Evening star., 1922-12-31

pay now Or at the other end?"
Such was my relief that 1 PAID Oh
the spot. thereby reducing our united
capital to f2o-or. at the then pre-
vailing rate Of exchange, s7s.
!:
THIS brief interview with official
dom is typical OF Panama canal
methods. Speed. silence, efficiency:
nothing else "goes" in "the Zone"
Things are done in a few seconds and
utter silence here that would take
hours and pandemonium elsewhere.
The entire miracle OF passing a ten
thousandton liner from Atlantic to
Pacific through seven locks and forty
miles Of tortuous. notwithstanding
channels has been performed in six
and half hours and with a lack of
FUSS that is almost uncanny.
But the Dream Ship vas twelve
tons. and not ten thousand. and for
that reason It is probable that she
gave more trouble than any craft
since the canal was opened. Yet on
every hand we received the utmost
courtesy and kindness. Such treat
ment made US feel like pestiferous
mosquitoes being politely conducted
to the door instead of squashed fiat
on the spot. as we deserved
At am the pilot came aboard in
his immaculate white drill uniform
and We entered Gatun lock in style,
followed by two more liners.
The giant gates closed. There was
an eruption of water, seemingly un-
der our stern. that caused the tiller
to fly over and extract a groan Of an
guish from Steve. as it crushed him
against the cockpit well; the aft
warp snapped and the Dream Ship
commenced to rise. more like an ele-
blank, greasy wall ended and above
1t appeared a row of grinning faces
That's that" said the pilot. and II
was.
By some miracle the engine carried
US to the next lock. where the same
performance was gone through, with
such slight variations as the loss Of 4
hat. three tenders and the remainder
Of the port covering board.
We passed out into Gatun lake. Il
fairy place Of verdure-clad islets and
mist enshrouded reaches. where
cranes few low over the water and
strange Wild cries came out of the
bush.
1t was also the place where our en-
gine refused it's office peremptorily,
irrevocably. I was engineer CT the
Dream Ship, probably the worst on
earth. but still. the engineer. and for
an agonized hour I wrestled with life
less scrap iron.
] have made it 4 practice to try
to gain q response from the atrocity,
leave the matter In other and per
haps more capable hands. commun,-
Gated this information to the pilot.
and there and then the mans more
tiurlan side came to the surface. II
was raining. as It knows how to rain
on the isthmus; he was soaked to the
hide: his ratty uniform resemb!ed
nothing more closely than a dish rag
yet he smiled and proceeded to re-
move his jacket.
Guess we'd better SAIL" he said.
Behold once more the Dream Ship
sailing through the Panama canal;
alternately scudding before rain
squalls. lying becalmed. making tacks
OF fifty yards and less. a passage
surely unique il the annals OF 'thc
Zone"
Becoming becslmed and with no
wireless. 1t was impossible to sum
mon tug to take US on our way, but
finally monstrous steamer passed SO
close that 1t was possible to hail her.
and a few hours later We We're taken
In tow by IT apparation of noiseless
engines. shining varnish and CLEAN
ing brass.
At last We lay at anchor off Balboa.
on the Pacific ocean. We had come
far adown the vista of our dream and
hoped to go 4 great deal farther.
A strange life, my masters, but one
that I would not exchange with any
man on earth.
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