Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-04-04
A Cruise to Panama
rBy ]. L. carney.1

Bridgetown. Barbados, March 10
The trip from Puerto Cabello to Port
Of Spain. Trinidad Island. was made
on schedule time. We had anticipated
our visit to La Brea where is located
the lake OF Pitch, now being turned into
dollars by an American company and
as soon as the steamer had been re-
ported as to the condition Of health
Of its passengers. we departed for La
Rrea, only forty-f1ve miles away. The
landing was made as we have usually
done by launches. and then we walked
a distance Of about one mile to the
world famous lake Of pitch. From the
term lake" one would suppose that
this wonderful deposit OF asphaltum
was in liquid form, but to the contrary
it is so solid that we walked upon Its
surface to the place where It was being
taken out in chunks of convenient size
for handling and being loaded on small
metal cars running upon rails that
were laid on the surface. When filed
three of these make a train. and by a
long wire ca bic are drawn across the
lake UP a small incline to the power
house and then started on an endless
cable 10 the steamer being loaded at
the end OF the dock about three -fourths
of mile away The deposit OF asphalt
nm or pitch is about ITO acres in extent
and is now leased by the Barber Asphalt
Company and is probably the source
from which the asphalt used on the
streets OF Marshalltown vas procured.
The men are paid s cents an hour for
the work Of digging the pitch and load
ing on the steamer.
iS Ivy
wr,nkled like the skin Of an elephant.
II yields somewhat to the weight OF
one walking over 1t and the trenches
from which the material is taken very
shortly Ali again SO that so far as
can be discovered. the supply is not
lessened altho about 10000 tons are
taken out annually. on has been dis
covered close to the lake and several
large oil tanks and derricks show that
oil is being taken from the earth. The
origin Of the asphalt IS identical with
that Of mineral oil and this deposit Is
certainly one of the wonders Of the trip
and the place we'll worthy Of visit.
After a couple OF hours spent at La
Brea for the purpose Of examining the
deposit OF asphalt the Moltke again
returned to the city of Port of Spain.
miles from shore and the excursionists
boarded tender or small steamer to
go ashore. Port Of Spain is quite
pretentious city IL about $4,000 inhab-
itan,s. The tropical plants and veseta-
ton. the small cabins in the poorer
quarters, the city residences built so as
to get the freest circulation OF air. the
varied and bright colors not only OF
the vegetation but Of the buildings,
| mark 1t as a typical West Indian city.
It has one show place not found in any
Of the other places visited by US and
that is the coolie village on the out
skirts of the city and on the beautiful
circular road that skirts the bay on
which the city is located. In this place
East Indians have gathered In large
numbers, the men with large turbans
on thei rheads, the remainder OF their
clothing being of the briefest descrip-
ton and the women with native tewelry
on their noses. their ankles. and with
rings on their toes squat on the ground
and beside them are ranged baskets OF