Diario las Américas., 1958-04-17
Know thy
Neigh.borI
BY ANTONIO RUIZ

PANAMA (Continued) - Per-
haps the most interesting part
of the crossing of the Panama
Canal is the trip across Gatun
Lake. On its shores are poisoning
shrubs, graceful palms, and many
trees from which hang long
Streamers of moss and orchids.
Tiny islands dot the waters OF the
lake, in which large blossoms OF
water hvacinths and their long,
coarse. stems become so entangled
that they have to be gathered and
destroyed with acid to keep them
from getting in the way of the
ships. Strangest OF all the sights
is the dying forest,"t he skeletons
of trees that grew there before
the lake was formed.
From Gatun Lake the ship pas
ses through Gaillard Cut - a
great cash between rediSh- brown
walls of earth. Once on the other
side of the cut, the ship must be
lowered to bring it to the level
of the Pacific Ocean, which is done
at the Pedro Miguel Locks, where
it is lowered thirty feet much in
the same way it was raised at the
Gatun Locks, except that instead
of letting water in the lock chamb,
ers to raise the ship, the water is
let out to lower it to the next step.
From Pedro Miguel the ship
makes the short trip across Mira
flores Lake where it is lowered to
sea level In two more steps. The
channel of the Canal passes Balboa
Heights and the great earthWork or
mole that leads to the fortified is
lands which form part of the Canal
defenseS. The ship then enters the
Pacific Ocean, about nine hours
after leaving the Atlantic side. For
the crossing of the Canal by one
ship, it is necessary to open and
close twenty-three lock gates, open
dozens of valves, and lower OR
raise twelve protective chains.
All this work is controlled by
two men one at each set of locks.
who sits high up in the control
house, where he has a perfect view
of the locks he has to control. He
has a control board in which there
is a miniature set of locks, exactly
like the ones he controls. Although
ships passing through the Canal
have to pay a toll which apparently
seems high ranging from $4,000
to $4,000 according to the size
Of the ship, it is far less expensive
than to pay wages for the crew on
a much longer voyage, and the
war and tear of the ship is much
less.
Since construction of the Canal
was completed, the size of ships has.
greatly increased, and larger locks
are needed to pass these enor-
nous vessels through the Canal, as
well as to provide a spare set of
locks in case the others are damag-
ed. Therefore men are working
once more there, cutting through
tropical forest to build an extra
set of bombproof locks, so that
they will be able to take any ship
now afloat or that will be built
in the near future.
1t is surprising for visitors to
learn of the enormous distances
saved by the use of the Panama
Canal. On a trip from New York
to Valparaiso, Chile, the distance
is four thousand miles shorter 60
ing through the Canal, and nearly
! nine thousand miles in a trip from
New Orleans to San Francisco. Not
only the United States, but all OF
the American Republics and other
nations of the world benefit with
the use of the Panama Canal.
Trade has \increased and speeded
up while port cities have grown
and tourist travel has been made
much easier.
Gnanieh XTA.asaN D.