Semi-weekly herald., 1913-04-03
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BAYFIELD, 1 t D. MAN .l;||'l GIVES AN
INTERESTING ACCOUNT
OF WORK AT PANAMA
Panama Canal Zone, March 9.

Editor Herald:
Going upon the presumption that
perhaps some Of my La Plata friends
and neighbors would like to hear and
see something from wandering Colo
radoan just tourned loose down here
without log or compass 1900 miles
away from the land of the free on
the torrid shores of the Caribbean
sea. But to give you good starter
for the story, I'll just raise the cur
tain from the time our good ship
the Heridia, sails from New Orleans
harbor.
Feb 26 night finds us at the delta
or mouth of the Mississippi, where
we got our first glimpse of the gulf
in sundown scene. The sea is run
ming high and we can hear them talk
ing about squally time and strong
head wind coming on. Eight p. m.-
Ship is pitching and rolling terribly;
passengers lurching around soberly
with more or less dignity plunk
abruptly into their rooms, and here
too my room is down in the port hole
row twas a job to get there, so wob-
bly, | felt, what had hoped to escape,
though it was most surely coming
Seasickness? No, / wasn't going to
get seasick. The door was standing
open and | fell onto a stool, held
fast to something and meditated there
a moment on the ills of the earth,
but no use. | had to make a break
somehow for my roosting place. There
it was letter Al could read that
much-an upper berth, high as Pixies
Peak. Would get up there? Sullen
as an OK / tried to shake my head
and with that it was all off The
fierce-eyed demon of the sea was after
me; he wanted that first dinner we
had coming down the lower Missis-
sippi. Well, by installments he sure
got it all and then some No. the ter
rors of that night admit of little fur
ther joking and such for there was
none of that in my soul, | even began
to doubt family if | had soul, or
maybe it was off on leave of absence.
Thoughts would not come from my
head any more, but simply issued di-
rect from the stomach-and vile they
were; who shouldn't they be. Serves
you right, too-that roared forever in
my ears with the bowling waters out
side. Yet strange to say this was
the only feature that Offered any con-
ISOLATION. This idea of being punish
ed to the utmost, and it brought me
to that point of indifference where
nothing could matter any more. From
somewhere it came to me there must
There were two husky seamen swing
ing me by the heels and scroff Of the
neck-one, two, three; over you go.
Well, it was no concern of mine, GER
tainly, so let it go at that and now
neighbors this is surely enough said.
What follows will be another story.
Colon, Republic of Panama,
March 10, 1918.
l have now been on the canal zone
ten days and should by this time have
acquired fair outline of the work
and what is doing, but l must con-
fess my inability of handling the sub
ject. 1t is on so broad and grand
a scale, do not even know where to
begin, but it is safe to assert that
today it is easily the biggest show
exhibited on the earth, all the old
eight wonders of the world punched
up together as nearly as possible
would not make bouquet to throw
on this grand stage of present day
human genius, enterprise and push,
and when all of these thousands of
workers shall have quit the job and
the roar and whirr of great machines,
the kissing and throbbing of steam
will have ceased and every hammer
will have tapped the last time, still
shall the wonder be as great as ever
to the millions yet to people the earth.
Gatun dam and locks is located near
ly seven miles south of Colon on the
Atlantic side. 1t measures one mile
wide, about two miles long, extending
from hill to hill and 100 feet high
it does not appear like dam, but like
great flat sloping rise and is nearly
completed. The great lock, however
in this dam is the great attraction tt
every visitor here. This enormous
concrete pile of construction must b'
seen to be appreciated. The gen
eral outline size is one mile long, ha'
two water ways and is therefore dou
BILE, each channel or waterway is III
feet wide by from forty-fve to eighty
eight feet deep, according to drops
There are three drops in the locks
The concrete bottom of the entir'
work is thirty feet thick; outside wall
fifty feet, with middle wall seventy
five feet thick, making the entir
width nearly 400 feet. In the middl
wall and near the bottom of it ther
runs a tunnel through it the entir
length of eighteen feet in diameter
,o,<rb chic tho uutar is carried L