MUMBLINGS March 23, 2006

Thousands were killed during the design and completion of the Panama Canal…then President Jimmy Carter gave it away.

Certainly one of the greatest engineering and building feats was the Panama Canal across the Isthmus of Panama, from the Atlantic, to the Pacific Ocean.

It was opened to shipping traffic in 1914. Its completion had an enormous impact on shipping, as previously ships had to go all around the southernmost tip of South America to get from the Atlantic to the Pacific or vise –versa.

This saved thousands of miles. Shipping from New York to San Francisco was 6,000 miles after it was completed… before it was 14,000. Thus, it is easy to see its economic value to the shipping industry throughout the entire world.

The building of the 48-mile canal was plagued with many problems, massive landslides and especially diseases (mainly malaria and yellow fever). The canal has been a huge success to the shipping industry and each year, 14,000 ships carrying 203 million tons of cargo go through it.

By 2002, 800,000 vessels had passed through the canal.

The typical passage time through the canal in 2005 was about nine hours… approximately 14,011 vessels did this, with a total capacity of 278.8 million tons. It averages almost 40 vessels a day.

The most expensive toll for canal passage was charged on September 25, 2003 to the luxurious passenger vessel, Coral Princess, which paid $226,194.25 for passage. The least expensive was 36 cents and is not credited to a ship but to American adventurer, Richard Halliburton, who swam the canal in 1928. The average toll is about $ 54,000.00.

While under construction, an estimated 27,500 people died because of disease or accidents.

Going from west to east after an eight-mile channel, they come to the first of 12 locks, which raise the vessels 54 feet at mid-tide, on Lake Miraflores, which is 54 feet above sea level. As you can see, building the locks and clearing the channels was a terrific task. The French started the Canal in 1880 and because of disease etc., Uncle Sam took it over in 1904 and completed in 1914 at a cost of approximately $352 million. When you include the amount spent by the French and the Americans the total is $639 million. This amount is hard to imagine now, let alone back in the time the canal was built. To build it now, the cost would be in the billions.

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Continued

The biggest problem was the malaria and yellow fever caused by unsanitary conditions and by mosquitoes. Dr. William Crawford Gorgas, of Alabama discovered this and was put in charge of the health and was successful in saving thousands. He refused an offer to be President of the University of Alabama in 1911 because of his determination to see the canal project through to completion. He was the only U.S. official who remained with the project from beginning to end. He was known as a compassionate, caring doctor. One patient said it was worth having yellow fever to be cared for by Dr. Gorgas.

The U.S. signed a lease agreement with Panama and in 1977 the people of Panama voted and approved a treaty giving the Panama Canal back. The U.S. Senate in 1978, and at the urging of President Jimmy Carter saw fit to give it back. The canal was given back to Panama on December 31, 1999. Naturally this aroused a lot of opposition and many claim that it resulted in the death of Senator James B (Jim) Allen of Alabama, who fought the idea day and night. During this period, he had a heart attack and died at Gulf Shores.

Passing through the canal is a great experience for passengers. I don’t know whether you would call it one of The Seven Wonders of the World, but it is entitled to a lot of consideration. The cost in money and lives and its total benefits over the years is worthy of note. Apparently, the Panamanians are taking satisfactory care of the canal but there are a lot more problems than when Uncle Sam owned it.

See you again soon, I hope.