Panama and the canal in picture and prose .. . KEEPING THE RECORD OF fHE CHAGRES 193 formation concerning sudden rises we shall alwaysbe under great obligations to the French. Theirhydrographic ob-. servations andrecords are inval-uable, and theirstations estab-lished before weassumed controlare still used, withmuch of their ma-chinery. Stationsare maintainedfar up the valleysof the Chagresand tributary riv-ulets, and all areconnected withthe central con-trol at Gatun dam by telephone. Some of the sta-tions are equipped with automatic machinery which,in the event of a rise during the night sum
Panama and the canal in picture and prose .. . KEEPING THE RECORD OF fHE CHAGRES 193 formation concerning sudden rises we shall alwaysbe under great obligations to the French. Theirhydrographic ob-. servations andrecords are inval-uable, and theirstations estab-lished before weassumed controlare still used, withmuch of their ma-chinery. Stationsare maintainedfar up the valleysof the Chagresand tributary riv-ulets, and all areconnected withthe central con-trol at Gatun dam by telephone. Some of the sta-tions are equipped with automatic machinery which,in the event of a rise during the night summons thekeeper by ringing an alarm bell. The life of thekeeper of a fiuviograph station, miles perhaps ofjungle isolating him from the nearest human habita-tion, is lonesome enough. Yet its monotony issometimes relieved by lively incident. The irascibleChagres, for example, once caught the keeperat Alhajuela with a sudden rise, and compelledhim to camp out a night and day in a tree topand see his house, pigs and poultry swept ; IP THE RAPIDS away on the rushing tide. There was a fairchance that the tree would follow. On our way upthe river to visitsome of the flu-viographs welanded at
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Keywords: ., bookauthorabbotwil, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookyear1913
