The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-07-31
LIFE m THE CANAL ZONE
South SALISBURY Boy Writes from
the "5ig Ditch.

SDNAf OiiditohhiJ " fNNS - S'''
the "sig Ditch.
Edward MilIington OF South Shafts
bury has received an interesting let
ter from his son, Samuel r. Milling
ton who is with company A of the
10th u S infantry now stationed in
the Panama canal zone The letter,
with the exception of a few personal
paragraphs, is as follows:
Las Cascadas Panama
q hye attempted TO write to you
several times since I've been down
here, bur somehow 1 never sot start.
ed right. Have been writing some to-
night SO will write YOU a few lines
while the ambition is good No doubt
you have wondered how ! am faring
down here UP TO the present time
my health has been very good Fully
as well as could be expected in a
tropical climate 1 sure do miss the
cold winter weather.
III is just awful hot here all the
whole year. about the same as July
weather at home. The rainy season
is about to commence now and will
continue until about the middle OF
December It just rains about all the
time, mud and slush everywhere We
ure stationed on high land almost the
highest point between Colon and
Panama. We are stationed ON west
bank OF canal 80 miles from Colon, II
from Panama.
This is anly a small town built by
the French when they were here. No
one here now but soldiers The near
est town Empire is two miles. The
9th United states infantry is station.
ed there. The next town Culebra, is
four miles from here The 29th u. 5.
infantry is stationed there These
three towns or military posts is all
there is on the west side OF the canal
In the carly days when they were
digging the canal these were flourish.
ing towns, but now since the canal is
finished and the reduction OF working
force the civilians were compelled
TO move out, SO today there is none
but soldiers on our side OF the canal.
The main line of railroad from
Colon to Panama is on the east side,
but We have shuttle service from
here connecting the main line at
Pedro Miguel locks, crossing the can
al at Paraiso by prontoon bridge and
direct to Panama.
"Thc railroad is owned and CONTROL
ed by New York stock company and
steamship line from Colon to New
York. The engines and cars are all
American make and American engin-
GERS and conductors and all is first
class in every respect
THE road is of a wider gauge than
in the United States, the French
gauge being used which believe is
eight inches wider, so all rolling stock
had to be made TO order. Thus all of
the many engines and dunn cars that
were used in digging the canal are
now standing on a siding and many
of them exposed to the weather are
Just rustmg away. The engines here
for the most part use oil burners in
stead Of coal Not very large but they
certainly haul long and heavy trains,
and make good rate Of speed
Wei, ! didn't find the canal very
much as | expected it would be. The
canal when one has seen it from one
end TO The other, and everything taken
into consideration is certainly an inn
menso piece OF work and one will Of
ten wonder how il could have been
accomplished in so short a time. No
one who has never seen it can realize
what an immense hole was dug across
the isthmus of Panama
I'VE are stationed along the banks
of Culebra cut aud from our kitchen
] can take in the scenery for at lesat
a mile or more along The banks OF
the canal and as | gaze at the banks
of solid rock | often wonder how they
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