The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-04-09

running east and west, it runs nearly
north and south, the isthmus at that
point running east and west. The
Atlantic end of the canal is i'm fact
about twenty miles west of the Pacific
end
A feature not clearly understood by
many, is that of the Gatun Lake. Maps
of the canal show this water in exist
ence, but as a matter of fact there
is no lake there, and the purpose of
the Gatun dam is to impound the wa
ter of the Chagres river SO as to ere
ate such a lake. This body of water
when the dam is completed will cover
an area of about ITO square miles,
through which a canal channel will
be maintained from 500 to 1000 feet
wide for distance of about thirty
miles, with little, if any, further exca-
walton.
In crossing the isthmus on this trip
I'VE rode on railway tracks and through
native villages that a few years hence
will be from forty to one hundred feet
under water. The present railway
across the isthmus was built by Amer
lean capital and opened for service in
1855, at cost of eight million dol
lars. When the DeLesseps company
commenced work they found ownership
and control of the railroad important
and opened negotiations for its pur-
chase. They were asked fourteen mil
lion dollars, and fatty refused to pay
SO much They commenced shipping
their material over the road, but found
many Inconvenience of service, some
of which were doubtless not regretted
by the owners of the road if not in
fact actually encouraged, so that the
practical indispensabilty of the rail
road ownership was impressed upon the
French company. Negotiations were
opened again, but the American COM
pany had in the meantime raised its
price to sixteen and nehalf millions.
Before negotiations were closed the
French company paid nineteen millions
for Il road which had been offered them
a few months before for fourteen mil
lions. This railroad went with the
other assets of the new canal COM
pany to the United States government,
but owing to its location cannot be
used after completion of the canal.
and an almost entire new road is
being built to the southeast of the
canal on higher ground This new road
after which the passenger trains be-
tween Colon and Panama will run on
that line.
Sanitary conditions on she canal zone
are practically perfect, and the health
record compares favorably now with
that of any part of the world. Colon
and Panama were taken in hand by
our government, their principal streets
paved, Il system of sewers and water
supply provided, and hundreds of mod
ern buildings have been erected at va
rious points on the zone for the hous-
ing of employees and their families.
Colon and Panama are neither of them
included in the concession of control
to the United States, excepting as to
sanitation, and in measure, as to
policing. Our government maintains
control of sanitation, and while the
policing of those cities is now under
the Panama government, our govern
ment reserves the right to take charge
hn orb &c nnt nrlr IrN,,n
The two cities, however, are foreign
to this government so far as quaran-
tine and customs regulations 90. The
balance of the canal zone proper ten
miles wide, is absolutely controlled
by our government in every respect
An interesting incident occurred on
our. return trip, as illustrating the
great value to maritime interests of
wireless telegraphy. As we were sail
ing off the coast of Nicaragua on the
third day out from Colon, out of sight
of land the wireless operator came
out of his room and told us he had
just received message from the
Heredia, u sister ship of the line, that
Sio A"u iuH upoH ICCI ph CdpC
Gracias, Spanish Honduras. The news.
of course, created much excitement and
interest amongst our passengers. In
regular course we would have passed
the Heredia shortly after noon off the
southeast coast of Honduras. We were
due approximately where she was
stranded about midnight. Our ship
kept in constant wireless communica-
ton with the Heredia during the day,
and also with the general offices of
the company in New Orleans, and our
captain was finally instructed to 60 to,
the relief of the Heredia. Shortly
after midnight we reached a point as
near the Heredia as our captain dared
to so among those reefs at night,
and cast anchor. At daylight the
Heredia was plainly visible about
five miles to our northeast, and we
raised anchor and proceeded carefully
to within about half mile, where we
again cast anchor, and our captain
went on board the Heredia for con-
ference with her captain, and the two
with the New Orleans office.
1t was extremely interesting to us
to see the steam launch of our ship
fired up" on deck, with steam at
full head, and dropped over the side for