Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1931-04-23

real attempt to construct a canal.
This was in 1879. Climatic condi-
tions and unusual engineering
problems so hampered y the work,
that the French, after nine years,
were, forced to suspend operations.
gThils the work lay unfinished until
1908, when the United States gov
ernment succeeded in taking over
the project. ....... I.rs4I
In acquiring our present rights
in the isthmus, we first dealt with
the Colombian government. 1t was
necessary to obtain ratification of a
contract made with the receivers of
the old French canal company, and
to purchase additional land. The
Colombian congress, however, fail
ed to ratify treaty to this end, and
the United States was ready to drop
the matter when revolution
broke out in Panama. A new gov
ernment known as the Panama re-
public was formed. This was
promptly recognized by the United
States, and a treaty was made
which gave us our present rights
in the isthmus We paid the
French forty million dollars for the
work they had done, and gave the
Panama republic ten million dol
lars. Thus we obtained a strip five
miles wide on each side of the
canal, and limited jurisdiction over
the two Panama cities which are at
each end of the canal. aeoHf
"A railroad crosses the isthmus, in
places parallel with the canal. The
original line was built by American
capital and put into service in
1855. The charter, granted by the
States government protector of the
road. Thus when the Colombian
government attempted to put down
the revolution in 1908, United
States ~warships were on hand to
protect the railroad. This gave the
Panamans their opportunity to
achieve bloodless revolution and
to set up a new government. With
certain changes of ownership, the
road has been in continuous opera
ton since 1855. Its present length
is 4S miles. We saw ties of ma
hogany, cedar and rosewood. Some
of these, if transported to New
York City. would be worth $50 to
500 each. ##E. -.trH
Before either railroad or canal
Nf INC lich IA 01
constructed a good cobblestone road
across the isthmus. This was the
famous Ell Canine Real or Gold
Trail 1t fell into disuse after the
gold of the Incas played out. Dur
ing the gold rush to California in
1S49. an attempt was made to re-
store the road, but most of the ar
gonauts found their way over the
isthmus by way of Lake Nicaragua.
The United States is now construct
inc a fine auto road, which with air.
plane traffic may bring further in
crease of travel. From Balboa to
Colon is a matter Of ] 5 minutes by
air, one hour and 40 minutes by
rail. and 10 to II hours by steamer
Balboa was &c days crossing the
isthmus in 1913! Fl. ..-.~
Traffic through the canal has in
creased to such an extent, a new
canal through Nicaragua is talked
of. United States government en-
gineers have been surveying to that
end. What effect the Nicaraeuan
earthquake will have on these plans
is problematic. -t o5 .-.... -...
De Lesseps, the great French en-
gineer who built the Suez canal,
planned sea level canal through
the isthmus of Panama. But he en-
countered insurmountable Difficult
ties. Among things he failed to
take into account was the differ
ence between Atlantic and Pacific
tides. On the Atlantic the max
imum range of tide is % inches; on
the Pacific % feet. A sea level
canal during days of spring tides
would give current OF water
across the isthmus four times a day
(twice toward Balboa and twice to-
ward Colon) of three knots an
hour. 1t is evident that only a
lock-type canal is feasible.
The main central division Of the
canal covering 31.7 miles, is S5
feet above sea level. The fresh wa
ter for this section and for the OPP
Grafton of the locks at each end, is
obtained by damming the Chagres
river, thus forming Gatun lake, the
largest artificial body of water in
the world. Large quantities Of wa
ter are lost each time ship en-
ters and leaves the canal. TO sup
ply a deficiency caused by increased
tonnage through the canal, the gov
ernment is preparing to build a new
dam that will further conserve the
waters of the Chagres river This
will be known as Madden dam, and
will form another lake extending
into the interior Of Panama,
AS at the western end of thet
canal, the American city of Balboa
adioins the Panaman city of Pan
anna, so at the eastern terminus theI
American city of Cristobel adjoins
Panaman city of Colon These BIZ
national cities are subject to the
sanitary regulations Of the United
States, as well as under the pro-1
lection of this country. In other /
ways the isthmus is being devel-
oped. At a government experiment, 4
station, known as, the Summit Bo-
tanical Gardens, r3 many curious
plants, especially those of medicinal
value, are being developed. Among
LhaSa. are cha anlmnagra trees from