Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1913-07-18
6IRST THROUGH
6eANAMA CANAL
g. By S.1c@cKARD "A
By 6.1 NcKARD

Chagres. It is a 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 the
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 a path indicated
by range towers on the shores-is |
now 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 che surface the tops of giant |
trees. For we are sailing over what |
but few months ago was the valley1
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 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 the sites of Bohio,
Frijoles and Chagresito, we now come
to the place where Tabernilla once
stood, and here both lake and channel
narrow down, the latter being first
800, then 700 and finally 500 feet 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
| Gamboa it crosses the Chagres river,
which our vessel now leaves to enter
the far famed Culebra 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 our left, towers Gold hill,
1 495 feet above the bottom OF the ca
nal. Far up on its rocky slope we dis.
Germ a streak OF white paint which
marks the level to which the French
company carried Its excavations.
Nearly opposite Is Contractors hill.
364 feet high. AS we move between
these, the Hottest hills along the
route, and pass the location Of that
notorious "cockroach," the Cucaracha
slide, the Pedro Miguel lock stands
before us, white in the MONDAY sun.
This. a single flight lock, is 80 feet
high, the highest on the canal. Again
4 we are taken in 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.
Miraflores lake, only a mile long. At
Its southern end we pass the town OF
Mirafores and enter the locks of the
same name, double flight that let's
us down once more to sea level.
The exciting part of the passage lie
over, but there is yet much of interest
to see. Down the broad channel we
look clear out onto the gllttering
waters of the Pacific ocean. Nearer
at hand, on the left, Ancon hill raises
J its verdure-clad summit. and clustered
/ on its slopes we see the many struc-
lures OF the big hospital. the new
administration buildings of the canal
and the barracks of the marines. And
} now, steaming between flled-tn swamp
J lands, we come 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 q breakwater. two miles
) long, which protects the harbor from
3 storms. At its outer end is a cluster
= of little islands, Naos, Perico, Culebra
q and Flamenco, and here we pass
;. under the powerful guns that guard
a the Pacific end of the canal. They
;. are mounted high up on the SUBMITS
3 of these rock islets, rified cannon. one
g shot from which would sink battle
a ship, and huge mortars whose shells
r can be dropped behind Tobago island
/. IL miles away in the direction OIL
t Japan.
In ten hours we have crossed
: through the continent and now hoai
on the broad Pacific. AS We lool
n back the picturesque city OF Panams
!. lies bathed in the light of the wester
y ing sun and on the side Of Aneon hill
. shines the big white Tivoli hotel The
n sudden night of the tropics is soon t.
r fall and already, as far back as w
I. can see along our route and beside tbs
:. ocean channel are twinkling tbs
= lights that Uncle Sam has set up L
: guide the worlds commerce through
\ this most wonderful of canals which
he has built.
!, Reassurine.
: A woman hired a taKicab. Tn