Panama and the canal in picture and prose .. . , that by the fortificationson the islands, and on the hillsadjacent to the canal entrance,as well as b)^ a permanent sys-tem of submarine mines the Pa-cific entrance to the canal ismade as nearly impregnable asthe art of war permits. Thelocks at Miraflores are seven milesinland and the effective range ofnaval guns is fourteen miles, sothat but for the fortifications anda fleet of our own to hold thehostile fleet well out to sea thevery keystone of the canal structure would be menaced. Our governmentin building its new terminal city at Balboa hadb
Panama and the canal in picture and prose .. . , that by the fortificationson the islands, and on the hillsadjacent to the canal entrance,as well as b)^ a permanent sys-tem of submarine mines the Pa-cific entrance to the canal ismade as nearly impregnable asthe art of war permits. Thelocks at Miraflores are seven milesinland and the effective range ofnaval guns is fourteen miles, sothat but for the fortifications anda fleet of our own to hold thehostile fleet well out to sea thevery keystone of the canal structure would be menaced. Our governmentin building its new terminal city at Balboa hadbefore it a very striking illustration of the wayin which nations covet just such towns. Russiaon completing her trans-Siberian railroad builtat Port Arthur a terminal even grander and morecostly than our new outpost on the Pacific. Butthe Japanese flag now waves over Port Arthur—and incidentally the fortifications of that famousterminal were also considered impregnable. Perhapsthe impregnable fort like the unsinkable ship isyet to be Photo by Underwood 6: Underwood THE PACIFIC GATEWAYThe gun points to canal entrance; high hills in the background are beyond the canal 146 PANAMA AND THE CANAL At Balboa the trip through the completed canalwill be ended. It has covered a fraction over fiftymiles, and has consumed, according to the speed of theship and the smartness of her handling in locks,from seven to ten hours. He who was fortunateenough to make that voyage may well reflect on theweeks of time and the thousands of tons of coal neces-sary to carry his vessel from Colon to Balboa hadthe canal not existed. From Balboa to the ancient and yet gay city ofPanama runs a trolley line by which the passenger,whose ship remains in port for a few days, or evena few hours, may with but little cost of time or moneyvisit one of the quaintest towns on the North Ameri-can continent. If the climate, or the seemingly in-eradicable sluggishness of the Panamanian do notintervene the two tow
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Keywords: ., bookauthorabbotwil, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookyear1913
