The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1926-03-05
A TRIP TO THE TROPICS
in 1925
BY Miss Beningna Holm
CONTINUED from last weekt


first day on land in the tropics, the
male portion of our passenger list
had not been idle. They had been
anticipating our call at Port-au-
Prince. Now they ceased to sing
Drink To Me Only With Thine
Eyes," for this port is wet, very
wet. After having most luscious
day on shore, they returned to our
steamer rejuvenated and happy.
We sailed at midnight. On Fri
day morning we were still within
sight .of Haiti and finally lost sight
of the island about IL A. M. The
smoky hills against the blue sky
with its banks of snowy cumulus
clouds made wonderful panorama
as we steamed on our way. The
Caribbean Sea, noted for its turb-
ulent waters, was unusually calm.
Even the seasick ones enjoyed this
part of the voyage, since the
weather was ideal and the ship sail
ed smoothly along.
Early Sunday morning we sighted
Christobel lying beyond the break
water, and at $3.50 A. M. we dock
ed. After going through tie Gus
toms, we hurried to the Pacific
steamship Office and secured passage
through the canal on the Pacific
mail boat, the S. S. Venezuela.
After a delicious luncheon on
board we went to the hurrican deck
where arrangements had been made
for our comfort so that we could see
to the best advantage the wonder.
full structure, mechanism and beauty
of the canal.
We left the dock at Christoba'
and steamed slowly up Limon Bay
and seven miles inland, to Gatun
Locks. The banks Of the canal are
brilliantly green, and beautifully
kept, the golf links looked as if
covered with green velvet carpet
These golf links are real land OF
promise to golfer.
The Gatun Locks have three gates
or three flights of locks, having
total elevation of eighty-five feet
The boats are drawn through the
locks by electric engines often called
electric mules. After reaching the
elevation of eighty-five feet we pro-
ceeded on our way through Gatun
Lake. This lake has an area OF
one hundred and sixty-four square
miles and is the largest artificial lake
in the world. 1t was formed by
flooding the land with the water OF
the Chagres River. On either side
and ahead OF us, we could see the
hills covered with tropical plants,
all so green, the greenest green I've
ever seen. Dotted about, here and
there, were islands OF green, some
quite small and others squite large,
On either side of the channel could
be seen the trunks of trees. These
trees had died after the land was
submerged. The channel through
the lake was marked by buoys. IL
some places the water stretched for
miles while in other places, the
course was narrow. 1t was q
strange experience to be travelling
on an ocean liner, in what appeared
at times to be only miniature lake
The distance from Gatun Locks to
Gamboa is twenty-four miles and
here we entered the celebrated
Culebra Cut, which is an excavation
made through the ridge OF the
| Continental Divide, the top of the
divide being three hundred and five
feet above the level of the sea.
After steaming slowly for eight
miles through the cut, we arrived at
the Pedro Miguel Locks.
By this time the sun had set, and
now we could see. the lights OF
Pedro Miguel twinkling in the
distance. Here we entered the
Pedro Miguel Locks, flight of but
one lock which lowered our boat
thirty feet to a small lake, one mile
in length, called the Mirafiores Lake.
After traversing the lake we arriv-
ed at the Mirafiores Locks and were
lowered by two locks to the sea
level. On this wonderful trip we
had the pleasure Of seeing the locks
by night and by day. To me they
seemed even more beautiful at
night. Twinkling every where were
electric lights. Along either side,
with a double row along the runway
between the right and left lock.
The locks are double-barreled. a
ship can be entering one side from
the Pacific, and another one may be
leaving the other side of the locks
to pass lon it's way to San Francisco
or possibly the Orient.
Our ship glided like swan down
the apparently incline plane of
water, and now we were floating on
the waters of the Pacific Ocean,
lighted by full moon. The dis
lance traversed from deep water of
the Atlantic Ocean to deep water OF