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Vol.2, No. 3 BALBOA HEIGHTS, CANAL ZONE, OCTOBER 5, 1951 5 cents

EMPLOYEES TO HAVE NO INCREASE IN RENTALS;

RENT RATES UPPED FOR NON-EMPLOYEES' QUARTERS

Commissary Joins "Set Aside"

Plan For Canned Goods Buying

The Panama Canal Company has joined a cooperative buying program set up by

the United States Department of Agriculture and the Armed Services to insure a steady supply of certain canned vegetables and fruits which may be limited for general consumption owing to heavy purchases for military needs. The Company's participation, through

its Commissary Division, has just been announced by R. L. Sullivan, General Manager of the Division. Through this program, he explained, the Commissary Division will obtain approximately $411,000 worth of canned

supplies during the current fiscal year, or about seven percent of its wholesale grocery supplies.

Some of this canned goods is already on sale in local-rate stores and will be appearing on the shelves of other commissaries within the near future. Other government agencies participating in the Department of Agriculture's "Set Aside" program are the armed services, the Veterans Administration, and

the Federal school lunch program. Mr. Sullivan explained that the Pan- ama Canal Company's participation in this program is a "cautious policy to assure supply—to plan in advance in an

uncertain period."

The Department of Agriculture, he

said, made surveys all over the United

States to determine what crops and pro- duce might be expected to be "in short supply," and then arranged to set'aside the quantities to cover the needs of the

federal units participating in the plan.

During the fiscal year ending next June 30, the Panama Canal Company

will obtain, under this "Set Aside" pro- gram, 10 canned vegetables and 12 canned

fruits. These will supply commissaries,

clubhouses, and hospitals.

The vegetables and vegetable products

ordered are: Asparagus, lima beans, wax

and green beans, carrots, corn, peas, sweet

potatoes, tomatoes, and tomato catsup.

The fruits are: Apples, berries, cherries,

figs, fruit cocktail, mixed fruits, fruit- salad, peaches, pears, plums, and grapefruit sections. The list may be expanded

later if it is considered necessary. Each separate lot, Mr. Sullivan said,

will be inspected meticulously by federal

inspectors. Brands, however, may be dif- ferent from those with which the Commissary customers are familiar, and it is possible that some cans may be unlabelled except for the stamped names of the contents. Of the first lot of 13 items received by

the Commissary Division, four bore familiar labels, four were of brands not pre- viously purchased, and the remaining five were unlabelled.

Board Chairman

KARL R. BENDETSEN

Assistant Secretary of the Army

A can of each of the new brands was

opened, as was one of the unlabelled cans. One of the unlabelled tins was found,

from markings on the packing case, to be from the "Fancy" quality pack of a nationally advertised brand. The Commissary Division, Mr. Sullivan

said, recommends without reservation the canned goods obtained under this plan, actual purchase of which is made by the armed services procurement facilities. It may well be, he added, that if the

anticipated shortage occurs, Commissary

customers will be able to obtain canned

items which are unavailable to friends or

relatives in the United States, as fre- quently occurred during the last war. On the other hand, if international conditions should improve, the Commissary

Division will only have contracted for a

year's supply of canned merchandise, the

quality of which is assured by rigid

inspection.

FEATURES IN THIS ISSUE

# What were things like here 40 years ago? Oldtime messengers at the Administration

Building recall what they found in the early days. See page 6. + The Canal Boarding Parties are the Men

of the Month in the October installment on

the people who help ships go through. See page 8. # The Ciistobal Little Theater is another

feature this month, on page 16; and the Canal Zone Firefighter's Union is described on page 2.

899 Non-Employees

Affected by Decision

of Company Directors

There will be no rental increase on

quarters for employees of the Panama

Canal Company and the Canal Zone Government at the present time. Nonemployees, however, effective November

1 will pay a surcharge of 100 to 150 per- cent on Panama Canal Company quarters. The decision on the rental rates was made at the latest meeting of the Company's Board of Directors September 17

in Washington. Governor F. K. Newcomer, as President

of the Company, had recommended that

the rent for employees not be increased but that surcharges, planned almost a

year ago, be put into effect for those non- employees in Company quarters. Announcements of the increased rental

for the non-employees will be sent with

the November bills early in October. Late in September, there were 899

non-employees, occupying Canal quarters

in the Canal Zone, who would be affected by the rental increase. The plan for the increased rents for the non-employees is substantially the same

as that outlined last January 17 when the surcharge was first announced.

On May 10, however, the increase which would have been effective July 1 was suspended temporarily pending a fur- ther study by the Board of Directors as

to what adjustments would be necessary

to meet changing conditions brought

about by the July 1 reorganization.

The increase in rental on quarters occupied by non-employees is being made to cover increased costs of maintainance, to recover full depreciation charges and to cover a proportional share of the cost of Canal Zone Government in lieu of taxes. The 100 percent surcharge will be appli- cable to members and civilian employees

of the armed services, retired Canal-Rail- road employees, clergymen, beauty shop

operators, and those in a similar category.

The 150 percent increase will affect employees of shipping and banking concerns, oil companies, and similar commercial organizations who now pay a sur- charge of 50 to 100 percent of the regular

rental rate on Company quarters they

occupy. During the September 17 meeting, the Board of Directors also: Approved a plan for a comprehensive

inventory of the Panama Canal Company's fixed assets; Approved the budget for iSeepagefo
THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW October 5, 1951

Local Firefighters Are Charter Members

Of International Firemen's Association

OFFICERS of the Canal Zone Fiiefighters are typical of the youth of the men of the organization. The

Local's president, William M. Pi ice, is now in Washington; but acting president Joseph F. Dolan, left, and

secretary-treasurer Frederick Mohl, right, posed for the photographer at the Balboa Fire Station. Mr. Dolan

has been a fireman for the past nine years and has a brother in the organization. Mr. Mohl is a past president.

Although not the oldest nor the largest

of Canal Zone labor groups, Local 13 of the International Association of Firefighters is one of the most active labor unions on the Isthmus. At one time, the union was involved in a stormy conflict with the administration —when the union opposed volunteer fire- men—and the administration took the unprecedented step, on August 15, 1949, of breaking off relations with the Firefighters. Matters were eventually smoothed

out, to the satisfaction of both parties,

and since April 24, 1950, Local 13 has been re-recognized and now deals with the

officials of the administration in a more

placid atmosphere.

The Canal Zone Fiiefighters have been

members of organized labor since 1915,

according to their president, William M.

Price. In 1918, when the International Association of Firefighters was formed,

the Local on the Canal Zone was one of

its charter members. Today, nearly 2,000

Firefighters unions are affiliated with the

International Association. Through the International Association Local 13 is affiliated with the American

Federation of Labor and is an active member of the Canal Zone Central Labor

Union and Metal Trades Council. The

local's president, Mr. Price, is at present

serving as legislative representative of the CLU-MTC and is expected back this month from Washington.

Although there are no statistics avail- able to prove it, the Firefighters are about

the youngest group—in the age of their members—of any Canal Zone labor union. To become a fireman a man must not be

over 31 years of age; the minimum age is 21.Of the 77 men who man the 14 pieces

of apparatus in the eight fire stations of the Canal Zone, 72 are union members.

The others at e comparativery new arrivals. Unlike the electrical locals, who have a number of men still members of United

States locals working here on a permit

basis, all the Canal Zone Firefighters'

union members belong to Local 13.

Must Be A Qualified Fireman

To join the Firefighters Union, a candi- date must be a qualified fireman, and if he

previously had been a member of another

labor union, he must have a clearance from that union. That is, if a new Canal Zone fireman had been a carpenter or a

painter or a bricklayer before he joined

the firefighting force, he must be able to produce a card that he has separated from

the Carpenters' or Painters' or Bricklayers' Unions in good standing.

It takes six months for a man to qualify

as a fireman in the Canal Zone. When he

is first employed, he is assigned to one of

the Central Stations, either Balboa or

Cristobal, for his initial training. During

the first six months he is on probation and

during that time is given monthly examinations to determine his ability and apti- tude for the job. At the end of the six- month period, he must pass a written examination to become a regular fireman.

Firefighters pay an initiation fee of $5

and dues of $2 monthly, which go to cover union expenses. In addition, the local is assessed its share of legislative representation costs. Unlike some of the other local labor

groups, the Firefighters offer no planned

extension classes to their members. But

they frequently have special meetings for special instruction. During the last war,

for instance, a Navy captain lectured them on the hazards of fire at sea, and

other instruction was given on new phases

of first aid work, which most people do

not know is an important part of a fire- man's duties. jLocal 13 of the Firefighters has played

a prominent part in community affairs for many years. Among other events, fire- men always attend the Fifth of May memorial exercises held each year in Panama

City by the Panama Bomberos and take

part in the November celebration given

by the Bomberos each year. They parade

regularly on Memorial Day and during

other special occasions on the Canal Zone. One of their most successful ventures

occurred in 1941 when the Firefighters

sponsored two dances, one at the Strangers

Club in Colon and the other at the Union

Club in Panama, to raise funds for the

British Firefighters' Relief Fund. The

money raised was sent to the International

in Washington which turned it over to the British National Fire Brigades Association for distribution to needy firemen and the families of men "fallen in the

course of duty."

Local 13 is a contributor to all organized drives and charities in the Canal Zone and has sponsored a (See page 7>

RESUSCITATION of victims of drowning, smoke

job. Sgt. R. W. Wheeler applies the Zone's new "resusci wife of a Balboa fireman.

heart attacks, is an important part of a fireman's

tator-inhalator-respirator" to Mrs. Eugene McBride,
October 5, 1951 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW

Silver City Housing,

Site Bids Advertised,

Bid Schedule Released

Two New Division Heads

I

Bids were advertised September 28 for

site preparation and construction of pavements, utilities, and buildings for the Sil- ver City townsite extension, the first proj- ect to be advertised in this year's $11,000,000 building program. The bids will be opened at Balboa

Heights the. morning of November 27. The bid invitations carry the condition that bidders be prepared to start work

within 30 days after November 27 and

have the entire work completed 270 cal- endar days after they are given notice to proceed. TWO DIVISIONS of the Engineering and Construction Bureau have new Chiefs this month.

Fortv-eiffht masonrv duolex buildings J- hartley Smith, left, will succeed A. C. Garlington as Chief of the Electrical Division. His appointment

» nc . i l A A

' f W however, cannot be made final until the expiration of Mr. Garlington's leave. A native of Terre Haute, Ind- ol 9o apartments are included m mis iana| Mr_ Smith came to the CanaI Zone in June 192g_ ghortly after his ^^^^ from Rose polytechnic project. Institute. He was among a number of young men being employed at that time, directly out of college, by

The project is divided into two parts. The Panama Canal. All of his Canal service has been with the Electrical Division. The first in the name of the Canal Zone Harold H. Feeney, right, is the Chief of the new Contract and Inspection Division. With his wife and p ' • , f

•. n^rnrinn three children, he arrived here September 24 from Camp Ritchie, Maryland, where he was Project Engineer liOvemment, consists or Site preparation,

for the Engiaeer Corps. por arj0ut seven years previously he had served as resident engineer, assistant chief construction of pavements, Sewers, Street f the construction division, and chief of the inspection section of the Buffalo Engineer District. lighting, etc. The second, in the name of the Panama Canal Company, is for con- . ^~* r » « •

r-« i • struction of the other utilities and aii pay Raise One Of Major Subjects

quarters buildings. The Panama Canal ". t a t» /r 11 ^1 <• Company will act as agent for the Canal DlSCUSSed At MOllthly COIlierenCe

Zone Government and will be responsible

for the administration of the entire proj- Pay raises, rental procedure changes,

ect for both contracts. future use of the Balboa dispensary build- Invitations will also be issued for bids ing, and stories on the recently completed

on other construction projects as follows: anti-aircraft program in the Canal Zone The Ice Cream and Milk Bottling Plant were among the major subjects discussed

at Mt. Hope, November 16, with bids to September 27 at the latest Governorbe opened January 16; the Paraiso town- Employee "Shirtsleeve Conference."

site extensions, north and south, where The conference is held usually the last 230 apartments in 115 buildings are to be Thursday of each month at Balboa

constructed, November 9, with bids to be Heights and is attended by representaopened January 8; clearing, rough grading tives of organized labor, civic groups, and

and preparation of Summit townsite, ap- administration officials, proximately 200 acres, November 15, with In connection with pay raises pending

bids to be opened January 4; construction in Congress, the conferees were told that

of 10 apartments in 9 buildings at Diablo Classification Act increases in the Canal

Heights, November 10, with bids to be Zone Government will be a matter of law. opened January 8; construction of 59 Company employees in classified positions

apartments in the Chagres Street area in will receive the same benefits. In the case Ancon, December 14, with bids to be of Canal Zone Government employees

opened February 12; construction of 80 whose rates of pay are not fixed by law

apartments, at Margarita, in approxi- (teachers, firemen, postal clerks), there is mately 56 buildings, December 28, with no authority to apply raises retroactively, bids to be opened February 26; clearing, Acting Governor Herbert D.Vogel pointed

rough grading, and site preparation for an out. The Administration has proposed

additional 50-acre area at Margarita, Jan- legislation which would make such in- uary 2, with bids to be opened February creases retroactive to the date on which

18; clearing, rough grading, and site prep- similar increases in the District of Columaration for the new local-rate townsite of bia are effective. Cardenas, approximately 300 acres, Jan- The Acting Governor also announced

uary 3, with bids to be opened February that he had just approved a change in 19; the Cardenas access utilities such as rental billings from a monthly to a weekly

water, sewer, etc., January 4, with bids basis. The procedure, he said, would simto be opened February 20; and Summit plify bookkeeping to a considerable extent

access utilities, January 5, with bids to be and affect a large savings in accounting,

opened February 21. Employees will have a deduction for rent The dates for the first three items, Sil- with every paycheck,

ver City townsite, the Ice Cream and Another change in rental procedure will Milk Bottling Plant, and the Paraiso be that, except in cases of willful or mali- townsite extension are definite. The dates cious damage to quarters, no "checkout

for all others at this time are approximate charges" will be made. Col. Vogel also and subject to small changes either way. announced that rental rates for non-emPlans and specifications for the various ployees will be increased November 1. projects in this year's program will be on What future use will be made of the

file at the Engineering and Construction Balboa dispensary building has not yet Bureau at Balboa Heights, the Panama been decided, Col. Vogel said. Floor Canal Company offices in Washington and space is only about one-quarter of that New York, and at many District Engineer needed for the main Canal Zone library,

offices in the United States. but consideration is being given to transferring the branch library from Diablo

to the Balboa dispensary building. Plans

are also being considered for use of part

of the dispensary by the Commissary optical department. A first aid station will be set up at the dispensary.

The Atlantic side hospital situation is not decided, the Acting Governor said. Engineers estimate that an expenditure

of about a quarter of a million dollars would be needed to re-open Margarita

Hospital in an adequate operating condition. Eventually, Col. Vogel predicted, a hospital will have to be built at Margarita; for the time being, Colon Hospital

will continue in use. He also denied rumors that Colon Hospital's obstetrical ward would be closed. Discussion of publication by the Chicago Tribune syndicate of a story unfavorable to volunteers in the anti-aircraft pro- gram was opened by James Boukalis, of the Machinists. Mr. Boukalis had a clip- ping which said that "bitter Americans

had turned their backs on the Army's

experiment with 'civilian minutemen'."

Lt. Col. M. L. Jacobs, the Governor's

Military Assistant, who was quoted in two places in the story, said his first quotation had been lifted out of context, and was consequently incorrect. He denied that he had ever made any

statement on the "wholesale firing of American employees."

Attending the conference were: the Acting Governor; E. A. Doolan, Personnel Director; F. G. Dunsmoor, the Governor's Executive Assistant; C. W. Hoff- meyer, J. J. Tobin, W. R. Howe, E. W.

Hatchett, and Walter Wagner of the Central Labor Union; M. S. Goodin,

C. A. Garcia, J. H. Jones, Timothy Ladd,

and Mr. and Mrs. R. F. Ralph, for the

Civic Councils; C. A. Luhr for the Pacific

side Lock Employees; Mr. Boukalis, Machinists; H. J. Chase and R. M. Lovelady,

A. F. G. E.; and R. C. Daniel, Railway

Conductors.
THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW October 5, 1951

Panama Canal Faced With More Difficult Problems

Than Suez Canal, French Engineer Thinks

Difficulties of terrain on the Isthmus of Panama are far greater than those which

the builders of the Suez Canal had to meet 100 years ago, Paul A. Blanquet,

Chief Engineer of the Suez Canal Company, told The Panama Canal Review

last mouth as he ended a week's visit to the Isthmus. M. Blanquet, the third Suez official to

visit the Panama Canal in a little over

three years—J. Georges Picot, Assistant

Director, and Paul Reymond, Naval offi- cer in charge of transits, were here in March 1948—expressed "a very high ad- miration for what I've seen here." Because of the excessive Isthmian water

supply, Panama Canal engineers have to anticipate flood conditions, that is, build dams against overflows and to be sure that there is not too much water, he said. "We have the reverse condition. Life

in our canal zone is only possible when

sweet (fresh) water is brought in from the

Nile. We are dependent for our life on

that sweet water," he continued. The Panama Canal Zone, he said, has

a mountainous terrain where everything

is green and there is an abundance of vegetation. The Suez Canal Zone has nothing but desert sand and low ground; vegetation is found only in those areas where

fresh water has been brought in. The Panama Canal Zone is in a tropical climate; the Suez Canal Zone has a semitropical climate. Another major difference in the two

canal zones, M. Blanquet pointed out,

is that of government. "Here you are working on the basis of a treaty between the United States and

the Republic of Panama by which you

are responsible for administration and

public safety and the hygiene of this zone. "We are a charter company in the country of Egypt. Therefore, we are under

the Egyptian government in everything

pertaining to law, administration, municipal needs, and public life. "Finally, you, as long as your treaty

exists, are eternally here; we are in Egypt

as a concession, and only to 1968." At the present time, M. Blanquet continued, the conditions as to how the Suez Canal will be operated after the expiration

of the company's concession are being

considered by the Egyptian government.

By special agreement with the Egyptian

government, the company is recruiting

Egyptian personnel and preparing them

for the work which they will have to do

in future years. The differences between the two geo- graphical and governmental situations, M.

Blanquet said, explain why the Panama

Canal Company, on the whole, has a far heavier task than that of the Suez Company. These differences also explain why

the Panama Canal, only about half the length of the Suez, has about four times

the Suez personnel.

"Technically," he went on, "the great

factor differentiating our canals is that you have locks. We must admit that that again is a heavy weight on your work. We

have the privilege of a sea-level canal, which means that we can pass ships far easier and cheaper."

Although the Suez Canal is located at one of the most critical locations in the

world, especially at present, it is considPAUL A. BLANQUET

ered invulnerable, M. Blanquet told The

Review.

"We have had the experience of two

great wars. During World War I, we saw

the arrival of a Turkish army, which was

repulsed from our canal zone by French

and British troops. In World War II for a year we underwent aerial attacks by

Italian and German planes, spreading

mines in our waters and wrecking six ships. Nevertheless, in these two wars, our canal had to halt traffic for only a few days. We consider that no attack,

from air or land, could interfere seriously

with our transits." M. Blanquet commented that during

his visit to the Panama Canal Zone he had

been shown the model of the proposed sea

level canal, adding that he considered it a "first class scheme." He went on: "However, I can readily appreciate that

it cannot be started under present conditions." Turning back, for a moment to world

conditions, the French engineer said: "Let us hope that for both your canal and ours, the needs of navigation and commerce will be the ones which in the

future will govern their policies."

Eight PCC-CZG Employees

Taking LSU College Work

Eight employees of the Panama Canal

Company or Canal Zone Government

signed up last month for courses with the Louisiana State University's Caribbean

program. One of the registrants is an Atlantic

sider. He is taking higher mathematics

in the classes held at Fort Gulick. The other seven, all from the Pacific

side, signed up to take such courses as

sociology, history, and higher mathematics. They are studying one night a week

at Fort Clayton.

The Louisiana State University's pro- gram for the Isthmus was designed for members of the armed services, but civil- ians have been accepted on a space-avail- able basis. Regular residence college credits are given for the courses completed.

Anniversaries

Employees who observed important- anniversaries in the United States Government Service during the month of September are listed alphabetically below. The number of years include all Govern- ment service, with the Canal or other

agencies. Those with continuous Canal

or Railroad service are indicated by (*). 40 YEARS

*George N. Engelke, Assistant General Manager, Commissary Division. 35 YEARS

Randall H. Ford, Assistant Superintendent, Motor Transportation Division. 30 YEARS

Arthur V. Corbett, Electrical Foreman,

Electrical Division.

25 YEARS

John L. Haas, Machinist, Industrial Bureau.

*J. Arthur Jones, Wireman, Electrical Division. John A. Madison, Tunnel Operator,

Pacific Locks. *C. A. M. Monsanto, Supervisor, Heavy

Equipment, Motor Transportation Division. Clyde L. Sharp, Postmaster, Fort Amador, Postal, Customs and Immigration Division. 20 YEARS

Orin B. Acker, Wireman, Electrical Division. Eugene I. Askew, Quarantine Inspector, Health Bureau. William C. Bailey, Postmaster, Fort Clayton, Postal. Customs and Immigration

Division. Clinton N. Bohannon, Leadingman

Wireman, Electrical Division. Henry H. Shirk, Lock Operator, Atlantic Locks. IsabelleC.Wolford, Clerk-Typist, Audit

Division. 15 YEARS

Henry G. Appel, Utility Operator, Municipal Division. Robert W. Blades, Policeman, Police

I livision. Paul Cave, Lock Operator, Atlantic Locks. Caleb C. Clement, Lock Operator, Atlantic Locks. Wendell G. Cotton, Housing Manager,

Housing Division. Jasper J. Edge, Locomotive Machinist.

Railroad Division. Borghild L. Hermo, Teacher, Schools

Division. *Barbara H. Matthews, Clerk-Stenographer, Personnel Bureau. Ralph A. Morales, Welder, Electrician and Diver, Production Division. Ira M. Payne, Principal Foreman, Municipal Division. Robert L. Ridge, Crib and Engineer,

Steam, Foreman, Terminals Division. Irving Spector, Small Tug Operator,

Dredging Division. PCC Employees To Have

No Rental Increases

(Continued from page i) the coming fiscal year; Approved generally a project to lease to the Colon Free Trade Zone certain Atlantic side lands adjacent to Colon

Harbor;

And, approved the report of the Treasurer of the Panama Canal Company and

the report on capital expenditures.

The question of a northern terminus

for the Panama Line was deferred for further study.

Karl R. Bendetsen, Assistant Secretary

of the Army, was appointed Chairman of the Board. A four-man Executive Committee which will act on policy matters between the regular board meetings was

also named. Its members are Governor Newcomer, former Governor Julian L. Schley, T. Coleman Andrews, and Edward

D. McKim.
October 5,1951 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW

FOR YOUR

/A

INTEREST AND

LML

GUIDANCE

UL £'CCIDENT PREVENTION

The INDUSTRIAL BUREAU is to receive the Bureau Award for Best Record

for the month of August by virtue of a Frequency Rate of ZERO. This is no mean accomplishment when we consider

the fact that this Bureau also won the Best Record Award in July and is now

tied with the CIVIL AFFAIRS BUREAU for top position in number of awards this year. Investigation reveals the fact that the INDUSTRIAL BUREAU HAS NOT

HAD A DISABLING INJURY SINCE

JUNE 8, through the reporting period of August 31. Congratulations, once again.

The Panama Canal Company-Canal

Zone Government with a total man-hour

exposure of 3,129,648 experienced a fre- quency rate of 15 for the month of August as a result of 48 disabling injuries for the reporting period.

While a frequency rate of 15 does reflect an improvement over the organization's best year, it is felt that a more concerted

effort on the part of those units not contributing to this improvement is well in order and long delayed.

The GROUNDS MAINTENANCE

DIVISION and the MOTOR TRANSPORTATION DIVISION will receive Division Honor Roll Awards for No Dis- abling Injuries for the month of August.

The former has won this award three times this year and the latter five times. Such results are not easily attained. They must be worked for enthusiastically

and constantly.

Honor Roll

BUREAU AWARD FOR

Best Record

AUGUST

INDUSTRIAL BUREAU

AWARDS THIS CALENDAR YEAR

CIVIL AFFAIRS-- ... 3 INDUSTRIAL - 3 ENGINEERING AND CONST 2 HEALTH 1 COMMUNITY SERVICES - 1 SUPPLY AND SERVICE.. . MARINE

RAILROAD AND TERMINALS. __ DIVISION AWARD FOR

No Disabling Injuries

AUGUST

GROUNDS MAINTENANCE DIV. MOTOR TRANSPORTATION DIV.

AWARDS THIS CALENDAR YEAR

MOTOR TRANSPORTATION 5 ELECTRICAL 4 RAILROAD 3 DREDGING.. . 3 MUNICIPAL . 3 SANITATION . 3 STOREHOUSES.. . 3 GROUNDS MAINTENANCE.. . 3 LOCKS.-. .... 2 CLUBHOUSES-. 2 BUILDING 1 HOSPITALIZATION & CLINICS.. 1 TERMINALS - --.0

COMMISSARY... . NAVIGATION

Fire, Our OLD Enemy

by

Captain A. J. Troup

The Fire Division is planning a pro- gram for Fire Prevention Week, October

7 through 13, that will not only be inter- esting to the residents of the Canal Zone,

but will bring vividly to their attention

the fire hazards that are ever present in our homes and will emphasize the vital necessity of taking every care and pre- caution against man's ancient enemy

FIRE. An all-out effort will be made

during this week by the fire prevention

and fire protection organizations through- out North America and most of this hemisphere to control and reduce future fire losses. This effort in the Canal Zone can

be successful with your help. Fire has caused serious concern ever

since man learned to use it. At first, this new thing, fire, was a comfort and great

convenience to mankind, but it was not

long before the caveman found that fire could get out of control and become a dangerous enemy, destroying everything

in its path, all man's possessions, the forest, his family, and himself. It was one

of primitive man's early lessons and

through the ages, up to the present day,

the dangerous relationship of man to fire has been much the same. One of the most terrible conflagrations

in history was the Great Fire of London,

which occurred in 1666, and which caused

great loss of property and life, but which

had the constructive result of starting a concentrated effort by city dwellers toward fighting fire when it got out of control. In America, the first Volunteer

Fire Company was organized in the year 1736 by Benjamin Franklin in the city

of Philadelphia. A few years later, George

Washington, our first president, wrote to the foreman in charge of his estate, directs ing him to be very careful about fire, and

to watch that it was properly controlled. Washington was himself a prominent volCapt. A. J. TROUP, Chief, Fire Division

unteer fireman. Since the days of Franklin and Washington, steady progress has been made in man's fight to reduce loss of life and property by fire. However, the dreaded enemy

is far from defeated as is evidenced by

recent figures published in the United

States, which show an annual loss by fire of 10,000 lives, of which the appalling fig- ure of 4,000 were small children, who

never had a chance against the consuming

flames. The loss of life by fire demonstrates all too plainly that we—you and

I, and the other fellow—are not giving

the attention we should to the fire hazards

that exist in our homes. Our record in the Canal Zone is something we must be

ashamed of, since four children in the last seven years lost their lives here in home

fires. Also during the past year, 43 fires have started in Canal Zone quarters and

investigation discloses that nearly all of them could have been (See page 13)

AUGUST 1951

Industrial Bureau Community Services Bureau

Supply and Service Bureau

Engineering and Construction Bureau

Civil Affairs Bureau

C. Z. Gov't-Panama Canal Co. (This month)

C. Z. Gov't-Panama Canal Co. (1951 to Date)

C. Z. Gov't-Panama Canal Co. (Best Year)

Marine Bureau

Health Bureau

Railroad and Terminals Bureau

Disabling Injuries per 1,000.000 Man-Hours Worked

(Frequency Rale)

4

8

12

12

15

16

17

19

19

32

i

1 ^ i ^^^^H-l

CHM

JBHl^^^H

^^^^H- ^^^

^^^^a=='

10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Number of Disabling Injuries. 48 Man-Hours Worked ..3,129,648

LEGEND

'

[ Amount Better Than Canal Zone Government—Panama Canal Company Best Year ^^33 Amount Worse Than Canal Zone Government—Panama Canal Company Best Year
THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW October 5, 1951

Mud, Dump Trains, Mule Rides, Horse Race

Recalled By Building's Oldest Messengers

Things on the Isthmus were "in a devil

of a mess" when Robert J. Atherley, sta- tion messenger at the Administration

Building at Balboa Heights, came from

Barbados to work on the Panama Canal. The description of Canal affairs, voiced

by President Theodore Roosevelt to a new

chief engineer in 1905, is echoed in substance by Atherley and other Administration Building messengers and office helpers whose Canal service started that year and up to as late as 1913. Oldest in service among the group of long-timers in the Administration Building messenger force, Atherley arrived on June 26, 1905, to see the first of a long

line of "steam shovels and Governors coming and going."

Two days later, Enos Augustus Finn,

distribution messenger, arrived, also from

Barbados.

Homas George Gibson, foreman messenger and clerk in the Administration

Building mail room, came from Jamaica

about eight months later, arriving February 27, 1906. Percy Archibald Eugene Hinds, clerk, in the basement Document Room of the Record Section, arrived from Barbados

in April 1906. The following year, on June 16, 1907, Ernest Edwin Holder, station messenger on the third floor, came from Barbados.

Aubrey Edgar Todd, office helper in the mail room, came from Barbados in 1908. Alexander Josiah Douglas, messenger on the "Governor's Station," came from

Jamaica in January 1909. Ethelridge Daniels, also at the Governor's station, is the junior member of the messenger force, with only 38 years on

the Isthmus. He arrived from Barbados

in February 1913. "They Wanted Young Men"

"They wanted young men to build the Panama Canal," Atherley says, and the young men came in droves—many on

two-year work contracts—and a lot of them went back home soon after their

arrival. "Rain, mud, steam shovels, drills, dump trains going up and down . . digging the Canal right where we lived . . ."

Finn offers as explanation of his first days

on the Isthmus. He was a jockey in Barbados and signed a contract for Canal

work because "racing was dropping

through" at home.

He was a carpenter in the Building

Division at Culebra when he first arrived and held a dozen or so different jobs

before he became a Record Bureau messenger in 1918. A forgotten "first" brought to light by

this former jockey was the first horse race

in the Canal Zone run on the Fourth of July in 1907. The two entries, he says, were owned by two steam shovel engineers and the race was run on the old Cule- bra dump between the Lirio planing mill and the Commissary. "Diamond," rid- den by Finn, was the winner. Atherley was apprenticed to a tailor in Barbados and mixed concrete at Rio

Grande for a short time after his arrival on the Isthmus. Then he started a long

period of service as mail messenger

1 during

which he carried the mail bags, first on

his head and shoulders, then on a mule,

then in a wagon, and finally in a Ford

automobile. In 1917 the chief clerk taught him to ride a motorcycle and Atherley became the Canal's first motorcycle

messenger. "Neither Snow Nor Sleet"

Starting as mail messenger at Culebra

in 1906, he carried the mail bags from the

postoffice to the railroad on his head and

shoulders at first because there was no

road. There were a lot of wrecks and

delays on the railroad in those days

caused partly because the blasting and

digging for the Canal upset the area generally, he thinks—and he spent many

nights at the railroad station waiting for the delayed trains to come in so he could

deliver his mail and go home.

Later there was a mule to ride to carry mail to the station and sometimes, Atherley recalls, he and the mail bags rode the Governor's horse. Then about 1908 a

mail wagon was acquired, and about 1915, the Ford. And all this time the postal

service was growing by leaps and bounds

as Canal digging got underway on a big

scale and there were great increases in the employee force. In 1930, after about 13 year's service as a motorcycle messenger, Atherley be- came a distribution messenger at the

first days on the Isthmus was the sight

of Colonel Gorgas and other medical per- sonnel unloading a carload of dead and

injured workmen brought to Panama

from an explosion along the line of the Canal. "I was terribly scared then," he

recalls. Although he delivered many messages from the sanitary office in Panama and

later in Ancon, to Colonel Goethals at Culebra, he remembers the famous Canal

builder primarily for his straw hat. Gibson became a messenger for the ex- ecutive offices at Balboa Heights in 1914 and he has been clerk and foreman messenger since 1920. For many years he

operated a photography shop and industrial training class for apprentice photographers in the basement of the La Boca

Clubhouse. Hinds had such a strong premonition

of disaster when he arrived on the Isth- mus that he sent his clothes back home

on the same boat. He contracted malaria

in a few weeks. "You had to drink water and moss—whatever you could get then," he explains. The fever "made him jump"

and he made up his mind to go home just as fast as he could get there, despite the taunts of a friend who called him "chicken"

for wanting to leave. Hinds went home

AMONG THE "YOUNG MEN" who came in construction days to help build the Panama Canal are these messengers and office helpers in the Administration Building at Balboa Heights who arrived on the Isthmus from 1905 to 1913.

left to right; Aubrey Edgar Todd, Ernst Edwin Holder, Ethelridge Daniels, Josiah Douglas, Robert J. Atherley, Homas George Gibson, Enos Augustus Finn, and Percy Archibald Eugene Hinds.

Administration Building. He has been a nevertheless and the friend died soon after. station messenger on the third floor for about a year. Gibson was a checker on banana boats

in Jamaica before he came to the Isthmus

to visit his cousin. He just didn't like the

place in those days Panama was a little better than Colon, he thinks—but his father in Jamaica died while he was in Panama and Gibson stayed to take a job

and help his mother at home.

Corpses By The Carload

A friend of the family offered him

"protection" and help in getting a job

and Gibson went to work in the Chief

Sanitary Office of the Canal, at that time

in the present Obarrio Building in Pan- ama. One of his early memories of those

"Back Home To Panama"

Back in Barbados, he worked for a foundry and a doctor, then spent two

years in Brazil and in 1912 "came back

home to Panama." He helped mix concrete for the lock walls at Miraflores,

worked in the Mechanical Division, and

became an executive department messenger in 1918. He has been an office helper

since 1921. Holder wasn't working when contractors were recruiting Canal labor in Bar- bados so he signed a contract and came

to the Isthmus, where he became a black- smith in the Mechanical Division shops

at Empire. Later he served as cook in the Supply Department at (See page IS)
October 5, 1951 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW

Official Panama Canal Company Publication

Published Monthly at BALBOA HEIGHTS, CANAL ZONE

Printed by the Panama Canal Press Mount Hope, Canal Zone

F. K. NEWCOMER

Governor HERBERT D. VOGEL

Lieutenant Governor

E. C. LOMBARD

Executive Secretary

J. RUFUS HARDY

Editor LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letters containing inquiries, suggestions, criticisms or opinions of a general nature will be accepted. In all cases

possible, letters to The Review will be answered individually. Those of suffi- cient general interest will be published

in this paper. Letters must be authentic and be signed although signatures

will not be published unless requested

and names of authors will be kept confidential. Return address should be given but The Review will not undertake to return correspondence of any

nature. SUBSCRIPTIONS

Yearly subscriptions to The

Panama Canal Review to any

address in the Postal Union

$1.00

Postal money orders should be

made payable to the Treasurer, Pan- ama Canal Company, and mailed

to the Editor, The Panama Canal

Review, Balboa Heights, C. Z.

SINGLE COPIES

The Panama Canal Review is on

sale at all Panama Canal Company

Clubhouses, Commissaries, and

Hotels for ten days after publication

date for:

5 Cents a Copy

Single copies after the close of general sales and individual copies

by mail:

10 Cents Each

Back copies of The Review, when

available, may be bought from the

Vault Clerk, Third Floor, Administration Building, Balboa Heights,

Canal Zone. No copies of the first issue are available for sale.

L

SPECIAL BINDERS

for the

PANAMA CANAL REVIEW

are available at the larger

Commissaries and Clubhouses

for 50 cts. EACH

Specially made binders of genuine

leather mav be ordered direct from

the Panama Canal Press for $7.00

each, and imitation leather binders

may be ordered direct from the Press

for $2.50. Both of the special kinds

of binders come with your name

imprinted in gold leaf.

POLICEMEN WEXT back to school too when the Canal Zone's white schools reopened Sep- tember 5, making their first appearance of the new school year at street crossings near schools throughout the Canal Zone. This group of students at the Balboa Elementary School and a sprinkling of parents who came

along to help them register were directed across the street on opening day by Policeman S. R.

Hollowell, himself a former Canal Zone pupil. ENROLLMENT UP

The Canal Zone's white schools have more

pupils than ever before. When the tabulation of registration for opening day was

completed, school officials found that they

had 5,161 pupils registered. This was six more than on opening day in 1949, the pre- vious peak, and 324 more than last year's

first day enrollment.

Registration in the kindergartens and ele- mentary schools was up; that in the junior

and senior high schools and colleges down

a little. Balboa elementary school, with 673 pupils, 88 more than last year, has the largest en- rollment for the Canal Zone's white schools. Balboa High School is close behind with 657

students, 30 fewer than registered last year.

amounted to about $125,000. About 500

claims for refunds were filed here in the first few days after passage of the Reed Bill June

24. The Reed Bill revoked the retroactive tax for the Canal Zone.

GORGAS CLINICS MOVE

Outpatient clinics and the blood bank at Gorgas Hospital moved September 17 to

their new location on the first floor of Section B. The clinics occupy space where Wards 5 and 6 were formerly located.

Clinics at the new location are: Allergy,

dermatology, pediatrics, cardiac, diabetic,

surgical, neuropsychiatric, hospital dental, orthopedic and urology, and the blood bank.

Building 273 on Gorgas Road where some

of the "clinics had been located, will be demolished. Space on the third floor of the Hospital Administration Building occupied by clinics

will be converted to a recovery room near

the operating rooms. TAX REFUNDS ARRIVE

The arrival from The Internal Revenue

Bureau's regional office in Jacksonville, Fla.

of the first refunds for those who had paid

taxes for 1950 was announced September 17 by Wendell L. Lindsay, Senior Deputy Collector for Internal Revenue in the Canal

Zone. Between 50 and 100 refunds were in the

first lot received, he said. Claims handled locally, Mr. Lindsay said,

SCRAP SALES UP

Contracts for the sale of thousands of tons

of both ferrous and non-ferrous scrap were awarded during September in the Canal

Zone, at a price of approximately $183,000.

The contracts were awarded on two batches

of scrap, those for non-ferrous scrap being

awarded on September 6 and for the ferrous scrap on September 14. They were the first large lots to be sold on the Isthmus; previous large sales have

been made through the Panama Canal Company's Washington office. The non-ferrous scrap included cast and

sheet aluminum, brass castings, pipes and

tubings, copper wire and screening, monel

metal rods and tubes. The ferrous scrap

included iron pipes, plates, castings, railroad

ties, and heavy metal steel and wrought iron and steel. HOUSING OFFICE MOVES

The Balboa Heights Housing Office moved

September 22 from its old location near the Balboa gasoline station to the offices for- merly used as headquarters for the Railroad and Terminals Bureau. The move was completed over the weekend and the new office opened for business the morning of September 24. The mattress factory will remain in the

old Housing office building on Mindi Street. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR HERE

Lt. Comdr. Walter Moore Vincent, USN,

arrived September 7 to assume his new post as Assistant to the Director of the Industrial Bureau. A native of Cranston, R. I., he succeeds Commander I. J. Frankel who left in July

for his new assignment.

LOCAL FIREFIGHTERS

dCantimeifrcm page S) member of the Canal Zone Girls State. One of the best-known of the firemen's

extra-curricular activities, carried out with the blessing of Local 13, was the Christmas toy repair work. 'The firemen repaired, reconditioned,

and repainted toys which had been turned

over to them—sometimes their wives

dressed dolls which the firemen were fix- ing up.

In recent years the toy project has not been Isthmus-wide, but last year firemen

at the Margarita and Gamboa stations kept the toy project tradition alive.

In addition to Mr. Price, officers of Local 13 are: Joseph F. Dolan of Cocoli, vice president and at present acting

chairman; Frederick A. Mohl, who is a

past president of the Local, secretarytreasurer; and three trustees, John E. Youart, John A. Taber, and Austin J. Cullen.
THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW October 5, 1951

BOARDING PARTIES have three men each, unless a new ship requires more than one admeasurer. This group is all from the south. L. F. Bushong of the Quarantine Service, left, is a Virginian. He has been

here since 1934 and with the Quarantine Service since 1948. James C. Wood, tenter, Customs and Immigration officer, was born in Alabama but grew up on the Canal Zone. He has been with Customs for 11 years. Florida-born E. C. Flowers, an admeasurer, was a school teacher until he went to the waterfront a few months

Canal Boarding Parties Do Not Share

Poets9 Enthusiasm For "Bounding Main"

People who sing of the joys of life on

the bounding main have never been members of a Panama Canal boarding party. A bounding main under a little launch

alongside a five to 10,000-ton ship is definitely undesirable. The three-man boarding party had al- ready made one trip "outside" to the anchorage the other morning when they were called for another batch of ships.

James C. Wood, of Customs and Immigration and, when the occasion arises, Deputy Shipping Commissioner; L. F. Bushong, of the Quarantine Service, and

E. C. Flowers, one of the Panama Canal's admeasurers, had left their home base at

five o'clock that morning and had

"cleaned up" the four commercial ships

and the two banana boats which were

waiting transit. Ordinarily their work falls into a differ- ent pattern, for a usual morning has nine

or ten ships waiting for boarding and the party does not return to shore, until their

relief arrives just before one p. m.

This day was a little different. Soon

after nine o'clock the Canal lookout re- ported several more ships in sight. When

the lookout estimated that the ships,

coming in a bunch, were an hour out, the boarding party packed up their gear and

started for the mine dock. On the launch

trip out to the buoy at the anchorage

(this buoy is known to the waterfront as "Moaning Schloming," for a former pilot)

they were accompanied by two pilots, Captains Harry Bach and M. C. Hill who

were to take over the first two ships when

the boarding party had finished with

them. Two loaded banana boats, which

need no pilots if they are under 65 feet

in length and have a Panama Canal

operating certificate, were boarded briefly on the way to the anchorage.

Again, unlike most days, the water

outside was glassy and the launch Emerald rolled only a little as she waited at "Moaning Schloming" for the inbound

Queen Adelaide.

Party Roards First Ship

First man aboard, when the Queen

Adelaide pulled up, her accommodation

ladder already down, was Mr. Bushong,

to be sure there were no quarantinable or communicablediseasesaboard. Had there been, the ship could have been held in quarantine. On his way up the ladder he wore heavy work gloves, to protect his hands from dirt, iron rust and, more important, the dangerous steel splinters

which often protrude from the ladder's

side cables. On deck, the members of the boarding

party introduced themselves to the Queen

Adelaide's master, Captain A. Hyslop,

and followed him into his cabin. She was

out of New Zealand, en route to London

via Curacao, and was to take on 60 tons

of water in Cristobal by tug. She was

disembarking no passengers or crew. For the Quarantine service, Mr. Bushong asked Captain Hyslop if there were

sickness of any sort aboard. There was

none. One crewman, the master said, had

a sore back and wanted to see a doctor.

All of the meat aboard, the captain said, was from New Zealand—this in connection with the ban on meat from hoof-andmouth-disease infested countries. The

master listed for Mr. Bushong his ports

in New Zealand, his dates and the one

expected stop after leaving Cristobal.

Provisional, Free Pratique

If the Queen Adelaide had been docking,

things would have been handled in a

slightly different fashion. She would have

been examined for rats and insects and

general sanitation, if she carried only a small amount of cargo and time permitted.

If she were found to be clean, she would

have been given a "Free Pratique," which

guarantees that she meets all quarantine

standards of the United States Public Health Service. She would then have

been permitted to dock.

If she were heavily loaded and thorough

examination impossible, she would have

been given a "Provisional Pratique," and

permitted to dock. She would then have

been required to put rat guards on all

lines and might be further examined during and after discharge of cargo. The

vaccination certificatesof everyone aboard

would have been examined and those needing it would have been vaccinated. (Sometimes Mr. Bushong has vaccinated

as many as 20 crewmen on one ship.)

Although not a medical man himself, Mr. Bushong works under the general

supervision of the Quarantine Officer in Charge, a medical man, who is called on when there is a questionable quarantine

case. And had there been any need for it, Mr. Bushong would have been able to fumigate the ship, probably using the

highly poisonous HCN gas. In the meantime, Mr. Wood was going over other of the ship's papers and questioning the master on some details. He

checked the ship's register to determine

her legality and identity. He verified the

ship's name, the master's name, the name

of the owner (the "Queen Line", of Glasgow), her time charter (proving that she was running under charter to the New

Zealand Shipping Company), and her certificate of inspection, to show that she had

complied with regulations as to personnel,

equipment, and safety. He was given a copy of the Queen Adelaide's manifest

(most of her 6,000 tons of cargo was tal- low), and began to check the crew list. He found that she was carrying 33 men,

including one DBS (Distressed British Seaman) who had come from a ship of the same line. This DBS was a Belgian; Mr. Wood had him called to the cabin to check that his papers were in order. No Explosives Aboard

TheQiieen Adelaide carried no explosive

or inflammable cargo; had she had any of

this aboard, Mr. Wood would have had

to determine whether this was being car- ried safely. He did obtain a Ship Information Sheet, which is filed for every vessel transiting the Canal and which was al- ready made out, and a Declaration of Cargo, which is used in Canal statistics. As the Queen Adelaide had no passengers he was not concerned with that problem.

Otherwise as Immigration Inspector he would have obtained for the Balboa Cus- toms files a list giving the name, age, sex, nationality, passport or travel-document

number, port of embarkation and final destination of transit passengers. For pas- sengers destined to the Isthmus he would

also have examined their passports, visas, and travel documents to see if all Immigration requirements of Panama and the Canal Zone had been complied with and,

if so, given them permission to land. On an American ship, had there been any occasion, Mr. Wood, as Deputy Shipping Commissioner, might have obtained

a statement under oath from the skipper

as to desertion or other absence of any

crew member. Such an oath is handled
October 5,1951 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW

at sea in case of non-docking ships. Or

Mr. Wood could have visaed the Alien Crew List, signed on a seaman, noted the

Ship's Log for previous crew changes or served as arbiter between master and

crew had there been trouble or misunderstanding. As he checked the crew list, Mr. Wood

determined that there were, no Japanese

or Germans aboard. They would not have

been permitted to land in the Canal Zone, without special permits issued in advance. Admeasurer Checks Tonnage

Mr. Flowers had not been idle. The

Queen Adelaide was not a newcomer to Canal waters and had previously been measured. Mr. Flowers had a notebook

and other statistics on the vessel. He

questioned Captain Hyslop as to any

structural changes which might have been made since her last visit. There were

none. He also checked her register against

his office's figures from which the ship's

tonnage certificate had been made up. Panama Canal net tonnage is not the

registered net tonnage of a vessel. The

Queen Adelaide, for instance, had a regis- tered net tonnage of 2,993.44 tons; her Panama Canal net tonnage was 5,024.82. On this basis her tolls were computed at

$4,522.50.

Had there been any structural changes on the Queen Adelaide, Mr. Flowers would

have measured them physically. He

would have had to determine what spaces were exemptible or deductible (space for ship's stores, is; space for stores for sales,

is not, for instance) and would have made

allowance for them. Complex mathematical formulae are used to calculate these measurements, since, of course, the natural curves of a ship's structure must be

allowed for. Most admeasurers are engineers; Mr. Flowers became an admeasurer

a few months ago after years of teaching

mathematics.

Ships making their first transits, are, of course, measured completely. Much of this work is now falling on admeasurers

on both sides of the Isthmus, as all gov- ernment vessels, formerly tolls exempt, are now being measured for "credit tolls"

i. e., the Panama Canal Company's books

are credited with tolls which such vess3ls

would pay were they not government craft. Three Ships Waiting

The boarding party's complicated busi- ness was handled swiftly. There were

three other ships waiting. Next on the

list was an intercoastal vessel, the Noonday. Because she was out of Honolulu,

a U. S. port, she flew no quarantine flag. Lightly loaded with only 2,754 tons of cargo, mostly canned pineapple, she rode

high in the water. The men of the boarding party had to jump to reach her accom- modation ladder. She presented no prob- lems and the boarding party moved on

to the 3,805-ton Anchor Hitch of the Grace Line's feeder service. Officers of the Anchor Hitch were new

and did not have her papers ready. Since she was to dock and since there was one more ship waiting for transit, the Balboa

dispatcher, by radio telephone to the

launch, ordered the boarding party to leave the Anchor Hitch and go on to the next vessel. As they finally headed for shore half an hour later, they saw the afternoon boarding party going on the Anchor Hitch. Last stint of the day was a lumberloaded Greek, the Maria G. Ciducundis,

whose name in English bore only the

faintest resemblance to the Greek-lettered name on her stern. She had no complications and was disposed of quickly.

While the boarding party was aboard

each ship, L. H. Anderson, who has been

operating launches for the Panama Canal

for 20 years, kept the trim white Emerald

moving back and forth alongside the big

ships.- A native of Jamaica, he has lived

in Panama since he was two months old, and has worked for the Canal since 1923. An occupational hazard of his job is sea- sickness, but "you get accustomed to the motion," he said. Sometimes, especially in October and

November, rough water makes boarding

at the anchorage too hazardous for even

the stalwarts who do it day after day. In such cases, the pilots go aboard from

tugs and the boarding party does not board until the ships are brought inside the calmer basin. Mr. Flowers, a comparative newcomer

to the waterfront, had not yet experienced

any hair-raising experiences. Mr. Bushong, however, was one of the boarding

party last year when Customs officer Frank Mayo was drowned at the anchorage. And Mr. Wood still does not care

to think of the time when his hand was

caught between a Jacob's ladder and the

side of a ship. The rail, over which the ladder hung, had broken. Men aboard

the ship had to lift it, Mr. Wood still hanging desperately on, and shove it away

from the side of the ship.

Once in a while, things are reasonably

funny. There was the time, some years

ago, when a Customs officer on watch for smuggled drugs saw packages being toss- ed from a ship. He dived into the water, recovered enough to be used to prove his point—and then, he recalls, spent months

trying to collect a claim for his ruined watch.

Editor's Note: This is the second of a series of stories concerning the men whose business it is to put ships through the Panama Canal. The next

will deal with the pilots. Forty YearsAgo

In September

Although the Panama Canal was not

to be opened for almost three years, construction work was well over the half-way

mark. Less than one-fourth of the exca- vation was still to be done. On September

23, 1911, over 66 percent of the concrete

for all the locks was in place. The work

of setting machinery for the operation of the locks had been started with the preparation of foundations for the machines

to operate two of the Stoney gate valves on the west wall of Gatun Locks.

FROM LITTLE LAUNCHES like this the Panama Canal's Admeasurers, Customs and Immigration

officers board ships. This picture, however, is of the seamen who handle a ship's lines during transit. They

board in Balboa Basin where the water is smoother than outside near "Moaning Schloming." This particular ship is heavily loaded and consequently her accommodation ladder is short. Sometimes for big ships in ballast

the boarding party has to use an almost perpendicular ladder or, w-orse, a Jacob's ladder which dangles straight down 35 to 40 feet.

Specifications and plans for the locomotives which tow ships through the locks had

been completed and sent to Washington so

that bids might be asked. Forty locomotives were to be needed for the Gatun, Pedro Miguel, and Miraflores Locks. The system of towing, which is described at great length in the Panama Canal Record, was the invention of Edward Shildauer of the Canal

engineering staff.

The Isthmian Canal Commission

authorized the sale, to the Chicago House

Wrecking Company for $215,000, of all French equipment and scrap metal in the Canal Zone that had not already been

taken into stock for us? or was not already

in us?. Included in the lot sold were

locomotives, dredges, excavators, and

dump cars.

In September 1911, the Commission re- ported that nearly 1,000 contract laborers had been recruited in the Antilles during

the previous three months. They were slated for general laboring jobs and were in addition to 21)9 men who had been brought frem

Fortune, Turk's, and ether islands in the Bahamas group. The latter group, which would work primarily on the railroad relocation, had been recruited under arrange- ment with a man known as the "King if

the Fortune Islands." Several Peruvian*,

who were not recruited but who paid their own way to the Isthmus, had also teen

milled to the force.

The recently formed organization of employees who had completed six years

of service on the Isthmus was christened

the Society of the Chagres. On September 16, 1911, the society had 75 charter members.
10 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW October 5, 1951

PROMOTIONS AND TRANSFERS

From August 15 through September 15

The following list contains the names

of those employees who were transferred from one division to another or from one

type of work to another. It does not

contain within-grade promotions or re- gradings.

CIVIL AFFAIRS BUREAU

Robert B. Mcllvaine, from Policeman,

Police Division, to Postal Clerk, Postal, Customs and Immigration Division. Samuel W. Meyer, from File Clerk, Per- sonnel Bureau, to Postal Clerk, Postal, Cus- toms and Immigration Division. Richard A. Edmondson, from Police- man to Sergeant, Police Division. Walter H.Morton, from Customs Guard

to Customs Inspector, Postal, Customs and

Immigration Division. Paul Moser, from Recreational Supervisor to Physical Education Teacher,

Schools Division. James E. Stearns, from Junior High

School teacher to High School teacher, Division of Schools. Borghild L. Hermo, from Elementary

School teacher to Junior High School teacher. Division of Schools. Norman C. Slade, from Commissary

Assistant, Commissary Division, to Cus- toms Guard, Postal, Customs and Immigration Division. Ria Rita Simmons, from Clerk-Stenographer, Adminstrative Branch, to Clerk, Stenographer, Postal, Customs, and Immigration Division. Henry E. Argue, from Policeman to Poice Sergeant, Police Division. William II. Munyon, from Police Ser- geant to Police Lieutenant, Police Division. Carl O. Baldwin, from Police Lieutenant

to Police Captain, Police Division. Grace J. Rider, from Junior High School Teacher to High School Teacher, Schools

Division. COMMUNITY SERVICES BUREAU

Alfred Houston, from Restaurant Manager to Clubhouse Manager, Clubhouse Division. ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION

BUREAU

Joseph T. Verchinsky, from Principal

Foreman, Water and Laboratories Branch,

to Principal Foreman, Southern District, Municipal Division. Peter H. Borger, from Pump Operator,

Dredging Division, to Pumpman, Municipal

Division. Manlio Roy, from Civil Engineer, Civil Engineering Branch, to Structural Engineer,

Structural Branch, Engineering Division. Nick M. Elich, from Principal Foreman

to General Assistant Foreman, Municipal

Division. Harland V. Howard, from Construction

Inspector, Engineering Division, to Supervisory Construction Inspector, Contract and Inspection Division. Ovo K. Worley, from Construction In- spector, Engineering Division, to Supervis- ory Construction Inspector, Contract and

Inspection Division. Charles A. Behringer, from Construction Engineer, Engineering Division, to Supervising Construction Inspector, Contract and Inspection Division. William L. de la Mater, from Construction Inspector, Engineering Division, to Supply Distribution Assistant, Contract and

Inspection Division. William M. Sergeant, from Supervising Construction Inspector, Engineering Division, to Contract Officer, Contract and In- spection Division. Walter E. Colclasure, from Clerk, Engineering Division, to Administrative Assist- ant, Contract and Inspection Division. Clarence H. True, from Construction

Engineer, Engineering Division, to Supervising Construction Inspector, Contract and

Inspection Division. William C. Fritz, from Construction In- spector, Engineering Division, to Supervis- ory Construction Inspector, Contract and

Inspection Division. Calvin L. Geiswite, from Policeman,

Police Division, to Utility Operator, Municipal Division.FINANCE BUREAU

Mrs. Nellie M. Audy, from Clerk-Typist

to Payroll Clerk, Finance Bureau. James E. Lawson, from Fiscal Auditing

Clerk, Audit Division, to Accounting Clerk, Accounting Division. HEALTH BUREAU

Arthur W. Smith, from Fiscal Auditing

Clerk, Audit Division, to Clerk, Gorgas

Hospital. Mrs. Delia Pilkerton, from Nurse, to Nurse Supervisor (Psychiatric), Corozal

Hospital.

INDUSTRIAL BUREAU

Christopher C. Bennett, and Alexander Rienks, from Machinist to Machinist and Elevator and Locomotive Crane Inspector, Production Division. MARINE BUREAU

Wesley Herr, from Wireman, Electrical Division, to Lock Operator, Wireman, Locks

Division. Charles V. Scheidegg, from Lock Operator, Wireman, to Tunnel Operator, Wire- man, Locks Division. Walter H. Hebert, from Admeasurer to Chief Admeasurer, Navigation Division. Marshall E. Rinker, from Pump Operator to Accounting Clerk, Dredging Division. George R. Murray, from Dipper Dredge

Engineer, Dredging Division, to Chief Towboat Engineer, Navigation Division. Edward J. Cullen, from Machinist and

Inspector, Production Division, to Steam

Engineer, Dredging Division. Otto A. Sundquist, from Floating Crane

Engineer, Dredging Division, to LockOperator, Locks Division. PERSONNEL BUREAU

Fred A. Durling, Jr., from Student

Assistant, Municipal Division, to File Clerk, Personnel Bureau. RAILROAD AND TERMINALS BUREAU

Donald R. Brayton, from Conductor to

Traffic Clerk, Railroad Division. SUPPLY AND SERVICE BUREAU

Dorothy B. King, from Student Assist- ant to Clerk-Typist, Storehouses Division. Patricia Neckar, from Student Assistant

to Clerk-Typist, Storehouses Division. Max R. Hart, from Fiscal Auditing Clerk Finance Bureau, to Safety Inspector, Store- houses and Motor Transportation Divisions. Lawrence Barca, from Machinist and

Elevator Inspector, Industrial Bureau, to Plant Engineer and Machinist, Commissary

Division. Austin F. Yoder, from Fiscal Auditing

Clerk, Finance Bureau, to Supply Clerk, Storehouses Division. Charles Krause, from Storekeeper, to Engineman, Storehouses Division. SAFETY BRANCH

Edward M. Altman, from Position

Classifier, Personnel Bureau, to Public Safety Assistant, Safety Branch.

QUITE A LOT of water spills over Madden Dam every time the four drum gates are opened.' The lateet spilling at the dam took place September 17, when this photograph was taken. About 20,000 cubic feet of water a second were discharged—enough to fill a good many bathtubs a good many times.
October 5,1951 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW 11 Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

FOR CHILDREN ONLY: As everyone knows, Santa Claus gets all around the world the night before Christmas, delivering toys to all good children. This year, however, Lew W. Mellvaine,

the Commissary's toy buyer, met one of Santa Claus' helpers in New York last February and told him what Canal Zone boys and girls were going to ask for later on. Mr. Mellvaine even arranged

for all the toys to be sent to the Canal Zone for storage so that Santa Claus wouldn't have to carry- so many in his sleigh—or helicopter, if that is what he will use this year. You can see them on

October 19 and tell your parents just what you want. But Santa knew all the time; even if you

change your mind, he knew you would.

As has been done for many years past, the Commissary Division has arranged

for two great centralized toy previews

and sales this year. On the Atlantic side, both will be held

at the old Margarita Hospital. The Pacific side will have sale and preview at the former Ancon Theater building.

The previews will be held Friday,

October 19, from 3 to 5:30 p. m. and from

7 to 9 p. m. Santa Claus will make

appearances at both places during the afternoon showing. No toys will be on

sale on the day of the preview.

The Toy Sale will open at both loca- tions the following morning at 8:30 a. m.

The hours and days of sale will be the same as the regular hours at Ancon,

Balboa, and Cristobal commissaries: Tues- days through Saturdays, from 8:30 a. m. to 5:30 p. m., with the usual noon-day

closing from 12:30 to 2:30 p. m. Cash only will be accepted in buying

toys; charge accounts will also be honored. The following Saturday, October 27, greeting cards, gift wrappings, and Lionel

trains and accessories will go on sale at both Toy Sections. Christmas tree orna- ments, lights, and decorations will not be on sale until December. Further details on this will be released through the Commissary Division's weekly trade circular. Ten Years Ago

In September

If anyone had any idea that the Third

Locks program would not be carried to completion, it was not apparent in the news of ten years ago. Three days after Col. J. C. Mehaffey arrived to become

Engineer of Maintenance and, later, Governor of The Panama Canal, he set off a dynamite blast which initiated dry exca- vation for the new Pacific Locks. A few- minutes later Col. Thomas B. Larkin,

head of the Special Engineering Division,

scooped up twelve cubic yards of earth with the mammoth shovel of a BucyrusMonighan Walker, the largest piece of dry

excavation equipment ever brought to the Isthmus. Eight pretty girls, all daughters

of men who had worked in the Canal Zone

during construction days, posed for pic- tures in the Walker's huge scoop.

Construction was booming. Authorized

were a 312-man barracks at La Boca, a

local-rate mess hall and barracks at Gamboa (recently demolished), two cantonmenttype family quarters at Cocoli, 48 family

quarters and accommodations for 160 bachelor employees of masonry contractors in

the Third Locks towns of Cocoli and Margarita.

A million-dollar program got under way

to double facilities at Colon Hospital

where a two-story ward building, a clinic building, and steam plant were to be

built at once. At Gorgas Hospital, pre- paratory work was started on a new

chapel and mortuary building. The Diablo dispensary was opened.

Bids were advertised on September 8 by

the Army for the construction of two ele- mentary school buildings. One, of'34 rooms, was to be built at Albrook Field; the other, a 27-room structure, was slated for Fort Kobbe. The Albrook building is now headquarters of the Caribbean Air Command;

that at Fort Kobbe was used for the first time last year as a school.

Cristobal port authorities lifted closed port regulations for outgoing ships. The

regulations, which had banned traffic be- tween sundown and sunrise, were modified to permit ships to sail from the

Atlantic side port. The change was made

to relieve port congestion and speed up

outbound traffic.

Air raid sirens, which had been installed

C. Z. Community Chest

Drive To Start Oct. 14

An intensive, short campaign is planned

this year for the Canal Zone's fifth Community Chest campaign which starts October 14, F. J. Moumblow, Chest Chair- man has announced. The goal for the

drive this year is $31,500. Governor Francis K. Newcomer has

again agreed to serve as honorary chair- man of the Chest drive. Participating agencies will be the same

as last year. This year, however, under

Girl Scouts is included, "sponsors of the International Girl Scouts of the Canal

Zone." The welfare and community agencies

for which funds will be raised are: The

Salvation Army, the Balboa and Cristo- bal Armed Services YMCA-USO; the

Girl Scouts; Boy scouts; USO-JWB Armed

Services Center; the National Catholic Community Services-USO; Corozal Hospital's Occupational Therapy and Recreational Program; the International Boy

Scouts of the Canal Zone; the Summer

Recreational Program and Canal Zone

Civic Councils. This year the Chest is known as the "Bigger Red Feather," because of the in- clusion of the USO's with the Armed

Services centers. Headquarters for the Community Chest

organization are at the Balboa Road office of the Canal Zone Credit Union which

has again offered space without charge.

"Telephone numbers at the headquarters

are 2-1787 and 2-3215. Mrs. Douglas Johnston will serve this

. year as Director of the Community Chest

campaign. William Jump, an oldtimer in Community Chest campaigns as well as

in service, will head the campaign for local-rate employees, with Stanley Loney

as his Pacific side vice chairman and James A. Hassocks as vice chairman for the Atlantic side. Mrs. J. B. Clemmons, Jr. will serve again

this year as secretary of the Community

Chest campaign and* Mrs. E. A. Doola'n

will be treasurer. Their headquarters will be the office in the Credit Union in Balboa.

E. D. White, Jr. of Margarita is Fi- nance Chairman for this year's drive. Members of the Executive Committee

are: Charles A. Garcia of Balboa, R. S. Ralph of Gatun, Truman H. Hoenke of Pedro Miguel, E. J. Didier of Margarita,

and M. J. Goodin of Gamboa, all repre- senting the Civic Councils in their Communities. The Chest campaign this year,

for the fourth time is under the sponsorship of the civic councils. Representatives of the Armed Services on the Executive Committee are: Capt.

V. F. Gordinier, for the 15th Naval District; Col. H. H. Schulz for the United

States Army Caribbean; Col. Edgar Gunther for the Caribbean Air Command, and

Maj. William D. Ceely, who served on

the Community Chest Committee last year, for the Caribbean Command.

all through the Canal Zone, got their first general test on September 28, 1941. The

test was the first of a series which was

planned to acquaint Isthmians with various

types of signals: i.e., an oscillating blast for an alert signal, a long steady blast for an all-clear.
12 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW October 5,1951

370 Hours of Police Work End With Capture

Of Hotel Tivoli's Young Second Story Man

A policeman's lot is not a happy one; everyone knows that. It's especially un- happy when he is trying to catch a secondstory burglar at the Hotel Tivoli. (Of course, it can be argued that the

burglar, 19-year-old Steve Augustus Williams, will not have a hilariously happy

time in Gamboa penitentiary for the next

10 years—he can get 46 months off that sentence if he behaves himself—but this piece is about the police!)

The Canal Zone police were justifiably

annoyed at five o'clock on the morning of

last July 14 when the desk clerk at the

Tivoli reported a burglary. That sort of thing is a breach of Canal Zone hospitality as well as of law. Police Sergeant Troy

Hayes, Sergeant R. G. Nichols, Detective

Tom Frensley, and Policemen C. H.

Peavley and Arthur L. Blystone went to the hotel to investigate. They didn't know then that they and their colleagues were going to spend some 370 tiresome, tedious hours on the case before they had

Williams started to Gamboa.

The first case was simple enough. The

victim was one Lee Hines, a transient guest about to leave by plane. His ran- sacked suitcase, its contents spread all around, was found in a hallway near Mr.

Hines' room, No. 164. Clothing, eyeglasses, a fountain pen, and other miscel- laneous items, worth together some $48, were missing, as well as a $100 planeticket. There was no indication that the doors had been forced and smudged finger- #

prints on the luggage and elsewhere were'

valueless, as identification. (By this time, Police Sergeants H. V. Crooks and Har- vey Rhyne and Officer N. J. Lewter had

joined the burglary detail.) No. 2—Three Hours Later Three hours later, Dr. and Mrs. James

G. Townsend, in room 268, reported that

their room had been entered while they were asleep. A $1,400 ring and a $150

wrist watch were missing. In his haste, the burglar had overlooked $285 in cash

in an overnight bag. The print of a bare

foot was found outside on a porch and

powder brought out several good fingerprints in the Townsend's room. But the prints fitted none of the 100

hotel employees or former employees who

were investigated and no such prints were

found in the comprehensive police files. All-night watches were placed around the

hotel, with special attention to week-ends. Nothing developed, no one suspicious was seen. On August 1 1 a guest in room

164 (scene of the first burglary) reported

a theft. His billfold containing $480, was

missing. The wallet, empty and wiped

clean of prints, was found later near the porch steps. As luck would have it, Ser- geant Nichols, who had planned to watch

the hotel all night, was discovered by a

hotel employee at 3:30 a. m. and, concluding that further surveillance was useless, had left his hiding place. In the meantime watch was kept on pawnshops, jewelry stores, the rooms of possible suspects, all with the full cooperation of the Panama police. Four local- rate employees of the hotel, who had been

working at the time of the burglaries,

underwent lie-detector tests. Also tested was the unemployed brother of one of them. Four of the five were cleared but

the fifth gave indications that he knew

something of the crimes. (Investigators now believe that he had found the missing but empty billfold of burglary No. 3, searched it and wiped off his fingerprints,

all without making a report of his find. He had been under investigation in Pan- ama for assault and is serving a three- month's sentence on this count.) No. 4—August 19 The hunt went on, on both sides of the Isthmus, but on August 19 there was a fourth burglary. Mr. and Mrs. J. Y.

Caldwell, who had been assigned to room

268 (the same as that in which the second

burglary occurred) reported the loss of Mrs. Caldwell's purse, containing $27 in cash and commissary coupons. About two

o'clock that morning, she told the police, she had been awakened by the slamming

of the screen door and had seen someone

EVERY DETECTIVE en the Canal Zone force worked at some time or another on the Hotel Tivoli

burglaries. Three of them compare some of the hundreds of fingerprints which were taken during the investigation. Standing, left, is Hiram Overall, who spotted burglar Steve Williams as he entered the hotel for the last time. Sgt. Harvey Rhyne is seated, with Thomas Frensley, right.

running down the outside porch. There were indications that the burglar had

climbed over the corridor door transom. The stolen purse, empty, was found on

the grass outside the hotel. This last was just too much for the

police. Any burglaries, they feel, are no

good, but that many, no! All routine

detective matters were suspended and the

entire force put to work on the Tivoli

burglaries. William R. Dunn, a Cristobal

police officer not well known on the Pacific side, entered the hotel as a guest to watch from the inside. The break came the morning of August

24. About two o'clock that morning detective Hiram Overall, outside the north

wing, saw a man come from Tivoli Avenue, remove his shoes and climb over the

railing of the steps leading from the ground to the first floor porch. Detective

Overall followed, first taking the precaution of hiding the suspect's shoes. A few

minutes later, the burglar slithered over

the transom into his old stamping ground, room 268, where Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell were asleep. Overall called his Cristobal

colleague on the first floor for help.

They Caught Him

In the meantime, however, the thief had gotten into room 266, part of a suite with the Caldwell's room, but had, as it later turned out, also made a foray into nearby room 260 where he helped himself

to some property. He startled Mi s. Caldwell, who screamed. The burglar fled down the porch. As he ran he collided with officers Overall and Dunn and a

third colleague, H. H. Summerford.

What the burglar did not know was

that he had fallen neatly into a trap, baited with a $20 bill (belonging to Sgt. Nichols) which had been covered with a powder which glows under ultra-violet

light. His hands and clothing shone bril- liantly a short time later, when he was

placed under the special light. Later, after questioning, the burglar,

Williams, admitted all the thefts and on September 4 was sentenced to 10 years

in Gamboa.

The case, though, was not ended for the police. They wanted to get the stolen property back. Questioned as to Mrs. Townsend's ring, Williams gave a number of false leads and finally said he had

sold it to an individual who frequented a Panama City pool hall. This character admitted receiving a ring from Williams

but said he had sold it to a woman for

$8. This woman was located at Matias

Hernandez Hospital and the ring traced,

through her to another woman and a pawnshop, to its present possessor. After

all that, it turned out to be the wrong

ring; its owner has not yet been located. The Panama and Canal Zone detectives had to start all over again. Questioned once more, Williams at last remembered

having given such a ring to his landlady.

She recalled that she had sold it to her fireman son for $1. The fireman, located

after a lengthy search, eventually remembered this transaction and led the detectives to a Bomberos' dormitory in the market section of Panama City. The $1,400

ring was hanging on a nail in the wall! Pouncing on it, the detectives told the Bombero and his mother what the ring was worth. The woman fainted.
October 5,1951 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW 13

We Don't Have Everything

At Diablo Clubhouse . . .

. . . but we do have a lot of things that bring a lot of people to the Clubhouse

clay after day, year after year, and at all hours of the day and night. In fact, at Diablo Clubhouse, we have just about everything there is at any Canal Clubhouse,

and more, because we have the big boss, too.

For instance, . . .

if There is food. That's in our cafeteria section. There you get the good solid variety that you want at mealtime or the sodas and sundaes or cokes or what-haveyou for the calories in between.

-k Then there are all kinds of things to buy. They're in our merchandise section. People go there for a new lipstick, a cigar, a candy bar, a New York Times, a roll of film, a phonograph record and all kinds of things like that.

ir And there's a theater. If you're interested in statistics, it has 450 seats. If you're interested in movies, it has them too—the common garden variety Hollywood

productions most of the time, the "arty" variety on the last Thursday of the month,

chiller-mystery-horror shows at 10:30 o'clock one Friday night a month . . . and

sometimes, dramatic productions, by Isthmians for Isthmians and their mutual

entertainment.

if The ballroom on the second floor brings a lot of people to the Clubhouse, too. They gather there for meetings, bingo, dinner dances, and banquets, and all kinds

of things people find to get together for.

if A dance floor and a juke box draw the just-beyond-small-fry crowd through

a red door to (what do you know?) the "Red Door," a new and special little gathering place where people sometimes have small informal parties.

if There's an eight-lane bowling alley accredited by the American Bowling Congress, and bowled on by many a local league.

if We even have a Library in the building, a new branch of the Panama Canal

Library.

if Some people who are run down at the heels come to the Clubhouse because it has a shoe shop. * Others who want a new suit or their pants pressed come to see our tailor.

if Grown-up girls who want a new dress or drapes to match the new slip covers

talk their problems over with the seamstress.

ir Lots of ladies come regularly for their wave sets and manicures. They go to the beauty shop. • Employees of the offices of the General Manager of the Clubhouse Division,

and the General Manager too—that's Wilson Crook—arrive every morning bright

and early and stay here all day because that's where they work on the second floor of the building.

if Motion picture equipment from theaters all over the Isthmus is brought here every now and then because here's where it is fixed—in the motion picture equipment maintainer shop on the first floor of the building.

We don't say the place is just like Grand Central Station—because we don't have any trains. But, we repeat, we do have a lot of things that bring a lot of people to the Diablo Clubhouse day after day, year after year, and at all hours of the day

and night.

And that's just the way we like it. Why don't you come, too?

MUD AND DUMP TRAINS

{Continued from page 6) Culebra Cut, La Boca, then left the Canal to become a bartender

in the Hotel Normandie in Panama. A Canal official who used to play poker

at the hotel asked Holder if he would like to come back to work in the Canal Zone, and he took a job in 1911 as messenger in the Executive Department at Culebra. He left Canal service again in 1920, worked in the Metropole Bar and drove

his own bus in Panama until 1940, when

he came back to his present Canal job.

Todd's first job for the Canal was in the "feeble ward" at Ancon Hospital

"farm" in the area now occupied by the houses of the Health Director and Lieut- enant Governor, at Balboa Heights. It was commonly called "the farm" Todd

says, because at some earlier time the land had been used to raise foodstuffs for the hospital. As attendant at the hospital, Todd says he saw them "come in droves with dysentery, malaria, and typhoid."

Gorgas A "Sweet Gentleman"

Colonel Gorgas, later General, the Canal's famed first Chief Health Officer, was "a sweet gentleman who never lost his temper and always had a smile and

talked nice." Todd says his daughter,

"Miss Eileen," was the same way. When the present Administration Building at Balboa Heights was opened in 1914, Todd was transferred to the Record Bureau as messenger. He became a clerk in 1919 and since 1926 has been an office helper. Douglas came to the Isthmus in 1909 with his mother to join his brother who was already working for the Canal. He worked in Panama as clerk and

watchman for a short time, then became

an attendant at Ancon Hospital, where

his brother was working. He first worked

in the "private" wards where the nurses

quarters are now located, then in the

isolation wards, at that time located near

the present site of the Governor's house

at Balboa Heights. He remained there

until 1918, then took over his present job

as messenger for the Executive Department in the Administration Building. Daniels is a second generation Canal

employee who came to the Isthmus to

join his father who had been here since 1907. Daniels' first Canal job was that

of janitor in the old Administration

Building at Ancon—the present District Court Building. He became a messenger

in the present Administration Building in 1918 and has been at the "Governor's

Station" since March 1930.

Fire, Our OLD Enemy

(Continued from page 5) prevented had a

little care been taken. Prevention could

also have whittled down the figure of $700,000,000, which is the report of property losses from fire in the U. S. per year.

All Canal Zone residents are invited to

visit the fire stations on the Zone during

Fire Prevention Week. You will be given

a warm welcome by the men on duty who

will be glad to show the equipment on

display and to discuss your particular fire hazard problems. Further announce- ments concerning the program for Fire Prevention Week will appear in the local newspapers.

532,695 persons were killed in all nine American Wars through May 1951.

979,700 Americans were killed in motor

vehicle accidents through May 1951.
14 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW October 5,1951

TOUR HEALTH our out-of-doors

Questions About The Blood Bank

Since the establishment of the Blood

Bank at Gorgas Hospital almost two

years ago the Canal Zone public has taken a great deal of interest in donating

blood for other people. The staff at the Blood Bank has cheerfully answered hundreds of questions concerning the giving

of blood, many questions being repeated

almost daily. Why not?—everyone who

donates blood has a natural curiosity to

find out all he can about the procedure

and how it will affect him.

The staff of the Blood Bank has pre- pared a list of a dozen questions which

are asked frequently, together with the answers. These are printed below for the information of all concerned.

1. How much blood can I give?

The usual amount taken is 500 cc, or one pint. The same amount is usually

given to the patient.

2. How much blood is in my body?

The average person has 12 to 15 pints

of blood in his body.

S. Will the procedure hurt me?

Certainly not! A needle is inserted through the skin into a vein in the arm, and the the blood flows into the receiving

bottle.

4- Why does the blood flow uphill into

the bottle? There is a vacuum in the receiving

bottle which causes the blood to flow

into the bottle.

5. Will I suffer any ill effects from

donating a pint of blood? No. You will be kept lying down for a few minutes after the donation is completed, then you may resume your usual

activities. Your body will make up the

loss of blood in a short time.

6. How often can I donate blood? Blood can be donated every eight weeks

with safety. However, for the Blood

Bank purposes, a donor is not permitted

to give blood oftener than once in three months.

7. How many types of blood are there? There are four major types: Type A

occurring in 39 percent of people, Type

B in 12 percent, Type AB in 4 percent, and Type in 45 percent (this is the

International Classification and is based on studies made in the U. S.; studies based on the Isthmian population are

slightly different).

8. Will the type of my blood change after donation? No. Normally a person's blood type

never changes.

9. Can Type A blood be given to a patient who has Type B blood? No. As a rule, donor's blood and patient's blood must be of same type; however, Type blood may be given to any

patient in an emergency.

10. How do yon know if donor's blood is acceptable to the patient?

The blood of the donor and the blood

of the patient are always cross-matched

before a transfusion is given to be sure they are compatible.

11. Will I be given a card after giving blood that will show my blood type?

Every donor is typed and a card showing his blood type is mailed to him.

12. Where is the Blood Bank, and when

is it open?

The Blood Bank is located in Gorgas

Hospital, first floor, Section B (old Ward

6); it is open from 8:30 to 10:30 each morning from Monday through Friday.

THIS MONTH'S CALENDAR

OCTOBER

5th—American Legion, Post No. 6, Gamboa Legion Hall, 7:30 p. ra. 7th—Masters, Mates, and Pilots, No.

27, Diablo Clubhouse, 9 a. m. 8th—American Legion, Post No. 1 , Bal- boa Legion Home, 7:30 p. m. Blacksmiths, No. 400, Balboa Lodge Hall, 7:30 p. m. Machinists, Xo. 699, Margarita K.

of C. Hall. 7:30 p. m. 9th—American Legion Auxiliary, No.

1 . P.. ill >o.i 1. 1 -ion I lome, 7 :30 p. m.

V. F. W., Post Xo. 100, Old Bov

Scout Bldg., Cristobal, 7:30 p. m.

Electrical Workers, Xo. 397, Bal- boa Lodge Hall, 7:30 p. in. Painters, No. 1232, Cristobal Legion

Hall, 7 p. m. 10th—Pacific Civic Council, Jewish Welfare Board, 7:30 p. m. American Legion, Post No. 2, Cris- tobal Legion Home, 7:30 p. m. AmericanTegion, Post Xo. 7, Fort

Clayton, 7:30 p. m. 14th—Plumbers, Loral Xo. 606, Balboa Lodge Hall, 9:30 a. m,

Steamfitters, No. 652, Margarita

Clubhouse, 9:30 a. m.

15th Electrical Workers, No. 677, ('..nun Masonic Temple, 7:30 p. m.

16th—Operating Engineers, No. 595, Margarita K. of C. Hall, 7 p. m. 17th—A. F. G. E., No. 14, Balboa Clubhouse, 7 p. m. American Legion Auxiliary, Xo.

3, Gatun Legion Hall, 7:30 p. m.

Octob er Sailings

From Cristobal

Panama October 5

Cristobal _ _ __ October 12 Ancon October 19 Panama... October 26 From New York

Cristobal _ __ __ ^October 3 Ancon __ . October 10 Panama October 17

Cristobal . .October 24 Ancon. .. October 31

V. F. W., Post Xo. 40, Balboa K. of C. Hall, 7:30 p. in. 18th—American Legion Auxiliary, No.

6, Gamboa Legion Hall, 7:30 p. m. 19th—V. F. W., Post No. 3857, Cristobal, 7:30 p. m. Commissary Toy Sale Preview

Margarita Hospital and Ancon

Theater, 3-5:30 p. in., 7-9 p. m. 20th Commissary Toy Sale begins, Margarita Hospital and Ancon Theater, 8:30 a. m.-12:30 p. m., 2:30-

5:30 p. m.

21st—Central Labor Union- MetalTrades

Council, Balboa Lodge Hall, 8:30

a. m. 22d—V. F. W. Auxiliary, Post Xo. 3822

(Editor's Note: the material for this column has been prepared by Walter R.

Lindsay, Chief of the Grounds Maintenance

Division who is also in charge of the Canal Zone Experiment Gardens.)

October is a poor month for flowers but

there are several worthy of mention. The

Heliconias (wild bananas or plantanilla)

have been especially colorful this year. At

least three species may still be seen along

the Madden Road.

Heliconia latispatha is the most com- mon species of wild banana found on the

Pacific side of the Isthmus. It is the

species with upright inflorescence com- monly found growing along the highways

and other waste places. Heliconia mariae or Beefsteak Heliconia is one of the tallest species found in this region. The plants often reach a

height of 20 feet or more and have flat, red

inflorescence which are often a yard long. Heliconia curtispatha is the most showy

species of Heliconia found in Panama. Its handsome pendant inflorescence is pre- dominantly red and yellow with bright blue seeds. The plants are common on

the Atlantic side of the Isthmus and may

still be seen in flower along the road to Fort San Lorenzo. The Panama Poinsettia (Warscewiczia

eoccinea) is starting to bloom. The long

panicles of fiery red bracts make this small

tree one of the handsomest in Panama.

It is a relative of the coffee tree—but who

but a botanist would ever guess it? Plants

in flower may be seen as one drives through the Canal Zone Experiment Gardens at Summit.

Two of the showy, yellow-flowered Cassias (Cassia multijuga and C. spectabilis)

may also be seen in flower at the Experiment Gardens. Many people have inquired recently

about the large showy tree on the west

side of Gamboa Highway near the en- trance to the Experiment Gardens. This

is a fast-growing timber tree, Terminalia

myriocarpa, which was introduced into the Canal Zone in 1927 from West Africa. The wood is comparable to that of the Central American mahogany. The abundant small, fuzzy flowers are creamcolored and are followed by clusters of small, crimson, winged fruits. Those who are interested in orchids might like to know that September and

October are the months when the Cattleya

deckerii is in bloom. This, by the way, is the only species of Cattleya found growing wild in Panama.

The flowers are small compared to the commercial species of Cattleya but their lack of size is compensated for by their profusion. There are commonly five to 20 lavender flowers on a stem.

Post Home, 7:30 p. m. 23d—V. F. W., Post No. 100, Old Boy Scout

Building, Cristobal, 7:30 p. m. Operating Engineers, No. 595, Balboa Lodge Hall, 7 p. m. 24th American Legion Auxiliary, No.

2, Cristobal Legion Home, 7:30

p. m. American Legion, Post Xo. 7, Fort

Clavton, 7:30 p. in. A. F. G. E., No. 88, Margarita Clubhouse, 7:30 p. m. 25th Governor-Employee Conference,

Board Room, Administration

Bldg., 2 p. m. NOVEMBER

1st—Carpenters, No. 667, Margarita

Clubhouse, 7:30 p. m.
October 5, 1951 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW 15

Order Of Draft Call

Outlined For Zone

By Selective Service

Procedure which will be followed for the induction into the service of Canal Zone residents, or of those registered with

the two Canal Zone Selective Service Boards has been outlined by local Selective Service officials. First to be called will be those who vol- unteer for service. They will be inducted

in the order in which they volunteered. The volunteers may be either United

States citizens who have registered for Selective Service but who have not yet been called, or non-U. S. citizens who are within the 18-25 year age group, residents

of the Canal Zone, without dependents

and with no record of conviction of a

felony. Additional information concerning the voluntary induction of aliens is obtainable from either of the two Canal Zone Local Boards.

After the volunteers, non-volunteers

will be called up in order of their dates

of birth, with the oldest being selected

first. The sole exception to this procedure

is that in case of a delinquent, i. e., a person who has violated Selective Service

regulations by failure to register or failure to comply with any other Selective Service obligation, he will be selected and

ordered to report for induction before any

other non-volunteer. When two or more registrants have the same birthday they will, among themselves, be selected in alphabetical order. No quota has yet been fixed for the Canal Zone, although the local Selective Service will have a credit for those Canal Zone men who have entered the armed

services. Quotas are determined on the basis of the actual number of registrants classified I-A and I-A-0 (conscientious objectors)

who have been found acceptable for

service. When A. C. Medinger, State Selective Service Director, is notified that a certain number will be needed from the Canal

Zone, each local board will select for in- duction its proportion of the number of men required to fill the call. They will be chosen from the registrants classified in I-A and I-A-O, who have been found

acceptable for service. Class I includes Class I-A, those who

are available for military service; Class

I-C, those already in the armed service; Class I-D, those who are members of re- serve components or students taking specific types of military training. In Class II are those who are deferred because of occupation, including students. In Class III are those who are deferred because of dependents.

Class IV includes those who have been

deferred specifically by law, i. e., certain veterans, elective officials, or because they

are unfit for military service. And those

in Class V are overage for military service. Seven young men, all of whom had registered in the United States, were inducted

into the army here September 24 on the request of the boards with which they

registered.

Registration for Selective Service is not new to the Canal Zone but the Selective Service organization is the first ever established here. Beginning in 1940 when regAMERICAN MEN between the ages of IS and 26 registered September 6 for Selective Service, the first such registration held on the Isthmus since the days of World War II, and the first ever held under a Canal Zone Selective Service organization. In the top picture, Lt. Gov. H. D. Vogel, Executive Secretary E. C. Lombard, and Selective Service Director A. C. Medinger watch the registration at the Balboa Railroad Station. The first day's registration at both Boards was 227. In the lower picture, registrars and officials of Local Board No. 2 in Cristobal sign up the day's first two

registrants. Left to right, seated: W. L. Howard, Chief Registrar; Thomas Anthonv Brenuan, 19, of Gatun,

a senior at Cristobal High School; Victor Fisher, a registrar; Thomas Newton Stewart, 25, a Canal Zone fire- man, and Sherman C. Brooks, a registrar. Standing are Judge E. I. P. Tatelman, Chairman of Local Board No. 2, and Mrs. Frances Hunnicutt, the Board's clerk.

istration became compulsory in the conti- nental United States for men between the ages of 21 and 35, Canal Zone men in that age group were required to register within

five days after they reached the United

States. This was later changed from the

five-day period to "as soon as possible." In October 1943, by Presidential Proclamation, registration was extended to the Canal Zone and on November 15, all Canal Zone American male citizens between the ages of 18 and 44 were registered. Where registrants gave addresses

in the United States their cards were for- warded to selective service boards in those

locations; the registration cards of locally

registered men without United States addresses were sent to Board No. 1, in Washington, D. C. Their classifications were then deter- mined by the boards to which their

registration cards had been sent.

RETIREMENTS IN SEPTEMBER

Employees who retired at the end of September, their birthplace, titles, and length

of service at retirement, and their future addresses are: Clarence J. Ackerly, New York, Accounting Clerk, Audit Division; 34 years,

7 months, and 28 days; Mayetta, N. J. Dr. Claire C. Clay, Iowa, Manager,

Mindi Dairy; 27 years, 3 months, and 17 days; California. Arthur V. Corbett, Maine, Foreman,

Electrical Division; 21 years, 14 days; Otter

Creek, Maine. Albert C. Garlington, South Carolina,

Electrical Engineer; 40 years, 10 months,

and 5 days; Newberry. South Carolina. Otto E. Griggel, Connecticut. Air Compressor Operator, Dredging Division; 27

years, 5 months, and 21 days; Wethersfield, Connecticut. Myron R. Herrin^ton, New York, Postal Clerk; 31 years. 11 months, and 8 days; Ancon. Leon A. Koperski, Michigan, Machinist, Production Division; 41 years, 6 months,

and 14 days; Los Angeles, California. Arthur R. Lane, New Jersey, Senior Control House Operator, Atlantic Locks;

34 years, 1 month, and 10 days; Orlando,

Florid. i. Earl W. Melrose, Illinois, Electrician, Motor Transportation Division, 21 years,

8 months, and 1 day; Springfield, Ohio. Harold A. Shafer, Mississippi, Engine- man, Storehouses Division; 35 years, 11 months, and 7 days; San Diego, California.
16 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW October 5, 1951

"PETTICOAT FEVER'

the set and part of the cast.

was one of the most successful of the Little Theater's productions. Here are

Little Theater Goals: Fun And Funds

Fun for its members and funds to help

others who are less fortunate are the two

"F's" for the 80 members of Cristobal's

Little Theater. A good many people on both sides of the Isthmus have seen and enjoyed the productions staged by the Little Theater. But not too many know that since the group was organized in 1939 - the first meetings and the first plays were held in the basement of the Colon residence of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Motta—it has raised over $4,000 for the Shrine Hospitals for Crippled Children; raised over $500, in a Rotary Club-sponsored production, for the Old People's Home at Puerto Pilon; has sponsored Boy Scout Troop 6, recog- nized as one of the best on the Isthmus,

and, during the war years, played to over

15,000 service men and women, donating

time, talent, and facilities without one penny of compensation.

Only a few months after the Cristobal

Little Theater was formed it had out- grown its Motta-basement home and be- gan to look for a place to call its home.

An agreement was made with Council 801,

Boy Scouts of America, whereby the

Little Theater agreed to assume the re- sponsibility for the maintenance of the old French building known as the "Scout Shack" and sponsor Troop 6 which used

the building as a meeting place. In return the group was entitled to make such changes and alterations as would improve it for their purposes. Most

of the work has been accomplished by the members themselves who, considering it a

labor of love, have an affectionate regard

for each nail and plank put into the Shack. At least $6,000 has been expended

in these improvements.

Over 60 Plays Presented

By working hard, surmounting obstacles, solving difficult problems, in fact by

achieving the impossible more than once, the group has presented over 60 plays. Included are many celebrated Broadway

hits such as "The Torchbearers," "Out- ward Bound," "Blithe Spirit," "Arsenic

and Old Lace," "You Can't Take It With

You," and many others. Starting with a charter membership of about a dozen, none of whom remain on

the Atlantic side at present, the membership reached a peak of 300 during the war

years. At that time a number of the members were professionals from the stage and

movies.

In the years since, the membership has changed and shifted many times because

of transfers, terminations, and change of duty. Some of the members have moved

to good posts in theater or allied fields in the United States. Leo Snedeker, an active Little Theater member, is in radio work. Jack Yokum is on the faculty of the University of Wyoming. Others are on the professional stage or in Hollywood.

And some were instrumental in founding

the highly successful Theater Guild on the

Pacific side of the Isthmus. The membershiphas always represented

a true cross-section of the community. The

Little Theater's first president was a banker, the second an accountant, the third a

school teacher, followed, in order, by a Canal pilot, an oil gauger, a housewife, a printer, and, at present, another accountant. Now in rehearsal at the Shack is the well-known, three-act comedy "Heaven

Can Wait," which will be produced about

MUCH OF THE FUN comes after the show. Then is the time for a supper, spiced with talk of the evening's performance

the middle of this month.

There is only one shadow on the happy

life of the Little Theater people. They

are afraid that their beloved Shack will be

sacrificed to the march of progress as the

center of Atlantic side population shifts away from Colon Beach and further inland

to Margarita and Gatun.