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

| 49, '''o
prepared by the National Geographic s.
ciety. " Washington. D. c.
Celebrating by passing the Sue
canal In the race for world trade, tn
Panama canal reached its tenth brit
dial August Is, 1924. In ten years
more than 100,000,0OO tons of freigh
through the canal.
But so rapidly is Panama trade II
creasing that the business for tn
tenth birthday year is more than one
fourth of all that has passed throug
the big Ditch" Tolls for 1922
amounting to $24291, 900, are ais
equal to one-fourth the ten years
tolls of $97,S03,00O. This latter sun
Is itself one-fourth the total CON
struction cost of the Panama canal
Profits on the transits of 1923 wer'
3.5 per cent of the 1915, 100000 thu
United States spent connecting thu
Pacific with the Atlantic.
On August Is, 1914, eleven day:
after Great Britain declared war or
Germany, the steamship Ancon witt
party of 200 guests of the secretary
Of war, traversed the canal, opening
it for the traffic of the world. The
first test trip was actually made on
August 3. 1914, by the steamship
Crlstobal; this was the very day that
France and Germany declared war on
each other. Making its debut with
Mars the Panama canal played such
an important part in the conflict that
its formal dedication had to be de-
layed by President Wilson to July u,
1920.
A few weeks ago the canal cele-
brated it's birthday year by tackling
successfully the biggest ship that ever
approached its gates, Britain's NAM
moth of the seas, the battleship Hood
The locks are ITO feet wide and the
Hoods beam Is 105 feet it's length $50
feet. With two and one-half feet to
spare on either side, canal employees
brought this huge battleship through
in standard time. The transit cost
England $22,319 Even the great Levi
athan could move into the Pacific
waters with ease through the Panama
canal
America the Biggest User.
How is the BANANA canal used?
Proving that 1t is doing all that was
predicted for it, the figures show the
canals owner is the biggest user
Nine-tenths Of freight coming from
San Francisco, Seattle and other ports
In Pacific coast states through the
canal is destined for sister states.
Eastern and Gulf states send half
the total of their products going
through the canal TO the United
States western seaboard. OF all the
traffic through the canal two-thirds
of that east-bound and one-third of
that west-bOund is coastwise business.
Coastwise shipping through Panama
canal is like ".going all the way round
Robin Hoods barn." but 1t is far more
economical for products which do not
demand speed.
The Panama canal Is gateway of
the seas. Merchants send their prod
ucts through 1t as medieval traders
stiit tiltil 'dIuNuiS tnTOuBH SudTteu |
gates of fortified cities.
In the language of engineers the |
Panama canal Is not canal at all;
II Is "water bridge" 1t is said to |
be the first great "water bridge in
history. The engineers term does
describe the canal more accurately
han its popular title. From the Colon
entrance, guarded from 'northers" by |
)reakwater. II Is about seven miles to
iatun locks. At the lock gate TO the
light of an incoming steamer is the
great Gatun dam. more than mile
md a half long. 1t Is this dam which
'aises the Chagres river to the dig
lity OF ''water bridge" Through
he vast. artificial lake. so formed.
steamers pillow "a miles until they
each the Culebra or Gaillard cut.
evering the mountainous backbone of
North, Central and South America.
IN the eight-mlle Gallard cut the
most dramatic excavation work oc-
urred
At the Pedro Miguel locks. called
Peter Magill" locks by the Ameri-
ans, the ships step down from their
water bridge" Crossing the nile
ong Mraflores lake they reach the
wo Mirafiores locks and sea level.
I Il eight miles from here to deep