The Washington herald., 1913-09-28
GATUN LAKE LARGEST MADE :
BODY OF WATER in WORLD
With Area Of 1877 Square Miles, 1t VIII Stretch Far Beyond
Canal Zone on Both Sides, but All VIII Be
United States Property.

primitive jungle homes of palm thatch s
raised a few feet above the ground by
bamboo poles. Others were OF ordinary
lumber. with corrugated iron roofs-botb
the iron and the lumDer having been Dill.
fered from storehouses or isolated build.
ings formerly belonging to the French
canal diggers. Here and there. however,
were trim little cottages. some dating
from the period OF French occupancy.
and others of later American construc-
ton.
Most notable Of the towns in the laks
basin was the ancient village of Gatun,
on the river flats. In the early days OF
gold-seeking migration to California
this was the first stopping place on the
canoe journey up the Chagres, where
boat loads Of travellers used to pause for
refreshments. and where eggs sold al
. cents apiece, and a hammock wal
rented for $3 a night. When the Amer
leans arrived, in 1904. Gatun was the
center of a considerable river trafhc,
shipping once a week by rail from sever
to nine carloads OF bananas On shipping
day as many as 100 canoes (Which
brought the fruiD would tie up at Ca
tun.
The town was abandoned in 1908. and
its former site is now covered by ths
great Gatun Dam. II comprised about
ninety houses. church, a priests house,
a. 4 schoolhouse, and a dozen small shops
Inc me new town Of Gatun is on high
sfouhu' out OF reach Of the lake waters .
hnd 10 Drive People Ont.
IL was hard to persuade many of tn,
Inhabitants Of the lake basin that N,
contemplated inundation would ever tax,
place. One old settler declared that ths
Lord had promised never again to food
the earth. 1t was necessary literally re
drive some OF the people out and to com,
rel them to take up quarters elsewhere
the losses they suffered by the destr,Ic,
ton OF their property being made good
Of course, by the United States govern
ment- Last to go was Gorgona, a con.
siderable modern American town, which
curing the last few weeks has been ir
process Of removal Shops and ma.
chlnery. miscellaneous buildings ara
some hundreds of dwellings used as bach.
elor quarters, married quarters four
family houses. &c, were taken to piece.
and bodily transferred to other sites.
The flooding Of the lake basin brough.
ABOUT other disturbances. regiments Of
monkeys innumerable parroquets, anG
other wild animals Of the jungle beins
obliged to retreat before the ADVANCING
waters. The jungle itself. now sub.
merged, is slowly dying and one rather
curious incidental consequence of tht
floods has been the loosenfng Of Iarg,
masses OF earth and vegetation from
the bottom Of the lake. These masses
composed largely of sticks and leaves
with mating of soil and with Iuss
grass growing upon them, are blown
about by changing winds The canal dig.
gers call them floating islands. A man
could not walk upon them. yet many Of
them are big enough and solid enough te
be in the way Of navigation by small
boats. Sometimes a wide area of lax.
surface will be plentifully dotted witt
them. The bigger ones are from one ia
three acres in size, but they break ID
easily into smaller fragments Taking
them altogether there are hundreds OF
acres Of such islands. which are virtually
sections OF the lake floor afoat. Launch.
es are being used to tow them to tho
Gatun spillway, where they are allowed
TO float through an6 ind their way inta
the Caribbean Sea.
Col. Goelthsl says: There is a pecus
lar condition that is going to develop 4,
the lake. 1 had always supposed We
were to have a body Of clear water right
up to the banks; but there IL a Srass
which is very much like Bermuda grass
and which has taken root in the LAKE
bottom along the shores. 1t grows rap
idly and sends out runners in all direc, ,
tions. so that before long it will conver
the margins OF the lake into a vas
marsh, rendering the banks not easilJ
accessible to small craft. However" h1
adds, Il am not in favor Of allowing too
many small craft in the lake. because
they might interfere with shipping.
RENE BACHE