The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1914-05-07
Glinpses Of a Trip
to the Panama Canal
Continued from last week
By HON. THOMAS F. MARSHALL

Continued from last week
Back to the Canal
But let US get back to the canal. We
are now eighty-five feet above tho At
lantic Ocean, having been escorted
through the three Gatun locks, one af-
ter the other, by our electric mule. .
Having washed of the salt water ID
the Atlantic going through (and -.
suming that our mule has not kicked
US overboard) We are now in the fresh
water Of the great artificial lake. No
body has told me 20, but I believe thia
ID the largest artificial fresh watel
lake in the world, being, - I said b.
fore, one hundred sixty-four square
miles in extent. All sea going vessell
accumulate baEna.les, which ate
themselves to the hulls and ultimately
retard their speed to IN extent which
neoessitates dry docking and scrapina
OF the barnacles. These, however, fall
of in fresh water. In this way tht
fresh water Of Gatun Lake will rendea
. valuable service.
It is said Gatun Lake would serve .,
. safe harbor for Ill the vessels Of al
the navies in the world. II this b<
true, it occurred to me while I write
that it might not be = bad idea to Goa,
Ill the fighting vessels in the world
into Gatun Lake, knock out the gates
and let Ill the water out and leave thl
fighting machines stranded high ant
dry on the backbone Of the continent
This would probably end the horror,
Of naval warfare forever. Probably
had better get this idea copyrighted
II Andrew Carnegie should hear of II
he might buy the navies and carry on,
the idea.
The Lay Of the Land
Here let me say that the topograph,
Of the lsthmus is peculiar. The hack
bone Of the continent is badly DISC
Gated and disjointed. There are n,
well defined ranges Of hills or noun
tains extending up and down betweel
the oceans. Excepting six or eigh
miles Of low, fiat land on each side, tn,
country traversed by the canal is yer,
much broken, made up Of scatteeini
peaks, with short, narrow valleys be
tween. It is like the Cornishman's sea
blasted lumpy." However, from tn,
Gatun Dam to the Culebra Cut (abou
twenty miles) there is an irregular
narrow valley made by the Chagre,
River and one or two other streams
the names Of which have escaped me
This valley is covered by Gatun Lake
which extends on each side up the "a
vines and small depressions between
the hills, making the lake rather mar
row and extremely irregular. Will
It's very long, struggling arms extend
ing in almost every direction it j.
shaped somewhat like q devil-fish.
Through Gatun Lake
Most Of the twenty miles the LAX.
covers the route Of the old Panams
Railway and the numerous Villages
that were along its line. It extends
over many acres that were covered
with large timber; and where the
water is shallow enough to permit
the lifeless tops Of great forest trees
are exposed, veritable grave yard fol
luxuriant growth Of shrubs, flowers
and trees. The only green thing ir
sight is an occasional bunch of mistle.
toe on the tops Of the dead trees, and
it is to be hoped that this will survive
With the moonlight on the lake and
mistletoe overhead, it makes a great
combination for those who are senti.
mentally inclined.
Fuel, in q climate that is rs warm As
the Canal Zone, has but little value
The timber has practically no CONNER.
cial value, for while it is large, it is
crooked and ill-shaped, and doubtless
would have cost many times more t.
clear it away than it is worth. The
tops that project above the water viii
rot; probably that below may petrify
About this, however, do not know
I do not mean to say that all timbe,
in tfe Panama is worthless, for l hay,
been told there are some rich hart
woods in the mountains Of the interior
As we 60 on the route Of the cana
from Gatun Dam through the lake, /.
channel has been cleared and dug out
where necessary, but there was, com
paratively speaking, little digging t,