Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-10-15
Miseellaueous Reading.
THE DROWNING OF A JUNGLE
Largest Fresh Water Lake Ever Gre
ated by War.

Largest Fresh Water Lake Ever Gre
ated by War.
While the soldiers Of Europe are
putting the facts Of the political geo.
praphy of their continent through q
kaleidoscope jig, the final adjust
ments Of a magnificent change in the
physical in Central America brought
about by United States engineers are
taking place. The interesting features
, connected with this man-conducted
metamorphosis in the 1sthmian
worlds surface, the creation Of an
inland sea, the drowning of a tropical
jungle, and the enforced migration
Of swarm of jungle life from the val
| bottom to the hills as depicted by
George Shiras, 3rd., in a communica-
ton to the National Geographic
| Society,", is told in the following
bulletin:
"Gatun Lake is not only the largest
fresh-water lake ever created by man
"a navigable vidduct almost dredg-
ing the two oceans and reached by
terminal elevators in the form OF
locks,-but, in addition, a vast reser-
vior for the adjoining watersheds,
assuring throughout the year a sufh-
cient water supply for the operation
the locks, for electric power, for
the establishment of inland fisher
les, and for portable and other domes-
tic uses. The lake, much larger than
the one that the French intended to
construct, also allows greater free
dom and speed to the vessels using
the canal, and permits local nayiga-
ton of many of the jungle valleys.
when the long embankment at the
north end was closed, thus stopping
the only gap that nature had left
in the rim or hills. the inland waters
began covering the l~ow-lands, creep
ing UP the wild tangled valleys.
drowning the mighty forests and
the rank tropical jungles, flooding out
native villages and destroying scat
tered plantations, NARROWING wild
creatures like the monkey. ocelot,
peccary, armidillo. and the sloth on
hill-tops Unexpectedly converted into
permanent islands, submerging the
mud-flats of the heron and the ibis,
driving the deer, the jaguar, the
tapir, iguanas, and monster snakes
through the rising waters to less
hampered retreats, and opening up a
new and larger home for the swamp
alligator and the stream-confned fish.
Here all the ce%nturies-long pro-
cess Of the sinking Of the land and the
fascinating nature drama Of a few
months. Gatun Lake, at surface
elevation of IS feet, is estimated to
cover 164 square miles and extends
not merely over the previously ex-
listing swampy ground Of the Cha
gres Valley, but it has risen so far
above the flood Of the lowlands as to
extend for miles between the hills,
forming e~stuaries, lagoons, and ponds.
into deep sluggish rivers, and con-
verting hill-tops into beautiful is
lands, some Of them miles in length,
while thousands Of acres Of flooded
and fallen timber. into which stretch
or circle narrow necks Of land, practi-
cally defy any accurate estimate Of
the ~so-called shore-line Of the new
lake.
No n yet accurately knows the
size and shape Of the new lake. Much
Of its f~ar-reaching, irregular surface
is yelled by whole forests which
break through. its waters, a dying
jungle-barrier to a knowledge Of the
inland sea. When these o~bstructing
forests and bushes are at last des-
troyed by the warm waters Of the
flood and permanent fringes Of bam-
boo and other semi-aquatic growths
mark the line and shore, then when the
heretofore half shrouded lake will
glisten, near and far, in the tropic
lights, while h surrounding shores.
each bay and promontory and the
islands big and little, will stand out
sharply defined. 1t will then be diff
cult to realize that this lake is the
work Of man.
LAS the lake swelled from a pond
into a sea, the Indians Of Panama
say all their notions Of inland navi-
cation sweep by the board. They had
been accustomed to polling or pad
ding in the swiftest streams in their
cayuca, or dug-out, but they found
that not one among them knew how
to handle the canoe under the new
conditions brought about by the
lake.
The Indians, however, were the
least Of sufferers caused by the magic
appearance of the lake. There are
forests Of fine trees slowly dying, as
is a luxurious mass of jungle plant
life, On many Of the trees are great
pelant termite nests filled with rest
less ant-like creatures doomed to
slow starvation. And, besides, many
ANIMALS have suffered the fate Of be-
ing marooncd and slowly starved.
The coming Of the lake has worked a
considerable damage upon the life
that was there before, but unlike
the charges wrought in European
geography. this change will be per-
manent, it's utility, its comfort to a
re-adjusted plant and animal world,
and its tropical beauties, in all likeli-
hood, will be lasting on through many
Heterogeneous Of imperial bound
aries"