The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1919-08-02

oppressive III tnib latltuue, OWING u
prevailing sea breezes."
And later, from the Canal Zone:
"Supposing you might be interest
ed in some observations on the Canal
at the hands OF al amateur corre-
spondent-so here goes: At the east
ern end OF the Canal there are the
two cities (really one) OF Colon in
the Panama Republic and Cristobal
in the Canal Zone. Cristobal is an
American city and IL very pretty.
Colon is a wild place, and until our
visit soldiers and sailors have not
been in the town since this country
started In the war. 1t is mostly a
''nigger" town; but due to the U. $.
government, 1t is kept fairly clean.
We inspected the Notifications, aud
entered the locks. The locks are
wonderful, and you will hardly be-
lieve it when I tell you everything
except the towing locomotives works
automatically. AS soon as the ship
enters the first lock the gates close
and In seven minutes the next gates
open and you are towed into the next
lock. 1t takes about fifty minutes to
60 through the Gatun locks into Ga
.tun Lake. GAtun dam IL the big
-e6gfnveftuR fsat OF the Canal. The
dam makes Gatun Lake. and that
made the Canal possible. Gatun
Lake saved digging over half the
canal and cut down the excavation
in Culebra Cut by fifty per cent.
GAtun dam also has big spillway
that looks like u second Niagara.
Here they generate enough electric
power to furnish light for the whole
Canal Zone. Gatun Lake being fresh
water we all enjoyed good fresh
water bath under the deck hose. The
winding shores Of the lake are cover
ed with . mass of tropical vegita-
ton. Everything is very green
down here now as this is the rainy
season. Leaving the lake, you enter
Cuiebra Cut and 1t is here that a
stupendous amount Of work WAS
done. At Gold Hill they cut through
400 feet ef almost solid rock for over
half . mile. At this place several
bad slides occurred, but things are
fixed now so that another slide IL
quite unlikely to happen. From Gu
Zebra you go through one lock at
Pedro Miguel into Miraflores Lake.
Then from Miraflores Lake through
two locks into the Pacific end OF the
Canal. We moored alongside the
dock at Bxlboa, which IL an immense
thing. Balboa is one of the most
beautiful towns you can ever hope to
see. 1t is owned by the government
and everything is laid out on beauti-
full aud substantial lines, as the gov
ernment always does things right.
In fact, throughout the whole Zone
the beauty and order in which gov
ment property is kept is remarkable.
Balboa Is an absolute socialistic city
as everything is owned and run by
the government. II is u surprising
contrast to the adjacent City Of Pan
anna. Panama City is an old and
picturesque town. The streets are
very narrow and quarters much
crowded. The population is mostly
black. However there are parts OF
the town that are modern and very
pretty. We went out to inspect Fort
AmAdor, In the morning. II is by
far the most powerful fort In Ameri-
ca. 1t has big disappearing guns
placed In the top Of high hill. The
hill Of Ia nearly solid rock and the
work Of drilling out elevators, store
rooms, and ammunition rooms In the
solid rock must have been enormous.
You have got to lift your kelly" to
the U. 3. A. when 1t Genes to engi-
neering efficiency.
1--WE had nice dances given In our
honor At Colon and Fort Amador.
Everywhere the people extended to
US royal welcome. Next move will
be homeward bound-to the North
Atlantic Coast
Thu PofarfnoFn nattitU rIantv