Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-07-22

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Nearly in the center Of the dam We
can see the famous spillway through
which pass the surplus waters OF the
ChAgres. Il ID q concrete lined chan
mel 285 feet wide cut through hill
Of rock and across 1t II built . curved
dam Of concrete on top Of which 10 .
row. Of regulating gates. Just below
the spillway. out of our sight 10 the
hydroelectric station which supplies
power for tho operation Of the entire
canal and the lighting Of the whole
zono.
Our channel through the lske-for
We still must follow path indicated
by range towers on the shores--is
now . thousand feet wide and leads
10 somewhat tortuously through I
maze Of islands. Look down as We
near some OF thsm and you will see
below the surface the tops Of giant
trees. For We are sailing over what
but few months ago was the valley
of the Chagres, dense with tropic
vegetation and dotted with native vii
lagos surrounded " banana and CO.
coanut plantations. Close to the
shores the stoutest Of the trees still
stretch their naked, dead limbs above
the water, but before long these. too.
will have rotted and fallen. leaving
the luxuriant landscape unmarried.
Passing over tho sites Of Bohio.
Frijoles and Chagresito, we now come
to the place where Taberniila once
stood. and here both lake and channel
narrow down, the latter being nrst
800. then 700 ana finally 500 feet wide.
On the hillsides to the right stand .
few abandoned houses, all that re-
mains Of Mamei, Juan Grande, Cor
COMA and Matachin. busy places while
the canal WIS buildiny, now covered
BY the spreading waters. Along the
ieft shore Of the channel runs the ~
located Panama railway and here ct
Gamboa It crosses the Chasres river.
which our vessel now leaves to enter
the far famed Culebra cut. This great
cash through the spine Of the CONT
nent IL 900 feet wtde ct the bottom,
but, because Of the tremendous earth
slides which cost Uncle Sam SO much
money and time, III width at the top
10 astonishing, being half mile just
here opposite the town Of Culebra.
Beyond, on our LETT, towers Gold hill.
495 feet above the bottom OF the ca.
nal. Far up on its rocky slope w dis
corn . streak Of white paint which
marks the level to which the French
company carried its excavations.
Nearly opposite II Contractors hill.
1854 feet high. Az We move between
these the Hottest hills along the
route, and pass the location Of that
notorious "cockroaoh." the Cucaracha
slide, the Pedro Miguel lock stands
before US, white In the MONDAY sun.
This. single tight lock, 10 30 feet
high, the highest % the canal. Again
we are taken III tow by electric mules
and in less than half an hour we have
been lowered those 80 feet and steam
into another artificial body Of water,
Mirafores lake, only q mile long. At
its southern end We pass tho town OF
Miradores and enter the locks Of the
same name. 1 double flight that lets
US down once more to SEQ level.
The exciting part u the passage Ii
over, but there IL yet much 81 interest
to see. Down the broad channel w
look clear out onto the glittering
waters OF the Pacific ocean. Nearer
at hand. on the left, Ancon hill raises
it's verdureclad summit, and clustered
on its slopes We sec the many struc-
lures Of the big hospital. tho new
administration buildings 81 the canal
and the barracks Of the marines. And
now, steaming between filled.in swamp
lands, we como to Balboa, which the
government has made into . fine naval
station, with an immense dry dock
and extensive machine shops.
Stretching out from Balboa into the
Pacific Is breakwater. two miles
long, which protects the harbor from
stormss At It's outer end II . cluster
Of little islands, Naos, Perico, Culsbra
and Flamenco, and here We pas
under the powerful guns that guard
the Pacific end of the canal. They
are mounted high up on the SUBMITS
OF these rock islets, rifled cannon, ono
shot from which would sink battle
ship, and huge mortars whose shells
can be dropped behind Tobago island
IL miles away In the direction OF
Japan.
In ten hours We have crossed
through the continent and now noat
on the broad Pacific. AS we look
back the picturesque city Of Panama
lies bathed In the light of the wester-
ing sun and on the side Of Ancon hill
shines the big white Tivolf hotel The
sudden night Of the tropics IL soon to
fall, and already, az far back as We
can see along our route and beside the
ocean channel, are twinkling the
lights that Uncle Sam has set up to
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