The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1924-09-17

water in the Pact ic. Gatun dan
raises the water bridge" to the height
of seven-story bull ding.
New Flood Water Reservoir.
President Coolidge by Executive or.
der recently gave the deserving Pa.
mama canal birthday present. Alba
juela sounds very much like paeap
of Christmas time; in Panama it Is a
tiny community on the Chagres river
where it enters Gatun lake. Here
the Executive order sets aside %
square miles of additional territory
for the Canal zone. This acquisition
will be converted into a large reser-
voir to save up the Chagres floods,
which would otherwise go over the
Gatun dam spillway. 1t is estimated
that this new reservoir will store up
| ficient to satisfy the needs of New
York city, including Brooklyn, at the
present rate of consumption for Al
years. With this additional water
horded up, Canal Zone engineers be-
| lieve there will be assured a supply
to meet demands until 1866, based on
normal growth of trade.
Although it is now surrounded for
the most part by dense tropical jungle,
Gatun lake is destined to become the
Lake Champlain of Panama. Because
Gatun lake has filled up the mouths
of many tributaries, it has. like Chesa-
peake bay, an enormous shore line.
Modest calculators put it at LOCO
miles, while the more ambitious say
that the lakes coast line is almost as
long as an air line between New York
and San Francisco. The broad waters
of the lake. 165 square miles in area,
the largest artificial lake in the world,
afford cooling breezes to be priced in
that tepid climate. It's mean annual
temperature is "a degrees, but what is
more important, it affords access to
mountains on the southwest. 1000
feet high. On their SUBMITS the tenn
perature hovers about 80 degrees.
President Porras of Panama has pur-
chased large estate on the lake and
many Of the American colony are
picking out sites and erecting bun
galows.
Gatun lake, incidentiy, Is paradise |
for hunters, fishermen and naturalists. |
Among the animals frequently seen |
on its shores are the big tapir. the |
jaguar the mountain lion and deer.
Even monkeys, the black panther, the
sloth. the armadillo and other tropical
animals are to he found near by All
manner of brilliant birds are seen in
the trees.
Marine Service Station.
In ten years the Panama canal has
become more than long-sought "route
TO Cathay"; II Is a service station for
ships. The Canal Zone Is division
point In sea transportation lines. II
roaling machinery can pour 100 TO 50\
tons of coal an hour into vessels
hold. 1t keeps huge supplies of oil
md gasoline on tap. Balboa claims
he worlds oil bunkering record II
has put 1854 barrels Of oil in hold'l
In one hour. Steam inundries for
'hip's convenience are operated at
Colon and Panama. whore a ship en-
ering the canal can deE'sIt its mate
ials to he Numbered, proceed through
he canal, and find them waiting ut
he other end of the "water bridge"
pick. span and clean. AS many as
100 head of cattle are often slaugh-
cred daily to supply ships with fresh
eef. The United States government
$4,000 acres Of pasture along
satun lake TO fatten the cattle for
ale to ships. In addition. the govern
lent operates two fine hotels. Ice fac
nres dry dock. capable OF receiving
he largest ship now aflnt. we'll ,
quipped railroad and a telephone
ystem.
One of the advantages TO ships go
lg through the Panama Canal is that
hey lose the thousands Of barnacles j
hitch they pick up on the seven seas. ,
arnacles collecting on ships bottom s
nd as the ships pass along Gatun /,
Ike and through the Gnillard cut these
lollusks drop of. This fact is OF
,estmable value to shipping because
arnacle collecting on a ships bottom d
realty retard the speed Of n boat
eneraI Goethals once said that he a
rpected the channel would eventually a
e paved with barnacles. =