The Hartford republican., 1913-12-12
1,ss Esnderful Story Of the Para
ma Canal.

ma Canal.
RAu Eaprs than 400 years the Wis
fs,x. al a canal across the Isthmus OF
Fssnsns has fired the Imagination
OK she world, says Frank Parker
-StsssR Ariige in the December num-
Der ~ Popular Mechanics magazine.
IKE vision became realty on Oc-
sntssr 40, 1913, when President Wood
ram Wilson in the White House at
Essse lngton, pressed a button which
aseax she electric current 1000 miles
sn 81 psnde forty tons of dynamite
sghSsa blew up the last barrier to
"A H.. waterway across the 18TH
r1,La
"G..sa5oa's busted" exclaimed the
9r.s i&cnt. as he pressed the e.egraph
fssrg The casualness of his remark
x:zs :. tribute to the engineers of the
Es1drsd States army, to whom the
asasyHY of the canal has been simply
.asaasher job in the routine of their
rcssEl.zy work, and one that called for
MT. kxa.ss hands or special simplicity.
ahs Eilst vessel TO pass through the
Snyssax Culebra Cut, after the break
Ely of the Gamboa dixie had let
5lh tRs water, was an ordinary row
EI4zx. while a humble but useful tug
bssxk was the first craft of any kind
ia a.ske the passage through the
:Srgss GatuR Locks.
waAse the work at Panama is still
G;Iy Grpm completed. yet the canal
SY1l,A the first Spanish explorers
3iEn-.zsad is today an accomplished
F:1s4 For the first time since the
Il exssznuous water passage across the
SaIisGSr Ships as larse as most of
sasyee Of aRlbca's day can already be
Tiazssd from ocean to ocean.
Sa September 25, 1913, Vasco
Nnz~E lie Balboa climbed the peaks
sar Sss Continental Divide and dis
q:arsssd the Pacific ocean, which he
III Sod THE South Sea-" From
nsass1ce Balboa stood his new ocean
z;lS directly south, because of the
Ssa1s1x,sd twist OF the istmhus, which
Firnzzs the Pacific entrance to the
r=z~xA not only southwark but east
ss.assa scf the Atlantic terminal. When
EaiID Dstsais report of the discovery
rsslzsNcd Spain. it was accompanied
g.. xS..a fhat a canal
hs Immediately dug across the 18TH
I1,ss Whax the explorer had in
I1.GA Nlas a sea-level canal, for al
lpss..n Leonardo da Vinci, the great
3esLr1A aainter-engineer, had recent
y ssssNted the hydraulic lock now
.syszsses.9y used for lifting vessels over
it had not become widely
Rnrsa. However, alluring as it
!ssaaasd the canal project was dis
sniak-,s. Accordins to some historians
gts ssisction was due mainly to the
iIsf9rSxee of the church. To the
. inqssse faith of that day it appeared
etsar THAT if God had intended the
uvaxssz 10 flow across the isthmus.
I1a sacNtd have created a channel
1s*s-
Yas discovery of gold in California
Il t1~S was followed by a tremen-
tsGu Solume of traffic between the
g aRsin and Pacific coasts and for !
fa2ss,a2 years practically all of this
-rgf1g-s Was by way of the isthmus.
, T0g Etse Panama railroad, opened in
1873 oy Americans under a conces-
. AN srorp the republic of New Gran
sssSl, mow known as Columbia. The
II ssSsatiOns and surveys for the rail
g7sssS n work that is said to have
esar Ene life of human for every tie
fs& 10 much more accurate knowl-
esaxS All the topography and geology
"a sIk isthmus than had previously
1ssS available. President Grant in
!au, sskd congress TO take up the
sdss>i.c .0f a canal. The only action
SszSs a. resolution providing for an ex-
pts~-s1ioo by officers of the navy and
fhr scssation OF commission, in
fshss 10 consider their reports. Then
~ ffxy. is75. the Republic of Co
szase,a granted concession for the
ss'eszsslctisn OF a canal from Colon
So easAanla, the terminals OF the Pan
Anna saprcad. TO Lieut.. Lucien Napo-
isnss BSnaparte Wyse, an officer OF
'Isx fcench army.
ta 1884. a new French company
-zz2s organized and work was re-