Fergus County Democrat., 1912-02-13
SOONCOMP[ETE
PANAMA CANAL
Continued from page ~

canal, excluding the cities OF Colon
and Panama, which are, however, sub
iect to our sanitary regulation.
The features that have impressed
we most are: First, the perfect or
ganization, and, second, the splendid
sanitary condition.
Think of it, not a house-fy or a
mosquito to be seen or noticed, and
what did it? Crude petroleum, or oil,
cleaning, burning, draining, and a
good water system.
Here is where the French signally
failed and the canal zone is one of
the greatest graveyards in the world
due to neglecting the sanitary condi-
tions under their regime.
Crude oil is pumped from the Pa
cific to the Atlantic in a six-inch pipe,
being a California product brought
down in tank steamers to Panama,
then pumped to Colon, to be again
pumped into tank steamers, and this
method supplies the canal zone with
crude oil, which is mostly used for
steaming purposes.
Then crude Oil is poured in all the
sink holes, lakes, streams, and in
turn penetrates the jungle and means
positive death to the mosquito lavre,
hOuse-f1ies and the like.
A perfect drainage system helps the
good work along, hence the death rate
now is no greater than in New York
City.
The discovery Of gold in California
in 1S49 stimulated, in fact made nee
essary, the construction of a railroad
across the Isthmus, and this was
finally completed in 1856 and put in
to operation at the sacrifice of a
human life for every tie laid.
The French, however, barring the
imperfect sanitary conditions, accom-
plished much, to at least give good
start to this, the greatest work ever
undertaken by mortal man, especially
through the Culebra cut. They oper-
ated, however, on the proposition Of
sea level canal, and this was substi-
tuted by the lock system by our own
government, by which process ships
are raised and lowered 85 feet, hence
that much less cut through the course
of the canal.
l am writing this letter in a tenn
perature of S5 to 80 degrees, while |
the sea water is from 70 to 81 de-
grees Fahrenhelt-quite contrast
with Montana climate at this time of
the year-and we sweltered on the
1sthmus under a torrid sun.
Now, l have only given you par.
tial synopsis of what we saw AS we
were given every opportunity to ex-
anime the great work under the |
auspices of the American Institute of |
Electrical Engineers, chaperoned by |
the United States government engi- |
neers, and were given ample oppor-
tunlty to examine working plans, |
models, surveys, notes, etc, it would |
be breach of professional etiquette |
to attempt to criticise any part of this |
great work; in fact, l doubt if any
serious criticisms could be made, |
Hence l prefer to study and digest |
the matter fully and at some future
time read a paper or deliver an ad- |
dress on the subject for the informa-
tlon OF our Montana friends.
Now, why was the canal constructed |
and how did our government become |
interested in this great project?
The answer is not difficult The |
distance from ranama to Colon around |
the Horn" is just 10000 nautical |
miles. To save this enormous dis
tance in going by water from New
YORK to San Francisco, via the canal |
zone, 1t LAS become necessary for the |
United States to take the initiative. |
even at the cost to date of $500, 600, 900. !
toward constructing this canal, both |
from a commercial and naval point
OF view. The passage of the battle.
ship Oregon around the Horn" dur
ing the Spanish war is still fresh in
our memory, and had the canal been
in operation, 40 to SO days time could
nave been saved in this trying time
to this battieship alone by a 5O.mile
canal.
In commercial sense the entire
world is greatly benefited, and from
naval point of view one fleet is
sufficient, otherwise it would REQUIRE
two, an Atlantic and Pacific squadron.
Tor our government to protect our sea
coast.
The canal will be ready for opera
ton early in 1913 as far as estimates
can be given, and l see no reason why
1T cannot be ready at that time.
The Culebra cut still requires from
~ to Al feet of excavation for some
distance, and enormous earth slides
have greatly retarded the work, and it
must be remembered that a veritable
mountain had to be moved; but the
worst is over and you can see the be-
ginning of the end.
What would our masons say in Lew
lstown on the information that in the
Gatun locks alone there are 2,S8O,OO
cubic yards of concrete, while at the
Pedro Miguel and Miraflores lock q.
5OO,OOO cubic yards of concrete was
used.
We were rendered a reception by
the president of the republic of
Panama at Panama City, the capital,
and were pleased to find a pleasant
and kindly gentleman who spoke Eng
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