The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1913-11-20

Nearly in the center of the dam wa
can see the famous spillway through
which pass the surplus waters OF the
/ Chagres 1t is concrete lined chan
mel 2S5 feet wide cut through a hill
OF rock and across It is built curved
dam OF concrete on tOp of which is a
/ row Of regulating gates Just below
+ the spillway, out OF our sight. is tho
/ hydroelectric station which supplies
/ power for the operation of the entire
| canal and the lighting of the whole
zone
Our channel through the lake-for
we still must follow n path indicated
! by range towers on the shores-is
! now a thousand feet wide and leads
US somewhat tortuously through a
maze of Islands. Look down as we
near some Of them and you will see
| below the surface the tops of giant
trees. For we are sailing over what
| bU, few months ago was the valley
OF the Chagres, dense with tropic
vegetation and dotted with native vii
lagos surrounded by banana and CO.
coanut plantations. Close to the
shores the stoutest of the trees stilf
stretch their naked, dead limbs above
| the water, but before long these, too.
viii have rotted and fallen, leaving
the luXuriant landscape unmarried. !
Passing over the sites Of Bohio.
flJoies and Chagrcsito, we now como
to the place where Tabernilla once
stood. and here both lake and channel
| narrow down, the latter being first
500, then 700 and finally 500 fee wide.
On the hillsides to the right stand a
few abandoned houses, all that re-
mains of Mamei, Juan Grande, Cor
coma and Matachin, busy places while
the canal was building. now covered
by the spreading waters. Along the
left shore Of the channel runs the re-
located Panama railway and here at
1 Gamboa it crosses the Chagres river,
which our vessel now leaves to enter
the far famed Culobra cut. This great
cash through the spine of the CONT,
nent is 300 feet wide at the bottom.
but, because Of the tremendous earth
slides which cost Uncle Sam SO much
money and time, its width at the top
/ is astonishing, being half mile just
here opposite the town OF Culebra.
Beyond, on oCr left, towers Gold hill.
490 feet above the bottom OF tho ~
nal. Far up on it's rocky slope we dis
Germ streak Of white paint which
marks the level TO which the French
company carried it's excavations.
Nearly opposite is Contractors hill.
5C4 feet high. As we move between
these, the loftieat hills along the
route, and pass the location of that
notorious "cocLroach," the Cucaracha
slide, the Pedro Miguel lock stands
before us, white in the noonday sun.
This, single eight lock. is 30 feet
high, the highest on the canal Again
we are taken in tow by electric mules
and i'm less than half an hour we have
been lowered those so feet and steam
into another artificial body of water
Mirauc'es lake, only a mile long. At.
its southern end VIC pass the town or
Miraiores and enter the locks of tho
same name. q double fight that let's
us down once more to sea level.
The exciting part Of the passage IN
over, but there Is yet much OF interest
to see. Down the broad channel Wa
look clear out onto the glitterinE
waters Of the Pacific ocean Nearer
at hand. on the left. Ancon hill raises
its yerdure-clad summit, and clustered
on its slopes we see the many struc-
lures of the bis hospital. tho new
administration buildings OF the canal
and the barracks Of the marines. And
now, steaming between flIed.in swami
lands, we come TO Balboa. which the
government has made into q fine naval
station. with an immense dry dock
and extensive machine shops.
Stretching out from Balboa into the
Pacific lis q brcabwater. two miles
long. which protects tho harbor from
storms At it5 outer end is cluster
of little islands, Macs. Perico Culebrs.
and Flamenco, and here We pass
under the powerful guns that guard
Tho Pacific end Of ,he canal. They
are mounted high up on the SUBMITS
of these rock isIets. riHed cannon. one
shot from which would sink a battle
ship, and huge nCrtars whose shells
can be dropped behind Tobago island
~ miles away I'm the direction OF
Japan
In ten hours We have crossed
through the continent and now float
ON the broad Pacific AS We look
back the picturesque city Of Panama
lies bathed ESQ The light OF the wester-
ing sun and ON The side OF Ancon bpl
shines the big white Titoli hotel. The
sudden night of the tropics Is soon to
fan, and already. as far back as we
can see along our route and beside the
ocean channel are twinkling the
lights that Uncle Sam has set up 10
guide the worlds commerce through4
this most wonderful of canals which.
he has built