The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1913-09-12

CLZE2GH CEV [TO
Colon, G. with the completion Of
the Panama canal the importance OF
the Panama railway will decline al
most to the vanishing point.
For nearly sixty years this railway
has been carrying people and freight
from ocean to ocean. Though only Al
miles long, 1t has been, for certain
periods, one of the most important and
most interesting railroad lines in the
world. During the building of the
canal, under the ownership of the
United States, 1t has become one of
the best equipped and most efficient of
railways. 1t has given great help in
the construction of the canal that will
prove its virtual death.
The finding of gold in California was
the cause Of the building of the Pana-
ma railroad. For long years before
isthmus was almost forgotten by the
civilized world, but when the yellow
metal was discovered on the west
coast it became once more a great
trade route. In order to avoid the long
trip across the plains in prairie
schooners," thousands Of gold-seekers
went by boat to Chagres, up the Cha
gres river to Gorgona or Cruces and
thence over the old Spanish road to
Panama. This, too, was a long route
and in the rainy season a painful and
dangerous one because of the preva-
lence of disease.
To the rescue of the gold hunters
came three bold Americans, w. H. AS
pinwall, Henry Chauncey and John L.
Stevens. In 1848 these men had asked
the government of New Granada for
concession for the road, and in 1850
Stevens obtained 1t at Bogota. The
Pacific terminus could not be otherwise
than at Panama, but at first the har-
Dor of Porto Bello was selected for the
Atlantic terminus. However, a New
York Spectator spoiled this plan by
buying up all the land about the har-
Dor and holding it at very high price,
so Navy Bay was chosen instead.
When work on the line was begun in
May, 1850, there was no celebration,
mo turning of the first spadeful of
earth with a golden shovel.
Two Americans with a gang of In. |
dams landed on Manzanillo island, now |
the site of the city of Colon, then a
.desolate, uninhabited spot, and began
the tremndous task of clearing the
route through the dense jungle. The
surveying party suffered intensely, for
the land was so swampy and so infest.
ed with malaria and yellow fever bear.
ing mosquitoes that they were com.
PEELED to sleep aboard a ship. Much
of the time they carried their lunches
tied on their heads and ate them
standing waist-deep in the water.
; The efforts of the company to OBJ
tain laborers were attended by ter
rible tragedy. Eight hundred Chinese
we're brought over from Hong Kong,
but within a week Of their landing
scores of them died. Opium was given
the survivors and for a short time
checked the ravages of disease. But
the supply of the drug was shut on on
account of its cost, and again the
deaths became numerous. The poor
orientals in despair began to commit
suicide, some by hanging. others by
while some deliberately
sat down upon the seashore and wait
ed for the rising tide to overwhelm
them. In a few weeks scarce two hun.
1red were left, and these, broken in
health and spirits, we're sent TO ia
maica.
Another shipload of laborers, this
line from Ireland, met no better fate,
lsr nearly every man died.
The material difficulties that con.
'ronted the railway builders are thus
by Tones in his Panama
n 1855" THE isthmus did not sup
ply a single resource necessary for the
kill and enterprise, but the labor, the
wood and iron, the daily food, the
the roof to cover and the in.
Itruments to work with came from
abroad. Most of the material
Ised for the construction Of the road
vas brought from vast distances. /
although the country abounded
II ADAEEAGs ~ vas A0AAu necessary !
rom the expense OF labor and the j
want of routes of communication, to !
end the timber, for the most part {
rom the United States, and not only
we're the rails, to a considerable ex. I
ent, laid on American pine, but the {
ridges, and the houses and work I
hops OF the various settlements were
Z the same wood, all fashioned IN {
fame and Georgia. The metal work,
be rails, the locomotives and the tools g
-ere brought either from England or (
be United States. The daily food OF
be laborers. even, came from a New @
'ork market"
The first section Of the road was a
I'D through a mangrove swamp In a
-hich no bottom was found, the tracks Z
eng foated on an immense pontoon. g
v October, 1851, eight miles had been Z
ompleted and cold ground was c
sached at Gatun. Lack Of funds now n
axan 70 hamper the builders. In o