Panama Canal 2008/2009 - (Page 15) Admirers poured into the locks for a close-up look. Panama Canal Early efforts A flood of water As early as the days of Columbus, man was set on finding a sea-level shortcut through the American landmass. But not until Frenchman Ferdinand de Lesseps, fresh from his triumph of building the Suez Canal in 1879, did anyone make a serious attempt. Long story short: The project was poorly managed, underfinanced, and in 1889 the French company went bankrupt. Clearly, an engineering project of this magnitude was too much for a private company. This was a job for a nation. Enter the United States To provide the perpetual water supply necessary to operate the locks, an earthen dam was built across the Chagres River, causing flooding and creating Gatún Lake (at the time, the world’s largest artificial lake). In the process, hilltops became islands, as in the case of Barro Colorado Island, a lush living laboratory for the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. On time, under budget In 1902 President Theodore Roosevelt revived the dream. The United States purchased the French holdings in Panama for a record $40 million. Col. George Washington Goethals of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was put in charge. And the construction of the Canal proceeded with unprecedented speed. Against all odds Despite malaria, yellow fever and 130˚f days, the work went on. One foot at a time across fifty miles of jungle, laborers dug an enormous trench, dammed rivers and constructed six immense locks. On August 15, 1914, the steamer ss Ancon made the 50-mile inaugural transit in nine hours and 40 minutes — shaving some 9,000 miles from the usual trip around Cape Horn. In 1913, a full year ahead of schedule and under budget by almost $23 million, the Panama Canal was completed. Still, at a final cost of $375 million in other materials, the price of the Canal was five times higher than the total cost of the Louisiana Territories, Florida, California, New Mexico, Alaska and the Philippines, combined. Good to go The first vessel, the tugboat Gatún, tested the locks on September 16, 1913, and the Canal was officially opened on August 15, 1914. OP P OSIT E Gatún Locks in the course of construction. www.hollandamerica.com 15 Panama Canal history http://www.hollandamerica.com
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