What Is the Purpose of the Panama Canal? | USA Today What Is the Purpose of the Panama Canal? Ships pass between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans at the Panama Canal. (Photo: Paul Katz/Photodisc/Getty Images ) About the Yukon Quest Dog Race The Panama Canal is an international waterway that links the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. After France unsuccessfully attempted to build a canal through the Isthmus of Panama in the 1800s, the United States began building the canal in 1904. At the height of the canal's construction, more than one million cubic yards of earth was moved by approximately 25,000 workers each day. (Reference 2) The canal was completed in 1914. Commercial Importance The Panama Canal was built to shorten the distance that ships had to travel to pass between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The canal permits shippers of commercial goods, ranging from automobiles to grain, to save time and money by transporting cargo more quickly. Prior to the completion of the canal, a ship sailing between ports in New York and San Francisco had to sail around Cape Horn, the southernmost point of South America.

This 12,000-mile trip took 67 days. After the canal was completed, approximately 8,000 miles were eliminated from the trip. Nearly 14,000 ships and other watercraft, some as long as three football fields, carry 280 million tons of cargo through the canal every day, states Popular Mechanics magazine. Military Importance Theodore Roosevelt was interested in building a canal between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans before the Spanish-American war in 1898. He became more interested in the canal after the U.S. won the war and acquired Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Guam. He wanted a shorter route for naval ships needing to pass between the two oceans. Failed negotiations with Colombia, which owned Panama, led to the U.S. providing funds and a naval blockade in support of Panama's revolution. In 1903, the newly-independent Panama sold the rights to the canal to the U.S. for $10 million. The U.S. military had a strong presence in the Panama Canal Zone until 1999, when all U.S. military bases were closed. The canal is still used for the transportation of military water vessels.

Panama-Pacific International Exposition San Francisco hosted the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition, which celebrated the opening of the Panama Canal, along with the city's recovery from a devastating earthquake in 1906. While not the purpose of the canal, there was hope that its completion would lead to improved international relations. The expo drew from symbolism created by the canal, including the joining of the East and the West and the potential opportunities that existed for countries that stood to benefit from the increase in commerce. The Future of the Canal Panamax ships are cargo ships built to fit through the 110-foot-wide locks of the Panama Canal. Shippers are now building larger vessels to carry larger loads of cargo and these post-Panamax ships are too big to go through the canal. This, combined with traffic jams at the canal that can delay ships for up to a week, have led to the need for expanding the canal. Expansion, expected to be completed in 2015, will double the canal's capacity, allowing for free flow of traffic while also accommodating larger cargo vessels. References A Canal at What Cost? - FPIF Foreign Policy In Focus A Canal at What Cost?

A proposed canal in Nicaragua would rival Panama's as a link between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. But indigenous and environmentalist protesters are crying foul. Demonstrators protest Nicaragua’s planned canal in 2013. (Photo: Jorge Mejía Peralta / Flickr) What does a canal have to do with human rights? Plenty, according to the thousands of Nicaraguan protesters who filled Managua’s streets on December 10, International Human Rights Day . With banners, flags, chants, and a petition submitted to the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights, they came out in opposition to a proposed canal that would pass through Nicaragua, linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. No doubt, the canal would increase Nicaragua’s economic importance in the region, bring in much needed income, and generate jobs. But those benefits come at steep costs: The canal is expected to devastate the environment. Moreover, it would displace indigenous communities and hurt some of the nation’s most marginalized peoples. The proposed canal disregards several of Nicaragua’s constitutional mandates — including indigenous peoples’ rights to autonomy and self-determination, and the right to collective ownership of communal and indivisible lands.

As the farmers, youth, rural villagers, and other demonstrators made clear in their protest, the canal would come at too high a price. Economic Progress (for Elites) In June 2013, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega hurriedly proposed and signed Law 840 , which granted the Hong Kong Nicaragua Canal Development Investment Company, or the HKND Group — a Chinese corporation — a 50-year lease to the project, renewable for another 50 years. The project’s investors have yet to be identified — a troubling fact that highlights its lack of transparency. HKND’s involvement reflects the ever-growing presence of East Asian investors — most notably Chinese — in Latin America, a region long dominated politically and economically by los gringos. Construction on the proposed $50-billion canal is scheduled to begin on December 22. At 172 miles long, the Nicaragua canal will be three times the length of the Panama Canal further south. More importantly, it far exceeds the Panama Canal’s width and depth, enabling it to accommodate increasingly super-sized container ships that cannot fit through the Panama Canal’s locks.

The proposed canal is projected to be an economic boon, perhaps tripling the economic growth rate of Nicaragua — currently the second poorest country in the Western hemisphere, with 40 percent of its population living in poverty. But although the impoverished masses may benefit, however minimally, through trickle-down effects from the canal, it appears to be Nicaragua’s economic elite — including Ortega’s closest Sandinista supporters — who stand to gain the most . Environmental Hazards While those few are profiting, the proposed canal could have a catastrophic impact on the physical environment. The planned route passes through Lake Nicaragua, Central America’s largest lake and a major source of drinking water. Dredging and salt infiltration from the canal are expected to permanently alter Lake Nicaragua’s ecosystem . The canal would also destroy more than 400,000 acres of rainforests and wetlands, which, besides being part of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor, are critical to local and regional biodiversity conservation efforts. In response to environmentalists, project proponents argue that the canal is needed to save Nicaragua’s protected areas from illegal loggers and cattle ranchers. They say that increased revenue will allow for more surveillance and better enforcement of environmental regulations in the region. Who is right?

Developers aren’t waiting to see. Even as construction on two auxiliary projects — a deep-water port and highways for transporting large machinery — was scheduled to begin, the results of an environmental study had yet to be released. Impacts on Indigenous Groups and the Rural Poor Beyond environmental devastation, the proposed canal could have tremendous social implications. Like the environmental impact study, results of a social impact assessment have similarly yet to be released. But those most likely to be displaced by the canal are impoverished rural landholders. Farmers and residents near the lake are concerned that the proposed canal will disrupt subsistence agricultural practices, further pollute the lake, and decrease water for personal consumption and irrigation. Both farmers and residents worry they will be evicted from their lands, and many will refuse to leave willingly. The proposed canal also intersects territory traditionally held by indigenous groups. Accounting for almost 9 percent of the national population, much of Nicaragua’s indigenous population is located along the sparsely populated yet extensive Atlantic Coast region that makes up approximately one-half of the country’s total land area. Since the 1980s, when conflicts erupted over how to govern the Atlantic Coast regions, indigenous groups have had a tense relationship with the ruling Sandinista party.

In 1987, the Sandinistas passed legislation establishing an autonomous regime in the Atlantic Coast and granting collective territorial rights to its inhabitants under a multiethnic nation-state. Earlier this year, constitutional amendments clarified and extended rights concerning cultural preservation, collective territory, and autonomy. Yet, as in the past, central government figures in Managua continue to make decisions concerning the autonomous regions and their inhabitants without consultation and local input. In recent years, indigenous groups have increasingly confronted cattle ranchers, illegal loggers, and drug traffickers, all of whom encroach on their land and cultures. Mestizos now outnumber indigenous and African-descendent populations in this region along the Atlantic coast, consequently reducing their political power. The proposed canal, along with associated development projects — including extensive roads, several locks, massive ports, and a free trade zone — will likely exacerbate local strife. Standing up to Resist Indigenous groups and rural landholders are not standing by idly. Several indigenous groups have filed suit against the Ortega administration, alleging violations of constitutional and international rights, including the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

And tens of thousands of Nicaraguans — along with a slew of local, national, and international NGOs — have participated in more than a dozen protests around the country, crying out that “Our lands are not negotiable, are not for sale, and are not given away!” They demand transparency and dialogue about the canal. Things need to change, and the sooner the better. Nicaragua and HKND must release environmental and social impact surveys. And now, more than ever, the Nicaraguan government, HKND Group, and yet-to-be-identified international investors must recognize indigenous groups’ decades-old rights to autonomy. The livelihoods, cultures, and rights of tens of thousands of marginalized Nicaraguans depend on it. Chris Hartmann, a doctoral candidate in geography at the Ohio State University, examines the political economy of Nicaragua. Panama Canal: Challenge of connecting two oceans of different levels. Connecting two oceans of different levels The Panama Canal: Many would be surprised to know that it runs north to south to link the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, not east to west. By shortening the route and reducing the cost of transportation between the two oceans, the Panama Canal allows for lower-cost imported goods and commodities in many part of the world.

(It saves almost 8,000 miles on a trip from New York to San Francisco.) By eliminating for the majority of shipping the treacherous route around the tip of Argentina, it has no doubt saved countless lives and millions of dollars in lost vessels. However, it is estimated to have cost some 30,000 lives in the two attempts – French and American – to build it between 1880 and 1914. Reducing the distance between the two oceans provides Panama with a major share of its gross domestic product. Some 13,500 ships transit the canal each year, almost 40 a day. Tides quite different Not commonly known is the fact that the two oceans have different sea levels, and different levels of high tide. At the entrance to the Panama Canal, the Pacific Ocean can rise as much as 20 feet, but 45 miles away, the difference between high tide and low in the Atlantic is just three feet. The longest part of the canal, sandwiched between gigantic sets of locks at either end, is manmade Gatun Lake and the Gaillard Cut.

Gaillard Cut actually rips through a low point in the mountain chain that runs all the way from Alaska to the tip of Argentina. The Panama Canal has six locks, three near either end. From the Pacific Ocean, near Panama City, the Miraflores Locks' two chambers each raise vessels 27 feet. A short distance away, the Pedro Miguel Lock lifts shipping a further 31 feet. Most of the passage through the canal is at 85 feet above sea level. Water supply The Gaillard Cut is followed by the town of Gamboa, where the Chagres River enters the canal. Without the Chagres and the immense amount of water that flows from it, there could be no Panama Canal. The three steps of the Gatun Locks each lower ships about 28 feet, to the level of the Atlantic Ocean. The locks are gravity fed from the Chagres and Gatun Lake. No pumps are needed. Water pours through a huge culvert in the center wall of each lock, a culvert so massive that a locomotive could pass through it. Other large culverts pass through the side walls.

Water fills or empties through vents along the bottom of the locks, 26 million gallons in just eight minutes. No ship larger until 1934 Each lock chamber is 110 feet wide and 1,000 feet long. Each gate weighs 700 tons and is seven feet thick. Each side is 65 feet wide. When the Panama Canal was completed in 1914, the locks were large enough for the largest vessel in the world to pass through. And since then, most marine architects have been careful to design hulls with the canal's measurements in mind. That changed in 1934 when the Queen Mary was launched. She was 118.5 feet wide, but it didn't matter: she was built for transatlantic service, like the Queen Elizabeth, launched a little later. But shipping economics call for ever larger loads. There has been talk for a number of years about widening the canal, one possibility being the construction of wider parallel locks beside the existing ones. One limiting factor could be the availability of water in greater volume. Other options that have been discussed, including building a canal at sea level that would need no locks.

One problem with this is the current that would be created because the oceans are at different levels. Another option that Panamanians don't even want to think about is the original idea: the build a canal through Nicaragua. Battleships lose some paint All U.S. naval vessels except aircraft carriers can squeeze through the Panama Canal, and do so without damage, though the occasional battleship loses some paint. The flight deck on aircraft carriers is angled to give greater runway length, and they cannot clear the canal. The world's largest oil tankers cannot make it, either, and have to offload their cargoes to smaller vessels at terminals on either end. Apart from being the crossroads of the world's shipping, the Panama Canal is a great attraction for tourists. There are daily cruises that ply either the whole length or part of it. It's an excellent way to view part of Panama's history, past and present. Panama Canal expansion to have major impact on Boston, worldwide shipping - The Boston Globe Already a subscriber?

Members Sign In Panama Canal expansion to have major impact on Boston By Katie Johnston Globe Staff March 16, 2014 COLON, Panama — Deep inside the massive hole at the Atlantic Ocean entrance to the Panama Canal, thousands of workers who appear to be the size of ants build the equivalent of a shopping mall every day. Construction crews up and down the canal have worked around the clock for much of the past six years, racing against obsolescence as they expand the 100-year-old passageway to accommodate today’s megaships. When the project is completed over the next two years, the canal will be able to handle hulking ships capable of carrying 14,000 20-foot containers, nearly triple the size it can now accommodate. Advertisement The stakes are high for both the Panama Canal, which is rapidly losing shipping traffic to the larger Suez Canal in Egypt, and the eastern ports of the United States, which, along with Asia, have the most ships using the passage connecting the Atlantic and Pacific through the Isthmus of Panama.

In Boston, the canal expansion, combined with a plan to dredge Boston Harbor to accommodate larger ships, could generate thousands of new jobs and more than $4 billion in new business at Conley Terminal, according to the Massachusetts Port Authority. In a sign of how significant the Panama Canal expansion could be to the state economy, Governor Deval Patrick plans to tour the canal Tuesday with Transportation Secretary Richard Davey and several Massport officials. RODRIGO ARANGUA/AFP/Getty Images A ship passed through the canal’s locks. Get Talking Points in your inbox: An afternoon recap of the day’s most important business news, delivered weekdays. Sign Up Thank you for signing up! Sign up for more newsletters here Local exporters such as International Forest Products LLC could particularly benefit from the canal expansion. A unit of the Kraft Group, which also owns the New England Patriots, International Forest Products ships most of its US-sourced goods such as recycled paper and wood pulp through the canal, and using larger ships would make operations more efficient, said Dan Moore, the chief operating officer. Graphic: The Panama Canal expansion project “To keep US manufacturers competitive with European and Latin American competitors, I think the Panama Canal expansion is going to be important,” he said.

“Without it, our competitiveness against the rest of the world will slowly erode. Every little bit counts.” When the Panama Canal opened in 1914, allowing ships to avoid sailing around the tip of South America, it considerably shortened the time to transport goods between Asia and the East Coast of the United States. Today, about 3 percent of global maritime trade passes through the canal each year. Advertisement Some 40 ships a day make the 50-mile journey between oceans, taking up to 10 hours and costing each ship roughly between $200,000 and $400,000. One day last summer, locals and tourists crowded the fourth-floor viewing deck at the Miraflores Locks, on the Pacific side, watching a refrigerated Seatrade vessel called the Mexican Bay enter the canal. Water poured into one chamber of the locks, slowly raising the ship to the level in the channel leading to the canal. In less than 10 minutes, the water levels on both sides were even; the 700-ton gate opened, and locomotives on tracks on both sides of the ship guided it through. The Panama Canal is a man-made link between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

It vastly shortened the time required to transport goods between Asia and the US East Coast. Ships are being built much bigger than they were a century ago, as carriers strive to save money by loading more goods on each vessel. Nearly a quarter of the world’s container ships, accounting for more than half of total container capacity, can’t squeeze through the Panama Canal today, according to Clarksons, a British shipping services provider. As a result, the Panama Canal has lost market share to the Suez. Companies sailing between Asia and the Eastern United States increasingly favor the Egyptian canal, which connects the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, because it can comfortably handle the largest ships out there. Denmark-based Maersk Line, the biggest container shipping company in the world, announced last year that it would stop using the Panama Canal in favor of the Suez. To accommodate bigger vessels, which are wider and longer, and ride lower in the water, the Panama Canal Authority embarked on a $5.2 billion expansion in 2007 that will double the capacity of the canal. The makeover involves constructing a new set of locks, dredging the entrance and navigation channels, digging a new access channel on the Pacific side, and raising the water level.

The new locks will use the equivalent of 19 Eiffel Towers’ worth of rebar and enough concrete to construct a major city’s worth of 20-story buildings. When the expansion is completed, now scheduled for early 2016, the canal would be able to handle about 97 percent of container ships in service or on order. The expansion would open up the canal to different types of ships, namely liquefied natural gas tankers, and improve access to Asian markets for booming US energy production. It would also give companies shipping to the United States a cheaper alternative. Carriers transporting jewelry and electrical parts from Hong Kong to New York, for instance, may opt to send ships through the new and improved Panama Canal instead of landing at West Coast ports, unloading containers, putting them on trucks or trains, and carrying them 3,000 miles. “It’s a game changer,” said Oscar Bazan, manager of marketing and forecasting for the Panama Canal Authority. But many US ports, including Boston, are not yet ready to play.

Only about 10 of 150 commercial US ports can handle the largest, fully loaded ships that will be able to pass through the Panama Canal when the expansion is complete, according to the American Association of Port Authorities. On the East Coast, Baltimore and Norfolk, Va., are ready for the bigger “post-Panamax” ships; Miami and New York/New Jersey are making billions of dollars worth of improvements. In Boston, the 16th-largest container port on the East Coast, according to Clarksons, the Massachusetts Port Authority is pushing a $300 millionproject to dredge the channels to accommodate ships that can carry the equivalent of 10,000 20-foot containers, or TEUs (for 20-foot-equivalent units). Currently, the largest ship that can call at the Port of Boston carries 7,000 TEUs. Getty Images Ships passed through the Panama Canal’s Gatun Locks in Jan. 1, 1915. The canal opened in 1914 and was designed for ships much smaller than many of those built today.

The Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act approved the dredging in July, and Massport is waiting for Congress to appropriate $170 million, which could happen this spring. Massport and the state will split the rest of the cost. Design and construction would take about five years, putting the earliest date the port could be ready for post-Panamax ships at 2019. There’s a lot riding on the expansion. Increased cargo volumes could make the Port of Boston profitable for the first time, said Thomas Glynn, chief executive of Massport, as well as add to the 7,000 jobs at the port, including longshoremen, ship-line workers, and Massport staff. The dredging and related projects, including bigger cranes and longer berths at Conley Terminal, would allow the port to handle more than twice as many hides, furs, and lumber exports; beer, wine, and furniture imports; and frozen seafood traveling both ways. An expanded Boston port also could capture New England-bound cargo that comes into the country through New York, which makes up about a third of all New England imports, according to the US Army Corps of Engineers, which would oversee the dredging. That could mean lower prices for local consumers.

“The more difficult it is to get here, the more expensive it is,” said William Eldridge, president of the Boston Shipping Association. The expansion also is crucial to retaining the two major shipping lines that call on Boston, COSCO and the Mediterranean Shipping Co. The dredging project might not necessarily mean these companies will do more business out of Boston, said Allen Clifford, executive vice president of Geneva-based Mediterranean Shipping Co., but having the option to use larger ships makes it a more attractive port. “The container operation is often the linchpin of a port,” said Deborah Hadden, port director at Massport. “It helps us compete in the global marketplace.” Katie Johnston can be reached at kjohnston@globe.com . Follow her on Twitter @ktkjohnston . Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated how the dredging was approved. It was approved by the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act. Loading comments... American History USA The Building of the Panama Canal Simon Markland, October 7 2012 Why was the Panama Canal needed? Early European explorers of the Americas identified the narrow band of land between northern and southern America as an ideal place to construct a canal to link the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Various European colonists from the Central America area tabled a plethora of ideas for the construction of such a canal. Any such canal would shorten the journey for both European and US merchant ships travelling east from the Californian coast. Without a canal, any ships setting sail had to endure the complicated and often dangerous trip around the southern peninsula of South America, taking in the notoriously difficult Cape Horn. When, in the late 19th century, the construction of the canal was taken over by the United States from the French -- a secondary benefit of easier, faster naval mobility between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans was added to the existing attractions a completed canal would offer. When was the decision taken to build it? With the technical advances of the late 19th century and increased pressure from the industrial powerhouses of Europe and the United States, the decision to begin construction was taken. The initial construction project was based on a complicated sea-level canal - essentially a tidal canal. However, the construction process for this idea hit difficulties and the project was scrapped. Who built it? It was the French who began and later shelved the excavation of their sea-level canal scheme.

But it was the industrialist new president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, who in 1901 declared that a Central American canal was of the utmost importance - militarily and commercially. This was following the recent loss of USS Maine during the U.S. defence of American assets during Cuba's revolt of the Spanish, and the ensuing Spanish-American War. The U.S acquired the 'Panama Canal' project from the French for $40 million. Colombia signed a treaty with the U.S. granting permission to construct the canal through their sovereign territory. However, the Colombian Senate would not ratify the treaty. In a controversial move the U.S offered Panamanian rebels, who wanted independence from Colombia, $10 million if they proclaimed their independence. The U.S then offered military assistance by stationing a war ship in their territorial waters to dissuade Colombia from military action. On November 3, 1903, Panama declared its independence without any interference from Colombia. Three months later the Panamanians granted control of the 'Panama Canal Zone' to the United States, having signed the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty. The United States set to work on the canal without further delay.

How was it built? The Panama Canal Zone was split into three sections (Atlantic, Central and Pacific) and each section was appointed a project manager. Approximately ¾ million m³ per month was being excavated by 1907. The rate of excavation continued to increase dramatically as the pressure for completion was intensified, and the huge workforce swelled following improvements to working conditions . How long did it take and what issues arose? The construction project, from start to completion, took around 10 years - an incredible feat which, at the peak of excavation, saw the equivalent of a Channel Tunnel being dug out every fourteen weeks. In addition to initial issues surrounding recruitment of labourers, due to the canal's questionable early safety record, one of the major difficulties in completing the project was tackling the continental divide - a natural barrier of hard rock, rising to more than 100 metres high. Massive mechanical steam shovels eventually cut through the continental divide, dubbed the ' Culebra Cut '. An illustration of the lock system used to construct the Panama Canal. What were the immediate results on completion? As construction of the canal wore on, employment in the Panama Canal Zone had swelled into huge numbers, bringing with them townships and businesses.

Upon completion, thousands of workers were laid off and townships demolished, forcing businesses to close. The project had never set out to be a sustainable employer and when the canal opened, it was unanimously hailed an incredible achievement - a marvel of the modern world. Shipping patterns quickly changed and merchandise flowed freely between the U.S and other naval countries. The canal cut approximately 7,800 miles off the sea journey from San Francisco to New York, making shipping cheaper, faster and safer. Related Topics 7 Fascinating Facts About the Panama Canal - History in the Headlines 7 Fascinating Facts About the Panama Canal August 15, 2014 By Elizabeth Nix Share Hailed as one of the great achievements of the 20th Century, the Panama Canal connects 160 countries and 1,700 ports around the world. Share this: 7 Fascinating Facts About the Panama Canal Author 7 Fascinating Facts About the Panama Canal URL Google August 15, 1914, marks the 100th anniversary of the official opening of the Panama Canal, the American-built waterway across the Isthmus of Panama that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

The 50-mile-long passage created an important shortcut for ships; after the canal was constructed, a vessel sailing between New York and California was able to bypass the long journey around the tip of South America and trim nearly 8,000 miles from its voyage. The canal, which uses a system of locks to lift ships 85 feet above sea level, was the largest engineering project of its time. Find out more fascinating facts about this iconic waterway, including why thousands of workers died during its construction and how it’s now being modernized. The idea for a canal across Panama dates back to the 16th century. In 1513, Spanish explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa became the first European to discover that the Isthmus of Panama was just a slim land bridge separating the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Balboa’s discovery sparked a search for a natural waterway linking the two oceans. In 1534, after no such passage across the isthmus had been found, Charles V, the Holy Roman emperor, ordered a survey to determine if one could be built, but the surveyors eventually decided that construction of a ship canal was impossible.

The men behind the Suez Canal and Eiffel Tower were convicted in connection with failed effort to build a canal. In the ensuing centuries, various nations considered developing a Panamanian canal but a serious attempt wasn’t made until the 1880s. In 1881, a French company headed by Ferdinand de Lesseps, a former diplomat who developed Egypt’s Suez Canal, began digging a canal across Panama. The project was plagued by poor planning, engineering problems and tropical diseases that killed thousands of workers. De Lesseps intended to build the canal at sea level, without locks, like the Suez Canal, but the excavation process proved far more difficult than anticipated. Gustave Eiffel, who designed the famous tower in Paris that bears his name, was then hired to create locks for the canal; however, the De Lesseps-led company went bankrupt in 1889. At the time, the French had sunk more than $260 million into the canal venture and excavated more than 70 million cubic yards of earth. The canal venture’s collapse caused a major scandal in France.

De Lesseps and his son Charles, along with Eiffel and several other company executives, were indicted on fraud and mismanagement charges. In 1893, the men were found guilty, sentenced to prison and fined, although the sentences were overturned. After the scandal, Eiffel retired from business and devoted himself to scientific research; Ferdinand de Lesseps died in 1894. That same year, a new French company was formed to take over the assets of the bankrupt business and continue the canal; however, this second firm soon abandoned the endeavor as well. America originally wanted to build a canal in Nicaragua, not Panama. Throughout the 1800s, the United States, which wanted a canal linking the Atlantic and Pacific for economic and military reasons, considered Nicaragua a more feasible location than Panama. However, that view shifted thanks in part to the efforts of Philippe-Jean Bunau-Varilla, a French engineer who had been involved in both of France’s canal projects. In the late 1890s Bunau-Varilla began lobbying American lawmakers to buy the French canal assets in Panama, and eventually convinced a number of them that Nicaragua had dangerous volcanoes, making Panama the safer choice.

In 1902, Congress authorized the purchase of the French assets. However, the following year, when Colombia, which Panama was then a part of, refused to ratify an agreement allowing the United States to build a canal, the Panamanians, with encouragement from Bunau-Varilla and tacit approval from President Theodore Roosevelt, revolted against Colombia and declared Panama’s independence. Soon afterward, U.S. Secretary of State John Hay, and Bunau-Varilla, acting as a representative of Panama’s provisional government, negotiated the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty, which gave America the right to a zone of more than 500 square miles in which it could construct a canal; the Canal Zone was to be controlled in perpetuity by the Americans. All told, the United States would shell out some $375 million to build the canal, which included a $10 million payment to Panama as a condition of the 1903 treaty, and $40 million to buy the French assets.

A century after the United States completed the Panama Canal, a navigable link across Nicaragua remains a possibility: In 2013, a Chinese company announced it had struck a $40 billion deal with the Nicaraguan government for the rights to construct such a waterway. More than 25,000 workers died during the canal’s construction. The canal builders had to contend with a variety of obstacles, including challenging terrain, hot, humid weather, heavy rainfall and rampant tropical diseases. The earlier French attempts had led to the deaths of more than 20,000 workers and America’s efforts fared little better; between 1904 and 1913 some 5,600 workers died due to disease or accidents. Many of these earlier deaths had been caused by yellow fever and malaria; diseases that the medical community at the time believed were caused by bad air and dirty conditions. By the early 20th century, however, medical experts better understood the role of mosquitoes as carriers for these diseases, allowing them to significantly reduce the number of deaths among canal workers, thanks to a host of sanitation measures that included draining areas with standing water, removing possible insect breeding grounds and installing window screens in buildings.

Between 13,000 and 14,000 ships use the canal every year. American ships use the canal the most, followed by those from China, Chile, Japan, Colombia and South Korea. Every vessel that transits the canal must pay a toll based on its size and cargo volume. Tolls for the largest ships can run about $450,000. The smallest toll ever paid was 36 cents, plunked down in 1928 by American adventurer Richard Halliburton, who swam the canal. Today, some $1.8 billion in tolls are collected annually. On average, it takes a ship 8 to 10 hours to pass through the canal. While moving through it, a system of locks raises each ship 85 feet above sea level. Ship captains aren’t allowed to transit the canal on their own; instead, a specially trained canal pilot takes navigational control of each vessel to guide it through the waterway. In 2010, the 1 millionth vessel crossed the canal since it first opened in 1914. The United States transferred control of the canal to Panama in 1999.

In the years after the canal opened, tensions increased between America and Panama over control of the canal and the surrounding Canal Zone. In 1964, Panamanians rioted after being prevented from flying their nation’s flag next to a U.S. flag in the Canal Zone. In the aftermath of the violence, Panama temporarily broke off diplomatic relations with the United States. In 1977, President Jimmy Carter and General Omar Torrijos of Panama signed treaties that transferred control of the canal to Panama in 1999 but gave the United States the right to use military force to defend the waterway against any threat to its neutrality. Despite opposition by a number of politicians who didn’t want their country to give up its authority over the canal, the U.S. Senate ratified the Torrijos-Carter Treaties by a narrow margin in 1978. Control of the canal was transferred peacefully to Panama in December 1999, and the Panamanians have been responsible for it ever since. The canal is being expanded to handle today’s megaships.

In 2007, work began on a $5.25 billion expansion project that will enable the canal to handle post-Panamax ships; that is, those exceeding the dimensions of so-called Panamax vessels, built to fit through the canal, whose locks are 110 feet wide and 1,000 feet long. The expanded canal will be able to handle cargo vessels carrying 14,000 20-foot containers, nearly three times the amount currently accommodated. The expansion project, expected to be completed in late 2015, includes the creation of a new, larger set of locks and the widening and deepening of existing navigational channels. However, while the new locks will be able to fit many modern ships, they still won’t be super-sized enough for some vessels, such as Maersk’s Triple E class ships, the planet’s biggest container ships, which measure 194 feet wide and 1,312 feet long, with a capacity of 18,000 20-foot containers.

Tags Panama Canal Panama Canal World Wide Chokepoints Panama Canal Officially opened in August 1914, the 77-kilometer channel joins the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean at the isthmus of Panama. It made the world smaller. A Man, a Plan, a Canal, Panama! "There is no humaine power able to beat and break down these strong and impenetrable mountains.... Those who seek to build a canal should fear punishment from heaven, in seeking to correct the workes, which the creator by his great providence hath ordained." Jesuit scholar Josephus Acostus, 1625 "The creation of a water passage across Panama was one of the supreme human achievements of all time, the culmination of a heroic dream of over four hundred years and of more than twenty years of phenomenal effort and sacrifice. The fifty miles between the oceans were among the hardest ever won by human effort and ingenuity, and no statistics on tonnage or tolls can begin to convey the grandeur of what was accomplished. Primarily the canal is an expression of that old and noble desire to bridge the divide, to bring people together.

It is a work of civilization." "The Path Between the Seas" David McCullough Connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the Panama Canal is perhaps the most crucial piece of infrastructure supporting the free flow of trade and goods in the Western hemisphere. Ships passing through the lakes and locks travel approximately 51 miles between the Atlantic Ocean entrance and the Pacific Ocean entrance, eliminating the lengthy and often precarious 8000-nautical-mile trip around South America's Cape Horn. The economy and stability of the region largely depends on the safe transport of the more of 235 million tons of cargo that transits through the canal every year. Ever since Balboa crossed the Central American isthmus and named the Pacific Ocean in 1513, the world's seafaring countries have dreamed of a passage that would broach the thin isthmus that separates the two great oceans. Engineers soon began to explore the challenge. Where to build such a canal? How shall it be excavated? What shall be done with the rock? They returned to these questions again and again over the next 250 years, developing plans that relied on the power of new technologies such as the steam shovel.

Among the great peaceful endeavors of mankind that have contributed significantly to progress in the world, the construction of the Canal stands as an awe-inspiring achievement. The unparalled engineering triumph was made possible by an international work force under the leadership of American visionaries, who made the centuries-old dream of uniting the two great oceans a reality. In 1903, the United States entered into the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty with Panama for the perpetual use, occupation, and control of a 10-mile-wide piece of land across Panama from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans to construct and defend a canal. The United States purchased the rights to construct a canal through Panama for $40 million from the French Canal Company (FCC), which had attempted to construct and finance a sea-level canal, only to fail two decades after starting construction in 1880. The United States paid the Republic of Panama $10 million and an annual annuity of $250,000 to build and use the land on which the canal was constructed. The annuity gave the United States the rights to operate the canal in perpetuity. The U.S.

government needed 10 years and $387 million to design and construct the canal, which opened in 1914. Between 1903 and 1999, the United States invested $3 billion to modernize and update the canal, but recovered more than two-thirds of that investment. To construct the canal, the United States had to overcome engineering, sanitation, and organizational challenges. Engineering the canal required extensive digging through the Continental Divide, building the largest dam at the time, installing enormous canal locks and gates, and obtaining adequate water storage for the system to function. Disease had been a major problem for the French Canal Company (FCC) during its construction attempt. The United States implemented sanitation and insect-control programs around the Canal Zone to reduce deaths related to disease. An estimated 25,000 people died of disease and accidents during the entire construction period. An extensive organization was also required to design the canal, allocate funds for construction, coordinate labor, and attend to visitors. The Panama Canal opened to oceangoing vessels on Aug. 15, 1914. Its benefit to world trade was as a shortcut between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

For the United States, the canal meant a quicker trip by water between New York and San Francisco. Before the canal, there were only three feasible routes: sailing around Cape Horn, a 67-day, 12,000-mile journey; sailing to Panama's narrowest point between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (the present location of the canal), where passengers and cargo were unloaded and transported over the isthmus and the Continental Divide to the other ocean, then reloaded on another ship to complete the journey; or a transcontinental journey across North America. Between 1914 and 1999, the United States operated the canal, managed the land extending 5 miles on either side of it (the Canal Zone), and set tolls for transiting vessels through the Panama Canal Company - the U.S. organization that operated the canal at that time. The canal stood as a monument to human ingenuity and perseverance. Although the need for the canal was obvious 400 years before, the task eluded the grasp of the world's finest engineers until the technology existed.

It was completed as a result of the confluence of ideas and technology, after yellow fever had been conquered in Havana, after the transcontinental railroad boom had provided the heavy machinery requisite for the work, and after U.S. engineers had devised a canal with locks. The canal's purpose is to allow vessels of various types and sizes to move between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Bulk ships carry homogeneous commodities, containerships transport unitized containers loaded with numerous commodities and products, and tankers carry bulk liquid products. Military vessels, such as battleships and submarines, use the canal during deployment. Passenger ships carry vacationing tourists, and mariners take their yachts, sailboats, and other personal water craft through the canal Each time a vessel passes through the Canal, it uses 52 million gallons of fresh water. That is over 1.5 billion gallons of water to move an average of 32 vessels through the Canal each day. This water comes from the abundant 130 inches of rain that annually falls in Panama's rainforest. Historically, whenever there has been an increase in commercial development in a tropical environment such as Panama, there has been a corresponding reduction and loss in valuable rainforest watersheds.

Nowhere else in the world does a rainforest have such collateral importance as it does in Panama. Without the rainforest, greater water runoff will occur during the rainy season. Consequently, there may not be enough fresh water held in the watershed to operate the Canal during the dry season. By allowing vessels to transit between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Panama Canal saves time and money for the transport of waterborne goods. For cargo shipped from the U.S. Atlantic or Gulf Coast (U.S. East Coast) to destinations in Asia, for instance, the canal saves about 10 days' sailing time, savings which are integral to route selection by shipowners and operators. The canal is a preferred alternative for shipowners if the average daily revenue of a vessel's transit through the canal is more than an extra 10-day routing. NEWSLETTER Cruises to Panama Canal: Cruise Deals & Last Minute Discounts | Expedia Island Princess Cruise Panama Canal Cruise Guide Cruise along one of the greatest man-made waterways in the world and pass through the heart of Central America’s wildlife-rich jungles. The Panama Canal is a triumph of engineering that cuts through Central America, providing a crucial link between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

It’s easy to understand why most cruise enthusiasts have this stretch of water on their bucket lists. Embark on a Panama Canal cruise from the Caribbean beaches of the east coast to the wild, surf-swelling beauty of the west, traveling through dense, adventure-filled jungles along the way. The portion of the cruise through the Panama Canal takes about 10 hours, including stops the vessel makes while waiting for the three locks to open. Watch the locks in action as the water levels change to allow ships to pass through, one of the great thrills of Panama Canal cruises. Select from multiple ships offering journeys along this busy cruising thoroughfare. Choose a major liner complete with entertainment venues and multiple dining options. Alternatively, travel on a smaller vessel for a more personal experience at the canal. Decide what kind of Panama Canal cruise you want. Some itineraries run as partial transits and turn around halfway through to make a round-trip. This option is easiest for people who want limited journeys, shore excursions on the canal itself and arrival and departure from the same place. The second Panama Canal cruise option is full transit, which guides you the whole way through the canal, navigating each set of locks.

This allows visits to both sides of Central America and offers a more varied cruise. As well as the canal itself, a cruise through Panama Canal offers opportunities to discover more of Central America. Pull into port in Costa Rica for ecotourism excursions and adventurous explorations zip lining through jungle canopies. Your itinerary may include a stop in Honduras or Belize, where you can discover the world’s second-largest barrier reef. Panama Canal cruise season runs from October to April. Peak months are December and January. Look for Panama Canal cruise deals as ships reposition between Alaska and Caribbean bases. Full transit itineraries generally last 14 days and go from one coast of the U.S. to the other, usually Florida to California. Timeline . Panama Canal . American Experience . WGBH | PBS Other Timelines Page 1 of 2 Forty five years after the U.S. first considered building a canal through Central America, the Panama Canal opened to the public. Thousands lost their lives in the effort to construct the canal, one of the most daring and innovative accomplishments of its time, and it remains integral to worldwide shipping today.

Library of Congress Charles de Lesseps November 17, 1869 French engineer Ferdinand de Lesseps completes work on the Suez Canal in Egypt. The canal allows a direct line of transportation and trade between Europe and Asia. Also this year, President Ulysses S. Grant establishes the Inter-Oceanic Canal Commission (IOCC) and sends out an expedition to investigate possible routes for a canal. The idea of a canal will continue to be a priority for Grant throughout his presidency as he seeks a faster shipping route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. January 1875 A 100-man investigatory team from the U.S. surveys Panama -- then a part of the Republic of Colombia -- for a feasible canal route. They deem a Panama canal too expensive and propose a canal in Nicaragua with 12 locks at either end and 10 miles of aqueducts to supply water to the summit level. May 29, 1879: The French Attempt Two years after a French team completes their own survey of Panama, their government approves Ferdinand de Lesseps' plan for a sea-level canal. The cost is estimated at 1.2 billion francs ($240 million).

December 30, 1879 With exclusive rights from Colombia, De Lesseps arrives in the Panama region and begins construction. The plan includes constructing a 40-meter high dam at Gamboa to hold back the Chagres River and a 24-meter wide path through the Culebra Cut. August 1881 In Havana, Cuba, Dr. Carlos Finlay identifies the mosquito as the carrier of yellow fever . This theory, however, will not catch on widely until the early 20th century. January 1882 French workers complete surveys and build accommodations and work yards as excavation begins. March 1883 Waylaid by flooding and landslides, the French team is behind schedule; only 660,000 cubic meters of earth have been excavated thus far, though de Lesseps had promised over 5 million cubic meters by this time. Library of Congress French laborers Early 1884 An epidemic of yellow fever panics the workers. In 1883, an estimated 400 workers died of disease, compared with only 126 the year before.

More than 300 French engineers ask to return home and are denied. July 1884 An outbreak of dysentery cripples the already largely incapacitated workforce, affecting about 30% of workers. International press begins to openly doubt the French team's ability to complete the canal project. The Library, U.S. Military Academy, West Point NY A man stands in front of overturned equipment March 1885 Civil war in Colombia spreads to Panama and overwhelms French troops who have been enforcing order in the region. Taking advantage of the confusion, a U.S. Navy ship docks in Colón and enforces order. May 3, 1885 Racial tensions between native and Jamaican workers lead to a violent confrontation. Panamanian soldiers kill 25 Jamaicans and wound 20 others. The incident causes scores of Jamaicans to return home, and the canal becomes devoid of its primary source of manual laborers. That summer, only 8 million cubic meters of earth will be excavated, out of the 120 required for the canal.

National Archives A French excavator works in Culebra Cut February 17, 1886 De Lesseps and a party from France and the United States visit Panama. De Lesseps predicts that the canal will be finished by July 1889. Two months later, French engineer Armand Rousseau will submit a report to the French government concluding that the canal's completion is possible but a government lottery bill would do much to help fund the project. His report also hints at the unfeasibility of a sea-level canal. De Lesseps refuses to adopt the idea of a lock-canal plan. Summer 1886 After four years of excavations, only a few feet have been removed from the top of Culebra Cut out of the hundreds necessary to reach sea level. January 1888 Frustrated by the inefficiency of the excavation, De Lesseps hires Gustav Eiffel (who will become famous after the construction of the Eiffel Tower in 1889) to construct locks for the canal as a temporary solution while sea-level excavation continues.

December 15, 1888 After a nine-month fundraising campaign that included borrowing 30 million francs from friends and selling lottery tickets, de Lesseps runs out of money. His company, Compagnie Nouvelle, collapses, ruining the fortunes of 800,000 private investors. January 10, 1893 Ferdinand de Lesseps and his son Charles are found guilty of fraud and maladministration of the Canal project. De Lesseps will die within two years, at the age of 89. Library of Congress Theodore Roosevelt September 14, 1901: The U.S. Attempt Vice President Theodore Roosevelt takes the oath of office after President William McKinley is assassinated. Roosevelt immediately declares the need to build a canal in Central America. Library of Congress French machinery abandoned in Panama July 25, 1903 The stirring of a movement for Panama's independence begins with a meeting between Senator Arango, employees of the Panama Railroad, and American Army officers. The idea will take hold over the course of the summer with the encouragement of U.S. conspirators. November 2, 1903 A U.S.

ship, the Nashville, arrives in Panama to provide support for the Panamanian revolution. Soon after, a Colombian ship named the Cartagena arrives in the port of Colón, filled with troops ordered to stop the rumors of Panamanian independence. November 4, 1903 Panama claims its independence from Colombia a day after capturing the Colombian general Valencia Tovar and bribing troops remaining in Colón to leave the isthmus. The United States formally recognizes the Republic of Panama two days later, and deploys Navy ships to protect the new country's autonomy and instill a sense of order. The Library, U.S. Military Academy, West Point NY Christening the Panamanian flag November 18, 1903 The Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty, or Canal Treaty, is signed in the newly independent republic of Panama, giving the United States rights to build a canal on the Panamanian isthmus for an annual payment of $250,000. March 3, 1904: The U.S. Arrives in Panama - The Wallace Years President Roosevelt establishes the Isthmian Canal Commission (ICC) to see through the construction of the Panama Canal.

Roosevelt orders them to "make the dirt fly" -- to start work on the canal as soon as possible. May 2, 1904 The U.S. government purchases what is left of the French canal construction company, Compagnie Nouvelle, for $40 million. Scots and Scot's Descendants in America John Findley Wallace June 28, 1904 A small U.S. workforce arrives in Panama to survey, plan, and continue the excavation begun by the French. They are led by Chief Engineer John Findley Wallace . Chief Medical Officer Colonel William C. Gorgas arrives in Panama with a team of seven men. He immediately focuses on the staggering death rate the French had come across during their time on the isthmus, looking for possible causes. His studies on the local population will show that over 70% of the local Panamanian population has malaria. July 1904 Fearful of repeating the mistakes of corruption and ineptitude that plagued the French attempt, the ICC compulsively checks and rechecks requests. Every decision on canal construction must be cleared with each member of the Commission, a process that is laborious and time consuming.

November 1904 The workforce in the canal zone swells to 3,500 men. At the end of the month, the U.S. attempts to recruit Jamaican workers but finds them hostile to the idea after a disastrous experience with the French. November 12, 1904 The first Bucyrus steam shovel arrives in Colón, able to excavate five cubic yards of spoil in a single scoop. Despite the efficiency of the steam shovel, the 50-year old rail system proves incapable of carrying that amount of spoil away. November 21, 1904 The first worker during the American effort in Panama contracts yellow fever. Six more will get the disease in December and eight more in January. As panic sets in, many engineers and workers resign and return to the U.S. December 31, 1904 The U.S. sets up a recruiting agency in Barbados, and unskilled laborers flock to the Isthmus. June 28, 1905 Frustrated by the ICC's bureaucratic red tape and the low productivity of a disease-ridden work force, Wallace resigns as chief engineer.

July 3, 1905 A Barbadian worker dies of bubonic plague, and the "Great Scare" begins. Despite the doubts of U.S. politicians, William Gorgas stays committed to his theory that mosquitoes are transmitting malaria and yellow fever. Finally, with Roosevelt's backing, Gorgas' sanitation workforce is increased from 200 to 2,000 men this month. He begins a complete eradication effort of the Aëdes aegypti mosquito, fumigating homes with his "mosquito brigades." July 26, 1905: The Stevens Years New Chief Engineer John Stevens arrives in Panama stressing the importance of satisfactory accommodations and sanitation before construction can be continued. He immediately places an order for new, state-of-the-art equipment to improve the rate of excavation. August 1, 1905 With the rusty and decrepit Panama Railroad now 60 years old, Stevens realizes he is unable to cart out the spoil at the same furious rate the canal is being dug. Stevens orders all excavation in Culebra Cut to be temporarily halted and turns his attention toward the repair of the railroad.

September 1905 Three thousand Barbadian workers are now in Panama. By the following month, the rapid inflation of food prices will lead to the malnutrition of many West Indian workers. Twenty-six catch pneumonia. November 11, 1905 The last death from yellow fever is reported in Panama City after Gorgas orders $90,000 worth of copper screening to protect workers from mosquito bites. National Archives Workers paving Arosamena Street November 18, 1905 Despite considerable progress with excavation, U.S. engineers still have not decided on the best way to build the canal. A minority report titled Report of the Consulting Engineers for the Panama Canal sways the ICC toward the idea of a lock plan by outlining the excessive time and cost of digging down to sea level. By the end of this year, 22,500 West Indians will be working on the canal. January 1, 1906 A Senate Committee Inquiry is established to look into rumors of mismanagement and corruption in the Panama canal zone. Bill McLaughlin January 1906 The first school for children in the canal zone opens.

In the next month, John Stevens will set up more than 50 mess kitchens to provide cooked food to West Indian workers. White workers are fed in "hotels," and within a year over 12,500 workers live in ICC-built barracks. Workmen begin to create clubs and societies to pass the time. The Independent Order of Panamanian Kangaroos will become the largest club among Panama workers with over a thousand members. February 5, 1906 The ICC backs a plan that would construct massive locks at Gatún and create the largest man-made lake in history. Spring 1906 After journalist Poultney Bigelow blasts the working conditions at the Canal as inhumane and unsanitary, workers pave the streets of Panama City and build a sewer system. The price of food drops. June 1906 Three hundred fifty additional miles of track have been built along the Panama Railroad. Double tracks now allow for two-way train traffic, and additional track routes allow more spoil to be transferred around the clock.

June 28, 1906 Construction with a crowd of workers by the train Mid-1906 The ICC sets up recruiting agencies in Spain and Italy, which will result in over 12,000 contracts with European workers in unskilled labor positions. Spanish men, in particular, develop a reputation for working hard. July 1906 Despite the strides made in fighting yellow fever, disease is still a problem. Daily, over 75 workers come to the Ancón hospital suffering from malaria. Over 80 die of pneumonia this month alone. Library of Congress Many workers saw Roosevelt's trip as a turning point November 15, 1906 President Roosevelt visits Panama to see the progress. This marks the first time a sitting president leaves the U.S. While in Panama, Roosevelt signs an executive order to rework the ICC commission yet again. This streamlines the process for Stevens', who is no longer required to get ICC clearances for every decision. December 17, 1906 Roosevelt updates Congress on the successes and challenges in Panama. He lauds Stevens' leadership and announces a Medal as an incentive to keep workers from abandoning their posts.

National Archives Laborers work on new tracks January 1907 After the railroad system is overhauled and worker accommodations are improved, excavation begins again. Sixty-three more Bucyrus shovels arrive in Panama and are immediately put to work. By the end of the month, over 500,000 cubic yards of spoil are excavated out of Culebra Cut. February 12, 1907 Despite a tremendous leap in the engineering of the canal, Stevens has reached a breaking point. His expertise in railroad engineering, he realizes, is no longer needed, and the massive canal he faces is, as he writes in a letter to President Roosevelt, "to me… only a big ditch." Roosevelt accepts the note as Steven's resignation. February 26, 1907: The Goethals Years Roosevelt selects Lieutenant Colonel George Goethals to be the third Chief Engineer of the canal. March 1907 Over 800,000 cubic yards are excavated this month alone. The Library, U.S. Military Academy, West Point, NY George W.

Goethals May 1907 The new Chief Engineer Goethals' leadership is tested in the first weeks of his tenure. In response to a U.S. Steam Shovel Workers strike, Goethals replaces the workers with strikebreakers. Mid-1907 The Panama Railroad is now completely double-tracked, allowing simultaneous two-way transportation in and out of construction sites. September 4, 1907 A landslide in Culebra Cut October 4, 1907 A landslide at Cucaracha moves 500,000 cubic yards into a slope in the Culebra Cut, delaying progress. December 1907 Construction on the Sosa locks is halted after it is decided that Miraflores would provide a better site for the Pacific-side locks. Excavation at Miraflores begins. Six hundred acres of jungle are cleared and construction begins on the Gatún Dam. The workforce at the canal is at its height, with 46,000 men. Four separate YMCA-run clubs are open around the canal zone, offering bowling, billiards, a gym, and a library to employees.

By the end of the month, 2,000 men will be let go due to the winding down of major excavation work. January 1908 This month, 2,712,568 cubic yards are excavated, over half a million cubic yards more than the previous month. National Archives Waiting for the train to the construction site May 1908 The improvements throughout the canal zone bring unprecedented numbers of wives and children to Panama. Over 1,000 workers' families now live in the canal zone. December 12, 1908 Twenty-two tons of dynamite are accidentally detonated, killing 23 people and injuring 40 others. By the end of the year, over 37 million cubic yards of earth have been excavated, half the amount the French accomplished in 17 years. Early 1909 The ICC recruiting agency in Spain is banned after reports from laborers about the irrepressible climate and unfavorable working conditions make their way to Europe. This year the student-teacher ratio in the canal zone's white schools averages 17:1, where in black schools the ratio is 115:1.

National Archives Workers in the water help blast through the Culebra Cut March 4, 1909 William Taft is inaugurated as President of the United States. This month, production in the Culebra Cut reaches a high. More than 68 shovels excavate two million cubic yards within the month. August 1909 Construction begins on the Gatún Locks' upper basin. September 1909 Assembly of the locks at Pedro Miguel begins. 1 The Panama Canal, the connection between two Oceans The Canal, the connection between two Oceans By Will Irvive The Panama Canal is an engineering marvel that was dreamt of in the sixteen century and is still being perfected. Known by several nicknames, including “the big ditch” and “the French trench,” this manmade canal joins the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. With the canal’s massive impact on trade and shipping, it is sometimes difficult to imagine what it was like before the canal existed. Whenever we think of Spain and seafarers, the first thing that comes to mind is Christopher Columbus’ historic voyage to America. But Spain, in the sixteenth century, was wealthy and adventurous and eager to establish new trade routes.

They were keen to find a faster and safer route to Peru than having to contend with the dangers Cape Horn presented. In an attempt to achieve this, the King of Spain, Charles V, ordered the first studies to construct a canal to join the two oceans. The project was too complex and the canal remained a dream...that is, until the nineteenth century. Having built the Suez Canal in 1869, the French were upbeat about being able to connect the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. In 1876, the Geographical Society of Paris set up a committee, La Société Civile Internationale du Canal Interocéanique de Darien, led by Ferdinand de Lesseps for conducting studies to construct the canal. Work on the canal commenced in 1880. But the French were in for a rude shock. They had not only underestimated the task at hand, they had also not taken into account the region’s harsh jungle terrain,torrential rains and unbearable humidity. Deadly diseases, particularly yellow fever and malaria, consumed not only laborers but also the company’s top directors.

After seven years of battling with the atrocities being unleashed by nature and the death of almost 22,000 workers, the French abandoned the project. The US had to pay $40 million for a transfer of rights and property from the bankrupt French company. It’s not that the French efforts were a total waste. In fact, the US inherited huge excavations, equipment and a railroad. The French had also built houses, hospitals and churches. However, the biggest challenge that the French company had faced was disease -tuberculosis, cholera, malaria, smallpox and bubonic plague… all were epidemics. By the turn of the century, medical advances had been made, which greatly helped overcome this setback. Excavation by the Americans circa1909 (above) circa 1907 (right) Port of Baltimore makes deal with Panama Canal. The Maryland Port Administration reached an agreement with the agency that runs the Panama Canal Authority to work with one another to promote use of a water route between the Baltimore Port and the Pacific Ocean. The understanding calls for the Baltimore port administration and the Panama Canal to launch joint efforts on information sharing and collective marketing. Fossil horse teeth found at Panama Canal.

Expanding the Panama Canal to make way for super-sized ships is providing geologists and paleontologists with rare finds. A paleontology intern at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, unearthed the set of fossil teeth in the Panama Canal earthworks that belonged to a horse living 15 to 18 million years ago. Bruce MacFadden, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Florida Museum of Natural History, described as being from Anchitherium clarencei, a three-toed browsing horse. The Canal Dig with the explosives being used, makes this area one of the very few places in the tropics where one has access to fresh outcrops, before mother nature can wash away by torrential rains or become victim of overgrown vegetation. The fossils that have been salvaged will no doubt resolve some major scientific mysteries in North America.

Question: A major canal link between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans was named what?
Answer: Panama