The Dickinson press., 1909-05-01
PANAMA CANAL

j. E. Phelan Tells of the Wonder
full Work Being Done-Enthus-
iastic account Of the Progress
the Americans are Making.
Dickinson, North Dakota.
April 30th, 1909.
To Tho Editor =
1t must be evident to the reader that
most extraordinary difacnlty must attend
the digging Of q canal across the 18th
mus Of Panama when one considers
that as early as 1920 the digging Of q
waterway val then considered.
Panama was the oldest European city
in America, founded In 1918, q century
prior 10 the landing Of the Pilgrims
at Plymouth Rock. It was the GREAT en-
porium for gold and silver from Peru.
thence transported to Europe. In 1911
Panama. with so. 600 inhabitants, was
the largest and richest city in the new
world and at that time was destroyed
by Henry Morgan. the freebooter, in the
interests of England. Al that time
Morgan carried away plumber laden on
IFS mules. also 600 prisoners held for
ransom. It is estimated that fifty mil
lions in gold and twelve millions in sill
yer were annually transported across the
isthmus on pack mules during the seven
or eight years succeeding the first find of
gold in Suffers Creek, California, in
1849.
January rs, 1855. the first train
reached Panama On the raflfood. In
1888 the french Canal Co. failUd after
spending $3.50. 600, 900. Work was3 sus-
pended May IS. 1889. In the meantime
the transcontinental railroads were built
across plain, mountain and desert in
the United States, fully taking care of
transcontinental traffic and developing
the immediate country in a marvellous
way. p
In looking at the map it seems only a
little way from Panama to San Fran
cisco. but nj of my friends in the boat
estimated the journey at 3. 900 miles by
water. 1t is about 2, 900 miles from
New York to Colon. Hence in point of
expeditions service for transcontinental
traffic. the American and Canadian
railroads have a great advantage.
The Panama canal is not a commercial
necessity, but is a military necessity
for the United States and its allies in
the expeditions handling of naval arma-
ment. That ocean commerce will take
on new alignment after the completion
of the canal is more than probable.
Today Galveston outranks Boston in
volume of business as q port. The ports
and harbors of the West Indies will take
OF new life. the Pacific will be accessible,
and expansion will naturally follow.
Experience gained in sanitation and
practically demonstrated in Cuba. Pam
anna and elsewhere by the Americans.
greatly enlarGes the habitable portions
of the tropics. Next to sanitation for
health and freedom from disease and
plague. is the moral sanitation developed
by the American navy in the exercise
of police power over the unruly and
b~eligerent minolities who infest the
tropics. II all unfolds to one in the
study of failure in the past and prospec-
tive success for the future. It is all q
part of the game in opening up q new
highway for commerce ACROSS the CONT
nent. y
To q theorist. the task of building
the Panama canal should be easy. If a
sea level canal is desired. issue an
ukase and let the water flow from ocean
to ocean. But the Pacific shore tide rises
over fourteen feet, while the Atlantic is
but fourteen inches. A lock canal would
be necessary in any event on account of
unequal tides.
Nature has done much for Colon which
while Colon harbor is exposed to waves
n~er,s~A $norn ~0pkh xAySnAo hnnoo o0nNpN-
ing to the latest plans, breakwatera
will be built to protect the harbor and
mouth of the canal. These breakwaters
will extend out from Manzanillo Island
on one side and Toro Point on the other.
and when built by American engineers.
will be effective in making a sheltered
harbor.
Good maps of the canal zone are hard
to secure but have one. likewise 9
pamphlet of March is, 1909, by Col.
Goethals, Chairman and Chief Engineer
of Isthmian canal commission. The
colonel evidently understands his busi-
ness.
The canal, as now under construction.
will be 500 feet wide and As feet deep
from deep water in the Caribbean Sea
to Gatun about six miles. or three miles
from shore. Here at Gatun the dam il
being built together with q duplicate
flight of three LOCKS of 1000 feet each
in length. 10 feet wide. and a lift Of
2SK feet will carry vessels up to a lake
IS feet above sea level. The level Of
this lake will be maintained by the
Chaeres river and held by the Gatun
dam, which will be 100 feet lonR. one
half mile wide at the base. 100 feet
wide at the top constructed to los feet
above mean tide. The lake formed by
this dam will be III square miles in
extent. I was told it would require five
years for the Chaeres river to fill this
lake, flowing at the rate of 800 cubic
feet per second.
This lake will submerge the present
railroad location, hence q new railroad
has been constructed higher up. east 81
the locks. The new railroad will be 9.
feet above the sea level or ten feet above
the. normal surface of theTlake. Except.