The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1912-03-14
PANAMA CANAL AND LIFE I'm
ISTHMUS ABLY PORTRAYED
Continued
Continued from page u

| - Ouhoo anu UuuQluSS which are
said to be unsurpassed in any
tropical country.
Every six months an employee
Is allowed two weeks hospital
leave, gratis, with pay, and if
necessary, they send you to Ia
hoga Island, about twelve miles
out in the Pacific Ocean where
the commission maintain large
sanitarium. The climatic condi-
tions on the isthmus with the ex-
ception of rainfall and the trade
winds which prevail during the
winter months or dry season are
practically the same the year
round. The dry season lasting
from about the first of January
until about the first of Nav is
most delightful and to any who
may be contemplating trip to
Panama l would advise them to
plan their trip during this sea-
son. The temperature averages
about 30 degrees. In the sun it
gets much hotter than this, aver
aging about 90 degrees, but the
nights are very cool and comfor-
table. A good heavy blanket is
almost always necessary for com
fort in sleeping. The maximum
rainfall on the isthmus occurred
last December when at Porto
Bello 3.46 inches fell in four min
utes. During this rain over 8
inches fell and in one minute owe
an inch of rainfall was recorded.
1t uusally rains in torrents but
the duration is short. During the
wet season, dry closets have to be
provided for clothing, etc., in or
der TO prevent molding, and this
Is one of the Inconvenience of
the life down here.
So far have dealt chiefly with
the life of the people and with
the country. / will now give
brief description of the canal it.
self with special emphasis on
three features of the great under
taking. l refer to the Gatun
Dam, the locks, and the Culebra
Cut.
The canal from ocean to ocean
Will be approximately SO miles
long, Is miles of which will be at
sea level. On the Atlantic side
the canal has sea level entrance
channel from Limon Bay to Ga
tun, a distance of about 7 miles.
The width of this portion is 500
feet and the depth Al feet at
mean tide. At Gatun is encoun-
tered three flights of twin locks
and the Gatun Dam, extending
from the barrier on the At
lantlc side to the great naviga-
bic lake which will have an area
OF l64 square miles and channel
depth of not less than As feet
at mean stage. About 80 miles
from Gatun, this lake is confined
on the Pacific side by an earth
dam between the hills at Pedro
Miguel, and one flight of locks. |
Beyond Pedro Miguel towards |
the Pacific is another navigable |
AXE but much smaller than Ga
'un and is impounded by means
# dams at Miraflores and two
lights of locks. Beyond Mira
lores a sea level channel eight
niles long is encountered with
width of 500 feet, a depth of
. feet at mean tide. This COM
'letes the water way from
'cean to ocean.
The Gatun Dam which will i'm
'ound the waters of the Chagres
liver is practically 11a miles long
IS of a mile wide at it's base,
bout 400 feet wide at the water
urface of the lake and 100 feet
vide at the top. Its crest will
re 10 feet above sea level or 80
eet above the normal level of the
AXE. The interior of the dam
being formed of mixture Of
and and clay dredged by hy-
raullc process from above and
Glow the dam and placed be-
ween large masses of rock and
arth obtained from steam shovel
The slope of the dan
ext to the lake will be careful
protected with a layer of stone
bout 10 feet thick. The entire
am will contain over 100000
ubic yards of material. This
ype of dam is the only kind suita-
lie as the foundation will not
Omit the usual type of a heavy
oncrete dam. The condition of
ne soil necessitates distributing
ne weight over a large area.
'robably nearly every one re-
LENDERS the newspaper excite