2 6o POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



ing the Bay of Limon to its intersection with the Mindi River; thence 

 through the low ground continuing to Gatun, about six miles from 

 Colon, where it first meets the Chagres River. From this point to 

 Obispo the canal line follows practically the general course of the 

 Chagres River, although at one point in the marshes below Bohio it is 

 nearly two miles from the farthest bend in the river at a small place 

 called Ahorca Lagarto. Bohio is about seventeen miles from the 

 Atlantic terminus and Obispo about thirty miles. At the latter point 

 the course of the Chagres River, passing up stream, lies to the north- 

 east, while the general direction of the canal line is southeast toward 

 Panama, the latter leaving the former at this location. The canal 

 route follows up the general course of a small stream, called the Cama- 

 cho, for a distance of nearly five miles where the continental divide is 

 found, and in which the great Culebra cut is located about thirty-six 

 miles from Colon and thirteen miles from the Panama terminus. After 

 passing through the Culebra cut the canal route follows the course of 

 the Rio Grande River to its mouth at Panama Bay. The mouth of the 

 Rio Grande where the canal line is located, is about a mile and a half 

 westerly of the city of Panama. The Rio Grande is a small, sluggish 

 stream throughout the last six miles of its course, and for that distance 

 the canal excavation would be made mostly in soft silt or mud. 



Although the line selected by the French company is that adopted 

 by the Isthmian Canal Company for its purposes a number of most 

 important features of the general plan have been materially modified 

 by the commission, as will be easily understood from what has alreadj r 

 been stated in connection with the French plans. 



The feasibility of a sea-level canal but with a tidal lock at the 

 Panama end was carefully considered by the commission, and an 

 approximate estimate of the cost of completing the work on that plan 

 was made. In round numbers this estimated cost was about $250,- 

 000,000, and the time required to complete the work would probably 

 be nearly or quite twice that needed for the construction of a canal 

 with locks. The commission therefore adopted a project for the canal 

 with locks. Both plans and estimates were carefully developed in 

 accordance therewith. 



The harbor of Colon has been fairly satisfactory for the commerce 

 of that port, but it is open to the north and there are probably two or 

 three days in every year during which northers blow into the harbor 

 with such intensity that ships anchored there must put to sea in order 

 to escape damage. The western limit of this harbor is an artificial 

 point of land formed by material deposited by the old Panama Canal 

 Company; it is called Christoph Colomb and near its extreme end are 

 two large frame residences built for do Lesseps. The entrance to the 

 canal is immediately south of this artificial point. The commission 



