Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1913-07-16

Colon, c. FL am going TO take you |
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 viii not be for a year
or so, 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 the 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 a
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-
| terTanean a cheer goes up from the
deck, for we have caught a glimpse OF
the Stars and Stripes fluttering above
q 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 Margarita island,
virtually a part of the mainland.
/ Colon, fiat and unpicturesque, now
comes into view, and directly ahead
of us an immense breakwater
stretches a mile out from the shore
on the right At its land end, on
Toro point, 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 harboT
and the Bay of Limon and steam past
the pretentious Washington hotel. I'm
Gle Sam, proprietor; the docks oil
Colon, crowded with shipping from
the United States, Europe and many
q 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
che Empress Eugenie. Skipping abou
the bay, looking like long, black watel
beetles, are the cayukas or native dug
outs, and moving lazily before the Sc;
breeze are the little sailing craft il
. which the queer San Bias Indians are
bringing their products to market.
! On the immense concrete piers o
, Cristobal, bulk by the canal commits
, sion, are throngs Of cheering people
3 white, black and of all Intermediate
5 shades. But we do not stop, for tn
2 ten-hour passage must be made Il
: daylight and already the sun is hig
over Mount Hope, once Monkey Hill
= the scene of many a bloody fight l.
K the old insurrectionary days, now tn
f last resting place Of hundreds VIII
n laid down their lives in the work c
y digging the canal under both tn
e French and the American regimes.
Four miles and a half we steaI
J. through Limon bay and the shore
Z narrow in on our 500-foot channe
still at tide level. Now look ahea
three miles and get glimpse of tn
r Gatun locks, that tremendous flight {
three water steps up which we are
be lifted. In a few minutes we reaC
the towering dividing wall of concret
our own power is shut off and til
electric locomotives on the lock wal
=, take us in tow. Four of these powe
=. full machines attach their hawsers
~ our ship, two in front to pull it and tV
. astern to keep it steady and to briI
~ 1t to a stop when entirely within Il
- lock chamber. The immense gait
=. close silently behind us and at ont
"a the water begins to flow into Il
- chamber through culverts that ha'
- their openings in the concrete foe
- Slowly the vessel rises until it is {
q level with the second chambe
We % 1-3 feet above sea level when Il
- gate ahead is opened and the electI
- mules move forward, this time up
-. heavy grade by means of the cent
-, racks in the tracks. Twice this opel
~ ton is repeated, and now we are
y, the summit, 85 feet above the Sc
The last gate opens and the LOGON
tives pull us into Gatun lake.
AS our propellers begin to tn
again and we steam out into. this i
NC mense artificial lake, a marvellous
" beautiful landscape is spread befc
nc us. The surface of the lake is dott
~ with islets, once the SUBMITS of Tie
~ re hill, Lion hill and a dozen other Ell
~ nences; on both sides are steep D
montories, lovely little peninsulas a
90 deep bays and inlets where the wa
~ has spread into the once jungle-fill
- valleys.
Before we get too far from I
locks, let us step to the starboard 7
-. and have a look at the Gatun da
enormous stretch Of rock, sand a
-. clay that has formed Gatun lake
~, impounding the waters Of the Chag
49, river. 1t is in reality low ridge, {
"a and a half miles long, built across
80 valley, and when we are told that
is nearly half mile wide at its ba
400 feet wide at the water surface
100 feet wide at its crest, which
~. twenty feet above the level Of
isn lake, how utterly ridiculous seem
~ fears of those alarmists who predic
b1 the dam would be pushed over by
a.. Chagres in time Of flood!