The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-05-20
IN THE CANAL ZONE.
A Trip From New Orleans to Panama.
Conditions on the Isthnns Described
bx a Reliable Observer.

by Reliable Observer.
i An estimable and very capable youns
gentleman who recently resigned a pc
sition as clerk and stenographer il
the United States customs service a
( New Orleans to accept similar employ
ment at a larger salary in the 18th
mian Canal service, has written an 10
teresting account of his trip to Pan
anna and Of the conditions be found Or
arrival there, which The Chief is GLAD
to be able to publish for the informa
ton and edifcation of its readers. The
first installment of the young traveller !
| observations is presented herewith,
and a second chapter will appear If
next weeks issue, and the statements
contained in bothmay be accepted as
accurate and reliable.
CRIsToBAL. CANAL ZONE, PANAMA, /
May 4, 1905.
Editor Chief:
According to the promise made al
the time was panied to bid you au
revoir, I will herewith attempt to give
you an account Of my trip and Of con-
| ditions as found them after reaching
| here. By way of preface will state
that after a pleasant voyage OF 1414
miles arrived here and was most
agreeably surprised and delighted with
| conditions and circumstances as they
exist, and instead of discounting pub
lished reports Of the Isthmus at ninety
nine per cent, have found from a
three weeks residence here that nearly
all adverse criticism of this place
should be discounted at ninety nine
per cent, barring, of course, the ab-
sence of theatres and such things that
are to be found only il large cities
When [ boarded the ship at New
Orleans I found full house of pas
sengers. SO crowded that three or four
were to share the same stateroom, to-
gether with about half-dozen others
to sleep on the sofas in the parlors,
but as all the party were in jolly
good humor we did not mind the over
crowding and had a very enjoyable
trip.
The ship was late in starting, leav-
ing the pier abont 1880 and arriving
at the mouth of the river at dusk.
Here we had a grand view Of the delta
and jetties, when we were called below
for dinner. This was the best meal
served on the whole trip and a great.
many ate heartily, but as the dinner
was about over we reached the big
waves en- the gulf which caused the
ship to pitch and roll, giving the ma
jority sea-sickness which resulted in
rush for the ships railing, leaving
the victims only the sweet renem-
brance Of a splendid repast. Some of
the heaviest eaters ate practically
nothing during the remainder of the
trip, but I was one of the few that
escaped that misfortune.
During the whole voyage we had
delightful weather, excepting a cool
wind the first two days which neces-
STATED the wearing of a heavy coat.
The morning of the second day out we
reached the coast Of Cuba and sailed
along it for several miles, being Just
close enough to appreciate the fertility
OF the Pearl of the Antilles. Soon We
entered the Caribbean Sea and the
temperature rose to so or s. degrees,
but the continuous salt breeze caused
it to feel ten or fifteen degrees cooler.
This weather lasted the remainder OF
the trip and is what we have since had
here on the Isthmus. We saw schools
Of lying fish sailing but foot or two
above the water for hundred wards
or more, and one night while a man
was walking on the hurricane deck he
was struck on the breast by j two
pound flying fish with such a force
that the hsh's eye was knocked out of I
its socket and its head split open as
though with d Ratchet, but the man |
only received a jolt and the next
enjoyed the fish for break
fast. Except the passing OF few is
lands, covered with a luxurian growth, /
we had an uneYentful voyage and
reached the land-locked harbor of t
Colon about 8 q. n. Monday, the fifth
lay out. After a half hours DELAY. /
caused by inspection by quarantine
officers, We were met BY the Isthmian
Canal Commission representative,
Who escorted US ashore and to the
COMMISSIONS Offices, from which the
ilfferent employees were given their
assignments.
Here at Colon we found excellent
lip ship wharyes and railroad ter
ninals that would be ereditable TO
many an American export city. At
his point fiye-foot gauge railroad,
WIDER than any in the United States.
ROSES the Isthmus, which is but 81
niles wide, but owing to the winding
QUITE among the mountains the dis
ance to Panama City on the Pacific
ide is a miles. where we also find the
anne excellent railroad terminals and
lip wharqes capable Of accommod at
ng q fleet of the largest ships afoat
Al Colon we all received free tickets
d Panama and the train required
our hours to travel the Al miles
trough the mountains, though there
a s.cannon bali, train that - ai.ns