THROUGH THE GREATEST CANAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 233, 20 June 1918, Page 5

THROUGH THE GREATEST CANAL

IMPRESSIONS OF PANAMA. The following impressionist sketch of the Pnnamii Canal as it is to-day makes interesting roucling:— Leaving tho wharf on the Pncifio side, tho 6teamor proceeds slowly alon» tor'about 8J miles to tho Mornflores Lock, a doublo lock 'which raises to 55 feet. All the looks aro of Ihe same dimensions-1000 feet long;, 81 feet High, and 110 feet wide. Tho leaves ef the lock gales aro 7ft. thick and a mass of rivets. When tho Rates are closed they . aro not straight, but form an angle towards tho waters they contain. "We were drawn through the locks by electric 'mules,' ono on each These 'mulos' run on rails, and have a centre grip-rail. We bnter tho first lock of tho double lock, and the missive gates are closed behind us. Those gates, as I said beforo, aro composed of two loaves, each 65 feet long, and weighing about 500 tons on an average. Thon all of a sudden tho water in the lock is churned up and tho boat begins to rise. It. only takes a few minutes to do this, then as soon ,ns the water Is level with that of tho second pait of tho lock tho gates ahead are opened and we are pulled through into this part, and tho gates are closed behind us again. On either sido whero the gates divide the two sections of tho locks there is a eharp rise in the , 'mule' tracks to make ivn for tho rise made by tho boat, and it is a great sight to see the electric 'mules' clamber ud this' steep grade. Tho second half of the look id filled up to the level of the waterway ahead and then tho gales open into Miraflores Lake. Wo pass through this small lake under om; own steam. Tho lake is very picturesque, being covered with water-lillies-all over the water. Tho banks are covered With, thick tropical vegetation, and there aro also 'jomo small islands in the lake. From tho lake we pass into the Pedro Miguel Lock, which is only a single lock, and raises us 30 feet. When tho lock gates ahead are opened we pass out into the famous Culebra Cut. On either side are st-iep "cliffs, and tho great land slides which cnused so much trouble are to l;o seen. Alon;j this Cut are also two small waterfalls, which add to its picturosciueness. I noticed that in some places in the sides of the Cut the soil is of a chocolate colour. On the right-hand sido of the Cut there is a small township called Paraiso. near which is a, floating bridge, oyer which tho train from Colon to Panama passes. There is also some dredging machinery and steamboats here, Near Paraiso the vegetation is very luxuriant; great palms are dotted about here and there. Further on, the Cut widens out into Lake Catun, and we travel for a distance of 23 miles through this lake. The shores of the lake are covered with trees and tropical undergrowth right to tho water's edge. There' aro many 6mall is'ands dotted about in the lake, these also being covered with vegetation. For the purposes of the Canal this lake was dammed up, and the waters of the I?io Chngres flooded a great deal more of the land. Evidence of thi" is seen in various parts of'(he lake wher«s the tops of dead trees protrude above the surface of the lake. Tt is a great sight to pass through this lake. Sometimes we passed hills covered with tall; trees and palms. Hers and thoro on either side the lake widens out again, and in the bavs are small islands. The sides aro just one mass of green, which it is hard to describe. For (he first four miles after leaving the Culebra Cut tho lake is ,100 feet wide, for the_next Tour miles it is SOO feet wide, and for the last. 15 miles if is 1000 feet wide. Near the end of the lake is a dam and snillway. which keens the water of the lake at tho same level all. the time. .Tust after dinner we erle'red the Gatun Lock—a trinle lock which lowers us 83 feet, thus bringing us down to the Atlantic." i