Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-22
Rules Make the Passage Through
Panama Perfectly Safe-Spe-
ciaI Pilots Take Charge as
Soon as Vessel Enters Waters.
Every Ship Must Lock Its En-
gines, and Guard Is to Watch
Seals From the Entrance to
Exit Of the Inter-0cean Trip.
Special Gable to The Atlanta Georgian.

Special Gable to The Atlanta Georgian.
COLON, March I6-That the Pan
anna Canal will not only be ready for
commercial shipping in July, but so
safe as to be fool proof" from a
sailors point of view, is the assur-
ence given by Capt. Hugh Rodman,
U. S. N, who will have entire charge
of all the details Of putting ship
ping through.
According to Captain Rodman the
meteorological conditions are more
favorable for shipping at the en-
frances of the Panama Canal than
at almost any other port in the world
OF anything like the Importance of
Colon and Balboa. At Colon the COM
pletion of one breakwater give still
water entrance to the canal. The
aids to navigation through Gatun
Lake have been made so clear that,
as he believes, captains will find the
passage through, day or night, as
safe and easy as a walk down a vii
lage street and the Culebra Cut pas
sage as easy as any large river.
Official Pilot Needed.
All vessels entering the canal will
have a canal pilot, who will take the
ship to an anchorage, from which
she may not move without permission
of Captain Rodman or one of his
port captains, conveyed through the
pilot.
All the officials who visit ships
must report to Captain Rodman as
head of the Department of Canal OPP
Grafton. As soon as the quarantine
officer releases a ship each Of the
other canal officials will go on board
As soon as ship moves toward the
canal it's wireless and all signal ar
rangements will be under the I'M
mediate control of the canal author
tiles, represented by the canal pilot.
In addition to the wireless and the
international code, signal systems
each pilot will have with him certain
shape" signals. At three command
ing points on the line canal signal
stations nave been provided, so that
from one of them every ship will be
practically in sight during its entire
passage.
Engines Locked.
The engines of a ship will be
turned over to the canal authorities
the moment the vessel ties up to the
approach wall of the canal locks. The
engines will Immediately be locked
by the canal officials by means of
steel chain and a sealing device. This
lock will be under the constant watch
of a canal guard and an engineer OF
the ship until after leaving the locks
when its removal is ordered by the
canal pilot on board.
The pilots have been selected by
Captain Rodman and for three months
he has been instructing and training
them. Four of them are from the
canals of the Great Lalles-men who
have had experience taking the large
ore ships through the Sault Ste,
Marie Canal. With these will be as
ISOLATED a number of picked men who
are thoroughly familiar with local
conditions.
At the Pacific entrance to the
canal, Captain Rodman says, ships
will find no tide interference what
ever and an abundance of anchorage
room.
Supplies and Repairs at Cost.
When a vessel notifies the canal
authorities in advance of its arrival
as to what supplies are needed they
will be put on board in the quickest
possible time,
The law authorizing the furnishing
of supplies to shipping at cost is in
terpreted here to include the making
of repairs at cost, and this will be
done.
Captain Rodman graduated in 1880,
and all except six years of his serv-
ice since has been at sea. He has
been around the world five times and
has commanded ships in nearly every
big port in the world. 1t was Rod
man whom Admiral Dewey sent to
demand the surrender of the Span
ish batteries on Corregidor Island,
outside of Manila Bay. and later
those at Subig Bay. When Admiral
Osterhaus commanded the Atlantic
fleet Rodman was the fleet captain.
When the battleship fleet went to
Europe last year Captain Rodman
commanded the dreadnought Della
ware. From this he was sent to the
lsthmus at Colonel Cocktails request