This chapter dealt with the construction of the Panama Canal and the difficulties encountered during this. The following is a summary of the chapter.
The Panama Canal is an engineering triumph: over 50 miles of channels and locks built in an uncooperative landscape of ragin rivers and tall mountains.
As early as 1524, Charles V of Spain considered building a canal across the Isthmus of Panama, but it was not until nearly 400 years later that the canal was actually built.
In 1876, French naval officer and grand nephew Lucien Wyse arrived in Panama with the proposal to build a sea-level canal across the isthmus. He conducted a 2 year survey and then received a concession from the Columbian government to build the canal. Wyse submitted his proposal to the Geographic Society of Paris, presided over by Ferdinand De Lesseps (builder of the Suez Canal).
The society voted almost unanimously to make the canal sea-level, the only dissenter being Godin De Lepinay, who suggested making an artificial lake with locks leading to the oceans on both sides. Ironically, his plan was eventually adopted.
In 1881 De Lesseps had gathered funds and brougth a group of engineers to Panama. However, after 8 years his Panama Canal Company went bankrupt because of two main causes. One was that with the equipment at hand it would be impossible to excavate to sea-level. And he had overlooked the dangers of malaria and yellow fever, which had claimed thousands of lives there. Thus the canal went unfinished.
In 1902 the US bought the French holdings in the company. When the Columbian senate adjourned without granting rights to the US to build the canal, a revolution broke out in Panama. The new Republic of Panama granted the US perpetual sovereignty over the 10 mile wide canal zone in exchange for $10,000,000 and $250,000 anually.
After the idea had "been in the spotlight" the public was impatient to see the work started. So the man in charge, Admiral John Walker, ordered the project started before preparations were made. The result was a lack of basic necessities (clean water, food, etc) and an outbreak of yellow fever. In 1905, after less than a year of work, the project was at a standstill.
Walker and his board of engineers were discharged and civilians took their place, with John Stevens as chief engineer. After being put in charge, Stevens ordered all work to stop. He then took steps that eliminated yellow fever and greatly reduced the malaria cases in the area. He improved sanitation. He modernized the railroad system carrying out the excavated material to make it run faster. And he convinced President Roosevelt that a system of locks would be better than a sea-level canal. In 1907 after work had begun on the canal, he (Stevens) resigned, feeling that he had done what he had to and his job here was done.
The work Stevens had started was left to Col. George Washingtno Goethals. Goethals divided the work into 3 sectors: the Pacific, Atlantic, and Central Divisions.
Despite frequent landslides, floods, and 120 degree temperatures, the work went on schedule, to be completed by midsummer 1913. On October 10th, 1913, the final dike separating the Pacific and Atlantic sides of the canal was dynamited. After almost 400 years and hundreds of millions of dollars, the dream of a canal had become reality.
Reading this chapter helped me to understand the construction of the canal better, and I learned that a canal in Panama was proposed as early as 1524. It also helped me to understand the importance of the canal.