La Junta tribune., 1916-10-07
PANAMA CANAL
CONTINUED from First Page)

There are four locks between the
harbor at Colon and Gatun Lake and
sure have enough pictures. kept
swapping as we came through. When
"A boat starts through the canal a
canal captain. or pilot. comes on
board. This is an English boat and
II had to hoist the stars and stripes
to show that this boat was under
United States command-even n Il
was only for little while. was
trying to get picture Of the canal by
looking backward. the American Cap
tain came up and said. There's no
one looking. just slip up those stairs
and get picture" II was the stair
way TO the Grows Nest" where no
one who is mere passenger has any
business. ! went. you bet, and be-
lieye me | got some good pictures.
The canal looks just as ! thought IL
would from pictures and the 'mov-
les.
There are two canals really. with
about fifty feet of concrete between
them and in this concrete wall are
the dynamos and machinery which
operates the locks. and on IL are the
lights and light houses and also the
cog railway on which the engines run
the engines that draw the boats
through. The boats are not allowed
to turn their propellers all the way
through The gates or locks are
worked by electricity. and are about
eight feet thick and are constructed
of steel. when the boats get into one
lock the gates of that lock close be
hind IL and the boat remains station
airy while the water pours into the
lock through inlets in the bottom.
II looks as though the water had sud
denly started to boil. and then when
the water Is about 81 feet deep. Cthat
is, II was about 81 feet deep in the
last lock which raised the boat TO
the level OF Gatun Lake. and the
boat is raised high enough for the
next level. the gates swing open. the
engines on both sides start and the
mighty leviathan OF the sea rides
through.
There are emergency gates. tre-
mendous things, which are too tech
nical for me to describe. One side OF
the canal Is used while the other side
is being repaired, painted. etc, and
that goes on constantly. There has
been an outlet to Gatun Lake built
which allows the water TO descend In
such force as TO generate tn. power
for the hydro electric stations. We
were over there yesterday and | tried
to get some pictures and hope | did.
Every where our Government has
combined beauty and utility and
around these stations are lovely
flowers. ] am enclosing some seeds
Of vine which seemed 20 be a cross
between morning glory and sweet
pea They are very lovely As we
came through the canal We saw ne
rroes with scythes reaping down the
tropical vegetation. but as | sit here
on the deck OF the 'Quilpue" and
look across the bit OF interesting wa
ter to Gatun II looks like any small
town OF the States. situated on hill
a. il is-and only the best Of .ees
and flowers are allowed TO grow, No
one would even b.liev. how much
raonsy. how much .fiort-yes. and
failures too-and most OF all how
many lives have gone to make the
present civilization possible
Yesterday morning gasoline
/ launch. lby the way. a gasoline
launch has all my affections now:
don't ear. for an automobile at alb
came to bring the canal captain and
some ladies for visit TO our boat
and We took advantage OF the op-
| portunity and went TO Gatun, We
walked around and took several pic
lures. Walked over tn. golf course:
saw peopl. going TO church and was
going to the dock TO get into the
launch again. when I voiced a d.sir.
for ice cream you know mel. and
IN. Captain OF our boat was there
and he told Us ~e could ret all We
wanted st the Y. N. c. A. So out
We started for III. Y N. c. A.. We
had strawberry ice cream. and then
". had a good dinner. and NOR. Ice
cream. Then we read the ne~spap-
I err and lisiened 10 The yicitala ana