4.72 The National Geographic Magazine 



laborer with the island government to 

 meet the burden which his leaving the 

 island would probably throw on his par- 

 ish under the poor law of the island for 

 the support of those dependent on him. 

 He also insisted that we should agree 

 to pay the expenses of the return of each 

 laborer, whether he was satisfactory or 

 not and whether he abandoned the work 

 in violation of his contract or not. It 

 is probable, however, that Jamaica la- 

 borers will come voluntarily in consid- 

 erable numbers to the Isthmus, because 

 there are two direct lines between King- 

 ston and Colon, the fare is only $5 a 

 person, and the wages paid in the canal 

 zone are double those paid in Jamaica. 

 Indeed, the governor informed me that 

 about 6,000 Jamaicans were leaving the 

 island annually to work in Panama and 

 Central America. It is hoped that satis- 

 factory labor may be obtained in Porto 

 Rico." 



The labor problem will probably be 

 harder to solve than any of the engi- 

 neering difficulties. 



THE STORMS AT COLON 



In view of Admiral Chester's account 

 of the destruction in Colon harbor 

 caused by the terrible northers (p. 457), 

 the following experience of the Isthmian 

 Commission in January, 1505, is inter- 

 esting: 



The norther began blowing soon after 

 noon of January 26 with such force that 

 three steamships in the harbor of Colon 

 at that time were compelled to seek 

 safety by putting to sea and remaining 

 away for three days. The U. S. Ship 

 Dixie was preparing to leave at about 

 that time and was obliged to hasten her 

 departure to escape the danger of the 

 storm. Not a vessel of any description 

 remained in the harbor except two 

 schooners in the slips adjacent to the 

 Panama Railroad station, which were 

 tied by a number of cables at a sufficient 

 distance from their piers to prevent dam- 

 age from excessive pitching and rolling. 



They could not get away, and were com- 

 pelled to ride out in the gale in grave 

 danger to themselves and to the neigh- 

 boring piers. 



At the time of the committee's visit 

 storm waves of great magnitude and 

 force were rolling directly into the har- 

 bor, breaking over the entire water front 

 of that part of Colon known as Aspin- 

 wall and blocking the marginal streets 

 with deluges of water and great quanti- 

 ties of coral rock and other debris. The 

 same effects were produced on Christobal 

 Point, seriously injuring a number of 

 houses and rendering them uninhabita- 

 ble, as well as putting out of use the 

 marginal street. The magnitude and 

 violence of the wave action along the 

 entire water front of Colon not only 

 drove to sea every vessel that could get 

 away, but it also endangered the piers 

 or wharves, some of which have been 

 heretofore seriously damaged in similar 

 storms. Further than this, great incon- 

 venience and some loss was caused, not 

 only to the shipping interests affected, 

 but also to the canal work in interrupt- 

 ing the discharge of cargo urgently 

 needed and in other ways injuring 

 isthmian transportation. 



These storms ocur on the average but 

 07ice or twice a year, and during some 

 years they do not occur at all. For proba- 

 bly not less than three hundred and 

 sixty days in the year the harbor of 

 Colon is free from any objection of this 

 kind. If the construction of the canal 

 were a purely commercial enterprise, 

 the protection of an outer terminal 

 harbor open to storms at rare intervals, 

 as in this instance, would not be justi- 

 fied. This project, however, is a great 

 public work by the United States Gov- 

 ernment, in which no feature contribut- 

 ing effectively to either safety or effi- 

 ciency should be omitted. 



Plans and specifications are being pre- 

 pared for a breakwater extending across 

 the mouth of L,imon Bay approximately 

 on the line drawn from the light on 



