THE PANAMA ROUTE FOR A SHIP CANAL. 



261 



projected a canal entrance from the six fathom contour in the Bay of 

 Limon, in which the harbor of Colon is found, swinging on a gentle 

 curve 6,560 feet radius to the left around behind the artificial point 

 just mentioned and then across the shore line to the right into the. low 

 land southerly of Colon. This channel has a width of 500 ft. at the 

 bottom, with side slopes of one on three, except on the second curve, 

 which is somewhat sharper than the first, where the bottom width is 

 made 800 ft. for a length of 800 ft. for the purpose of a turning basin. 

 This brings the line into the canal proper, forming a well-protected 

 harbor for nearly a mile inside of the shore line. The distance from 



Harbor of Colon. 



the six fathom line to this interior harbor is about two miles. The 

 total cost of constructing the channel into the harbor and the con- 

 struction of the harbor itself is $8,057,707, and the annual cost of 

 maintenance is placed at $30,000. The harbor would be perfectly 

 protected from the northers, which occasional^ blow with such inten- 

 sity in the Bay of Limon, and it could be made in all weathers by 

 steam vessels seeking it. 



The harbor at the Pacific end of the channel where it joins Panama 

 Bay is of an entirely different character in some respects. The Bay 

 of • Panama is a place of light winds. Indeed it has been objected 

 that the difficulties sometimes experienced by sailing vessels in finding 



