Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-04-14

takes a richer polish than cherry
mahogany or rosewood, and which by
being buried in the ooze of swamps
quickly becomes perfectly ebonized
Beautiful wild orchids grow in great
variety and profusion and will soor
outclass any now grown in the green
houses of the United States. There
I is gold mine on the coast which nets
/ $50, 900 per month, and there is nc
/ question that exploration will reveal
equally valuable deposits elsewhere
and also veins of coal and other min.
erals. Along the sandy beaches Co
coanut trees reach the bearing age in
i've or six years, and thereafter pro
duce an average of four nuts a tree
per month. Millions of ivory nuts are
found In the interior. Hundreds OF
tortoises are caught on the coast, and
their beautiful shells are exported.
From the bittom of the bays and island
shores along the Pacific coast nearly a
million dollars worth of pearls and
pearl shells are obtained annually.
though the methods of diving are crude
bit few instances of the great pos
sibiiilIes that wait only to be de-
veloped.
Panama, Colon, and the entire 18TH
mus have an extremely bad reputation
as d place TO live in. The excessive
death rate has been principally due.
however, to an utter disregard of sani-
tary laws, not only by the government,
Tut also by the foreigners who go to
the Isthmus to live. Havana, reputed
for years as the most unhealthful spot
in western America, since being clean
ed by the Americans has proved a good
place to live in. The excessive death
rate has been principally due, however.
to an utter disregard of sanitary laws,
not only by the government, but also
by the foreigners who go to the 18TH
mus to live. Havana, reputed for
years as the most unhealthful spot in
western America, since being cleaned
by the Americans has proved a good
place to live in, and before many years
will deservedly become one of the most
popular American winter resorts. The
same may prove to be the experience
of the Isthmus. Panama and Colon
Will never become healthful cities. but
they can be made tolerable: back in
the hills of the Isthmus, however. are
many places which are healthful the
year around.
The route for an Isthmian Canal Sc
lected by De Lesseps and now by the
United States is practically the same
as that advocated by the Spaniards as
early as 1920. The plans is proposed
by the Isthmian Canal Commission.
and as they will probably be adopted.
center around two engineering prob
lebs: The first is to control the
waters of the Chagres river, and the
second is the Culebra cut The canal
for about thirty miles from Colon fol-
lows the low valley of the Chagres
river. This river is short, but drains
an area of nearly 1900 square miles.
In time of heavy rain 1t rises very
rapidly. Several disastrous floods
have resulted because of the inability
Of the Panama Canal company to con-
troll the waters. The second problem,
the celebrated Culebra cut, as it is
called, is the excavation that has to be
made through the Culebra Hill, about
nine miles from Panama city The
hill was originally over three hundred
feet high. The French have cut it
down considerably, but most of the cut
ting has yet to be done.
The American commission has sug-
gested overcoming the Chagres river
problem by building an enormous dam
at Bohio, seventeen miles from Colon,
which would raise the water of the
river eighty to ninety-two feet and
create beautiful lake. This lake
would have an area of nearly forty
square miles, which would be more
than enough to handle the water the
could pour into it, while a
gigantic spillway 1000 feet wide would
carry the excess water from the lake
and conduct it to the ocean by chan
mel some distance from the canal. By
this plan there would be made a splen-
did sland-locked harbor where yes
sells might be repaired and locked In
he center of the lake would be formed
a beautiful island which it has been
should be called Bunau-
Varilla Island, in honor of the man
who has kept the canal project alive
Tor years.
The Culebra Hin is TO be cut down
10 the level of this lake Steamers
would be raised to the lake on the
Colon side by two locks at Bohio
They would then pass through the lake
aud the cut, and descend on the Pan.
ANA side by two similar locks; third
pr tidal lock is necessary on the Pacific /
md because CT the tremendous range
of tide-twenty feet at Panama At
colon the tide is only one foot The
jam at Bohio is a gigantic undertak-
ing. 1t is to be sunk 1875 feet through
he soil until it rests on bed rock: it IS
a solid mass of steel, masonry, and
concrete. and is to cost s1125.o00 The
breadth CT the canal on the surface is /
30 feet while the bOttom width is to