Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1913-07-18

through the completed Panama canal
on the first vessel to pass across the
isthmus from the Atlantic ocean to
the Pacific. True, the canal is not yet
completed, and will not be for a year
or SC, but that shall not prevent our
making the trip now-on paper.
Let us imagine ourselves, then, on |
an ocean liner approaching the Allan |
tic or northern entrance of the great |
canal. prepared to enjoy this initial |
trip and to wonder at sae sights in
store for US. In that word northern"
lies the first surprise for many of the
passengers who did not know that
the canal runs not from east to west,
but from northwest to southeast. This
seeming anomaly is due to the fact
that the Isthmus of Panama here
trends almost east and west
1t is still early morning when
watchful passenger shouts Land
and all who are up rush to the port
rail to gaze upon the billy, jungly
coast ;of the isthmus between Porto
Bello and Colon. AS the steamship
plows swiftly through the waters as
blue as ever were those of the Medi-
rterraaean a cheer goes up from the
deck. for We have caught glimpse OF
the Stars and Stripes ffuttering above
fringe of cocoanut palms That
marks the location of one of the big
forts built to protect the canal in time
of war and is on Mafgarita island,
virtually part of the mainland.
Colon fiat and unpicturesque, now
st. oh
of us an immense breakwater
stretches a mile out from the shore
on the right At its land end, on
Toro poiAy is another fort whose
great guns are masked by the tropical
foliage.
Now we have virtually entered the
canal, for the 500-foot channel extends
far out from the shore line. At re-
duced speed we enter Colon harbor
and the Bay of Limon and steam past
the pretentious Washington hotel, I'm
Gle Sam, proprietor; the docks OF
Colon, crowded with shipping from
the United States. Europe and many
a port Of Latin America, and the
American town of Cristobal on whose
water front stands the statue of Co
iumbus sent over long years ago by
the Empress Eugene. Skipping about
the bay, looking like long, black water
beetles, are the cayukas or native dug.
outs, and moving lazily before the sea
breeze are the little sailing craft in
which the queer San Bias Indians are
bringing their products to market.
On the immense concrete piers OF
Nj. fa-
sion, are throngs OF cheering people,
white, black and of all intermediate
shades But we do not stop, for the
ten-hour passage must be made in
daylight and already the sun Is high
over Mount Hope. once Monkey Hill,
the scene of many a bloody fight in
the old insurrectionary days, now the
last resting place of hundreds who
laid down their lives In the work of
digging the canal under both the
French and the American regimes.
Four miles and a half we stlam
through Limon bay and the shores
narrow In on our 500-foot channel.
still at tide level. Now look ahead
three miles and get glimpse of the
Gatnn locks, that tremendous flight of
three water steps up which we are to
be lifted. In few minutes we reach
The towering dividing wall of concrete,
our own power is shut of and the
electric locomotives on the lock walls
take us In tow. -Four of these power.
mi machines attach their hawsers to
our ship, two In front to pull 1t and two
astern to keep 1t steady and to bring
It to a stop when entirely within the
lock chamber. The immense gates
CLOSE silently behind US and at once
the water begins to flow into the
chamber through culverts that have
their openings in the concrete door
Slowly the vessel rises until 1t is OF
) level with the second chamber
% 1-s feet above sea level, when tbs
gate ahead is opened and the electric
mules move forward, this time up
heavy grade By. means of the centel
racks in the tracks. Twice this opera
ton is repeated, and now we are a
the summit. S5 feet above the sea
The last gate opens and the locomo
lives pull US into Gatun lake.
AS our propellers begin to turl
again and we steam out into this i'm
mense artificial lake, a maryelousl
S4beautiful landscape is spread befor
Us. The surface Of the lake is dotte'
with islets, once the submits of Tige
hill, Lion bill and q dozen other EN-
nences; on both sides are steep pre-
montories. lovely little peninsulas an
deep bays and inlets where the waite
has spread into the once jungle-flie
valleys.
Before we get too far from tn
locks. LET US step to the starboard "a
and have a look at the Gatun dan
enormous stretch of rock. sand an
clay that has formed Gatun lake b
impounding the waters Of the Chagre
river. It is in reality low ridge. on
and a half miles long. built across tn
valley, and when we are told that
Is nearly half mile wide at its bas'
400 feet vide at the water surface an
100 feet wide at its crest, which
twenty feet above the level Of Ii
lake, how utterly ridiculous seem u
fears of th61a aIarmists who predicte
the dam would be pushed over BY q
Chagrea in time OF flood!
Nearly In the center of the dam
-. - -. amv.assa anfITwnw khrouG