La Junta tribune., 1917-01-20
THROUGH THE PANAMA CANAL
Continued from FRS, Page)

ed in strips about six feet vide on
each side. so that any inquisitiye
man-of-war can see at a distance
what country she belongs to and gov
ern himself accordingly.
After leaving Gatun it took about
three hours to reach Gamboa and
there the block was against US. We
soon learned that three balls meant
go ahead and one meant stop.
AT Gamboa one white ball met our
disappointed gaze, 50 We put in for
the night And such a night Hard
- anything 10 eat, and more mos
quitoes than would have believed
were ia the world
We heard some good mosquito
stories. one man said he had seen
them SO thick that he caught them
up like snow. and made a ball like
a snow ball They were not that
thick in Gamboa, but | never want
" sNf lIl'AA any HOEH'
The next day. Wednesday, they
let US go to Culebra. there the white
ball was out and Ne had to stop
again At Culebra We we're close
to the slide. and It was the busiest
place / ever saw. Everything was
working at top speed trying TO get
the dirt out OF the way. There were
huge dredges full OF dirt that were
taken out by the tugs. and enor-
nous steam shoyels taking the debris
out OF the channel. The dirt and
rock not only slide into the cut. but
the weight OF the hill on one side
makes the bottom OF the canal bulge
up. II seemed TO me had never
heard so much noise. The official
motor boats were always sputting
about and blowing their whistles.
and all the tugs had the loudest and
deepest whistles you ever heard, and
there were no many that they had
to be whistling all the time At night
the scene was something to see. for
everything was lit up with big cleo
trio lights, and they worked as fast
at night as in the day time. About
eleven o'clock that night the last
rock was blasted and then they we're
until five o'clock on Thursday after.
noon getting the pieces OF the rock
out
Culebra is where Colonel Goeth,
ais lived. did not see the town.
Carlyle went over and brought M
some ice cream. and said II was no,
much OF place. The town va,
not visible from the boat. being BUN
on the other side OF the hill,
About two O'Clock Thursday after
noon the ships from the Pacific be
gan coming throuFh-all that wer,
on the Pacific side waiting goin.
through first. and there were nine o.
them. II vas like being In the review
Ing stand to see all those big boat
fully block long and some of then
more. go by. Every country bu
Germany was represented. And Their,
was one, an oil boat. which belong
to the man who Is owner OF thI
mine, on the flag was Bradford
Every boat vas loaded to the waite
line. Every boat that Will float 4
floating and Is as full a. is safe
Some OF the docks at the canal hay,
tons Of merchandise from German,
consigned TO these countries. WaItini
for the German boats to come afte
II, The ships. rs they went through
Culebra Cut, had 10 have a tug 10
their motive power. for the wheel o
screw OF the ship. whatever II IL. (
In motion might make another slide
between every boat soundinEs wer,
taken and buoys marked the chan
mel.
Finally our turn came and We ha,
a nice little tug named Culchra Ant
how slow We went. but We were rlat
TO be going at all And Just it'll,
way ahead after We passed the Gu
we're the last two locks And n
s"yon-thirty o'clock We we're doeke,
In Balboa.
In Balboa We took on many pas
seng"rs and much freight. becaus,
We were the first boat going through
and going south for many week
So We were there all night and un
III four o'clock the next day.
As soon as We we're IN We wen
over TO Panama Balboa ia the por
OF Panama and Is Jus, new town
Everything f. built Of concrete AM
the new administration building (
wonderful II Is located ON a hill jus
between Balboa and Panama and 4
built In the same style Of architect
ur" a. our government buildings 4,