Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1913-08-22


can see the famous spiIlway through
which pass the surplus waters of the
Chagres 1t ia a concrete lined chan
mel 2S5 feet wide cut through a hill
OF rock and across it is built a curved
dam of concrete on top OF which is a
row OF regulating gates. Just below
the spillWay, out of our sight, is the
hydroelectric 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 a path indicated
by range towers on the shores-is
now thousand feet wide and leads
us somewhat tortuously through a
maze Of islands Look down as we
near some OF them and you win 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 viii
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.
FrijoIes and Chagresito. We now come
Ito the place where Tabernilla once
stood, and here both lake and channel
I,f4 CT
SEQ, then 700 and finally 500 feet wide
On the hillsides to the right stand a
few abandoned houses, all that re-
mains of Mamei Juan Grande, Cor
gona and Mataehin. 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 300 feet wide at the bottom.
but, because of the trem endous earth
slides which cost Uncle Sam so much
money and time, its width at the top
is astonishing. being half a 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 /
Germ a streak of white paint which |
marks the level to which the French /
company carried its 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. 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.
Mirahores lake. only mile long At
it's southern end we pass the town OF
Mlrafiores and enter the locks of the
same name, a double fight that let's
US down once more to sea level.
The exciting part of the passage Ia
over but there is 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
it's 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
A.. 49,
now, steaming between flled-in swamp
lands, we come to Balboa, which the
government has made into fine naval
station, with an immense dry dock
and extensive machine shops.
Stretching out from Balboa into the
Pacific is a breakWater, two miles
ong, which protects the harbor from
storms. At its outer end is a cluster
If little islands, Naos, Perico, Culebra
and Flamenco, and here we pass
lnder the powerful guns that guard
he Pacific end of the canal. They
ire mounted high up on the SUBMITS
Il these rock islets, rifed cannon, one
hot from which would sink battle
hip, and huge mortars whose shells E
an be dropped behind Tobago island i
2 miles away in the direction OF 3
apan. s.
In ten hours we have crossed s
trough the continent and now float q
n the broad Pacific. AS we look 81
ack the picturesque city of Panama q
es bathed in the light Of the wester-
" sun and on the side Of Ancon hill
hines the big white Tivoli hotel The
ldden night Of the tropics is soon to
IN. and already, as far back as we
m see along our route and beside the
,ean channel, are twinkIing the 4
ghts that Uncle Sam has set up to
Tide the worlds commerce through
IFS most wonderful OF canals which
: has built