The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-03-18
From Fridays Daily.

steamers on this line built at Belfast,
Ireland, and running under EfltisA
registry, flying the Cross OF st. George.
The crew of officers, stewards, WATERS,
ETC., are Scotch and English, the COM
mon sailors are all Cinnamon. A tug
bitches to our side and turns to
one side and turns the Car
tago end for end for she cannot turn
against the current of the Mississippi.
And then bedlam breaks loose. 1t is
the Chinese New Year and they have
5000 worth of fire works that they
send forth from the after deck
and Sunday matinee is let loose
that makes all the dogs on the streets
howl Down the grand old Mississippi
past Fit. Chamette where General
jackson made old Packenham haul down
the flag past FITS. Phillips and Jack
son, where the cannons roared in our
own rebellion and then past the great
government jetties into the Gulf OF
Mexico. and at dark we are out OF sight
of land bounding over the Mexico sea
WllH IlSt ioll 'iii SWIM ~
make some of them neave up iona
and the rest get into their berths for
the night Talk about solitude! Moth
ing like it. A few gulls follow us to
Cuba but nothing else except flying
fish once in while to relieve the mon
otony All Sunday night Monday and
Monday night at a speed of fifteen
miles per hour, the vessel ran a south
east course as straight as an arrow.
Looking ont of the round windows of
orr stateroom we see the north star
lust through the corner of it and it
never varied for | 200 miles. Tuesday
morning at nine o'clock we pass the
east end of Cuba about five miles frcm
land down where Schley's fleet ran
when after the Spanish warships. Next
we see Swan island to the west of u.s..
there is wireless station there
owned by the fruit company, and a
few inhabitants, but we never stop.
Just the same monotonous way all day
Wednesday and Wednesday night. The
trade wind blowing square from the
east during the whole trip. On Thurs
day morning we sight Old Providence
island on the east of us. These islands
were the home of the buccaneers of
the old Spanish main.
Thereare about 1000 fishermen on
the islands who raise cOcoanuts, BAN
anas and figs, selling them to passing
ships or running across to CostaRica or
Bluefields on the main land with them.
They have a small port Oh the east end
of the island and some small vessels.
The board on the ship is as good as
that at any hotel, the stateroom large,
everything furnished in the best man
ner and as fine beds as | ever slept i'll.
The service is excellent in every re-
spect. Some of course are growing and
nearly everybody in bed sea sick. Some
of them have not sat up an hour
sinceleaving the river, but | can sing,
''There's a hole in. the bottom of the
sea-" so you could hear me two miles,
and eat bacon, onion, potatoes, ham or
anything they bring and am no more
sea sick than l would be sitting in
the old office with my feet ON the ia
Bile. l felt just little dizzy the sec
ond day out for an hour or so, but
lay down and went to sleep and for
got all about it.
The National Editorial Association
spent February Is, 10, 20, q,
and % in viewing the work of con-
structing the Panama canal, one of
the most important undertakings of
mOdern times. We were accompanied
| by about $50 other newspaper men and
women from the various states. Special
trains were placed at our disposal dur
| ing our stay on the isthmus and
Colonel George W. Goethals, Secretary
Bishop, and other members of the
| Canal commission accompanied us and
personally showed us practically all the
details of the work, which is con-
Quoted on scale far beyond ordinary
comprehension. Colonel Goetbals as
sured the members of our association
that the canal would be completed by
January l, 1915. All who heard him
make the prediction and who were ac-
complained by him during the five days
mentioned, feel confident that he will
make good. The total cost, including
the amounts paid to the French com
pany and for the Panama railroad, will
be approximately $375,000,000.
More. than half the necessary eXcava
ton has already been complete. The
total number of yards required to BIZ
taken out to make the lock canal was
estimated by the engineering depart
ment at 204,574,574. OF the above
named amount 1867 POI cubic yards
both wet and dry, remained to be ex
cavated on January |, 1910. The 10
steam shovels and the thirty Oh
more dredges now at work are taking
out nearly 100000 cubnc feet pei
month. Hence, under ordinary circum
stances, twentysiX months should wit
ness the completion of the eXcavatins
and dredging. The building of The
three great dams and the twelve locks
is well under way. They should b,
completed as soon as the digging of thu
canal proper is finished. The rainy
seasons do not interfere much with th'
progress of the work, as most of TIN
common laborers are colored people
and they do not mind the warm 18TH
mus rains. Those who operate th'
steam shovels and dredges are us
ually fairly well under cover.
AS the Panama canal will cost ever,