The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-06-18

right. 1t is now ragged and rocky.
but will be filled in with earth and
soded, and it Will end in green his
With the white concrete spilvay sheN-
liz out at the center.
AT his left as he moves N tfa
chanel he Will see the mighty White
locks Of Gatun. The lowermost ona
Will probably be open. and its v.,rr
Will he on the level Of the sea. lI4
ship Will steam into it. and Will th,re
be harnesscd to the four towing loco
motives which viii aid in moving ara
S~teadying il as IL goes onward from.
safe TO sate.
AS soon as the vessel is in. tho
gates behind viii be closed and tna
water ruching through many holes
from the mighty conduit, 50 big that
Pullman train could go through then.
VIII quickly ratse the steamer t. th.
level Of the lock above. \ muaarf..
later the front gates Of the lock MI
open. and the steamer viii pass INTO
the second level or lock and th,nce
IN the same way rise 10 the third AMI
finally sail out through the channel
into Gatun lake AZ eighty-nNt feet
above the level from which it steamed
into the lock number one
At this point admiral Rousseau
stopped a IN to show me son.e
- = r. 'AitA - Viz R't4i 4 /
the ship with his finger. he continueG:
"Emerging from the locks at Gatan.
the course of the steamer vii he prac-
tically due south for three and one
half miles. 1t Will pass through 4
th~ousand-foot channel. With the
water extending beyond it. and the
tops Of the trees and islands viii t4ka
away the idea Of a canal and mako
one think hat he is passing through
z large and deep lake. \ little far
theron his vessel Will take 4 sharp
turn to the eft and then 80 III 4
straight curse for four and a half
miles to q point about one mile below
where Eohio now is. From that point
on the right the opening ~eXcaNated hN
the French for their locks may lie
seen, and a little farther on the vessel
Will pass over the sites Of F'rijules ana
other villages which ave been sub
merged by the waters of Gatun lake.
After journey of fifteen miles
the ~thousand-foot channel begins to
narrow. 1t is reduced to 500 feet,
and the channel has now the appear
ance Of a VIDE river with hills on
each side. It is the valley Of the
Chargers. Still farther on the chan
mel is reduced TO 500 feet and the
vessel passes on into the Culebra cut
ind sails through il for a distance If
ninemiles to the locks Of Pedro Mi
gueI. This part Of the journey viii
be especially interesting. he canal
channel Will be 800 feet wide and the
hills will rise high above the steamer.
reaching in the center a maximum
of over $50 feet. The sides Will be-
planted with earth-holding grasses
and brushes, and there Will be but
little evidence of the mighty work
we have done in making the cut.
Entering the locks at Pedro MI
guel, the steamer will drop thirty
sheet OF sivery water, and will travel
there a mile and a half before it
reaches the locks Of the same name,
where it will make It's. level Of the
Pacific.
From the foot Of the locks the
ride to Balboa will be only three
miles, and to deep water in the ocean
about five miles farther. The land
there is low, with green. On the left
going out Will be the great wharveS
and repair shops Of Balboa, and in
the distance Onemay see the little
archipelago Of Perico, Culebra and
Flamenco, on which the fortifica-
tons will be.
The trip throughout will be Won
derfully beautiful and intensely in
teresting. 1t will embrace views Of
mountain and valley, of river and
loke, of tropical plants and flowers,
and ef mighty trees laden with or
chlds. AS far as canal trips are con-
cerned. it yill be more beautiful than
any other on earth
FRANK G. CARPENTER.
~
Tx-o