Home › P › Panama (City of the republic of Panama)

Panama (City of the republic of Panama)

a city of the republic of Panama, capital of the State of the Canal Zone, on the Gulf of Panama and on the Pacific coast of the Isthmus of Panama. The city lies on a tongue of land, across which its streets stretch from sea to sea. The harbor is shallow, but affords secure anchorage. Panama is chiefly important as the terminus of the interoceanic railway and also of the PANAMA CANAL (q. v.). The railway, which has been in operation since 1855, runs across the isthmus from Panama to Colon or Aspinwall on the Atlantic, and accommodates large traffic. Pop. about 65,000. a PANAMA-CALIFORNIA EXPOSI- TION. This exposition, held at San Diego, Cal., during the entire year of 1915, was in celebration of the completion of the Panama Canal. The work of preparation took over three years, and the commemorative buildings reproduced the Moorish architecture of Spain, and the Spanish colonies of America. The groups of bu buildings, divided by streets shaded in the Spanish style, with cathedral and theaters, and palaces, studded with parks and lakes, covered 612 acres, SEA Bay of Las Minas MAP OF PANAMA CANAL SHOWING LINE OF LOCK CANAL WITH SUMMIT ELEVATION AT 85 FEET

SCALE OF STATUTE, MILES

1 2 3 4 5 6 8 10 SCALE OF KILOMETERS 4 6 Line of Canal ELEVATION AT 85 FEET LINE OF LOCK CANAL WITH SUMMIT Alhajuela E AN +100 Normal Water Level Pta. Cano Principal Light Pta. Toro Pia. Naranjitos B P Bay of Manzanillo Juan Grande Rio Obispo Cristobal Limon Bay Pta. Limon Las Cascadas Pia. Tortuguillo Chagres San Andrest Mindi Chages Monkey Hil fruebruncha La Soledad Gatun Panama Railroad Dams Indicates shallow water Indicates navigable water of 41 feet or over

Lomas de Ahorca Lagarto Monte Ligio Tiger Hill Lion Hill Do 12 13 E 14 Bohio B Blanca HI Chagresito Royal from Cruces Mamei CARIB COLON Monkey Hill Mindi, Poi Mean Ocean Level 0 I 31 Rio Pina Rio Rio Mindi Copyright, L. L. Poates Eng. Co., 1921 del Rio Medio Ping Rancho Camacho Tiger Hill 2 expon anzv1) Rio Gatruss +7 +8 +14 +16 HORIZONTAL SCALE +16 alenquilla PROFILE +16 +16- +16 +33 +32 +27 +27 +32 8+32 Rio Chagres Palo Horqueta Rio Chagres Palo Matias Marais de las Penitas Ahorca Lagarto Vamos Vamos Rio Chhatgres Blanca Pena BOHTO Rio Chagres Ris Chagres Frijoles 88+22 Rio Chagres, TAVERNILLA

Normal Water Levél Bottom of Canal+40 +43 Level

1, Length 31 +32 Rw Pescado Cruges @Gorgo Juan Grande Chaarese Yaviza Pihiva Royal Palo Grande Emperador ZA Rio Juan Diaz Rio Las Lajas Road from Cruces to Panama Culebra Hill Miraflores Ruins of Old Panama Pta. Paitillo Panama OCEAN C BAY OF PANAMA Pta. Farfan 1. NAOS 40 1. FLAMENCO 50 MILES ft. +100 +83 +50 Rio Chagrea SAN PABLO Rio Chagres Mamei +50 Juan Grande +43 GORGONA +72 MATACHIN Rio Obispo +120 Rio Obispo +150 OBISPO +95 Las Cascadas +108 +137 +167 EMPERADOR +164 +156 CULEBRA +210 +190 Pta. Batele Pta. Bruja Venado PACIF 1906 HORIZONTAL SCALE

1 2 3 VERTICAL SCALE 4 5 Milea 0 50

100 150 200 Feet +100 09+3 +77.5 +16.5 +7 +6 +10 +30 4 Pedro Miguel La Rio Grande PARAISO Miraflores Marastores Locke Rio Grande Corozalnde La Bocande PANAMA High Water Level-10 Mean Deransbevel +32 5+14 Ocean 49 50 м PANAMA CANAL and the initial capital expended was $

2,250,000. The exhibits were representative of the various arts and sciences, with particular reference to those especially distinctive of California and Spanish America. Round the Isthmus were gathered various amusements, and nearby was the Painted Desert, with cliff dwellings and Pueblo Indians from Arizona. During its course the Exposition was visited by many millions of sightseers from all over the United States and from other countries.

PANAMA CANAL. The Panama Canal was opened to navigation Aug. 15, 1914. It was a colossal work and the difficulties met in its construction were PANAMA CANAL pleted and the Canal opened for traffic in 1914.

The Canal crosses the Isthmus of Panama at very nearly its narrowest point. From deep water in the Atlantic to deep water in the Pacific is 43.8 nautical miles. The minimum depth of the Canal is 41 feet. Starting on the Atlantic side at Limon Bay, the sea-level extends 5.7 miles to Gatun. Here there are three pairs of locks that lift the vessel to Gatun Lake, 85 feet above sea-level.

The vessel proceeds along this through the famous Culebra Cut to Pedro Miguel Lock and Dam, where it is lowered to Miraflores Lake, which is 55 feet above sea-level and about a mile long. At its southern end are the Miraflores Locks, GATUN LOCK, PANAMA CANAL almost insuperable. The project of joining the Atlantic and Pacific had existed for centuries, and it was one of the companions of Balboa who first broached the idea. The plan first took tangible form when the French began actual work on Jan, 20, 1882. The work was under the direction of Count Ferdinand de Lesseps, who had achieved fame as the builder of the Suez Canal. A terrific scandal arose, however, when the work had only gotten fairly under way, fraud and embezzlement were charged, and the company went into the hands of a receiver in 1889. The receivers resumed work in 1894 and continued until May 4, 1904, when the United States Government undertook to complete it. The rights of the French were bought for $40,000,000.

The Republic of Panama ceded to the United States a strip of land five miles wide on either side of the Canal in consideration of $10,000,000. After ten years of work and the expenditure of over $300,000,000, the work was comwhich lower the vessel to the level of the Pacific, and from there a channel seven miles long carries the vessel past Balboa and into the ocean. The locks are miracles of engineering construction.

Their chambers have a width of 110 feet and a length of 1,000 feet, which makes them capable of handling the largest ships yet built. In connection with the building and operation of the Canal, there are great terminals at both entrances, with docks, warehouses, foundries, repair shops, and all the adjuncts of great commercial ports.

Receipts from tolls average over $6,- 250,000 annually. The Panama railroad practically parallels the Canal from Colon to Panama on the east side.

There was more traffic through the Canal in 1919 than in any year since it was opened, and the receipts for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 1919, exceeded operating expenses by $241,822. Two thousand, three hundred and ninetysix ships with a total tonnage of PANAMA HATS 7,128,000 passed through the Canal. for its immediate object the furtherance These were, according to nationality:

United States, 786; British, 602; Belgian, 1; Canadian, 2; Chilean, 93; Chinese, 4; Colombian, 1; Costa Rican, 12; Danish, 79; Dutch, 19; Ecuadorian, 1; French, 104; Greek, 3; Japanese, 87; Mexican, 1; Panamanian, 128; Peruvian, 65; Russian, 3; Spanish, 5; Swedish, 29; Salvador, 1. The entire investment of the United States in the Canal up to June 30, 1919, was $365,416,000. The governor of the Canal Zone in 1921 was Colonel Jay J. Morrow.