The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1905-09-15

tunnels for handling the food waters
of the Chogus river. This, in addi-
ton to the construction work at the
Culebra cut, which you know has now
been discontinued until proper track
facilities can be provided for the eff
cient handling of the dirt.
AS to climate conditions, the Their
mometer ranges from s. to 80 degrees
in the shade, in the day time, although
In over nine months | never saw it
above SO degrees but twice, when it
registered 80 degrees. At night the
range is Is to 80 degrees, always cool
enough to sleep under sheet and light
blanket. We had a ''norther' last
winter lasting three days. Those three
nights We nearly froze. Slept cold I'M
der two army blankets didn't have
any more to get under.) Two of those
mornings the thermometer said IS, the
other was down to 81 degrees.
The rainy season, about nine months
of the year, is cloudy enough that it
tempers the heat of the sun and it be-
ing only 43 miles across the isthmus,
there is always good breeze.
The length of the canal is about 46
miles from deep water in the Atlantic
to deep water in the Pacific.
/ am continually asked 'what is the
difference in the level of the two
oceans?" The mean sea level of each
is of course the same, but On the At
lantic side the maximum variation be-
tween high and low tide is about one
and one half feet while on the Pacific
side it is twenty feet. So that at times
the water at the Pacific end of the can
al would be over nine feet higher than
the Atlantic end, while six hours later
ID would be that much lower.
You sometimes hear that if a sea
level canal were dug without tidal
locks that the Pacific would flow into
the Atlantic on account of this great
rise of the tide From what | have
just said, you will see however, that
there is no possibility of such a cal
amity, for while at the maximum tide
the current at the mouth of the canal
may be FIVE miles per hour, you see it
only flows six hours and at the begin
ming of the flow is over nine feet lower
than the Atlantic. 1t takes three
hours to get up to mean sea level,
leaving but three hours to rise enough
to run into the Atlantic, and if the FIVE
mile were maintained, (which itis not,
the effect of the rise would only be
felt one third of the way through the
canal, when the ebb OF the tide would
start it back. So even without tidal
locks, the Pacific may rest in its usual
calm with no immediate danger of be-
ing drained into the Atlantic.
While the climate is quite compare
BILE TO the average summer weather OF
the gulf coast of the southern states,
with no more mosquitoes, with neither
the hottest nor the coolest of the gulf
coast weather, it might be surmised
from what have said about the con-
ditions on the isthmus when the Ameri-
cans took charge, that there are plac-
es to live that are much more pleasant
than the isthmus has been dur
ing the past fifteen months. The lack
of suitable quarters, lack of material
to refit and build them, the unsanitary
conditions at first, and the almost inn
possibility to get anything to eat that
suited the American palate, especially
the fact that nothing could be had in
the morning but cup of coffee and a
chunk of bread, they don't eat break
fast until 100 a. M are some of the
unpleasant features experienced by
those who have been there during that
time, But perhaps the most trying
condition met with, by the Office men
especially, was, that there was no.
where to 60 and nothing to do in their
leasure hours. This becomes very
trying in time, and possibly causes
some to become addicted to the more
frequent indulgence in spiritus fur
menti and spiritus sugar cane (rum)
than they might under other conditions
and | may say there is very little hin
derance to such indulgence, for almost
every place where anything is sold
you can get drink. | might except
the post Office, banks, jewelry stores
and few others, bnt not many.
This condition has been recognized
by the appointment of the Welfare
Committee, who are charged with thu