The theocrat. [volume] (Zion City [i.e. Zion], Ill.) 1914-1949, 1916-11-04
Lecture on Construction of
Panama Canal
DELIVERED BEFORE SEVENTH GRADE PUPILS
OF ZION SCHOOLS


OF ZION SCHOOLS
On last Friday afternoon Deacon Jasper H
DePew delivered talk at Zion College Build
ing to the seventh grade pupils of Zior
Schools, descriptive of trip to the Panama
Canal and of life in the Canal Zone.
The method employed in Zion Schools is tt
have studies on various subjects illuminated
SO far as possible, by practical talks given by
persons possessing special knowledge of the
subject discussed This imparts life anc
vital interest to matters which might other
wise make but little impression on the minds
of the pupils.
Having held the position of inspector in the
office of General George w. Goethals and hav
ing served as his confidential agent during
the construction of the Panama Canal, Dea
con DePew is able to speak with accuracy anc
authority regarding this important epoch ir
American history
The students were led step by step in the
journey from Zion City to the Zone, anC
many points of interest were brought out in
connection with southern cities. A lengthy
article could be written about New Orleans
alone, but this report shall be confined tc
that portion of the lecture dealing with the
construction of the Panama Canal.
That which caught the interest of the
pupils, perhaps, more than any other portion
OF the lecture was the display of large
number of specimens, taken from the canal
consisting of wood rocks, name-plates col
ored soil from the Culebra cut, and other in.
teresting things, which drew out many oues-
tions from the pupils
"A large cocoanut brought out the interest
ing TACT that the stories pictured in the old
school readers of monkeys throwing cocoa
nuts from trees at travellers, are fictitious
monkey could no more pluck a cocoanut
from tree than a man could snatch brick
from the wall of building. The cocoanut
exhibited which was surrounded bv it's husk
was about three feet in circumference. The
natives separate them from the tree by a GER.
tain dexterous twist of the hand. In gather.
ing them for commercial purposes. the clus.
ters are cut from the tree and let down by 9
cord.
A cane of polished mahogany drew forth
the interesting fact that the framework o1
common huts used by the natives. often con
slst OF expensive hardwoods. A native vii
!age was one night swept away by fire, leav
ing only charred posts standing From one
OF these Deacon DePew had this cane made
piece OF agate, weighing about six
pounds, was shown which had been picked
| up from the bottom of the canal.
piece of quartz rock, with mica inbed
ded, had come from the bottom of Culebrs
cut.
A block of hgaaum catae, weighing about
ten pounds, and in which an old French spike
was lmbedded had been sawn from tie usec
Oy the French in the construction of The
Panama railroad This wood is very valu
able, and is SO hard it is like iron. A piece
the size of railroad tie would perhaps be
worth one hundred dollars in Chicago. Just
think OF using it lavishly in the construction
of a railroad!
Very interesting samples of coins issued by
the Republic of Panama were exhibited
one coin, the issue of which was withdrawn
from circulation, because it was too small
Tor practical purposes, had the value of a five
cent piece. The Chinese foreseeing it's value
as souvenir, monopolized the entire OUTPUT
and today sell the coins to tourists at twenty
cents each.
Deacon DePew has in his nossessior
samples of forty-two shades of dirt taker
from the Culebra cut.
! He also holds bronze medal. which he
prizes highly. These medals were issued b1
the President of the United States to al
Americans devotlng four years of continuous
service on the Panama Canal. Tt must be
borne in mind that thousands came and went
remaining in the Zone but few months.
Before the water was let in, the work or
the canal was carried on by dry excavation
Blasting was done of evenings, often lasting
for hours and resembling the sound of heavy
artillery. People living in the immediate
vicinity kept inside their homes at such times
to avoid being struck by stones, which flew
Tor more than quarter of a mile. Deacon
DePew stated that he has lodged stones
larger than mans head.
The Panama Canal is 5O1A miles long. 300
feet wide at bottom in Tho CulohYa cn+ or6
varies from that to an unlimited width ir
the lake nArtinnS Tho