane for the last 600 miles, mail could

be delivered between Europe and

America from 24 to 48 hours earlier than was possible on regular ships. But though it may not have its own

plane, the QE2 does provide a special drive on, 'drive off service for the con- venience of passengers. There is room

for 80 automobiles to be transported

in this way. And although it does not have a blacksmith shop as did the Bremen, it has painters, plumbers, carpenters, and

all types of specialists to make sure the

ship is in perfect condition. For the passengers there are expert teachers for bridge, dancing, or most any subject

that a passenger might wish to pursue. There is even a bomb disposal ex- pert who was assigned to the ship after the 1972 bomb scare when a bomb

threat required landing bomb disposal

personnel by parachute to search the

ship while it was far out at sea. This

incident is supposed to have inspired the movie "Juggernaut." One crew- member, who was aboard the ship at the time, however, insisted the actual incident was nothing like what was shown in the movie.

Aker completing her transit of the Canal at 2:31 p.m., the QE2 sailed for Kingston, Cartagena, Port Everglades

and New York, where the voyage ter- minated March 31. Although the QE2 is the largest pas- senger ship to pass through the water- way, she is not the longest ship to transit. This record is held bv the San Juan

Prospector, an ore-bulk-oil carrier, which transited April 6, 1973. She is 972.8 feet long and has a beam of 106

feet. The record for the widest ships to

Jacob Baker, senior admeasurer,

computes Panama Canal net tonnage

for the "QE2."

transit is still held by the U.S. Navy

battleship New Jersey and her sister ships. These vessels are 800 feet in length and 108 feet in the beam.

Chances are good that the Queen

Elizabeth 2 will retain her title as the

largest passenger ship to transit the

Canal. She is the only oversize pas- senger ship in service and daily Canal

traffic reflects a trend toward smaller

cruise ships.

I.tiMirious piihlic rooms, micIi as this,

\s(.'rc deserted as passengers gathered on deck to watch the transit,

wliich took S hours and 4 minutes.

Many passengers arose before dawn and

selected vantage points where they could watch operations in air-conditioned comfort.

A pressman looks over the newspaper which is printed daily aboard the ship using a news service transmitted by radio.

The Panama Canal Review 21
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE

Bremen, the largest passenger

ship to transit the Canal until the QE2

toppled the record, March 25?

Some of the manv rumors that cir- culated during World War II are still heard today—she was sunk by a British submarine, she sank off Denmark with

15,000 German troops aboard, she was

scuttled by her master to avoid capture.

All of these stories are false but the tme stoiT of what happened to the Bremen after she completed her record making transit February 15, 1939, is equally dramatic.

Aware of the tense world situation and with war an immediate possibility, the crew of the Bremen was anxious to return to Germany as quickly as possible.

On reaching New York, the 1,600

cruise passengers quickly disembarked

and the ship was readied for departure

within 9 hours after her arrival. But

before she could get underway. Pres- ident Franklin D. Roose\elt announced

that all ships of potentially belligerent nations would be searched for arms or other materials which might make it possible to convert them into vessels of war once they were at sea. There were immediate protests from

the owners of the Bremen but to no

avail and the U.S. Steam.ship Inspection Ser^ice delayed the vessel for 36

hours while a careful search was made,

which included ordering the crew to lower the lifeboats for inspection.

Finally, on August 30, the Bremen

was allowed to steam out of New York

Harbor only a few hours before German

tanks invaded Poland. With the band

playing "Deutschland iiber alles," and

the crew giving the Nazi salute, the huge liner passed the Statue of Liberty

and headed for the open sea.

Five days after her departure, two

liferings from the Bremen were re- covered off the coast of Massachusetts

and iiimors spread that the ship had

been sunk by a submarine or had been

scuttled.

Actually, as soon as the ship was out

of sight of land, her captain ordered the

ship to be repainted to help camouflage

her. Lifeboats were lowered halfway

down the side of the ship. Seamen

stood in them and using long poles to which they attached paint brushes,

they covered the giant liner with a coat

of dull grey paint. As the ship continued at full speed,

lifeboat drills and other emergency pro- cedures were constantly practiced and

e\'er\'one was alerted to be ready to

scuttle the vessel. However, in only

8 days the liner was safe in the Russian

port of Murmansk and the Nazi press publicized the event as a "victory over

the British." Cartoons appeared pre- tending to explain how it was done. One showed the crew carefully stitch- ing all the tablecloths together, then

hanging them over the side and painting a rowboat on them to disguise the enormous liner.

In December 1939, the ship quietlv

made the final dash for its home port

of Bremenhaven. Nothing more was

heard of her until March 17, 1941,

when the German radio announced that the liner was afire. The beautiful luxury

liner burned for 8 days as all efforts to sa\e her failed and the firemen turned

their efforts to saving her sister ship, the Eiiropa, which was moored nearby

Although an investigation was held, the cause of the fire was not dis- covered. Sabotage was suspected but

never proved.

Four years later, when the victori- ous American troops arrived in Bre- menhaven they found only three broken

sections of the hull lying in the water. The rest of the ship had been cut up to provide scrap metal for the armament

plants. But the name of the Bremen re- mained on the record books of the Panama Canal and when she appeared

in the news this year many local people

nostalgically recalled her transit 36

years ago. WKF

i lEii!

Am jPr»rr XffThe German crui.se ship "Bremen" passes through Catun Locks on her southbound

record breaking transit, February 15, 1939, while the left lane was

out of service during locks overhaul.

22 Fall 1975
KSEASirS.'«<A.^rt.*>

Horses

SHOW TIME IS FIVE MINUTES

away, folks!" With these words

from the announcer's booth, Glenn

Heath casts a glance at the sky. Will

today he sunny or wet? Will he be

soaked with perspiration or with rain?

It will be touch and go, as he well knows.

Glenn's running comments and humor

as he emcees horse show events in the Canal Zone are a constant source of amusement to the spectators. Little do

they know how many details he must

take care of and remember. The name

of every rider in every event (sometimes as many as a hundred ) . The name or number of every horse that enters the arena. He must keep these on the tip of his tongue every second of the full day ahead. He must describe

each event as it unfolds before the

By Lori Daisey

spectators, outline the rules riders must

follow, and announce the results of each event as soon as the judges make

their decisions. In the fast-moving Pole Bending

e\ent, a small girl, barely large enough

to climb upon a horse, comes flying across the starting line. While timers' clocks tick away, she must guide her horse between the upright poles,

wea\'ing in and out, turn, and repeat

the process without knocking a pole over or missing one. The contestant who achie\-es this in the fastest time

is the winner, and ribbons will be

awarded on down to 4th or 6th place. In the e.xciting Barrels event, a spectator favorite, a boy sitting deep in the

saddle, body stretched across his horse's neck, races against the clock,

urging his mount into the tight turns

It's all family fun and

friendly competition for

horse owners and riders

at the local horse shows

around three positioned barrels. He

must not o\erturn one or miss one as he flies through, around and back across the finish line. The Senior Division (for participants over 18) may bring out a mom or dad

to imitate the youngsters, sometimes

performing well, and sometimes obviously out of their element. These are familiar scenes in the Canal Zone horse world where there

are hundreds of horse owners and

riders. Most belong to one of 10 riding clubs con\eniently located throughout

the area. On the Pacific side there are Howard Riding Club, Albrook Riding

Club, Fort Clayton Riding Club, ancl Pacific Saddle Club. About midwa\'

across the Isthmus are Summit Riding

Club and Gamboa Riding Club. The

Atlantic side has Gatun Saddle Club,

Mindi Acres Riding Club, Fort Randolph Riding Club, and Atlantic Riding

Club. These clubs and horse shows are successful due to the efi^orts of man\-

"behind the scenes" heroes. The mother

who sat hunched o\'er a sewing machine until 2 a.m. finishing costumes

for her participating family. The

grooms who help bv walking and curr\-ing (brushing the horses) and lo- cating needed ecjuipment. The children who pitch in even though thev ma\'

not be in the show themselves. The

dad helping with the change from Western saddle and equipment to English etiuipment while his son or daughter is hurriedly changing to the appropriate riding apparel in a tack room or, more often, trying to change in a car

or trailer, or behind a hastily hung

blanket. The instructor who is keeping

his fingers crossed that his pupils will remember all he has tried to teach

Above: Katlv.f Molina on "Miracle.'

The Panama Canal Review 23
"Down" but delinitelj not "out" was

Danielle Barriteau, when she took

this spill at the Gatun Horse Show.

Recovering her composure and

displaying the courage of a true

equestrian, she and her horse "Pepper"

were soon back in the competition.

them. The farrier who properly shoed

that horse to help it make a good jump,

rhe stablebov who has been responsible

for feeding the horse as instructed by

the rider or owner. The timer, the

judges, the officers of the hosting club,

all hoping to make participants and

ticket-purchasing spectators happy. The

list could go on and on. For over 14 years, serving in sun or

rain, Karl Marohl has been one of the

best-loved and most-respected judges

of Canal Zone horse shows. His wife,

Barbara, has stood by his side as a

recorder, keeping track of his point

decisions on the participants, for the same number of years and recently has

begun to judge shows as well. One

reason Karl and Barbara are in such

demand is that through the years they

have studied and adjusted their judging

as times and events changed. One of the most difficult parts of judging in the Canal Zone is that the judge almost always knows and is a friend to all the

participants. Karl and Barbara, however, have the ability to disassociate themselves from this problem and fol- low the rules of judging fairly and with no partiality to anyone once they enter the arena. It is combined work such as

this that has helped to nourish and impro\'e the Canal Zone horse shows.

Donating their time, Dick Conover

and Capt. Marshal Irwin have practically built a stable and club in their off-duty hours. Under their guidance.

Pacific Saddle Club has grown from a "smaller club" to one of the Zone's

finest. Through the efforts of these men and other members, Pacific has

become what could well be called the

"heart" of the riding clubs today; it is here that members of all Zone riding clubs can find good feed, equipment,

vitamins, medicines and other items

needed to keep rider and horse in good

trim.

"It takes a lot of the time and

energy of the adult members to run and maintain a good riding club, but it

is well worth it when vou see the overall results and such fine effects on the

children," says Capt. Al Gallin, pres- ident of the Fort Clayton Riding Club.

Al, the members of his club, and the members of all the riding clubs strive

to prevent the so-called generation gap, and it very seldom occurs in the local horse world. For serious riders who wish to de- velop the finer points, Bruce Harkness,

steward at Fort Clayton Riding Club,

conducts advanced classes. "This class

is strictly for the 100 percent devoted,

and no playtime; it is learning time

only," Bruce says goodnaturedly. Some

of his pupils, such as Kelley Nolan,

Nan Sullivan and Catherine Todd, are already accomplished riders, but they never cease practicing for perfection

and polish.

"Our club, Mindi Acres, made special provision in its charter to permit

the teaching of young children who,

for xarious reasons are unable to own

a horse," says Mrs. Sheila Heath, who

is president of the Canal Zone Horse

I

»«'. v

24 Fall 1975
Association. Sheila has instructed some

\erv voung Atlantic-siders, including

8-year-olds Kellv Colver and Beth

McDonnough, and Tito Motta, at age

4, the youngest of her students. These

youngsters wUl probably participate in future shows. For the Heaths, the horse world could be called "a family affair," with Sheila, daughters Cheryl, Cari

and Cvnthia, and husband, Glenn, all

active. WTien talk turns to the love of horses, the person most likely to be mentioned

is NIrs. Berta Lewis. Berta owns four

horses: Pancho Lopez and Prince, both

16 years old, Nieve, 12, and Chief,

who is 38. To the best of anyone's

knowledge. Chief is the oldest horse at anv riding club in the Canal Zone.

Berta bought him when he was 22 and

his pre\'ious owner considered him "too

old." Laughingly, Berta recalls that "times have sure changed, because the

price on Chief then was $30, with two

saddles thrown in to boot!" She rode

him until 3 years ago, when she decided it might do him more harm than

good. Still groomed daOy, exercised by

running free in the pasture, and placed

in a clean stall at night at Fort Clayton

Riding Club, Chief enjoys his retire- ment world. The children and Berta

give him a big birthday party on the

last Saturday in each September, rain or shine. Berta has never considered

selling him or having him destroyed.

She savs, "He will spend the rest of

his davs receiving the same love, care and devotion he gave me for over 16

vears. You can't be too old for that!" Berta is one of the beautiful people

"behind the scenes." "No hooves, no horse" is a well- known saying among the horse crowd.

"A horse's performance, whether in pleasure riding or in a show ring, de- pends strongly on whether his hooves

are correct," says Robert Fearon, the Canal Zone's first licensed farrier, or horseshoer. Bob attended the Uni\ er- sity of New Mexico on three separate

occasions to obtain his Certified Farrier's Certificate, his Master Farrier's

Certificate, and Instructor's Certificate. He studied under R. L Rassmussen, one of two World Master Farriers alive today.

If not satisfied with his work. Bob

will pull the shoes right back off the horse and keep working until they meet

his standards of perfection. Research

shows that a horse applies pressure of about 100 pounds per square inch to

his hoof, he says, so if even 1 inch is wrong, the horse will not be able to give his peak performance.

It is interesting to discover that contrarv to those Western films we see of the old-time blacksmith heating up the

iron shoes, the "hot shoes" method is no longer used. In fact, it has been

outlawed in many states as it was dis- covered to be damaging to the horses' hooves. "The first horse I shoed took me four

hours. Now I can do one in an hour,"

says Mrs. Carol Myers, who has the

distinction of being the only woman

The Panama Canal Review 2.5
The riding clubs' goals

are health} horses

and good horsemanship

Cheryl Heath on "Lucero" jumped

as high as 4 feet 3 inches and won the day's open jump puissance pony event at the Gatun show.

At right; Berta Lewis and "Chief," beh'eved to be the oldest horse in the Canal Zone.

Robert Fcaron and Carol Meyers

provide professional shoeing for

local horses. fairier in the Canal Zone. She attended

tlie Oklahoma Farrier College in Sperry, Okla., where her instructor was Bud

Beaston, the only farrier in the United

States who has handmade shoes on

display at the Cowbov Hall of Fame

in Oklahoma City.

Carol, like Bob, does corrective shoeing. One of her happiest moments was

the day she saw a horse that had been

foundered for many years, running free

in the pasture. The horse had barely

lieen able to walk because of the in- tensely painful condition which affected

his feet, resulting in impaired circulation. Carol used a soft acrylic padding

to cu.shion the hooyes and prevent

bnnsing, and shaped a new hoof wall with a hard acrylic. Now the horse is not only running, but kicking up his heels and bucking.

By providing licensed, professional care of horses' hooves, Carol and Bob

are helping to keep people in the

saddle, with fewer horses limping, off the trails, or out of the show ring.

.All Canal Zone horse shows are held

under Canal Zone Horse Association

rules and regulations, which are strictly

adhered to by participants and judges. Years ago, each club set the rules for

its shows. As time passed and the clubs grew, it became obvious that it would

be better to have a standard set of

rules, and the Canal Zone Horse Association (CZHA) came into being. Al- though all shows are governed by the CZHA, each riding club has its own

charter coyering such things as stable maintenance, sanitation and safety.

The Annual Junior Show of Champions, proceeds from which go to the

Shriners' Children's Hospital, is one of the largest "all event" shows held in the Canal Zone. Although it is a one- day show, it takes hundreds of people

to assure success. In charge of this giant is Mrs. Betty Evans, and her co- chairman working with the Shriners,

Mike Fears. Riders and horses appearing in this show spend a full year qualifying for

it. Points are kept by CZH.A officials on

both rider and horse as they participate

in shows throughout the year at all 10

riding clubs. Finally, the spectator sees these selected competitors perform in the Six-Bar (jumping). Equitation

(rider and horse performance), Poles,

Barrels, and many other e\ents fea- tured in the exciting Annual Junior Show of Champions.

A breed of horse that has appeared

in many Canal Zone horse shows in the

past few years is the Paso Fino. This

splendid animal, known for its endurance, is becoming a favorite on the

trails and has been competing in and

taking ribbons in events not entered in pre\ious years. A Paso Fino is a horse

to ride in comfort, as it has what is known as a four-beat gait. There is no

boiuice, but a "rocking-chair" type of

ride. It's gait makes it showy, yet it has

a fine temperament. Many horse owners

are finding Pasos very good with chil- dren. Persons viewing them in the show ring always enjoy their performances. For the spectators, show day at any

of the riding clubs usually begins

around 9;.30 a.m. Not so for the participants. After weeks or months of preparation, these industrious people

\er\- likt'lv will be up before daylight,

grooming their horses, going over the

rules one more time, and helping each

other. Horses have to be transported to the \arious club grounds, which is fun

unless your horse dislikes trailers. In that case, getting him in may involve

26 Fall 1975
(riistrating moments, along with a few

softlv spoken choice words. It is amusing to watch a 4-foot child coaxing,

pleading with and sweet-talking a i4-hand horse (about 4'8" at the shoulder) who has his front legs firmly

sho\ed fonvard in an "I don't want to get in that thing " stance. Riding club members well remember the dav a group of youngsters got

up at the crack of dawn to ha\c theii' horses readv to load in the big horse

transport \an to participate in a show

on the Atlantic side, onlv to wait and

wait for the van. After the show had

begun, they discovered that the driver had misunderstood his instnictions and

had dri\en across the Isthmus "empt\-,"

thinking he was to trailer the .\tlanti^ horses to the Pacific side. Funn\- to some, but a heartbreak to others. Horse show participants must alwavs

be prepared, and most especiallv while

in the arena on a show dav. Even the

riders do not alwavs know what will happen. One incident well remembered

was the dav a woman, magnificentlv dressed out, was clearing jumps beautifullv and then, smiling with confidence as she went over the last jump,

lost her seat, the horse stumbled, and

her wig fell off! Unhurt, but with a red face, she left the arena with a smile showing that good sportsman.ship must

pre\ail.

A \isit to the stable area at davbreak

on show dav will find the participants

having coffee, ribbing each other, bor- rowing and lending needed equipment,

all in a wann atmosphere of companionship. As show time approaches,

there is a tightening of tension, ex- pectancy, hope, and a near feeling of panic. It's everyone for himself, at least

until the first e\ent gets underway,

when an easing back to a somewhat

more relaxed atmosphere can be sensed. Costume events may mean one moment spent in laughter, the next in awe

of beauty, and the next in respect for

originality as the participants parade

before the spectators. Some shows es- tablish a theme, but a favorite costume

e\ent is one which allows a participant's creati\'ity free rein. This "use your own imagination" event alwavs

brings oohs and ahs as each contestant

enters the arena. One moment, there

is a headless horseman before your

eyes, next a pert ballerina or a lovely

Spanish ladv, a horse with paper wings

(not too happy about it, either), angels,

devils, clowns, Indians, knights, queens and here come Raggedv Ann and

Andv! Xeedless to say, these participants ( or Mom ) have spent many

hours designing and making these cos- tumes. Many anxious eyes watch the

skies and fingers are crossed in hopes

that no rain will spoil the hours of plumage preparation!

During this event, a spectator rarely

lea\es his seat (e.xcept to take pictures), and all the other show participants crowd around the arena fence. E\eryone, young or old, spectator or

participant, loxes the costume event. To lie honest though, some of the

horses are a bit uncertain about this event, until they adjust to their weird

adornments. Others, however, seem

aware of the added attention they are

recei\ ing. Ears perk up, steps are

higher, and the\' carrs- themselves

proudK'.

Hiniter Seat (English) Equitation is a graceful and beautiful thing to see. The appointments (apparel) required

in this event are a hunting cap, jodh- purs or breeches, English-style boots and a white shirt. Coat, stock ties or chokers, imrowelled spurs and a crop

arc optional, depending upon the class of competition. The tack (equipment)

consists of a snafHe (a plain, slender,

jointed bridle bit), with or without

dropped nosebands, Pelhams or full bridles. The type of English saddle is optional. .Again, many of the tack re- quirements depend on which division the rider and the horse are entered in. The placement of hands and feet are \ery important in this exent, and

the eagle eyes of the judges will watch

this closely. The judge will \en- likeKcall for a figure 8 to be done at a trot; a gallop (extended canter) and pullup; b;icking of the horse; and dismount

and mount. This may not sound so diffi- cult, Iiut one must bear in mind that each mo\-ement of rider and horse must

follow a certain set of rules. Hands

must be in the right place, feet must

be correctly positioned, and there must

be an appearance of fluid movement at

all times. There are many different categories in\olved in the Hunter Seat

class, each with its own specific rules for Equitation and Jumping. Western Stock Seat Equitation also requires proper seat and position of hands and feet. A rider must be able

to liack his horse ("Straight line back,

please!") and execute a figure 8. The

horse will also be judged at a walk, a

jog, and a lope. Like the Englishtrained horse, a stock horse must re- spond instantly and to all commands

of the rider. Western appointments include westWhile the show goes on, Noreen Will

is in the stable carefully

grooming her horse.

Preparing for an event, Rhonda Bales

gits help from her mother

in adjusting her choker.

The presentation of the colors

at the Gatun Horse Show

on the banks of the Canal.

The Panama Canal Review 27
P^ J^SL P Knights, queens, headless horsemen, angels

and devils may suddenly appear at the costume

event where creativity is given full rein.

Above: Kelly Colver, wearing her

rain bonnet, is an interested spectator. Below: Participating in the costume

event, Lori Daisey, author of this story,

wears a Carmen Miranda type outfit. <^^n

ern hat and boots and clean, workmanlike clothing. Tack requirements in- clude a standard stock saddle and

western bit, with a rope (or reata) carried on the free hand side. A curb

chain may be used, but it must be at

least ',2 inch wide and lie against the jaws of the horse. An added feature is a neatlv rolled bedroll (usually matching the saddle blanket) tied behind the saddle to enhance appearance. A western stock horse will likeh' be

called upon to perform a rollback, in which the horse comes fonvard, rears, then when his front legs come down,

he should be facing the direction from

which he just came. He mav also have

to come forward at a run, then stop b\' placing his feet fonvard and sliding,

making no forward steps with his legs or hooves.

It is rare to see a horse win ribbons

in both Hunter Seat Equitation and

Stock Seat Western Equitation. For

instance, in order to perform a sliding

stop, the rider will shift his weight

back in the saddle; that's fine if the

horse is in a Western event and a sliding stop has been requested bv the

judtrp. But one show comes to mind in which a voung girl entered her horse in both Western and Engli.sh. Unfortunatelv, while in the English class, she

shifted her weight, the horse slid to a

stop, and of course she was immediatelv disqualified. This is whv on.e

will see that a participant generally

will use two horses if he or she wishes

to enter both English and Western

events. An exception to the nile is Ricochet,

owned bv 1.3-vear-old Hollv Coe of Mindi Riding Club. Ricochet has been

showing well, and winning ribbons, in both English and Western, a tribute

to the time and work his young mistress has put into training him.

No one in the horse crowd ever

really relaxes on show day until the

final gun has sounded and the last

horse has been walked to cool down,

groomed, stalled, watered and fed. It

is then the tiredness moves in. This is when one will hear a lot of "If I had

done this, or if I hadn't done that" conversation among the participants. But, no matter how tired they are, and no

matter if they failed to bring home a ribbon or trophv this time, they will always say, "That's okay, I know what

I did wrong, and mavbe next time . . . ." They never lose hope, and they start

their campaign for the next show before

they have even left today's!

There are other sides to the wonderful world of horse ownership. One may

see a very concerned mother out in a pasture or arena in heels, nvlons and

cocktail gown, walking a colicky horse, the night out with dad suddenly set aside because Suzie's horse is sick and

needs help. Or two sisters, both en- tered in the same event and both

wanting very much to win, but each

not wanting to hurt the other. A new

foal born at one of the riding clubs and

members of the other clubs rushing over for a look-see, for a foaling is a pleasure for even-one to enjoy. A parent trying to find the words to comfort

a yoimgster whose horse just died

and knowing there just aren't any

"right" words. Adults and young people, covered with paint from head to toe as they hold their Annual Cleanup the Stable Weekend, eating hot- dogs happily at break time with paintsmeared hands. Hearing the whoo]-)

and scream as a young girl or boy wins

a very first ribbon. Seeing a mom and

dad decide against buying a new color

television because Suzie needs a new

saddle. These things, and many more, have

been the strength and backbone of the

riding clubs. All these people on the 5cene and "behind the scenes" of the Canal Zone riding clubs work towards

the same goals: healthy horses, good

horsemanship and companionship with one another.

28 Fall 197.5
Bv Pandora G. Alenian THE "BELGULF ENTERPRISE"

would ha\e been the perfect

"prison" for Philip Nolan, the character

in Edward E\ erett Hale's stoiy "Tlie Man Without a Country" who was

tried for treason and condemned to spend his life on shipboard, wandering

the high st'as far from his native land. Although its home port is Antwerp, the

ship has not been within hailing distance of Belgium for 3 years. A link in the worldwide chain of operations of the Gulf Oil Corp., the

ship has spent those vears picking up

oil in \'enezuela, where Gulf owned the Mene Grande Oil Co. and a controlling

interest in the Venezuela Gulf Refining

Co.. and delivering it to the Canal Zone

and the eastern United States. Supertankers with a cargo-carrving

capacity of 2.50,000 deadweight tons and o\er are the talk of the shipping

world these days. Still, less glamorous

\essels like the Bclf^ulf Enfrrprisc, with

her length of .561 feet, beam of 71 feet anl summer deadweight tonnage of

lS.fi.51, play a \ital role. In fact, the Belgulf Enterprise is in some ways representati\e of the tankers

that transit the Panama Canal. The

Canal's 40-foot maximum draft restric- tion and its 1.000-foot bv 110-foot locks

close it to the supertankers.

Weighing in at 8,942 Panama Canal

net t<ms (actually a measurement of cargo space, each PC net ton repre- senting 100 cubic feet of actual earning

capacity), .she is somewhat under the

I2,()()9'PC-net-ton a\eragc of the 2,150

tanker transits made in fiscal year 1974.

representing 15. .3 percent of the total oceangoing commercial transits. The ship is a freqnent visitor to Canal waters, and during one recent

51-niile, 10-hour journey from sea to

sea, she offered an intimate look at fimkers and the Panama Canal— and the people who make them go. Typical of the x-essel's brief stays in no't was the .36^2-hom- stopover at Balboa's pier 7, where 1,200 long tons

of marine diesel, 4.500 long tons of gas

oil (a light diesel). and 13.000 long

tons of Bimker "C" were offloaded. Now in ballast, undocked and waitin"; in the harbor, the ship was headed

back to the Adantic, this time to dn'- do'k at Norfolk, Va. Since her beam is under SO feet, she requires only one Panama Canal pilot, and so it was that about 10 a.m. Capt. Ted Jablonski made his way up a "Jacob's ladder" to take control of Capt. Panl Poppe's ship.

The reason for the extra-casual dress

of officers and crew was immediateh'

apparent—the air-conditioning was on

the list of things to be repaired in

.Norfolk. The Belgulf Enterprise was underway at 10:45, and Captain

Jablonski shed his sport coat soon after. Many new vessels are automated,

with speed controlled from the bridge

In- pushbutton and the engine room unmanned most of the day. Not so the Belgulf Enterprise, built in 1962 by

Kawasaki at Kobi, Japan.

Captain Jablonski's "Half Ahead!"

"Full .Astern! " "Stop Engines!" and other commands were followed bv a brief buzzing fnim the time Third Officer -Michel Ferbeck moved the telegraph

lev er to convey an order to the engineers below until they responded, and

the helmsman echoed ever)' command

as he swung the wheel to the proper

position.

Even while the ship was undenyay.

there was time to talk on this hot, sunny, late-dry-season day. Captain

Jablonski, who spent 17 years at sea before joining the Panama Canal 15

vears ago, talked about the business of getting ships through the Canal. Like other Panama Canal pilots, he

axeiages about .3 transits a week on an annual basis, with each duty tour aver- aging about 12 hours. Day transits are easier, he says; night transits strain both \ ision and concentration.

Thk P.an am.a C.^nal Remew 29
What is the hardest part of taking a ship through? Entering the three sets of locks, each of which has its unique

problems. At Miraflores Locks, the first set on the Pacific side, a 4-knot current

is produced when the heaxier seawater meets the fresh water of Miraflores Lake. It is important to time the ship's

arri\'al at Pedro Miguel Locks just

right, for there may be a wind that will take her sideways if she slows down

too much.

As the Belgulf Enterprise approached

the west chamber of Pedro Miguel

Locks about 12:30, Captain Jablonski moved her toward the center wall. The

wind would help keep the ship off that

wall, he said. On the wing wall to port, water spraying over the "knuckle"

fender reminded one of the party of the incident that had inspired installa- tion of that friction-reducing device in

all locks.

At left: Panama Canal pilot, Capt. Ted Jablonski, radios Marine

Traffic Control that the "Belgulf Enterprise" is ready to begin

her northbound transit.

Below left: Linehandlers board the

vessel as she approaches the locks.

Below: In ballast and riding high in the

water, the "Belgulf Enterprise" moves into Miraflores Locks on the

first leg of her transit.

Fall 1975
One Mav e\ening in 1967, the 735-

foot-long, 102-foot-wide tanker Rebccca, laden with 45,000 tons of jet fuel and aviation gasoline, had brushed

against part of the northeast wing wall

at Miraflores Locks. Jet fuel spurted out and caught fire, burning for nearlv an hour while Fire Division and tugboat

personnel plaved streams of water on

the blaze and the overheated hull. Such incidents illustrate dramatically

the danger that ho\'ers o\er tanker crew

members. Chief Officer Gustaaf ("Staf") Beimaert, who is responsible for safety

as well as general maintenance and the cleaning and maintenance of tanks when the ship is travelling in ballast, said he emphasized fire prexention.

adding that it is better not to dwell on

the effects of an explosion.

\ fire in the crew's quarters or in the boiler room might be contained b\' the ship's firefighting equipment. She

At right: Chief Officer "Staf" Beimaert

is dwarfed by oil pipelines.

Below: Third Officer William Van

Hamme-De Sniet, Chief Officer Beimaert,

and Second Officer Serge Lampole

on deck at Pedro Miguel with a

Liberian tanker in the background.

Below right: In casual dress appropriate

to tropical climes, Capt. Paul Poppe

plots a departure course in

the chart room.

has portable extinguishers, a permanent

carbon dioxide installation, equipment

for steam smothering and spraying

water. Because of the ever-present danger

and the short time in port, tanker crews

usuallv enjov more leave and better accommodations than their counterparts on general cargo ships. The offi- cers of the Bel^ulf Enterprise chatted

easilv—in fluent English, the international language of the sea—about their

life on board, their occasional shore

visits, their vacations and their future

plans.

According to Belgian law, crew members are entitled to 2 months of paid

vacation after 9 months of senice, and

Gulf usuallv grants leave after 6

months.

Chief Officer Beirnaert is one of those Captain Poppe called "the luckv

ones. " Since the Beirnaerts have no

children, his wife Denise is able to accompanv him most of the time.

Sitting at lunch in the Captain's

dining room, b\' a flower box filled with

large cacti from \'enezuela, the Beir- naerts introduced their cat "Tarzan" from Puerto La Cruz and spoke about

.shipboard life. "Staf" said this was the second time he had served for a full vear before taking \acation, and Denise

volunteered that during the past 1-3 months she had left onlv once, for a 4-dav trip home to Ghent.

She has visited the niins of Old

Panama, gone shopping, been to the Church of the Golden Altar, and picke'l

up fresh vegetables at the Canal Zone's "Chinese gardens." Still, in perhaps 50

stops at Cristobal, where the ship calls more frequently than at Balboa, she

has gone ashore only about 5 times. At the other end of the trip, Puerto La Cruz is a commercial center of some

60,000 people located in the region

that makes Venezuela the largest pro- ducer of oil in Latin America and third- largest in the world. But the Beirnaerts are able to enjoy few of its attractions. \\'hen they put in to the terminal, they

stay only 20 to 24 hours, depending on

the cargo to be loaded, and unlike his counterpart on a general cargo ship the

chief officer must be on hand at all times. Beirnaert acknowledges that it is relaxing to have his wife on board and

be able to talk things over, and it is also better for their marriage—senti- ments that were echoed in one way or another by others during the day.

Denise, with Rose Van Hamme-De

The Panama Canal Review 31
Panama Canal pilot Capt. Ted Jablonski

stays alert as he takes

a lonely meal on the bridge.

AJ^

At tlic manifold, located amidships. Chief Officer Beimaert checks one of the

loading-offloading valves.

Some seamen may find time hangs heavy

on their hands, but "Tarzan,"

wlu) shipped on with the

Beirnacrts in Puerto La Cruz, takes pleasure in the simple things of life.

Smet, the wife of one of the two tliird

officers on board, spent part of the day

at the swimming pool behind the deckhouse, as Captain Poppe says the crew

does regularly when at sea. He and the other officers, who are all permanent

company employees, are permitted to ha\e their wives on board, but most have responsibilities at home.

Captain Poppe's wife was in Brussels with their three chikfi-en, and after 4 months alone he was looking forward

to her joining him when school was

out. Third Engineer Frans DeRyck had

onlv been back on board 6 days after a 5-month vacation at his home near Antwerp. His wife had accompanied

him on his last 6-month stint, and he

hoped she might rejoin him next month. As for now, she was basing a new

kitchen installed at home. And Chief

Engineer Roger De Gryse's wife, who

had li\ed aboard 4 months during his

last tour, was home with their grandchildren. Besides swimming, sunbathing, playing ping pong, cards and a dice game

called pitjcsbak, listening to the radio and reading, members of the ship's

comniunitv invent their own anuisenients. Denise Beirnaert is doing a painting b\' numbers. Second Officer Serge Lampole makes movies—last year, one of the Canal. Bachelor Lampole likes the sun and

likes being alone at sea, with time to think. Still, after .3 years with Gulf, he

sometimes thinks life was more inter- esting when he served on general cargo

ships. In those davs, he traveled to Africa, and because the ship was in port for as long as a month there was

a chance to meet more people. Now,

he works 11 months straight, then takes

4 or o months' leave so he can study

for and take the exams that lead up

the ladder to a master's license. As pleasant as life on board can be, there are those who, like "Staf" Beirnaert, look forward to something differ- ent. He has been at sea 9 years, all with Gulf, and says a person "must be

crazv" to stav at sea until he is 60. He

has had his master's license for 3 vears, and for reasons which probably are shared by most of the captains and

marine engineers who gave up going

to sea to work for the Panama Canal,

he would like one day to become a

pilot on the single-lock Belgian canal which runs from Ghent to Terneuzen and have more time with family and

friends. From 1 to 3 p.m., the Belgulf Enterprise was tied vip at the northern end

of Pedro Miguel Locks to allow ships

with "clear cut" restrictions to complete

their southbound transit of Gaillard Cut. (The "clear cut" restriction means

that because of its size or hazardous

cargo one ship cannot meet another in the .5()()-foot-wide Cut.)

The Liberian tanker World Industrij,

whose length of 710 feet and beam of o\er 96 feet recjuired her to use two

Panama Canal pilots, glided into the

east chamber shortlv after 1 p.m. She was followed about an hour later bv the Belgian bulk carrier E. R. Brabantia,

which with a length of 771 feet and a lieam ot 1(15 feet was carrying four

piliits. Seeing those ships at close hand, one understood whv they needed the Cut to themsebes, but it was harder

to sec why a third, the 226-foot by

34-foot Maridan C, should have been

gi\ en such a wide berth—until Captain

jablonski mentioned that she was car- iNing Class "A" explosives.

Cliief Officer Beirnaert took advantage of the stopo\'er to conduct a tour

of the ship, beginning with the well- kept and attractive crew's quarters

lielow the bridge.

Out on deck, he briefly explained the

()p..'ration of the loading offloading

\ al\es, located almost amidships. Pump- man German Lorenzo Magdaleno, one

of se\eral Spanish crew members, was

on deck opening a hatch and preparing

to empty all the oil residue into one

tank so the others could be cleaned at sea.He led the wav down to the aft pimip room. Yellow numbers on all sides indicated where drvdock repairs were to be made. There were four big cargo pumps to empty holds 3 through

8, used for "dirty" cargo. (The foivvard pmnproom discharges "clean" cargo from holds 1 and 2. ) EHiring offloading,

German may work 36 hours straight.

This, coupled with the stifling heat of the pump room in the tropical midday

stillness, made it easy to see how in 2 months he had dropped from 187

pounds to 143. The tour mo\"ed up again, and dow u

into the engine room, where Third Engineer DeRyck and Assistant Engineer

Rafael Vercauteren were enjoying a pot

of tea—brought from above. The room

had a water cooler, which seemed only

fair since all water used on the ship is distilled from seawater right there in the engine room. They can distill 50

tons of water in 24 hours, but normal

daily usage is about 20 tons for the

boilers and 5 tons of potable water.

It seemed nothing short of miracu32 F.\LL 1975
An important link

in a worldwide ciiain

lous to be able to press a button and

drink cool, delicious water, since despite the mechanical fans the wall thermometer registered 118°F. DeRyck,

a \eteran of 36 years at sea, grinned

and said that when the ship is underway the temperature goes up to about

122 "F on the Caribbean run; in the Persian Gulf, a common tanker run, engine room temperatures are e\en

higher.

The two boilers, built to operate at a pressure of 600 pounds and a temperature of 700 'F, burn about 40 tons

of Bunker "C" daily, turning the distilled water into steam that runs the

turbine that drives the single enor- mous propeller that moves the Belgulf

Enterprise. At 3:04 the ship was underway

again, and for the next hour she wended her way through the narrow

waters of Gaillard Cut, hacked through

the Continental Divide bv the blood

and sweat of thousands of workers in the French and U.S. Canal construction

days. Captain Jablonski called out the

orders that kept the bow pointed

toward the large white markers on the banks—the set with crosses to keep her

in the centerline if there was no ap- proaching ship, the set with vertical black lines when there was two-way

traflRc. After hours of unrelenting tropical sun, the slight drizzle that began as the Panamanian \'essel Maritime Challenge

approached was more than welcome.

Captain Jablonski emphasized the

pilot's need for full help and cooperation from the crew if all is to go well. As an example, he pointed out that as we passed the 608-foot bv 85-foot Maritime Challenge its bow wash

\\ould send our bow toward starboard.

At right: Third Officer William Van

Hamnie-De Smet and his wife Rose

take advantage of the stopover at Pedro Miguel Locks to soak up some Panama sunshine on the "monkey bridge," or sundeck, above

the bridge. Waiting behind the "Belgulf Enterprise" is the Greek vessel. "Maria P. Lemos," and at left rear, southbound, is the 771 -foot by 105-foot Belgian bulk carrier "E. R. Brabantia."

stern toward port, and the helmsman

had to be ready to compensate.

The Belgulf Enterprise passed Gamboa and headed into the vast waters of Gatun Lake at about 4 o'clock. She con- tinued to snake along the channel,

marked to keep traffic away from shal- low areas—hills submerged when the Chagres Ri\er was dammed—and the

skeletons of partly submerged trees. The sun was by this time falling in the west, and Captain Jablonski found

himself looking almost directly into it as he sought out the white markers

used to line up the ship. His remark

that "the Canal is heading the wrong

way" seemed apt. Because Panama is shaped something like an S lying on

Its side and the Canal has a southeast- northwest orientation, the .Atlantic ter- minal, Cristobal Colon, is 27 miles far- ther west than the Pacific terminal,

Balboa Panama City; and thus the ship

at times was heading almost due west. More of the cosmopolitan company

that transited the Canal that day-40

in all—trooped by: the Iberville, out of San Francisco, carrying deck cargo, and

behind her the seagoing oil rig. Seismic

Explorer.

Much of what one hears about the

ships that transit the Canal concerns tonnage and tolls. But though Captain

Jablonski noted that the Belgulf Enterprise, like other Canal customers, would

pay not only her toll but also for the

linehandlers who boarded to take her

through the locks, launch hire and other

fees, no one on board seemed in the

least concerned about these matters, lea\ing them to the ship's Canal Zone

agents.

Soon Captain Jablonski radioed Marine Traffic Control at Balboa that he

In the captain's dining room,

Chief Steward Raymond Foucarl

offers Chief Officer Gustaaf Beimaert

and his wife Denise

a preview of the dinner menu.

Not exactly swimming the Canal, but

at least swimming "in transit,

"

Denise Beimaert enjoys the ship's

])()ol behind the bridge.

The bow of the 'Belgulf Enterprise,"

left, can be distinguished in the night lighting as she

passes through Gatun Locks.

The P.a.\am.\ Canal Review 33
CANAL COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC BY NATIONALITY OF VESSELS

Fiscal Year

yotionality Belgian

British Chilean

Chinese, Natl. Colombian

C\'priat

Danish

Ecuadorian French German, West

Greek

Honduran

Italian Japanese

Liberian Netherlands Norwegian

Panamanian.-

Peruvian

Polish South Korean..

Soviet Swedish

United States - Yui;osla\ia

All otherTotal _ _

TRAFFIC MOVEMENT OVER PRINCIPAL TRADE ROUTES

trade rniila—iLorfie commercial vessels, 300 net tons or over) East coast United States— Asia __ Europe—West coast South America

East coast United States—West coast South America^ „ Europe—West coast United States/Canada _ . . Europe—Asia Europe—Oceania

East coast Canada—Asia _ , _ United States Intercoastal (including Hawaii)

East coast South America—Asia __ West coast South America—A\'est Indies

All others __ _ _ _ Total __ _ _ 13,609
Bclgulj Enterprise has it all over her

"super" sisters, which may have to search far and wide for a drydock large

enough to accommodate them.

The sun set during dinner. Back up

on the starboard bridge wing, one

could survey Gatun Locks from the en- trance to the southwest chamber, where

the Bclgulj Enterprise had once again

tied up. Ahead was the Christopher

Lijkcs, which had made local headlines

when involved in a collision at sea. Now she was inching through the locks, a gaping hole in her side. Coming out through the east chamber after her

5()-niinute-or-so trip through the three chambers, nearly a mile long, was the

container ship Wesffalia, out of Hamburg.

All was quiet, save for the peculiar

sound of the winches taking up slack

in the lines stretching from the ship to the "mules"—there would be four loco- motives, with two lines each. All lights

at the bridge level had been extin- guished for better visibility, and the moon casting its light on the waters and the balmy breeze coming in from

sea claimed as much attention as the

locks operation itself. There was so little vibration from

the engine that it prompted a comment

to Captain Poppe, who said the vibration was considerably more noticeable

at sea, at higher speeds. After .3 vears on the Belgulf Enterprise, he said he

might like a ship with the bridge

amidships. At the end of her run through Gatun

Lxjcks, the ship swept smoothly out

into the saltwater, moving full ahead

into the eerie loneliness of a giant

jungle "river" with faintly lighted banks

under the cool light of the moon,

slipping in and out of the clouds. Captain Poppe pointed to the green

light at the buoy where his guests

would debark. Soon, the operator of the launch Dorado nudged her bow up

to the hull of the Belgulf Enterprise

and kept his craft steady in the rolling

wa\'es while Captain Jablonski and his companions made their way down the

ladder. As they were whisked off to the Cris- tobal Boat House, the Belgulf Enterprise, now back under Captain Poppe's

control, mo\'ed in her stately fashion out past the breakwater. Out she went

to open sea, where with one man on

watch, one on lookout and the auto- matic steering taking over, she would

set course for Norfolk and a 15-day

rest before once again taking up her

Caribbean rounds.

PRINCIPAL COMMODITIES SHIPPED THROUGH THE CANAL

(.All cargo figures in long tons)

Pacific to Atlantic

Fiscal Year

Commodity 1975 Manufactures of iron and steel 9,530,091 Petroleum and products 8,191,574

Ores, various 6,415!&16

Lumber and products 3,453,054

Sugar 2,854,950

Pulpwood 2,004,175

Metals, various 1,808,735

Food in refrigeration (excluding bananas) l'683!656 Bananas 1,682,417 Coal and coke 1,515,379

Sulfur I,'l30,'o92 Autos, trucks, accessories and parts 1,004,534

Fishmeal 846,388

Paper and products 654,007

.Molasses 504,648

All other 12,729,947

Total 56,009,293

Atlantic to Pacific

6,735,503

13,712,405

5,995,347

5,585,984

3,228,719

1,716,430

1,047,209

1,692,552

1,486,585

619,215

925,242

946,291

346,779

499,707

505,419

11,532,012

5-Yr. Avg. i965-69 3,668,309

1,262,685

5,702,654

4,716,145

2,547,028

813,937

1,274,872

1,164,560

1,297,688

166,948

221,134

96,271

1,502,000

292,053

354,071

9,457,239

56,575,399 34,5.37,594

Fiscal Year

Commodity 1975 Coal and coke 24,787,965 Petroleum and products 15,713,222 Corn 6,725',887 Phosphate 5,26.3,193 Wheat 4,342,1.33 Soybeans 3,472,908

Ores, various 2,229,713

Metal, scrap 2,14o!969

Sorghum 2,033,457 Manufactures of iron and steel 1,706,312

Sugar 1,398,277

Fertilizers, unclassified 1,180,229

Chemicals, unclassified 889,850

Machinery and equipment (excluding autos,

trucks, accessories and parts) 690,409

Metals, various (excluding scrap) 651,564

All other 10,866,078

Total 84,092,166

1974 18,232,977

18,254,9.37 10,919,757

5,194,576

4,418,231

4,348,814

2,300,563

3,456,625

2,872,474

2,051,215

1,860,653

1,348,859

1,491,644

584,885

560,104

13,435,201

5-Yr. Avg. 1965-69 10,370,494

15,342,941

2,696,185

3,824,274

931,528

2,148,905

1,561,932

2,490,084 N.A.

1,829,850

842,298

485,060

843,470

582,402

1,079,017

8,912,550

91,331,515 53,940,990

CANAL TRANSITS-COMMERCI.\L AND U.S. GOVERNMENT

Fiscal Year

1975 1974

Atlantic Pacific

to to Pacific Atlantic Total Total Commercial vessels: Oceangoing 6,750 6,859 13,609 14,033

Small! 491 3^3 gQ4 gjg

Total 7,241 7,172 14,413 14,859

U.S. Go\emment vessels: ^ Oceangoing 81 89 170 248

Small 1 55 55 110 110

Total 136 144 280 358

Total Commercial and

U.S. Government 7,.377 7,316 14,693 15,217

1 Vessels under 300 net tons or 500 displacement tons. 2 Vessels on which tolls are credited. Prior to July 1, 1951, Government-operated ships

free.

Avg. No.

transits 1965-69

Total

12,503

569

13,072

927 117

1,044

14,116-

transited

Thi; Panama Canal Review 35
vwt



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