Americans since their occupation show that this river discharges enough water to fill the proposed Gatun Lake one and a half times. It is not expected that any lack of water for the lock-type canal ever will be experienced. Except for the beaten paths and cleared spaces constantly maintained the jungle is king in Panama. One season's growth will cover an abandoned clearing with the luxuriant tropical vegetation. When the Americans entered the Canal Zone, most of the French machinery and even whole towns were covered by the jungle. There are the usual tropical fruits, bananas, cocoanuts, alligator pears, papayas, mangoes, and other less well-known varieties. The vegetation includes the royal poinciana, palm, and other stately trees. The rare orchid is at home on the Isthmus, about seventyfive varieties being found, a dozen of which are of the most beautiful kinds. A dry season of four months does not parch the growth, but the rainy season gives it the most brilliant green coloring. None of the big animal life of Africa is found anywhere in South America, and Panama has even less dangerous species than the mainland. The tarantula, coral snake, tiger cats, deer, and other larger, though not so dangerous, animals are found, and alligators abound in the rivers and bays, as well as sharks. The insect life is wonderfully varied, the birds are in infinite variety and most beautiful, while wild flowers of dazzling colors are in profusion. The Canal Zone, where occupied in the canal operations, long since was freed of dangerous animal life. Distinct, but inconsequential, earthquake shocks have been felt in Panama for centuries. The San Francisco earthquake, in 1906, was not recorded on the Canal Zone seismograph. In the seventeenth century a violent shock occurred, but none in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, nor has any been recorded in the twentieth century, although in Costa Rica, the republic adjoining Panama, a severe shock, in 1910, caused considerable loss of life and property. So far as past performance can indicate, the canal should not suffer from earthquakes. The Atlantic and Pacific oceans are on the same level, but the tide on the Pacific side has a maximum lift of 21 feet, while on the Atlantic side the maximum lift is only 2 feet. Allowance for this variation was made by providing a deeper channel for the canal on the Pacific side, so that the passage of ships will not be affected by the tides. The shape of the Bay of Panama causes the high tide on the Pacific side. As there is not a favorable geographical arrangement at either end of the canal, in the way of harbors, the defects have been supplied by breakwaters. At the Atlantic entrance a breakwater more than two miles long runs from Toro Point to shield ships lying in the entrance from the violent Northers that occasionally sweep the coast. Another breakwater a half mile long, running out from the Colon waterfront, will protect shipping in that harbor from storms on the east. At the Pacific entrance storms are not dangerous, but the currents deposited silt in the channel in such quantities as to make a breakwater advisable, and this one runs from the mainland to Naos Island, three miles out in the bay, and connects with the fortifications. It was built from material excavated in the Culebra cut, whereas the Atlantic breakwaters were built largely of rock quarried at Porto Bello. Panama and Colon are cities of great interest to the tourist. The former has about 50,000 population and the latter 20,000. Panama is the capital of the republic, has a handsome national theater and institute, a street car system is in course of construction, and a number of old cathedrals are interesting sights. The canal employees travel for half fare on the railroad and are often in evidence in the quaint little victoria carriages that handle the street traffic, at ten cents a ride, in the two cities. Mardi Gras comes in February in the city of Panama, and is a vivid exhibition of the Spanish temperament at play. For four days the natives abandon themselves to the festivities and business reaches a standstill. A queen is elected by popular vote and receives the homage of all the Panaman officials, as well as the higher American dignitaries. The parade of floats and carriages is a dazzling presentation of the Spanish fancy expressed in dress and decorations. CHAPTER X GETTING UNDER WAY HAT this nation will insist upon is that "W results be achieved," wrote President Roosevelt in his order creating the first Isthmian Canal Commission that he appointed, on March 8, 1904; and that remained the keynote of his attitude toward the canal. The country was thoroughly convinced of the inefficiency of any government-built enterprise, so, after complying with the Spooner act in naming a representative from the navy and the army, on the Commission, he announced its full personnel as follows: ADMIRAL JOHN G. WALKER, U. S. N., Chairman, WILLIAM H. BURR, BENJAMIN M. HARROD, This Commission held its first meeting in Washington on March 22d, when preparations were made for a visit to the Isthmus, which they reached on April 5th. After three weeks of investigations they decided that such engineering records as the French left must be supplemented by fresh explorations and surveys; that the sanitation of the Canal Zone, and the cities of Colon and Panama, was of the first importance; and that a period of preparation generally must pre- cede effective construction operations. Surgeon-Col. W. C. Gorgas accompanied the Commission on this trip and made the preliminary plans for cleaning up the Isthmus which, when worked out, were to make him famous. The Commission returned to the United States on April 29th. At a meeting between representatives of the United States and the French Canal Company, in Paris, on April 16th, the sale of the company's property, for $40,000,000 was signed, and was ratified by the shareholders in the company on April 23d. This ended the labors of Mr. William Nelson Cromwell, except that he tried, unsuccessfully, to get an additional payment for the work done on the canal, from the time the $40,000,000 was agreed upon as a price, in 1902, until the Americans formally took over the property, in 1904. President Roosevelt was subjected to wide criticism for this deal, but of all his actions in connection with the canal it was one of the wisest. Without regard to who got the money it indisputably is true, to anyone who has visited the canal, that the United States got a dollar in value for every dollar it paid the French company. As late as 1911 Col. Goethals appointed a committee headed by J. B. Bishop, secretary of the Commission, to invoice the French purchase, and they reported the value of French excavation useful to the American plan of canal, the mechanical |