The Red Cloud chief., 1913-07-10

WnlCn pass tne surplus waters OF tue
Chagres. 1t is a concrete lined chan.
mel 2S5 feet wide cut through a hill
Of rock and across 1t 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
hydroeectric 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 path Indicated
by range towers on the shores-is
now thousand feet wide and leads
us somewhat tortuously through
maze of islands. Look down as we
near some Of them and you will see
below the surface the tops OF giant
trees. For we are sailing over what
but few months ago was the valley
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
few abandoned houses. all that re.
mains of Mamei. Juan Grande, Cor
gona 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 500 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,
495 feet above the bottom of the ca
nal. Far up on its rocky slope we dis
cern a streak of white paint which
marks the level to which the French
company carried it's excavations.
Nearly opposite is Contractors hill.
364 feet high. AS we move between
these, the loftiest 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
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, a double flight that lets
US down once more to sea level.
The exciting part Of the passage is
over. but there IL yet much Of interest
to see. Down the broad channel we
look clear out onto the glittering
waters of the Pacific ocean. Nearer
at hand. on the left, Ancon hill raises
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 filled-in swamp
hands, We come to Balboa, which the
!. government has made into fine nava
station. with an immense dry doCt
and extensive machine shops.
Stretching out from Balboa into the
! Pacific Is breakwater, two miles
. long, which protects the harbor from
, storms. At it's outer end Is a cluster
, Of little islands. Naos. Perico, Culebrs
and Flamenco, and here We pass
: under the powerful guns that guarc
the Pacific end of the canal. They
: are mounted high up on the submits
l OF these rock islets, rified cannon. ore
1 ship, and huge mcrtars whose shells
can be dropped behind Tobago islant
. 12 miles away In the direction O
| Japan.
In ten hours We have crossed
/ through the continent and now foa
y on the broad Pacific. AS We lool
5 back the picturesque city of Panam,
3 lies bathed In the light Of the wester
Q ing sun and on the side of Ancon hill
I shines the big white Tivoli hotel, Tn,
J, sudden night Of the tropics is soon L
4 fall, and already, as far back as W.
s can see along our route and beside tn,
0 ocean channel. are twinkling tn
Q lights that Uncle Sam has oct up Il
d guide the worlds commerce through
9 this most wonderful OF canals whicl
he has built.