Identifier: panamacanalinpic01abbo (find matches)
Title: Panama and the canal in picture and prose ..
Year: 1913 (1910s)
Authors: Abbot, Willis John, 1863-1934. (from old catalog)
Subjects:
Publisher: New York (etc.) Pub. in English and Spanish by Syndicate publishing company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
THE ONLY STONE CHURCH IN COLON The ritual is of the Church of England; the congregation almost wholly Jamaica negroes RAILROAD BUILDING IN A SWAMP 29 tition of this process through the ages a foot or two ofsoil raised itself above the surface of the water andsupported a swampy jungle. When the engineersfirst came to locate there the beginnings of thePanama railroad, they were compelled to make theirquarters in an old sailing ship in danger at all times shrubs defying entrance even to the wild beastscommon to the country. In the black slimy mudof its surface alligators and other reptiles abounded,while the air was laden with pestilential vapors andswarming with sandflies and mosquitoes. These lastproved so annoying to the laborers that unless their
Text Appearing After Image:
NATURE OF COUNTRY NEAR COLONThrough this water-logged region the Panama railroad was built at heavy cost in money and lives of being carried out to sea by a norther. In hisHistory of the Panama Railroad, published in1862, F. N. Otis describes the site of the presentcity when first fixed thus: This island cut off from the mainland by a nar-row frith contained an area of a little more than onesquare mile. It was a virgin swamp, covered witha dense growth of the tortuous, water-loving man-grove, and interlaced with huge vines and thorny faces were protected by gauze veils no work couldbe done even at midday. Residence on the islandwas impossible. The party had their headquartersin an old brig which brought down materials forbuilding, tools, provisions, etc., and was anchoredin the bay. That was in May, 1850. In March, 1913, theauthor spent some time in Colon. Excellent mealswere enjoyed in a somewhat old-fashioned frame 30 PANAMA AND THE CANAL

Note About Images