Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-07-28

frivers OF Panama torrential streams.
The Chagres river has risen twenty
/ Are feet in twenty fonF houra During
every seasoa the records Ieft By the
French and kept by the Americans
since their occupation show that this
river discharges enough water TO al
! the proposed Gatun lake one aud one-
half times Il Is not expected that any
lack OF water for the lock type canal
ever will be experienced.
Except for the beaten. paths and
cleared spaces constantly maintained
the jungle Is king In Panama. One
seasons growth viii cover an aban
doned clearing with the luIurtant
tropical vegetation. When the AmeFi.
cans entered the canal zone most Of
the French machinery and even whole
towns were covered by the jungle
{ There are the usual tropical fruits.
bananas. cocoanuts. alligator pears.
papayas. mangoes aud other less well
known varieties. The vegetation In
cludes the royal polnclana. palm and
other stately trees. The rare orchid
Is at home on the lsthmus. about sew
enty.fve varieties being found. dozen
OF which are OF the most beautiful
kinds. A dry season OF four months
does not parch the growth. but the
rainy season gives Il the most brilliant
green coloring.
None Of the big animal life OF Africa
Is found anywhere In South America.
and Panama has even less dangerous
species than the mainland The ia
rantuIa. coral snake. tiger cats, deer
and other larger though not 40 dan
gerous animals are found. and alliga-
tors abound In the rivers and hays as
well as sharks. The insect life Is Won
deTfulIy varied. the birds are In Innnite
variety and most beautiful. while wild
flowers OF dazzling colors are In pro-
fusion. The canal zone. where oceu-
pied IN the canal operations. long since
was freed Of dangerous animal life.
| Distinct but inconsequential earth
quake shocks have been felt In Pana-
ma for centuries. The san francisco
earthquake In 1906 was not recorded
on the canal zone seIsmograph. Ia the
seventeenth century violent shock &C.
Cured. but none In the eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries. nor has any been
recorded In the twentieth century. al
though In Costa RIGA. the republic adj
Joining Panama, severe shock In
1910 caused q considerable loss Of life
and property. So far as past perform
ances can Indicate. the canal should
not suffer from earthquakes.
The Atlantic and Pacific oceans are
on the same level. bat the tide ON the
Pacific side has maximum lift OF
twenty feet. while on the Atlantic
side the maximum lift Is only two and
one-half feet. Allowance for this va
Ration was made by providing deep
er channel for the canal ON the Pacific
SIDE so that the passage OF ships win
not be affected by the tides. The shape
OF the bay OF Panama causes the high
tideon the Pacific side.
As there Is not q favorable geographi-
cal arrangement at either end Of the
canal in the way Of harbors the de-
fects have been supplied by breakwa-
tiers. At the Atlantic entrance break
water more than two miles long runs
from Toro point to shield ships lying
In the entrance from the violent north
ers that occasionally sweep the coast
Another breakwnter q half mile long
running out from the Colon water front
will protect shipping In that harbor
from storms on the east At the Pa
cffc entrance storms are not danger
3Ous. but the currents deposited silt In
tie channel In such quantities as to
mike breakwater advisable and this
one runs nom the mainland to Saos
isInnd. three miles out IN the bay. and
icopnects with the fortincutions. It
was built from naterial exeayated in
the Culebra cut. whereas the Atlantic
breakwaters were built largely OF rock
quarried ut Porto Bello.
Panama and Colon are cities OF great
interest to the tourist The former has
about 1000 population and the latter
10000. Panama Is the capital Of the
republic and has handsome national
theater and institute. street ear sys-
tenn, and a number Of old cathedrals
are Interesting sights The canal EN-
'pioyees travel for. half fare on the
railroad and are often In evidence In
the quaint little victoria carriages that
handle the street traffic at 10 cents q
ride in the two Cities
z Ito be Continued