THE PANAMA CANAL

BY COLONEL GEORGE W. GOETHALS
CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE PANAMA CANAL

Illustrations
Introduction
Torrential Floods Of The Chagres River
Wisdom Of Choice Of Lock Canal Now Generally
   Acknowledged
The Principal Features Of The Canal
Making The Isthmus Healthy
An Immense Department Store
Keeping The Floods Out Of Culebra Cut
How the Shovels Work
Very Troublesome Slides
No Danger From Slides After Canal Is Completed
The Material Is All Rock
The Earth And Rock From The Culebra Cut Are Used For
   The Breakwaters and Embankments
The Great Dam At Gatun Is A Veritable Hill
The Spillway
The Locks Can Be Filled Or Emptied In 8 Minutes
Safety Devices
Gatun Lake Will Store Water For The Dry Season
Ingenious Methods For Handling The Rock And Cement
The Aerial Cableways
From Gatun To The Ocean
The Locks At Pedro Miguel
The Locks At Miraflores
Rebuilding The Railroad
The Canal Will Be Completed On Time
The Slides In Culebra Cut Are The One Doubtful Factor
The Canal Is Worth The $375,000,000

An address by Colonel Goethals to the National Geographic Society, February 10, 1911

CZBrats
May 27, 2001