THE PANAMA EOUTP: FOR A SHIP CANAL. 545 



probably be nearly or quite twice that needcnl for the construction of 

 a canal with locks. The Conuiiis.slon therefore adopted a project for 

 the canal with locks. Both plans and estimates were carefully devel- 

 oped in accordance therewith. 



The harl)or of Colon has been fairly satisfactory for the conniierce 

 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 har- 

 bor with sucli intensity that ships anchored there must put to sea in 

 order to escape (huiiag'e. Tlie western limit of this harbor is an arti- 

 ficial point of hmd formed by material deposited by the old Panama 

 Canal Company; it is called Christo})!! Colon, and near its extreme 

 end are two large frame residences 1)uilt for De Lesseps. The entrance 

 to the canal is immediately south of this artificial point. The CV)m- 

 mission ]irojected a canal entrance from the (i-fathom contour in the 

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

 gentle curve, G,5(><) feet radius, to the left around behind the artilicial 

 point just mentioned and then across the shore line to the right into 

 the lowland southerly of Colon. This channel has a width of 5(H» feet 

 at the bottom, with side slopes of 1 on 3, except on the .second, curve, 

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

 made SUO feet for a length of SOU feet for the purpose of a turning- 

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

 protected liar])or for nearly a mile inside of the shore line. The 

 distance from the 6-fathom line to this interior har1)or is about 'J. .miles. 

 The total cost of constructing the channel into the har])or and the 

 harbor itself is 18,057,707, and the annual cost of maintenance is 

 placed at $30,000. The harbor would be perfectly protected from the 

 northers which occasionally blow with such intensity in the Bay of 

 Limon, and it could readily be made in all weathers ])y vessels seek- 

 ing it. 



The harbor at the Pacitic end of the channel where it joins l*:mania 

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

 of Panama is a place of light winds. Indeed it has been asy-rted that 

 the dithculties sometimes experienced by sailing vessels in (inding 

 wind enough to take them out of Panama Bay are so serious as to 

 constitute a material objection to the location for a shi}) canal on the 

 Panama route. This difficulty undoubtedly exists at times, but the 

 simple fact is to be rememl)ered that Panama was a port for sailing- 

 ships for more than two hundred years b(>foi-e a steamship was known. 

 The harbor of Panama, as it now exists, is a large area of water at 

 the extreme nortlun-n limit of the bay, immediately adjacent to the 

 city of Panama, protected from the south by the three islands of 

 Perico, Naos, and Culebra. It has been called a roadstead. There is 

 good anchorage for heavv^-draft ships, but for the most part the water 



8M 1902 — -35 



