The Bent Page

Cruise ship travelers may enjoy these photos of the Panama Canal in various stages of construction. I tried to select the most interesting ones from the United States Library of Congress archive. Building the canal was no easy project, which is probably the second greatest understatement of this blog. Oh, well, a trench was dug, locks built, equipment installed, and today millions of tons of cargo pass through along with pleasure vessels. The photos in the post were taken in 1913 and 1914.

Below is the Culebra Cut. Check out those steam shoves digging away:

If you look along the top edge of the photo, you can almost see how unstable the soil is. There were numerous landslides that ruined equipment and killed workers as the project progressed. The next photo is a look down at the Gatun Locks, north approach.

That’s a massive set of concrete walls in there. If you look carefully on the far right side of the photo, you’ll see a knot of men, probably curious as to how the photographer was creating this picture. To get a sense of scale for these locks, take a look at the Miraflores Locks at the lower level below:

The locks seem to go on forever. Note the railcars on the left, with tracks built right to the job site. Another point to remember is that the size of battleships was limited to the width of the locks in the Panama Canal. This way, they would be able to go from the Atlantic to the Pacific in the event they were needed in one hemisphere or the other.

Finally, here is a look at the approach to the first lock.

I have yet to traverse the Panama Canal. I missed a chance some years ago. A friend was relocating a tugboat from the West Coast of the United States to Philadelphia. I wish I would have made that journey.  Given the international traffic through Panama, it is the type of place (as Casablanca used to be) that is the perfect setting for intriguing stories. Plus, there is the possibility of escape or capture aboard a departing vessel, exciting chases through jungles, along rail lines, and through crowded towns. Then there is the climate, raining, tropical, vibrant. You never know. I’ve added Panama to my list of locations for the future.

I’d like to hear from cruise ship passengers who have been through recently. It would be something to notice the differences in things. Don’t hesitate to post comments. Thanks!