Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1906-04-12
A Letter About the Panama Canal.
PARAIso, CANAL ZONE,
NTooL 81 1Q0e

interest. i nave tnOugnb your Teduels
might be interested in letter from this
part of the world and a description OF
the vast enterprise undertaken by the
United States in the construction OF the
Panama Canal.
The line of the canal runs from Colon,
on the north side Of the lsthmus, to
Panama City, on the south side, a dis
lance of AZ miles, through swamps and
mountains, reaching an elevation OF
from 300 to 400 feet above the mean sea
level. 1t takes about two hours and a.
half to cross the Isthmus on the Pan
ANA Railroad.
The main difficulty IN excavating the
canal Les at Culebra Cut, where
mountain Of solid rock has to be drilled
out for a distance of about eight miles.
Another difficulty is TO procure the nec-
essary laborers TO do the actual digging.
as the Jamaicans, who are now en-
ployed for this work, are very lazy and
generally good or-nothing. Some 800
Spanish laborers from the south OF Spain
are to be brought here soon to assist ia
this work. So far very little has been
done toward doing the actual digging
of the canal, but tie employees of the
Isthmian Canal Com mission have not
been idle by any means, and their chief
work up to this time has been OF a pre-
paratory nature, and along sanitary
lines. The canal is to be lock canal,
having several locks, on account of the
difference in tide of the Pacific Ocean
and the Caribbean Sea. At Panama,
the south end of the canal, the rise and
fall of tide is about 20 feet, At Colon,
the other end, on the Mosquito Gulf
the rise and fall of tide is about foot,
the mean level of the two oceans being
precisely the same. The level of the
ocean at Panama, therefore, is ten feet
higher at high tide and ten feet lower
at low tide than it is at Colon, and this
is the case twice every day. The cur
rents, therefore, in such sea-level
canal would, for most of the time, be
so swift that large ships could not be
handled with safety. The only way to
obviate the difficulty arising from these
conditions is TO provide tide lock
The mean leyel may then be maintained
between the lock and the caribbean
Sea, and the level on the Pacific side
may be allowed 10 luctuate ten feet
above and ten feet below. The differ
ence, therefore, between sea-level and
a lock canal at Panama is he former re-
ouires one lock and the latter several.
The cost of the canal is estimated at
about $3.50, 100000 OF this sum $780,
0000 has already been expended
$40. O00. 600 to the French Government
covering their rights to the Canal Zone,
SIC, 600 900 to the Panama Government
for the strip of land 10 miles wide and
AZ miles long, running between Colon
and Panama City, with promise OF
$3.50, 600 per annum after the first niue
years The New York lawyer who
drew up the necessary legal papers to
put the entire matter through received
a So, 600. 600 fee, being his per cent COM
mission of the 100000 paid the
French.
The Canal Zone is only nine degrees
above the equator, so our climate is a
tropical one, and though it is kept very
quiet, and no one here knows the eX-
tent, there is considerable sickness. 1t
is expected that we will nave some yell
low fever when the work of excavation
commences and the coming wet season
is the anxious time of the year. few
Of the most serious diseases We have
here are, yellow fever, black water or
chagres fever, pernlcious malaria, small
pox, elephantiasis, and occasionally a
case (but not recently of berri-berri,
cholera, bubonic plague, etc.
The French Government spent about
$3.50, 900, 900 here trying TO dig this Ca
nal but its employees died off like flies
for conditions on the Isthmus at that
time were very bad indeed), aud finally
the two Freuch companies who con-
tracted for the work went into bank
ruptcy.
About $50, 600 men have lost their
lives up TO the present time in building
the railroad across the lsthmuS az
miles long, and trying TO complete the
canal, and lie buried on the 18th mus.
Over two thirds of this number were
Frenchmen.
Colon is dirty-looking Spanish type
of town of 1900 inhabitants, unpaved
roads. low frame buildings, and is the
very worst place imaginable TO procure
anything you may want. The Chinese
do the principal business here and run
nearly all the stores. Back of Colon
is bad smelling swamp, which makes
the town unhealthy. Cristobal is adj
Joining Colon, and is where the lsthmi-
al Cdudl bOul ilNC'
It's location is much better than Colon,
as 1t is well drained. 1t is quite pref
ty place, facing the ocean and bordered
OH all the streets by cocoanut palm
trees There are nearly always fifteen
or twenty ships In the harbor OF Colon
from all parts of the world. The other
small towns lying between Colon and
Panama City are not Of much import
ance.
Panama City has population of
about 80 900, made up of natives, Chi
nese, Jews and Spaniards. The streets
are very narrow and dirty, and the
sidewalks are so narrow that two per-
sons cannot walk abreast. A few small
parks are scattered about the town.
Panama City is very hot place when
the sun is up, though the nights are
pleasant, and it is not considered the
best place on earth for the constitution.
The better class of Spaniards on the
Isthmus reside in Panama City, and
send their children to the States to be
educated. At Panama City there is on
ly one hotel fit TO stay at, and they
serve the poorest kind of meals. The
rate at this hotel is $500 per day. A
native band plays two nights each week
in Central Park mot New York; and all
the people of the town, high and low,
young and old, turn out TO hear the
m sic and promenade up and down the
plaza. The native band, by the way,
is very creditable one, and the music
is chiefly rag-time hits from the States.
They have lottery in Panami City,
as well as in Colon, doing flourishing
business, and drawing takes place ev
cry Sunday. The first prize generally
amounts TO about $4,000.
The thermometer stays at about 30
degrees all year down here, but on &C
count of the trade winds there is con-
slant breeze blowing across the lsthmus
all the time, even enough at times TO be
dsagreeabIe. is always very pleas
ant in the shade down here. but the
sun is hot. and takes all the vitality out
Of you in short time and makes you