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e ms D... h.e-1 I \-a h-up ***- BF* -al* **>.K,- LI i4T~af __ - - a'.. Sda,.'. W I I -. a lai I S.".. Ca. w L...,Cfl U..SA. Lb... *..... I... "a-.. -3 Bk.. ".. a- a.... I,. ~ * a- ca.~.-i ..~. ~ I- 4- ~ t a..na .. I.. JAi s PMi ';-I. --L ia .-, E',m3= alm to C L ** Oa C. A i- Na-.. sw LA S I L .. '- r Ct s. h h.'.aed..a. Inb. a- Cp A...a... I..... L.a.. Na.. P. C. l.a a - U Ii AS L.A ~irn; aomu mleAs.. Ce. - I * .N m. k 5 As s I L..1 aS" N a - *.,*I.. *w.. h.& &.S~ '.fl La'. u.n.. In...a.n. C. ..e& *~ Pau.- C. . I... F .q I m .M Lt al. ma-nI~ag'a. -__l__.__._ _n____________.________ m _ i SI.MS N 13 I sentium .a II Li C Ih ?U 4;. s I^ I1 T HIS decade in the Panama Canal's history has not been a drab one. Of the many highlights, however, none has the importance to world com- merce so much as the resurgence of trade and the consequent increase in Canal traffic in the postwar period. While the problem of increasing the Canal capacity has been studied intermittently over a period of some 40 years, there has been a sense of urgency added in the decade now ending. The Canal administration, alert to conditions, is attacking the capacity problem in all its aspects. This issue of the "Canal Review" is devoted largely to shipping, to the operating problems, and to the solutions of the capacity problem being im- plemented and proposed. Our cover this month showing the super tanker "Al Malik Saud Al Awal" about to enter Pedro Miguel Locks amid a background of ship stack in- signia* symbolizes the welter of world shipping which is pouring through the Canal in an ever increasing stream. The chart on this page vividly illustrates for the statistically-minded what is happening. Aside Trom the actions and proposals to meet the Canal capacity prob- lem described in this issue, there are others. Among the most noteworthy of these is the $7,360,000 Gaillard Cut widening project. This big job will be in full swing in another few weeks and the contracting firm .of Merrit, Chapman and Scott is now amassing a yardfull of big earth-moving equipment on the slope of Contractors Hill to tackle the job in earnest. *Reprinted from chart of ship stack insignia, courtesy of THE TEXAS COMPANY. OCEAN-GOING TRANSITS THROUGH PANAMA CANAL 900 00001 --- -o800 M .959 700 R -(AVERAGE 1951-1955) --600 0 R 400 A N S 300 T 200 S 100 0 JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN MONTHS W. E. POTTER, Governor-President JOHN D. McELHENY, Lieutenant-Governor WILLIAM G. AREY, JR. Panama Canal Information Officer PANAMA L Official Panama Canal Company Publication Published Monthly At Balboa Heights. C. Z. Printed by the Printing Plant, Mount Hope, Canal Zone J. RUFUS HARDY, Editor ELEANOR MCILHENNY, Assistant Editor EUNICE RICHARD and WILLIE K. FRIAR, Editorial Assistants On sale at all Panama Canal Service Centers, Retail Stores, and The Tivoli Guest House for 10 days after publication date at 5 cents each. Subscriptions, $1 a year; mail and back copies, 10 cents each. Postal money orders made payable to the Panama Canal Company should be mailed to Editor, The Panama Canal Review, Balboa Heights, C. Z. __ __ h- -- *-------- More and more "super" ships like the 751-foot tankship Ore Mercury are using the Canal. They are a big factor in hastening the day when additional transit facilities will be needed NEW COST ESTIMATES are prepared on five different Canal plans Since the Panama Canal was opened nearly 45 years ago it has been recognized by those closest to its operation that the day would come when its facilities would be inadequate to meet the requirements of world shipping. During the past three decades numerous studies have been made to determine with relative accuracy when that day would come and what should be done to meet the condition. The most comprehensive was the Isthmian Canal Studies of 1947. These studies covered 30 possible Isthmian canal routes. The list was later narrowed down to eight main routes on which detailed engineering studies and cost estimates were prepared on both lock-type and sea-level canals. An integral part of the 1947 studies was an authoritative report by Dr. Roland L. Kramer on commercial traffic and future capacity requirements. The decade since the 1947 Studies were completed has brought many startling changes in capacity requirements, both by size and numbers of ships and, the time for taking definite measures to increase the Canal capacity has ad- vanced more rapidly than contemplated even ten years ago. While the problems of Canal capacity and the expeditious handling of shipping are under a continuing study by the Canal administration and the operating personnel, two: independent studies of a broader scale were undertaken about a year ago on the principal points of the Isthmian Canal problem: The amount of traffic in the future, and the best means and cost of meeting future traffic needs. A study of future traffic with projections for the years 1975 and 2000 was made by the Stanford Research Institute. The story of that report was carried in the April issue of THE REVIEW. Meanwhile, a re-evaluation has been in progress on five plans detailed in the 1947 report. Last April the engineering firm of Parsons, Brickerhoff, Hall, Macdonald, of New York, was retained by the Panama Canal Company to review and up-date to a 1959 price level the cost estimates of three of the Panama Canal improvement plans. A r' vie and- evaluation of the other two plans were made by Canal personnel. The plans studied by Parsons, Brickefhoff, Hall, Macdonrald were: Plan II-Essentially the eomnpl.eti:n of the Third Lacks project, modified to include the widening and deepening -of Gaillard Cut; Plan III-Provisions for three sets of improved locks at Gatun and Miraflores, elimination of Pedro Miguel Locks, rais- the Gatun Lake level, and widening and improving the entire channel; and Plan IV-Conversion of the Canal to a sea-level waterway. The two plans studied by the Camal personnel were: Plan I-An improved present Canal to meet the needs of world commerce for the remainder of this century without re- gard to the increased size of ships; and Plan V-A Nicaraguan lock canal. These studies have all been completed and a report submitted to the Company's Board of Directors. The cost estimates of the five plans and a brief summary of the principal features of each follow: Plan I, major improvements to the present Canal- $61,000,000. This project would involve widening all sections of the chan- nel to a minimum of 500 feet, and deepening it from a present 42-foot minimum to 47 feet. A modernized marine traffic con- trol system would be installed, fully automated for a rapid scheduling of transits and a system of monitoring the position of ships in transit. This plan also entails a modification of the Locks to reduce outage time during overhaul periods, and re- pairs to the south wall at Gatun Locks. Plan II, Third Locks-$733,080,000. This would entail construction of a third set of locks parallel to the existing Locks, and the widening of Gaillard Cut to 500 feet. The new locks would be 140 feet wide and 1,200 feet long. The engineering firm also prepared cost estimates on two pos- sible major channel improvements which could be adapted to this plan and to Plan III. These were a shortening of the Gaillard Cut section by a cutoff of La Pita bend, and a longer cutoff at Empire Reach. These would increase the costs of the Third Locks and Plan III approximately $90,000,000 and $200,000,000 respectively. Plan III, a completely modern lock canal-$1,020,920,000. The initial development phase of this project would be essen- tially a completion of the Third Locks but with dimensions of 200 by 1,500 feet. The channel improvements would be the same as under Plan II. An upper chamber would be built at Miraflores and Miraflores Lake would be raised to the level of Gatun Lake. Under this plan Pedro Miguel Locks would be removed. Plan IV, conversion to a sea-level canal-$2,537,000,000. This plan is substantially the same as the Panama Canal sea-level plan of the 1947 Studies. It involves, however, many modifications owing to changed conditions and the engineering firm was given wide latitude to conduct additional engineering studies and propose alternate construction methods. The firm proposed and prepared estimates on major changes in excava- tion methods. The report also covered plans which would elim- inate the necessity for additional land outside the present Canal Zone boundaries. -Plan V, the Nicaraguan lock canal-$4,095,000,000. This plan follows without substantial modifications that de- veloped in the course of the 1947 Studies and the cost estimates consist in up-dating the 1947 figures to the 1959 price level. There were no estimates prepared in the 1947 Studies for a sea-level canal through Nicaragua and, contrary to a wide- spread belief, no serious thought has ever been given to such a project by competent engineers. THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW 3 May 1, 1959 Yacht Basin Opens at Coco Solo Above: B. I. Everson cuts the ribbon at the opening ceremonies with the assist- ance of Peter Foster, center; John Urey, far right; and George Egger on the left. Below: This is how the yacht basin looked during construction following a storm which destroyed half of the breakwater that had taken many weeks to build. George Egger's boat is the, first to be backed down the new launching ramp as the operation is directed by Dennis Fernandez, employee of Coco Solo Hospital. Want a yacht basin in your front yard? Who wouldn't! The residents of Coco Solo, a large number of them small boat enthusiasts, felt that way about it too. So they pro- ceeded to build one. Last month, the Coco Solo Yacht Basin was formally inaugurated. Flags flew, ribbons were cut, speeches were made, and small boats sailed in and out. of the tidy little basin which has been converted from the former Navy Base swimming pool into a safe and convenient harbor for small craft. The Coco Solo Yacht Basin, complete with launching ramp, breakwater, and piers, didn't grow like Topsy. It is the result of community effort which en- tailed many weeks of back-breaking labor, disappointments, and scroung- ing for material and equipment. It was an outgrowth of the Coco Solo Civic Council Boat and Hobby Shop which was started earlier through the combined efforts of William and George Egger, of the Electrical Division, John Urey, of the Industrial Bureau, and Peter Foster, President of the Coco Solo Civic Council. The Boat and Hobby Shop was located in a building at the end of former Navy Pier No. 1 and it seemed only natural that members should have a launching ramp on which they could back their boats directly into the water. Much of the cement for the ramp was purchased by members and the work of during cement also was done by the mem- bers with the help of equipment loaned by the Dillon Construction Company. In addition, they cleared the area around the basin and graded it smooth. One of the most difficult projects was the construction of a breakwater to form a calm-water anchorage basin for the use of those members who wanted to leave theirboats in the water. After a wind storm destroyed half of their hard-earned breakwater in one night, heavy equipment was obtained from the Panama Canal Company to supplement the picks and shovels and the dump truck in transporting material made available by Hauke Construction Company. At present the basin has anchorage for deep-draft pleasure craft and a 22-foot- deep entrance. Plans for the future in- clude two finger piers large enough to accommodate a 40-foot yacht, the recon- struction of the existing pier, and the installation of tie-up buoys in the basin. Second Zone Visit of PRINCE PHILIP is Gala Event Featured by a minimum of formality, some 200 guests at the Breakers Club last month had the rare opportunity to greet and personally chat with Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Represen- tatives of community and business life in the Canal Zone attended the reception given by Governor and Mrs. Potter as a climax to Prince Philip's 24-hour visit to the Isthmus. The Prince arrived aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia late Sunday afternoon, April 19. He stepped ashore about two hours later after official calls were com- pleted, for a reception and banquet at the British Embassy and the Presidential Palace. He made a transit of the Canal on Monday aboard the Britannia. His visit to the Atlantic side was occupied by a trip through the Colon Free Zone and the reception. He departed by the Royal Launch from Pier 1 at Coco Solo to the Britannia anchored a few hundred yards offshore. Prince Philip shows his appreciation for a gold Master Key to the Panama Canal presented by Governor Potter. The cere- mony took place at the reception in honor of the Royal Visitor at the Breakers Club. The certificate being handed to the Prince made him holder of the Key in the grade of Honorary and Practicing Lead Pilot of the Panama Canal, the highest attainable rank among the Master Key Holders and one to which Prince Philip is entitled by his years of nautical training. Center, Mrs. Truman Landon, wife of the Command- ing General, Caribbean Air Command; Mrs. Potter is at the Governor's right. 0 Representative of the reception list at the Breakers Club last month is this group surrounding Prince Philip. Edward A. Doolan, the Panama Canal's Personnel Di- rector, is shown shaking hands with the Royal Visitor. Mrs. Doolan is between the Prince and her husband. Others in this group are Mr. and Mrs. Peter Foster, of Coco Solo; J. D. MacLean, of Gamboa; Dave White, of Rainbow City; and C. D. Atherley, of Paraiso; all Civic Council leaders. In the background are Mr. and Mrs. John D. Hollen, and at the right, Major and Mrs. Edwin W. Emerson. School's Out The school year will come to a close early next month for the 7,104 boys and girls who attend the United States schools in the Canal Zone. The last day of school, before the summer vacation starts, is June 2. Commencement exercises for Cristobal and Balboa High schools and the Canal Zone Junior College will be held June 1. Closing Day exercises for eighth graders in the Canal Zone Junior High schools in Cristobal and Balboa will be held May 28. At Balboa there are 354 and at Cristobal 120 Junior High School students who will enter high school as Freshmen when school starts again September 1. During the summer months an ex- tensive program of summer activities sponsored by the Division of Schools will be held in all U. S. communities. The program begins June 8. Several changes and improvements were made in thel school program, school equipment, and school plants during the current year. for 7,104 boys and girls in Zone's U. S. Schools These included the expansion of the Special Education Program; construction of the ROTC Building at Balboa High School; completion of the new Coco Solo Elementary School; the beginning of work on the new Cristobal Junior-Senior High School at Coco Solo, and the new Activities Building at Balboa High School. Both the new Junior-Senior High School Building and the activities building are to be ready for use when school reopens in September. Other school improvements were new additions to the dressing rooms at the Balboa Gymnasium; a fan-type venti- lating system in the Balboa Junior High School building; the addition of two new classrooms at the Balboa Elementary School; and construction of a new gym- nasium at Ancon Elementary School. May 1, 1959 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW In the school health field, two nurses were added to the school staff by the Health Bureau and it was announced that Dr. Mary A. Morrow, the new school psychologist, will report for duty in May. During the past year, the school physician and his staff con- ducted tuberculosis and histoplasmo- sis tests on students and teachers in several schools. Immunization pro- grams for smallpox, polio, and tetanus were carried out in addition to the annual dental survey, physical exam- inations, and visual acuity tests. Several of the teachers have been granted a year's leave of absence for study in the United States. They include James L. Wolf and Stephen Peck of the Balboa Junior High School; Miss Ruth Hoke, of Balboa Elementary School; Miss Margaret Wilson, of the Ancon Elementary School; and Jacques Cook, mathematics teacher at Balboa High School, who has accepted an award from Ohio State University to participate in the National Science Foundation's Program. May 1, 1959 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW New Deputy Comptroller 1 '/ I I Arthur J. O'Leary last month was ap- pointed Deputy Comptroller succeed- ing Stephen V. N. Powelson, who resigned. Mr. O'Leary has been with the Canal organization since 1951 and was Assistant Comptroller-Ac- counting before his promotion. CIVIL DEFENSE NEWS The Canal Zone did not participate in the National Civil Defense training exer- cise in April but it is planned to hold the exercise locally in the near future. The principal reason for the postponement was the desire to utilize the radio com- munications equipment installed in the new Civil Defense Control Center where both could be utilized for the first time. The Control Center was delayed and was not turned over by the contractor until too late to be used for the National ex- ercise in view of the need for the installa- tion of the communication equipment. The exercise this year has been planned to test the communications system, mo- bility of forces, welfare, rescue, and de- contamination services, command, and volunteer forces as well as the annual drill in the warning and action signals. The second class in radiological defense (RADEF) completed its two-day training session this week at the Fort Clayton Damage Control School. Approximately 40 persons from both sides of the Isth- mus attended. There were 29 who com- pleted the first course, including members of the Fire and Police Divisions and those who will be used in the Control Points and Casualty Stations. Instru- ments, which are now being checked and calibrated, will be distributed soon. Three Volunteer towns held gradua- tion exercises in various phases of civil defense preparedness training during the month. In Paraiso, a class in Nursing Assistants of 29 volunteers received their diplomas. VOLUNTEER CORPS MEETINGS Date Town Place Hour MAY 13 Rainbow City 14 Santa Cruz x8 Paraiso JUNE School Serv. Center School 6:30 p. m 8:oo p. m. 7:30-p. m. FOR YOUR INTEREST AND GUIDANCE IN ACCIDENT PREVENTION "On The Ball" Division The Locks Division, under Mr. Roy Stockham, has come up with an original idea to help reduce accidents. The Division is sponsoring a Poster Contest for the children of Locks Division employees. The contest opened April 15, 1959, and will continue until midnight June 1, 1959. It is open to all such children between the ages of 6 and 12 years; how- ever, the contestants will be divided into the following age groups: 6 to 8, 8 to 10, and 10 to 12 years. The contest is unique in that the theme of the children's posters must deal directly with eliminating hazards encountered by their parents while working in and around the Locks. It is hoped that by means of this contest the children, while preparing themselves to be safe men and women later on in life, will get their dads to discuss with them the hazards of Locks work and how to eliminate them. We have no doubt many fine practical ideas will emerge from such father and son or daughter sessions, which will be of real benefit to Locks Division employees. Many prizes will be awarded to successful contestants. The child designing the best poster of all groups will have the honor of acting as Locks Operator for a day and will receive, in addition, a "Safety Oscar." The winning poster will be reproduced in full color and displayed on all Locks Division bulletin boards with full credit given to the winner. There will also be safety trophies for group winners as well as certificates of honorable mention. In addition, every contestant will receive a fine auto- matic pencil bearing a safety reminder. Complete instructions, together with the necessary entry blanks, are available to all Locks Division employees at their Timekeepers' offices. Typical examples of the type posters, which stress a correct safety practice which is a requirement of the contest, are shown below. 'TO SAFE YOU MUST BE SURE ". -N""a MARCH 1959 BUREAU Civil Affairs---. ---.--..... (Honor Roll) Supply & Community Service --...--- Health .----------- Marine----------------- ---- Engineering & Construction ........ Transportation & Terminals-----.......... New York Operations-.....- ...- ..... Accident Pool ---------------------- C. Z. Govt.-Panama Canal Company.. FIRST AID CASES '59 '58 15 4 49 45 25 20 (1)71 (304) 353 23 33 64 51 6 (I1)251 (303)516 NATO*.. .. G. Y ,, a 6.- O .i; DISABLING INJURIES "59 "58 0 3 1 0 1 1 (1)2 (4)5 2 1 2 2 1 2 o 0 (1)9 (4) 14 DAYS LOST '59 '58 0 50 20 0 13 48 (8)14 (74) 76 14 18 27 12 2 69 (8)90 (74)262 I DISABLING INJURIES YEAR TO OATE '59 '58 0. 8 1 0 5 1 (1)9 (8)14 2 1 10 4 3 3 0 0 (1)30 (7)31 () Locks Overhaul injuries included in total. 3 Margarita Serv. Center 9:oo a. m. 6 . . May 1, 1959 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW hools Open After a three-month dry season vaca- tion, the students who attend the Canal Zone Latin American schools will return to their classes next Monday on a sched- ule which will coincide with the school- year in the Republic of Panama. School officials estimate that enroll- ment in the Latin American schools this year will reach 3,740 boys and girls in kindergarten through grade 12, about 100 less than the number registered on the second day of enrollment last year. The school calendar will include a mid-term vacation from September 12 for 3,740 students in the Latin American Schools through 20, a four-day Thanksgiving holiday in November; and a 11-day Christmas vacation from December 24 through January 3. Schools will close for the year, February 3, 1960. As has been done in the United States schools, the special education program is to be expanded in the Latin American schools this year with sev- eral new classes being added to the schedule. A remedial reading program will be inaugurated early in the school year for all schools. A new special ed- ucation room will be constructed at Paraiso in the near future. The facilities of the secondary schools are being expanded by the addition of a two-room music unit now under con- struction at Rainbow City High School. A study hall at Paraiso High School is under construction. Six new teachers have been employed to fill vacancies created by resignations in the elementary and secondary schools. They all hold degrees from either Pan- ama University or schools in the States. - The Short Happy Life of an Eskimo Pie Ever wonder how that thin and tasty chocolate skin gets on to an "Eskimo Pie?" In the States machines do it, but down here, where consumption is relatively limited, it's done by hand. Twice a week, some of the girls who package ice cream at Mount Hope spend two hours turning out the ice cream The brick-hard vanilla ice cream centers for the pies are set onto wooden paddles before dipping begins. The dippers hold the pies for a few moments until the coating hardens, then they put them in cellophane bags. pies which are just about the favorite food of the younger generation here. They can make 1,100 pies in each session. In three of the pictures below, Cira I. Salazar and Mary L. Meilde show how the pies are made. In the last picture, Jimmy Thrift and "Boots," of Los Rios, have just about disposed of the chocolate and are working down to the center. The pies are dipped fast, by handfulls. Cocoa butter in the sirup makes the coating harden almost at once. One for you and one for me, says Jimmy, as he and his dog finish samples of the Mount Hope plant's product. THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW 7 Sc Ma 1, 1959 Molten bronze is ladeled into molds by Roy F. Armistead, Foreman Molder. He is being assisted by Nathaniel A. Daley, foundryman, right, and W. A. Cole, furnace tender. A white-hot steel ingot is forged into a shackle pin by P. Kunkel, Blacksmith Foreman, and a team of assistants. Jose E. Tunon, Babbittman with 34 years of Canal service pouring babbitt bearings, assisted by Raymond Simpson. G. F. Husted, Boilermaker, with J,Vegara and J. McKenzie, assistants, shear plate for use in work on tugboat Taboga. SKILLED TEAMS work together harmoniously in one of Canal's oldest units Teamwork and skill are two words which best describe the kind of work being carried on day after day by the supervisors, craftsmen, and workmen who staff the Industrial Division shops at Cristobal. In the various sections in the Industrial Division there can be found groups of competent, careful, and skilled men, many of whom have received years of rigid training in their par- ticular field. Close-knit teams, who have trust in each other's ability, are in the blacksmith shop, the foundry, the pipe shop, and the machine shop, to name a few of the many units where supervisors and assistants can be found working side by side in the close cooperation necessary when the noise of the shop often makes speech impossible. The value of teamwork is demonstrated vividly in the blacksmith shop where men work together to beat a glowing ingot of steel into a heavy-duty shackle pin-or in the foundry where skilled workmen pour molten bronze from the oil-fired melting furnace into a ladle and from the ladle into molds- each step timed and executed as precisely as a dancing team. In work like this, a single error in timing-a slip of the hand or a moment of carelessness might cause, at worst, serious injury or death or, at best, the loss of many hours of preparatory labor. Some of the shop employees have been with the Industrial Division almost as long as the Canal has been in operation. Their skill has been perfected during many years of service. Others may have less service but have learned their skills through apprentice training or its equivalent supplemented by additional studies and special training programs. Both U. S. citizens and non-citizens are represented in the apprentice program and in the craft rolls. All are justly proud of the record achieved over the years by the Industrial Division, one of the oldest and best- known of the Canal organization units. The Division, formerly the Mechanical Division, was founded nearly 55 years ago at Bas Matachin as machine shops for Canal work. After the Canal opened, the shops were moved to Balboa and Cristobal. During both World Wars the shops worked at top speed repairing thousands of ships, particularly during World War II. In 1949 the Balboa plant was closed and all but a few activities are now consolidated at Cristobal. Since 1954, the Division has been a unit of the Marine Bureau. 8 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW May 1, 1959 court reporting becomes a passport for world travel HAVE STENOTYPE - - "Have stenotype, will travel," might well be the motto of Gloria Spears, the Panama Canal's only conference reporter, who collects countries as some people col- lect china. She has worked in six different parts of the world, has visited 43 countries. Gloria, a native of Hobart, Okla., had worked in Germany, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Okinawa, and Guam before she came to the Canal Zone on St. Patrick's Day in 1957, as conference reporter with the Company-Government. She has jogged across the desert in Egypt on the back of a camel; had her picture taken on a wild elephant in Ceylon; bucked sand storms in Saudi Arabia; braved typhoons in Okinawa; and in between has been in on some of the important events of history. Her first court reporting job involved such an event. In 1946, Gloria left Wash- ington, where she was working with the State Department and attending steno- type school at night, to accept a position at Dachau, Germany. She worked and lived inside the notor- ious Dachau concentration camp doing court reporting of some of the first of the war crimes trials. These included the Nordhausen case, which was concerned with the building of the V-2 bombs, and the trial of the infamous Ilse Koch, "the witch of Buchenwald." From Dachau, she transferred to Nurn- berg where she reported some of the famous war crimes trials of high Nazi leaders. Some of the trials she remembers most vividly were those of the Nazi doc- tors who used concentration camp inmates for experimental purposes, and that of .Alfred Krupp, of the munitions industry. Taking advantage of every leave op- portunity, Gloria traveled over most of Europe. During her two years in Ger- many, she visited Austria, Switzerland, France, Spain, Italy, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, Den- mark, Finland, Scotland, Ireland, Tri- este, and England. She arrived in Eng- land just in time for the 1948 Olympics. After a brief stay in the United States, her next stop was Tokyo, Japan, where she worked at General McArthur's head- quarters. From there, she was sent to Okinawa as a court reporter of Army courts-martial. Typhoons, with winds over 150 miles per hour, are a common occurrence in Okinawa; Gloria remembers one which raged for a whole day with winds over 175 miles per hour. Telephone and power lines were disrupted and the island was without electricity and communications for several days. A number of quarters and office buildings were devastated, and the chapel and theater were blown away. Only the marquee of the theater remained. It was found leaning against the rubble shortly after the storm. On it, someone had thoughtfully spelled out, "Gone With the Wind." During her two years in Okinawa she went on leave to the Philippines and Hongkong. Gloria next took an assignment at Bolling Air Force Base where she worked for almost a year. Then she was off for Guam for another two years. By saving her leave time while there, she managed to work in a three-weeks' vacation in Hawaii on her return trip to the United States. Her next overseas job came in 1954 when she worked with the Air Force in Saudi Arabia. Her job there was the same as on Guam and although she was stationed in Dhahran, she was flown to Army and Air Force installations in neighboring countries to report trials. The trials involved murder or other serious offenses. One important one for which she was flown to Eritrea at- tracted wide attention in the United States. It was that of an American soldier's British wife who was being tried by court-martial for the murder of her three children. She was sen- tenced to life imprisonment. Temperatures, often running as high as 120 degrees, and sand storms, called "schamals" by natives, made for uncom- fortable living conditions in Saudi Arabia but Gloria was lucky to be working and living in air-conditioned buildings. King Saud paid several visits to the Base at Dhahran and, with his elaborately costumed aides and wives, reminded Gloria of a scene from the "Arabian Nights." All of the wives were heavily veiled, as are most women in Saudi Arabia, but she was surprised to notice that a number of women wore high heels, nylon stockings, and western-style cloth- ing, under their long black veils. While she was living in Saudi Arabia, she visited French Morocco, Libya, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus, Iran, Jordan, India, Ceylon, Turkey, and May 1,1959 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW In Tokyo, Gloria posed for a send- home-picture in Japanese costume. Greece. In India, Gloria, whose hobby is photography, took color slides of the Taj Mahal and other tourist attractions. In Ceylon, she was surprised to see wild elephants roaming unmolested about the countryside and in the village streets. Gloria's next job was at the Walter Reed Army Hospital Annex in Forest Glen, Md. From there she came to the Canal Zone. She is continuing her trav- eling here and, as a member of the Diablo Camera Club, has already visited Colom- bia, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Guate- mala. Operating a stenotype machine, says Gloria, is very much like copying a manuscript on the typewriter. You listen and automatically take down the words, not necessarily absorbing the meaning of what is being said. To do verbatim conference reporting, which Gloria does at upward of 175 words a minute, there is little time for thinking. Operation of the machine must be automatic. Where next for the world traveler? Already she has circled the globe, except for a short stretch between New Delhi and Hong Kong but hopes to see as many more countries as possible, partic- ularly those in Central and South Amer- ica, before she settles in the United States. THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW May 1, 1959 WORK and STUDY In-service training goes on the year round for hundreds of Canal employees Prof. Bernard Smith, N. Y. University, teaches salesmanship tc Every day for the past few weeks a Spanish group of 30 to 40 young men and women better Ei gather on the first floor of the Adminis- in first tration Building for instruction and train- mower, c ing on International Business Machine A surv operations. the Perso A large area has been partitioned off types of for the classes which has most appear- number ances of a normal school room, complete fiscal yeai with blackboard and pointer, instruction to be co books, charts, and a pretty teacher. interesting None of the group is a job seeker. All ing progr of the two groups forming the three-hour revealed morning and afternoon classes are regu- ious Com larly employed, so that the individual over 216, and collective effort is to better them- resented selves for the jobs they now hold or to programs prepare for more responsible positions. trainees. The two classes are being conducted It is by Miss Florence Freedman, IBM Sys- survey of teams Service representative with head- tial incre quarters in New Orleans. These are 90- A more hour training courses sponsored by the port is t Office of the Comptroller. The classes this fisca will continue until May 15 after which Civil Ser Miss Freedman goes to Puerto Rico. Under Training These training courses are neither session o new or unusual in the Canal organiza- agencies tion. Throughout the entire organi- ployee tr zation the year round there are similar and to re groups, generally somewhat smaller in A survey number, who are learning how to do years on their jobs better. employee, In fact, the Company-Government General need not tip its joint hat to any Federal ability of Government unit and to few private in- termine dustries in the field of in-service training. required i These training programs have as wide ever, ma range as the classes of work that must and will be done to operate the Panama Canal Training and perform governmental services. One particular group may be learning to speak the or superv Felix Lewis learns what goes on back of an IBM accounting machine from Miss Florence Freedman. language or to read and write iglish, while others are engaged aid, safety, operating a lawn- ir throwing lines aboard ships. ey is presently being made by nnel Bureau of the number and training being offered and the of hours devoted to each this r. While these statistics are still nsolidated and analyzed, it is g to note that a survey of train- ams in the calendar year 1957 that formal training by the var- pany-Government units totaled 000 man-hours. This total rep- approximately 250 courses or attended by more than 4,700 anticipated that the current training will show a substan- ase in the number of trainees. formal employee training re- o be compiled at the end of Il year for the United States rice Commission. the Government Employees Act, passed during the last )f Congress, all Government are required to provide em- aining on a continuing basis port annually on such training. * is also required every three the overall training nei-:d of s. lly speaking, it is the responsi- the bureaus or divisions to de- and conduct training courses n their individual units. How- ny training courses have been continue to be offered by the Office of the Personnel Bureau, ly in such areas as management isory work where interest is on Miss Freedman, an organization-wide basis. The Training Office is presently planning a special course on Instructor Training as a part of its Advanced Supervisory Training program. The Training Office also assists other Canal units in promoting employee. training courses and provides the Training Center, located in Balboa. This Center is equipped with all the appurtenances required to conduct courses of a general nature. The two large classrooms are generally booked for several weeks in advanceF. While many courses are for specialized types of work and are attended only by small groups from a given unit, the Canal's training programs have such a wide range that many cut across all lines, such as divisions or units, and salary levels of employees. Some are of such general interest in a particular field that the military serv- ices or other Government agencies in the Zone are invited to send representatives. This is as true of the IBM courses now underway, as it was of courses offered earlier this fiscal year by the Office of the Comptroller for National Cash Reg- ister, Addressograph, and other office machines. This system works both ways and Canal employees frequently attend special training courses offered by the military for its personnel. An outstanding example of the type of training which cuts across agency lines was the series of lectures on accounting theory at the turn of the year by Pro- fessor William T. Baxter, of the London School of Economics. In this course, sponsored by the Comptroller's Office, 70 of those attending were from his unit, 11 were from other Company-Govern- IBM Special Service Representative, con I.-r sw r w -st~ Dly Division supervisory employees. ment organizations, and two were from the Air Force. This type of seminar has become an annual affair for personnel of the Comp- troller's Office and in previous courses attendance by employees of other Gov- ernment agencies was considerable. The most recent seminar of this kind for which a university professor was "imported" was the Retail Mer- chandising Institute sponsored last month by the Supply and Community Service Bureau. The instructor was Professor Bernard Smith, of the New York University School of Retail Mer- chandising. Most of the in-service training pro- vided for Canal employees is done locally, but in recent years increasing numbers have been sent to the United States to take courses offered by the Civil Service Commission, universities, private indus- try, or such government agencies as state and city fire and police organizations. The need for employee training other than on-the-job instruction is more acute in some Canal units than in others. This situation is especially true of the Police and Fire Divisions and the Safety Branch. Accordingly, there is rarely a week when some form of training course is not in progress for personnel in these units or by them for employees of other units. Several Company-Government units have conducted notable employee train- ing in recent months as revealed in re- ports now being received by the Person- nel Bureau in this year's survey. Among these are the Office of the Comptroller, the Supply and Community Service Bu- reau, the Police, Fire, and Terminals Divisions, the Safety Branch, and both Gorgas and Coco Solo hospitals. s large class in IBM operations. .. Worth knowing Service Awards. Length-of-Service awards will be given out in June to 1,752 Company-Government employees who have com- pleted 20 years or more of Panama Canal service. The presenta- tions will be made in each Canal Division by Lt. Gov. John D. McElheny on a schedule which will be worked out later. The 20-year service pin is of sterling silver and has a border of green enamel. Gold thirty-year service awards were presented by Governor W. E. Potter during this week to 694 Company-Government employees in ceremonies arranged by the individual bureaus. New Separate Unit. The Panama Canal Service Centers and the Tivoli Guest House, which have been operating as part of the Sales and Service Branch have been made into a separate Branch of the Supply Division, it has been announced by J. J. Barton, General Manager of the Division. The new unit, to be known as the Service Center Branch will be responsible directly to the Gen- eral Manager of the Supply Division with Philip S. Thornton, formerly Supervisor of Service Centers and Guest House as Sup- erintendent. S. P. C. A. Pet Show. Social event of the month, for dogs, cats, and other Pacific side pets anyway, will be the Pet and Horse Show to be held next Friday night at the Balboa Stadium by the recently organized Canal Zone Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to The San Juan Tea Club, Ancon, discusses with Mrs. George V. Daniels plans for pet show. Seated: Tina, toy fox terrier, and Fudge, cocker spaniel; standing: Gretchen, boxer, and Max Blanshaft, indeterminate. Animals. Animals with pedigrees and those of uncertain ancestry will be equally eligible to enter the pet show during which cups and ribbons will be given to the outstanding animals. One of the high- lights of the evening will be a display of horsemanship under the direction of F. S. Rudesheim. Apprenticeships. Approximately 20 apprenticeships, or double the number available last year, are expected to be offered by Panama Canal units this year to young United States and Panamanian citizens in the mechanical and electrical trades. Today is the last day for candidates to apply for admission to the competitive examina- tion scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, May 9 and 10, at Balboa. Sandfly Control. The results of the first large scale, planned and controlled attack on the breeding grounds of sandflies carried out early in April on the Atlantic side, are being checked by Canal Zone and Army Sanitation engineers who pooled their resources in an effort to control the sandfly nuisance on the Isthmus. During the operation, approximately 1,800 acres of Atlantic side mangrove swamps surrounding Mk I argarita, Rainbow City, Coco Solo, Randolph, and Galeta Point were covered by aerial application of pelletized dieldren which is expected to kill the sandfly larvae. Cane juice is always tested for sugar content before boiling. The Mayor poses with truck under unique welcome sign. Sugaring Off- Cane stalks are pushed into the grinder. Juice is poured into the sirup kettle. The cane juice bubbles away well on its way to becoming sirup. It was sugaring-off season in the Canal Zone last month-at least that is what they would call it in Vermont. Doubtless not one in a thousand Zone residents knew of the "sugaring-off" ac- tivities which took place at Chiva Chiva, the tiny Canal Zone community made up chiefly of land-lease farmers. The com- *munity is headed by "Mayor" Joshua B. Clarke, one of the most colorful and enter- prising oldtimers of the Canal construc- tion era. The Chiva Chiva mayor owns and operates the only cane grinding mill in the Canal Zone as well as the necessary kettles and other equipment for mak- ing sirup and the dark brown sugar, better known as "raspadura" in Pan- ama. Last month was cane grinding season and it would have gladdened the heart of any residents of the lower tier of the United States to watch the turning of cane juice into molasses. Power for the cane mill is furnished by a 1928 vintage Dodge engine which chugs away with considerable vim for all its 30 years of service. The old fashioned method of making sirup used for decades in making maple sirup Down East, and molasses from sugar cane in Louisiana, is used at the Chiva Chiva plant. The raw cane juice is boiled in vats for several hours for sirup and still longer if making brown sugar. The heavy sirup is poured into a hand- turned mixer while boiling hot and slowly turns to sugar as it cools. Mr. Clarke is not only an expert sirup and sugar maker, but also op- erates a rice thresher and a corn mill- all on a share basis for his neighbors who are also land-lease farmers. He first went into this business in 1914 after working several years on a Canal construction job. At that time many areas in the Zone were leased for agricul- ture but the grand experiment didn't work as envisioned and such land leases have not been granted for many years. During the years after the Canal was opened, Mr. Clarke tilled his small farm; raised chickens and sold eggs; became Honorary Mayor of Chiva Chiva; sired 18 children; and organized the Farmers Social and Civic Club of Chiva Chiva. Members of this club, of which he is President, hold meetings, he says, when the "spirit moves" them. The 71-year-old native of Barbados shows the same stamina as his 1928 Dodge engine. After many years of semi-retirement on his farm, he was re- employed by the Canal at the beginning of World War II in the Locks Division at Miraflores. He served as Chairman of the Safety Committee there and when he retired in 1954, he received formal commendation for his fine safety record and his good work as Chairman of the Safety Committee. After well over a half century of hard work he still displays the vim and en- thusiasm for his sirup and sugar opera- tions as he must have shown in helping dig the Panama Canal. Clarke's "raspadura" is one of the favorite foods of the younger set. 7\ - 12 May 1, 1959 SELF-TAUGHT CARVER 144 INSTRUCTS CLASS Chunks of cocobolo, mahogany, and cedar change, as if by magic, into snarl- ing tigers, graceful horses, dogs, and deer in the nimble hands of Leon S. Willa, master wood carver and instructor for a new class now being offered by the Canal Zone Art League's Atlantic Chapter. Mr. Willa heads the Supply Division's Ice Cream Plant at Mount Hope but is so interested in his hobby of wood carv- ing that he usually has a half-finished piece of sculpture tucked away in his desk drawer at the plant to chip away at during lunch time. Thirteen students are now enrolled Right: Examples of Willa's handi- work are all from local wood. - in the wood carving class which he teaches at the Art League Club. He has found that women are just as in- terested in carving as are the men but they usually want to learn how to carve "bateas" or plaques rather than figures of animals. Often as soon as the class gets under- way, the neighborhood children gather around and ask to join in but he believes that they should wait until they are at least 14 years old before they try their hand at carving. One of the first things his students learn is how to handle the A deer takes shape as Leon S. Willa uses chisel on small piece of mahogany. knives and chisels in a safe manner. An unusual piece of work is an ash tray which Mr. Willa carved from a part of the original ties laid for the Panama Railroad in 1854. Itis of lignumvitae, a native wood used in making the original ties. Mr. Willa's latest project is working with alabaster. He has just finished his first piece, an Aztec god about three inches tall, and was so pleased with the material that he has bought various colors of alabaster for future work. In his classes he encourages his stu- dents to use native woods and recom- mends mahogany as the easiest to carve. Black palm, also native to the Isthmus, makes unusual and beautiful carvings but it is so difficult to work that it should not be attempted by beginners, he says. Although born in Chicago, Mr. Willa spent most of his early years in Texas and was living in Arkansas at the time he accepted a position with the Canal organization. He came to the Isthmus in 1943 and has had continuous service with the Ice Cream Plant since that time. A permanent exhibit of his work has been on display at the General Mac- Arthur Memorial Home in Little Rock for the past 18 years. All of the 30 pieces were made from the native woods of Arkansas. Mr. Willa became interested in wood carving 20 years ago after seeing an ex- hibit of wood and soap sculpture and taught himself the art, first using only a knife. Now he has become so skilled with chisels and knives that he contrib- utes his work to the Art League's exhibit each year with the hope that others will discover that it is not necessary to be a talented artist to enjoy wood sculpturing. After 100 Years a Herald for the Railroad After more than 100 years of service, the Panama Railroad has acquired for the first time its own individual herald or insigne. The new insigne, designed by the Rail- J. C. Stokes, of the Car Shop, points out freshly-stenciled insigne to R. E. Pinkham, Railroad Division Manager (left), and Lt. Gov. John D. McElheny. THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW road Division, is being stenciled on all loco- motives and cars in the Railroad Division. At the same time, each piece of Panama Railroad rolling stock is coming in for a general overhaul and brush-up which will include a new coat of paint. The color scheme will follow that now in general use -with the boxcars being painted boxcar red; gondolas and tank cars, black; and the locomotives and passenger cars, dark green with a yellow trim band. The new herald is in the shape of a shield with the words "Panama Railroad" in the center to symbolize the joining of Panama and the Canal Zone. There are two stars at the top of the shield and 13 stripes below. The first piece of railroad equipment to receive the new treatment was steel boxcar No. 10024 which was painted with a fresh coat of boxcar red at the car shop in Balboa before the herald was stenciled in white on the right hand side. The word "Panama" was painted in large letters on the left. It replaces the simple "P.R.R." by which railroad cars have always been identified. May 1, 1959 ANNIVERSARIES 30 YEARS Two of the four men who rounded out 30 years of government service in April are second-generation Canal employees. They are Albert A. Doyle, now Head of the Monotype Section of the Panama Canal's Printing Plant, and Edwin C. Jones, Mail and File Supervisor with the Administrative Branch. Mr. Doyle was born in Washington but came to the Isthmus before he was a teen- ager. His father, A. P. E. Doyle, was Printer, a position now designated as Sup- erintendent of the Printing Plant, and there the younger Doyle served his ap- prenticeship as a printer. He was away from the Isthmus for several years but maintained the family connection with the Printing Plant by rejoining its force a month after his father retired. Mr. Jones is the son of the late George A. Jones, for many years a clerk in the Panama Canal's Storehouses. Edwin Jones was born in Culebra, attended the local schools, and held a number of summer jobs while he was growing up. He has been with what is now the Administrative Branch since 1930. Harry Akers is General Foreman in the Railroad Car Shop. He was born in Lambert- ville, N. J.,and joined the Canal organization in 1929 as a carman in the Mechanical Di- vision. His service is unbroken. William H. Beck, Chief of the General Accounting Branch of the New York Ac- counting Office, has service broken only by World War II. He joined the Accounting Department April 2, 1929. From October 1942 to January 1946, he served with the Armed Forces. Mr. Beck was born and brought up in Brooklyn where he still makes his home. 25 YEARS The Police Division was well represented among the men who reached their 25th anniversary in service last month; four of the Canal's "finest'" attained this significant point in their careers. Three of the men have continuous service. Morton L. LeVee is a Police Sergeant, a rank he has held for almost nine years. He worked a short while for the Municipal Engineering Division before joining the Police Division. He is a native of Balti- more, Md. Jack F. Morris, a native of Morristown, Tenn., not only has unbroken service but it has all been with the Police Division. His present rank is Police Sergeant. Thomas J. Polite has been with the same Division for almost 19 years and, like Mr. Morris, has continuous service and is now a Sergeant. His home town is Baton Rouge, La. Floyd A. Robinson began his Canal serv- ice as a Locks Watchman but soon trans- ferred to the Police Division where he is now ranked as Police Private. Mr. Robin- son, was born in Canton, N. C. Five other employees reached the 25- year mark in April. Four have continuous service and two are natives of the Isthmus. E. M. Reinhold, Jr., was born in Ancon and started work for the Canal with what was then the Municipal Engineering Division as a "boy." He is a Central Office Repair- man with the Communications Branch. David C. Ryan, who was born in Bocas del Toro, is a man who knows about tel- ephones. He began his c.:ntntIruoui service as a telephone maintainer and has been in telephone work throughout his career. He is now Lead Foreman Electrician in the Communications Branch. Henry T. Carpenter, of Kalispell, Mont., has been in the same field of work through- out his continuous service with the Canal. His present position is Chief Foreman for Buildings and Equipment in the Mla.it- nance Division. John W. B. Hall, whose service is un- broken, came to work for the Canal as a foreman with the Panama Railroad. He is now Chief Stevedore Foreman in the Term- inals Division. He is a native of West Medford, Mass. Harold I. Tinnin, of Port Arthur, Tex., is a Supervisory Storage Specialist in the Storehouse Branch. He began his contin- uous service as a clerk in the old Supply Department. 20 YEARS Three natives of the Isthmus are among the eight employees who last month com- pleted 20 years of government service. Donald R. Brayton, who was born in Colon, is Supervisory Railroad Transporta- tion Specialist in the Railroad Division. All of his service, except for the three months he served as a Locks messenger as a boy, has been with this Division. Edward G. Coyle was born in Ancon. He now holds the position of Business Analyst (Rates) in the Budget and Rates Analysis Division. William Wirtz, Jr., who is a native of Colon, has service broken by only slightly more than a year. He is now Lead Foreman Shipwright in the Industrial Division. Two of the 20-year men have unbroken service. Gabriel A. Riemers, Towboat or Ferry Chief Engineer, in the Navigation Dii'ji,. is a native of Hollaiid. Mich. Hi4 .:.:.ri- uous service has been with the Dredging Division, the Ferry Service, and the former. Marine Division. Raoul 0. Theriault is Assistant Director in the Office of the Director of the Supply and Community Service Bureau. He comes from Haverhill, Mass. Henry C. DeRaps, a native of Palmyra, Me., is a Police Sergeant with the Police Division. He began his service as a Locks Roosevelt Medal Holder Adrien M. Bouche-43 years of service. He was born in Mount Carbon, . W. Va., came to the Isthmus when he was only nine years old, held his first job when he was 11. He is now the Panama Canal's senior U. S.-citizen employee in point of service and the only one whose service began during construction days. His government service has all been I with the Panama Canal, most of it with the Locks Division. He is now Foreman at the Pedro Miguel Locks Control House. FROM CRISTOBAL Crshba.......... .......----------------------.. May 4.:i .4 I cn, - --. .-- .-.- ..---- M- % 16 Cristobal -. May 27 FROM NEW YORK Ancon ----------------------- May 8 Cristobal Ancon----------------------- May 19 May 26 14 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW May 1,1959 _V Watchman, transferred to the Police Di- vision, and has been there ever since. John B. Fields was born in Gatesville, Tex. His first job was as a "helper" in the old Mechanical Division. He is now Hous- ing Maintenance Supervisor in the Com- munity Services Division. Bob D. Maynard is Lead Foreman Plumber in the Maintenance Division. His first Canal job was as a plumber with the old Construction Quartermaster. His home town is Ellsworth, Wis. 15 YEARS Continuous service has been chalked up by five of the employees who reached the 15-year mark in service in April. Their names are listed below, together with their places of birth and present positions. Those with continuous service are: James E. Bryant, Texarkana, Tex., Fire Lieutenant, Fire Division; Mrs. Georgia J. Gwinn, Eckland, Mo., Third Grade School Teacher, South Margarita; Stella C. Kaz- anowska, Staff Nurse, Gorgas Hospital; Earl C. Kennev, Graindville, Mich., Cash Accounting Clerk (Telle r) Treasury Branch; and Mrs. Dorothy H. Smith, Allen County, Ohio, English Teacher, Cristobal High School. Other 15-year men and women are Robert L. Boyer, Belline ham, \\'ash., Central Office Repairman, Comrmunication Branch; Rob- ert M. Bright, Valier, Ill., Supervisory Ac- counting Clerk, Industrial Division; Mrs. Marguerite Maphis, Hoopston, Ill., Ap- pointment Clerk, Employment and Utiliza- tion Division; and Donald R. Rudy, Pleasant Hill, Ohio, Window Clerk, Postal Division. RETIREMENTS Retirement certificates were presented the end of April to the following employees who are listed alphabetically, together with their birthplaces, titles, years of Canal service, and their future homes. Capt. Clinton Baverstock, Washington; Pilot, Na\;gatin.:. Dii-ki,.,. 24 years, 10 months, 12 di',l, Baharma;. Robert M. Blakely, Texas; Lead Foreman Machinist, Industrial Division; 19 years, 2 months, 2 days; Florida. Capt. William R. Calcutt, California; Pilot, Navigation Division; 24 years, 3 months, 8 days; California. Emerson W. Cottrell, Wisconsin; Control House Operator, Locks Division; 17 years, 11 months, 21 days; New Mexico.. Joseph A. Rancourt, Canada; Marine Machinist, Industrial Division; 10 years, 27 days; Maine. Andrew A. Whitlock, New Hampshire; General Engineer,, Industrial Division; 35 years, 22 days; Texas. 14 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW May 1, 1959 . 50 Years Ago The last dipper load of earth was re- moved from the Cut at Matachin, 50 years ago this month, completing excava- tion in the center of the great gash. The finished section wvas 500 feet wide and approximately 2,500 feet long, with sides averaging about 45 feet high. In a long article, "The Canal Record" reported the progress of the Canal work for the first five years: Total excavation to May 1, 1909 was 73,124,849 cubic yards, with 101,541,746 cubic yards still to be dug; at Gatun, the excavation of the upper locks was almost completed, and at Pedro Mi- guel the excavation was about half done. The lake at Miraflores had begun to form. Expenditure to that date totaled $98,915,657. , Secretary of War Jacob M. Dickinson sailed for the States in mid-May 50 years ago, after an 18-day stay in the Zone. 25 Years Ago In a communique issued May 25, 1934, Panama's Foreign Office announced that the United States and Panama were "favorably disposed" toward a revision of the 1903 Treaty. This, the Foreign Office said, would "ensure, permanently, full understanding and cooperation in the relations between the two countries." In Washington, Secretary of State Cor- dell Hull said that tentative agreements had already been reached on several major problems between the two nations. A trial which was to have repercussions as long as a quarter of a century later took place 25 years ago this month when Cpl. Robert Osman, of Fort Sherman, was acquitted on charges of transmitting secret military documents to an unauthorized person. The trial was the first court mar- tial under the Espionage Act and the first in the Canal Zone where a civilian counsel represented the defendant. Also, 25 years ago: With the end of a restaurant concession in the Canal Zone, the Balboa Clubhouse went into the dining- room business and plans were announced to remodel the former Balboa Restaurant for a police station and Magistrate's Court; the American Association of Junior Col- leges accredited the seven-month-old Canal Zone Junior College; and George Bernard Shaw, en route from New Zealand to England, predicted that "Japan's plans for a Monroe Doctrine in Asia will fail." 10 Years Ago With traffic beginning to pick up, a Canal statistician predicted 10 years ago this month that transits for the fiscal year might exceed 5,000 for the first time since 1940. May's transits included 421 ocean-going ships-less than half of those which were to go through the Pan- ama Canal less than 10 years later. In a sudden shift of the Panama Canal's second-from-top man, Col. Herbert D. Vogel (now a Brigadier General and Head of the Tennessee Valley Authority) was assigned to succeed Col. Charles G. Holle as Engineer of Maintenance. One Year Ago May 1958, was a busy month. A decision was reached on the type of bridge to be built across the Canal at Balboa; it was to be a three-span, arch truss type, high level bridge. Congress authorized pay raises for postal workers. PROMOTIONS AND TRANSFERS Employees who were promoted or trans- ferred between March 15 and April 15 are listed below. Within-grade promotions are not reported. ADMINISTRATIVE BRANCH Mrs. Carol L. McAmis, Clerical Assistant (Stenography) from Office of Governor- President to Administrative Branch, Gen- eral Services Section. Mrs. Margaret King, from Clerk-Stenog- rapher to Secretary (Stenography), General Services Section. CIVIL AFFAIRS BUREAU Mrs. Mary L. Powell, Clerk-Stenogra- pher, from Division of Schools to Postal Division. Mrs. Eva M. Proctor, from Substitute Teacher to Elementary and Secondary School Teacher, Division of Schools. John W. Dwyer, from Fire Sergeant, Fire Division, to Substitute Window Clerk, Postal Division. Walter H. Alves, Jr., from Police Sergeant to Motorcycle Sergeant, Police Division. OFFICE OF THE COMPTROLLER Mrs. Irene L. Veno, from Property and Supply Clerk to Voucher Examiner, Ac- counting Division. Miss Gertrude M. Milloy, from Account- ing Clerk to Voucher Examiner, Account- ing Division. Mrs. Mary Livingston, Mrs. Mary J. Yaeger, and Mrs. Shirley A. Cavanaugh, from Accounting Clerks to Accounting Technicians, Accounting Division. Mrs. Mary H. Foster, from Voucher Ex- aminer to Accounting Technician, Account- ing Division. Jack B. De Vore, from Accountant to Supervisory Accountant, Accounting Di- vision. ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION BUREAU Herbert E. Rothwell, from Pumping Plant Operator to Water System Control- man, Water and Laboratories Branch, Maintenance Division. Mrs. Carol B. Cantrell, from Clerk- March 15 through April 15 Typist to Clerk (Typing) Power Conver- sion Project. Donald W. Journeay, from Cartographic Survey Aid, Engineering Division, to Gen- eral Construction Inspector, Contract and Inspection Division. Frank A. Anderson, Jr., from Plumbing Inspector to Public Works Inspector, Con- tract and Inspection Division. Emory H. Paulk and Louis E. Martin, from Painting Inspectors to Public Works Inspectors, Contract and Inspection Divis- ion. Roger M. Howe, from General Engineer to Supervisory General Engineer, Engineer- ing Division. HEALTH BUREAU Mrs. Christine K. Newhouse, from Staff Nurse (Medicine and Surgery), Gorgas Hospital, to Head Nurse (Psychiatry), Corozal Hospital. Mrs. Irene G. Bridges and Mrs. Barbara Reusch, from Staff Nurse to Staff Nurse (Tuberculosis), Gorgas Hospital. Mrs. Jean K. Esquivel, from Staff Nurse (Medicine and Surgery), to Head Nurse Emergency Room. William C. Allen, from Chauffeur to Hos- pital Attendant, Gorgas Hospital. Mrs. Ella F. Peterson, from Staff Nurse to Staff Nurse (Medicine and Surgery), Gorgas Hospital. Clarence C. Hansen, from Fire Fighter, Fire Division, to Chauffeur, Gorgas Hos- pital. Dr. Robert L. Ronollo, Optometrist, from Coco Solo Hospital to Gorgas Hospital. MARINE BUREAU Editor's Note: This month's list of pro- motions and transfers does not include a large number of Locks employees who were temporarily promoted or transferred to other work for the duration of the special work now being done at the Locks. Homer W. Watkins, Robert L. Austin, and James L. Phillips, from Fire Sergeants, Fire Division, to Guards, Locks Security Branch. Pedro Garay, Ernest S. Glasgow, Luther R. Fisher, Daniel A. Hernandez, Iram May 1, 1959 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW Bailey, and Alejandro Vargas, from Heavy Laborers to Boatmen, Atlantic Locks. Janet M. Argue, Clerk to Clerk-Stenog- rapher, Industrial Division. John W. Litton from Lock Operator (Machinist), Locks Division, to Marine Machinist, Industrial Division. PERSONNEL BUREAU Maria R. Arbaiza, from Clerk to Card- Punch Operator, Employment and Utiliza- tion Division. Adrian B. Howell, from Clerk to Mis- cellaneous Office Appliance Operator, Em- ployment and Utilization Division. Waldaba H. Stewart, from Clerk to File Clerk, Employment and Utilization Di- vision. SUPPLY AND COMMUNITY SERVICE BUREAU Corneilius J. O'Sullivan, from Retail Stores Supply Assistant to Retail Store Supervisor, Supply Division. Francesco Viglietti, from Leader Heavy Laborer to Supervisory Storekeeping Clerk, Sales and Service Branch. Clifford Jemmott, from Stockman to Leader High Lift Truck Operator, Store- house Branch. Raoul 0. Theriault, Administrative Offi- cer to Assistant Director, Office of Director. TRANSPORTATION AND TERMINALS BUREAU Louis F. Beltran from Ship Worker to High Lift Truck Operator, Terminals Division. Cecil G. Stewart, from Dock Worker to Leader Dock Worker, Terminals Division. Marcelino Sanchez, from Dock Worker to Carpenter, Terminals Division. OTHER PROMOTIONS Promotions which did not involve change in title follow: Gale A. O'Connell, Structural Engineer, Engineering Division. Victor H. May, Jr., Marine Traffic Con- troller, Navigation Division. Thomas J. Oliver, Attorney, Office of General Counsel. Cornelius S. McCormack, Master Tow- boat or Ferry, Navigation Division. Miss Rae F. Elicker, Nurse Supervisor (General Medical and Surgical), Coco Solo Hospital. THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW May 1, 1959 MANY CANAL RECORDS Fender system tried SET BY SHIP TRAFFIC- ..... - DURING PAST QUARTER - An almost complete set of new records for Canal traffic was written during the past quarter. Traffic reached a peak in March when records were set in the number of transits, tolls, and daily average tran- sits for a one-month period. The total quarterly figures in most categories also were at the highest levels in the Canal's history. The 4,809,543 tons of cargo shipped through the Canal on ocean-going ships in March was the second highest total, being exceeded only by the 4,897,000 long tons in March 1957. The amount of cargo for the third quarter totaled 13,522,000 long tons, as compared with 11,444,000 in the third quarter last year. The movement of traffic over many trade routes was higher during the past quarter than ever before. The United States intercoastal route and routes be- tween the east coast of the United States and the Far East, and Europe and the west coast of the United States and Canada, all showed major gains over the comparable quarter a year ago. The strong economic recovery from the recession of last year was reflected in Canal traffic during the first three months of this calendar year and cargo shipments have been much heavier on several specific trade routes than ever before. There has been a heavy movement of residual oil from California to the east coast of the United States during recent months. Meanwhile, the tanker trade on other routes has been high. Especially noteworthy in the movement of commodities during the past quarter were scrap iron and phosphate shipments to Japan, and banana shipments through the Canal from the Pacific to Atlantic ports. Banana shipments in March totaled 105,000 tons, or 2,000 tons over the previous record set in March last year. Phosphate shipments from Florida to Japan now are at record levels. For the first time in the Canal's oper- ating history the number of ships of all categories in one month exceeded 1,000 in March, and tolls exceeded $4,000,000. Figures for the first nine months of this fiscal year are all well above those for the comparable period in F.Y. 1958, when annual records were set. Up to the end of March there were 7,132 transits by ocean-going commercial ships, 141 more than for the first nine months of last year. Tolls for the first three quarters of this fiscal year, amounting to $33,409,000 are nearly $2,000,000 over those of 1958. The heavy surge of traffic through the Canal during the past three months has come during a period when the Canal was below its normal capacity level. During recent weeks the Pacific Locks have been operating on a 24-hour sched- ule with one traffic lane being closed for power conversion work. Work was begun last month on a test k'r I. n t'~t ***-** -^S aS q" ? s d*r P A "'"' -^ I Ss- te Wll A pair of floating fenders like the one above was used for tests at Gatun Locks. An experiment of an unusual nature has been conducted at Gatun Locks dur- ing recent weeks. It consists of the use of two floating fenders to hold ships in tow away from the lock wall with towing locomotives in use only on the center wall. Lockage tests have been made on 17 vessels, some of which were in excess of 500 feet in length. The experiments have been suspended to permit a remodeling of the floating fenders to improve the design based on observations during the test series. The experiments are being conducted by the Locks Division with R. C. Stockham, Chief of the Division, in charge. He had suggested such a pos- sibility and plans of this general nature had been studied on previous occasions but no actual tests had been made. The big rubber tires used on the fender booms of the experimental towing devices built for the Canal by R. G. LeTourneau, Inc., are being used on fenders designed by Panama Canal per- sonnel. Two fenders, like the one shown overhaul at Gatun Locks which necessi- tates the closing of one set of locks. This condition will continue for several more weeks as conversion of equipment to 60- cycle current is accomplished at Gatun. above, are used, one fore and one aft, which are attached to the vessel by manila lines. The purpose of the tests is to determine if a satisfactory system can be developed to eliminate the use of towing locomo- tives on the side walls. A successful sys- tem would mean appreciable savings since the Canal Company is presently planning the purchase of new replacement towing locomotives. The tests made thus far indicate that a fender system might be de- signed to effect such a change, the ex- periments and engineering studies are to be continued to determine the feasibility of such a plan. During his recent visit to the Canal Zone, Thomas D. Bowes, marine archi- tect whose firm is to design the new Canal tug, was asked to view one of the test lockages and submit suggestions on the problem. In a report received since his return to the States, several suggested changes were made which are now being studied. Among the suggestions made by Mr. Bowes was the installation of a fixed tubular rubber fender system along the center wall of each lock chamber which would permit a ship to rise or fall with the change in water elevation but which would serve to keep the vessel away from the lock wall while under tow. CANAL TRANSITS-COMMERCIAL AND U. S. GOVERNMENT Third Quarter, Fiscal Years 1959 1958 1938 Atlantic Pacific to to Total Total Total Pacific Atlantic Commercial Vessels: Ocean-going--------------------- 1,271 1,228 2,499 2,254 1,386 Small* ------------------------ --- 138 106 244 150 219 Total commercial---------------- 1,409 1,334 2,743 2,404 1,605 U. S. Government vessels:** Ocean-going ---------------------- 32 20 52 59 -------- Small* --------------------------. 21 35 56 90 Total commercial and U. S. Government ------------------ 1,462 1,389 2,851 2,553 1,739 *Vessels under 300 net tons or 500 displacement tons. **Vessels on which tolls are credited. Prior to July 1, 1951, Government-operated ships transited free. -,**^1 * ^''-' 16 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW May 1, 1959 Six Times Champion. Paul S. Stewart, License Examiner in Cristobal, this year set a mark for his fellow police officers to shoot at aside from the bullseye. In winning the annual Canal Zone Police pistol shoot this year he became the only man to win six times. He also won championships in 1948, 1951, 1955, 1956, and 1957. You can get N OW proof of citizenship If you were born in the Canal Zone on or after February 26, 1904, and your father or mother was an American cit- izen, or if you were born in the Republic of Panama after that date and your father or mother was an American cit- izen employed by the United States Government, you are a citizen of the United States. However, if you were in the United States and wanted a job that required conclusive proof of citizenship, could you prove it? This question has been a vexatious one for such individuals born in the Canal Zone or Panama of American parents during the past 55 years who wanted to travel, get jobs, vote, or do other things in which proof of citizenship was required. The question can now be solved with relative ease as Certificates of Citizen- ship may be issued by the U. S. Immi- gration and Naturalization Service to such persons who qualify. A limited quantity of applications for such cer- tificates has just been received and may be obtained from the Administra- tive Branch office at Balboa Heights. The application forms may also be ob- tained from Immigration and Natural- ization Service offices in various parts of the United States. The application forms have full instruc- tions as to the preparation of certificates of citizenship. A fee of $5 is required and an applicant must submit three per- sonal photographs taken within 30 days of the date of application. Also, appli- cants should attach to the application form such documents as birth, marriage, divorce, or death certificates which sup- port claim of citizenship. Before a Certificate of Citizenship can be issued, however, the applicant must take an oath of allegiance before a mem- ber of the Immigration and Naturaliza- tion Service. This oath must be taken within the continental United States. 17 May 1, 1959 Principal commodities shipped through the Canal (All figures in long tons) PACIFIC TO ATLANTIC Third, Quarter, Fiscal Years 1959 1958 1938 Ores, various ------------------------------. 1,736,939 1,850,407 542,936 Lumber --------------------------- 857,428 820,002 632,901 Petroleum and products (excludes asphalt)----.. 716,347 103,509 498,282 Barley ------------------------------------ 657,731 171,731 62,089 Wheat ------------------------------------ 569,631 522,986 267,904 Sugar ----------------------- 313,552 290,212 299,404 Bananas -------------------------------- 280,158 290,084 20,076 Nitrate of soda- ----------------------- 260,899 271,131 530,861 Canned food products-------------------- 252,265 287,712 220,124 Metal, various---------------------------- 238,814 229,247 165,473 Food products in refrigeration (except fresh fruit) --------------------------------- 220,512 214,954 106,820 Oilseeds and products ----------------------- 135,677 69,415 2,765 Iron and steel manufactures ----------------- 131,458 60,589 2,263 Coffee------------------------------------ 102,878 87,212 53,179 Cotton, raw....-------------------------- 81,065 69,948 37,801 All othi-i ... ... 1,196,678 992,282 870,245 Total ----------------------------- 7,752,032 6,331,421 4,313,123 ATLANTIC TO PACIFIC Third Quarter, Fiscal Years ___ommodity1959 1958 1938 Petroleum and products (excludes asphalt)..... 1,529,024 1,079,104 236,644 Coal and coke ----------------------------.. 784,015 795,450 27,867 Iron and steel manufactures ----------------- 407,983 416,888 362,008 Phosphates-------------------------------- 388,418 305,742 67,518 Metal, scrap ------------------------------ 307,676 81,823 134,275 Soybeans .. ------------------------- 247,803 146,507 493 Corn -------------------------------------- 150,910 82,276 8,510 Chemicals, unclassified------------------- 132,386 106,110 25,179 Ores, various ......------------------------ 117,211 116,633 7,809 Cotton .. ------------------------- 91,604 91,310 56,323 Sulphur -------------------------------- --- 85,070 108,427 44,830 Automobiles and parts ---------------------- 81,523 83,866 76,102 Paper and paper products -------------- 71,032 86,211 90,274 Machinery ------------------------------ 67,394 80,524 40,735 Sugar ------------------------------------- 65,836 131,309 32,587 All others ------------------------------ 1,042,154 1,187,167 838,500 Total --------------------------- 5,570,039 4,899,347 2,049,654 Canal Commercial Traffic by Nationality of Vessels Third Quarter, Fiscal Years 1959 1958 1938 Nationality Num- Tons Num- Tons Num- Tons ber of ofcargo ber of of cargons ber of of cargons transit of cargo transit of cargo transits of cargo transits transits transit Belgian---------- 2 12,538 -------------------------- ----------- British 331 1,844,408 302 1,830,804 348 1,626,625 Chilean 22 101,792 25 149,011 3 10,012 Chinese --------- 15 112,538 17 118,733 -------- --- Colombian------- 62 78,777 60 76,729 ---.---..--.. -- Cuban-..--------- 3 246 -------- ------------ 2 ------------ Danish.. 91 263900 88 249,303 56 161,735 Ecuadorean------ 18 20,478 10 13,283 ---------..--.- Finnish 2 4,510 10 38,234 1 4,021 French 38 177,472 17 87,6S2 26 138,303 German 291 904,010 209 584,896 86 312,330 Greek ..---- -- 41 380,235 27 229,133 19 96,467 Honduran ----- 39 22,743 77 72,488 10 3,839 Irish ----- 4 45,425 1 8,558 -- Italian -48 238,405 46 277,937 12 31,762 Japanese--------- 210 1,512,366 173 1,213,793 77 495,136 Latvian---------- -------- ------------ -------- ------------ 1 ------------ Liberian --- 253 2,249,530 196 1,711,158 -------------------- Mexican--------- 3 9,850 -------- -------- Netherlands------ 97 405,742 55 255,497 77 179,917 Nicaraguan------ 17 35,277 20 40,191 ---------------- Norwegian.... 257 1,276,055 234 1,012,442 174 848,325 Panamanian -- 94 390,216 104 338,070 44 56,087 Peruvian --------- 11 58,083 13 56,147 3 4,008 Philippine------ 7 41,275 7 36,272 2 ------------ South Korean.... 2 18,601 1 ------- ------------ Soviet------------------------------- 1 7,700 2 4,375 Spanish -------- -- 9 43,700 14 56,736 -------- --- Swedish ---------- 57 211,937 63 202,130 28 187,191 Swiss -------------------- ------ 1 10,030 -------- ------------ United States-- 473 2,860,962 483 2,533,806 413 2,195,344 i ---... 2 ------- -------------------------------------- Yugoslavian------ -------- ------------ -------- ------------ 2 7,300 Total -- 2,499 13,322,071 2,254 11,210,768 1,386 6,362,777 AID TO SHIPS Is Tried In Gaillard Cut With Tugs Astern A series of controlled tests is being made by the Marine Bureau to determine if the use of tug assistance astern of a vessel is more effective in the handling of "super" ships in the narrow reaches of Gaillard Cut than the long-standing practice of using the tug ahead in a towing position. The present tests under actual oper- ating conditions were undertaken last month and will be continued for some time before determination can be made of the most suitable and effective pro- cedures. They are being conducted under the immediate direction of Capt. James A. Flenniken, Balboa Port Captain, with a few senior pilots being given assign- ments. Capt. Clinton Baverstock, as- sisted by Capt. H. L. Wentworth, was assigned to the first tests. The tests were initiated after a pre- liminary report was received on exten- sive model testing performed for the Canal Company at the Navy Depart- ment's David Taylor Model Basin at Carderock, Md. The overall objective of the Carderock tests was to determine the best means of assisting live super- ships through the narrow Cut. This is one of several things being pres- ently done by the Canal Company to expe- dite the movement and provide for the safety of ship traffic through the waterway. Among others are the widening of Gaillard Cut, provision of lighting for night opera- tions, plans to reduce the outage time dur- ing overhaul periods, studies for improved traffic control, and more efficient tugs and towing locomotives. As indicated in a special notice to ship- ping interests issued last month by Governor Potter, the peak traffic load of the past fiscal year quarter is taxing ca- pacity under present operating conditions which will prevail until about next July. The handling of the heavy volume of traffic is also being complicated by the steady increase in Canal traffic of large bulk cargo carriers commonly called This device was used in model tests for tug assistance to big ships in the Cut. "super" vessels, particularly in the ore and tanker trade. During the first three months of this calendar year the Canal's transit sheets listed 110 ships in this category. Tug assistance is regularly assigned to all bulk cargo ships of 600 or more feet in length during their transit of the Cut and they are given daylight "clear-Cut" hand- ling. Tug assistance is also required in many other instances, depending upon the size of the vessel, nature of its cargo, its hand- ling characteristics, or other factors. With an increasing number of ships requiring "clear-Cut" handling, any method to expedite the trip through the eight-mile Cut or increase the safety factor for vessels is of importance with traffic at its present peak. The Navy Department last year was requested to institute model tests to de- termine what measures might be taken in the handling of super-ships in Gaillard Cut to speed up traffic or improve the safety factor. The preliminary report on these tests has now been received and is being used as the basis for tests in actual operations. For the purpose of the model testing, the Model Basin personnel obtained the use of a model of the 712.5-foot tanker World Glory which has been through the Canal and which has a displacement of 57,280 tons at a draft of 37 feet. The model was on a linear ratio of 27.74, and measured 25.7 feet in length. An approximate model of a 300-foot wide section of Gaillard Cut, built of masonry, was then constructed to the same scale. In conducting the actual model tests, a dyna- mometer girder was attached in an a- The big oreship San Juan Merchant is shown in actual test with tug at the stern. thwartship position to the model ship. The dynamometer arrangement was of the three-component type so that resultant longitudinal and lateral forces, as well as moment (the force-and-time factor com- bined), could be determined. Also, the rise and fall, or sinkagee" of the model was recorded continuously during signi- ficant runs. Motive power for these tests was sup- plied by an overhead carriage operating along the walls of the "Cut." In other tests, the modelwas maneuvered under its own power with rudder action by remote control. In these, the behavior of the vessel using a tug astern was tested manually by a line attached to the stern. Test results indicate that a ship the size of the "World Glory" needs 10 feet of water under its keel for good steering control when going through Gaillard Cut, a depth formally prescribed last month by the Marine Bureau for the first transit of all vessels of 30,000 dead- weight tons, with 11 feet required for ships over 45,000 tons. The regulation on draft provides that approval may be given for increasing the draft after a satisfactory initial transit. The results of the model testing will be furnished to the design contractor for the new tug to be built for use in Gaillard Cut. The test results will influence the tug design, particularly with respect to its power and maneuverability. The tests under actual operating con- ditions on the position of tugs in assist- ing super-ships through 'the Cut are ex- pected to provide data not possible to obtain by model testing. While the pre- liminary report of the results of the model tests, still to be studied and analyzed further before a final report by the David Taylor Model Basin is issued, indicate that the employment of tug assistance astern of vessels in the Cut to be more advantageous on the basis of the prin- ciples of hydro-mechanics involved, the model test report made no effort to eval- uate results in light of practical operating conditions, which is the purpose of the present tests. The use of tugs astern of transiting vessels was attempted in hand- ling an unwieldy type of ore-carrier which made its appearance shortly before World War I. The use of tugs astern at that time did not prove very effective, but with the modifications in method sug- gested by the Model Basin tests, better results are anticipated. 18 May 1, 1959 NEW OVERHAUL METHOD An experiment of an unusual and grand scale nature is presently being conducted at Gatun Locks. If successful, as Canal engineers and the operating force believe it will be, the experiment will result in decreasing the time required for single-lane traffic during overhaul periods and thereby increasing the overall transit capacity. This will mean considerable savings in time and money to world shipping and lowered costs in the overhaul of the Locks. Reduced to its simplest terms, the ex- periment consists of a different method of lifting the big Lock gate leaves from their pintles for overhaul. The grand scale nature of the trial run will be the lifting of the mass of metal weighing 1,490,000 pounds, or 745 tons, by the 250-ton floating crane "Hercules." The two upper gate leaves between the middle upper chambers of the Gatun Locks are to be lifted by the big floating crane and no magic is involved. The gate leaves are compartmented and are so buoyant that the deadweight in water to be lifted by the 250-ton crane will be only 422,000 pounds, or 211 tons. After being lifted the two leaves will be moved into the upper chamber and placed on "keel blocks" already installed along the east wall. The lock chamber will then be emptied and used as a dry- dock while the overhaul work proceeds. It is estimated that the new procedure can reduce the time of 35 working days required for the overhaul of the gates in the past to an estimated 21 working days for each lane of traffic, during which time shipping must be handled through one traffic lane. With the Canal operating at its pres- ent high peak, this reduction in outage time will be an important factor in reducing delay costs to shipping during Locks overhaul periods which occur once every five years at each of the Locks. The gate leaves being overhauled now were scheduled to be removed during the 1961 overhaul of Gatun Locks. There- fore, the present work will mean a re- duction in the overhaul period two years from now during which one traffic lane would have been closed. The preliminary work for the experi- mental gate overhaul began April 16 at Gatun when the upper chamber was emp- tied for the installation of concrete blocks and steel beams which will be used in much the same manner as keel blocks are used for drydocking a ship. The con- crete blocks, all below the sill level of the lock chamber, will be permanent instal- lations and in the future the removable steel beams will be placed by divers to eliminate the necessity for unwatering the chamber prior to moving the gates. After this work was completed, the Lock chamber was flooded again and the gate leaves were scheduled to be lifted by the floating crane this week. After being placed in position along the upper chamber wall, each gate leaf will be secured by steel struts to the top of the lock wall as an added meas- ure of safety. After the gate leaves are placed, the lock IS TESTED AT GATUN of the pintles; normal overhaul work on the sills; and some chipping and repaint- ing of the gate leaves. It is expected that time can be saved by lining up all the bearing plates in the walls and on the gate leaves at the same time. In past overhaul work, the wall plates were first lined up and gate plates were then aligned to the wall plates. All work is scheduled for completion about May 22. The Locks will continue with one lane out of service until com- pletion of power conversion work there. The method being used in lifting the This striking view of Lock gates under overhaul gives an idea of the magnitude of Gatun tests by which big gate leaves are lifted by floating crane Hercules. chamber will be unwatered again and nor- mal overhaul procedures will be followed, except that a plan to speed up this phase of the work will be followed. The overhaul work includes the replacement of quoin and miter plates on the gate leaves, and hollow quoin plates in the lock walls; replacement TRAFFIC MOVEMENT OVER MAIN TRADE ROUTES The following table shows the number of transits of large, commercial vessels (300 net tons or over) segregated into eight main trade routes: Third Quarter, Fiscal Years 1959 1958 1938 United States Intercoastal --------------------- -- 151 130 264 East Coast of U. S. and South America ------------- 594 574 145 East Coast of U. S. and Central America ----------- 125 141 30 East Coast of U. S. and Far East ------------------ 390 337 142 U. S./Canada East Coast and Australasia----------- 48 42 39 Europe and West Coast of U. S./Canada ------------ 317 241 271 Europe and South America------------------------- 241 249 134 Europe and Australasia --------------------------- 103 109 65 All other routes----........------------------------------ 530 431 296 Total Traffic .------------------------------.. 2,499 2,254 1,386 gate leaves differs completely from that used in Lock overhauls of the past. When the Canal Locks were first over- hauled in 1929, it was decided to empty the lock chamber and lift the gates off their pintles by big hydraulic jacks. This method has since been used in all Lock overhauls. The new procedure for the overhaul of the gates is one of the many steps being taken to speed up the movement of Canal traffic. The plan was evolved through the cooperative effort of an engineering staff of the Engineering and Construction Bureau and the operating staff of the Marine Bureau, principally personnel of the Locks Division. The operations are under the direct supervision of William A. Van Siclen, Jr., Superintendent of Gatun Locks. Except for the big job of lifting and placing the gate leaves by the Dredging Division's craneboat Hercules, the work is being done principally by regular employees of the Locks Division and some personnel from the Industrial Division. THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW May 1, 1959 m SHIPS AND SHIPPING , TRANSITS BY OCEAN-GOING VESSELS IN MARCH 1968 1959 Commercial-.---------- 810 882 U. S. Government -------- 20 24 Total ----------- 830 906 TOLLS* 1958 1959 Commercial $3,631,137 $4,103,262 U. S. Government 90,862 107,649 Total -----$3,721,999 $4,210,911 *Includes tolls on all vessels, ocean-going and small. CARGO (long tons) 1958 Commercial ----- 4,055,216 U. S. Government 109,991 Total---- 4,165,207 1959 4,725,508 84,035 4,809,543 Two More Super Ships Two more shipping giants used the Canal during April. One was the Liber- ian super-tanker World Glory, which made its first transit in ballast through the Canal April 14 on its way to Amsuay Bay, Venezuela, from the Far East. The big vessel, a sister ship to the record- breaking World Beauty, measures 735.3 feet in overall length and has a beam of 102.4 feet. DisplIcement tonnage was given as 58,655 tons and Panama Canal net at 23,500 tons. The second big ship using the Canal the same day was the ore ship Dynamic, which arrived in Cristobal from Balti- more on its way to Chile to load a cargo of ore. The Dynamic, owned by the Windward Shipping Company, flies the Liberian flag and is nearly the size of the Cosmic, another well-known Canal customer operated by the same company. It measures 745 feet in overall length and has a 100.4-foot beam. Displacement tonnage is 61,245 tons. Both the World Beauty and the Cosmic broke Canal rec- ords for their class when they passed through the Canal in 1957. Danish Shipper Retires A record of some sort was achieved by Capt. Frederik Matzen, skipper of the Brazilian Reefer, who made his last and 245th trip through the Canal April 8 on his way home to Denmark and retire- ment. During his 36 years at sea with the J. Lauritzen Line, Captain Matzen has made so many trips through the Canal on J. Lauritzen ships that every turn in the Canal channel must be as familiar to him as it is to the pilots. A native of Denmark, he joined the line in 1923 as a second officer, was made chief officer in 1926, and has been a ship master since 1933. Before the war he made regular trips through the Canal from the West Coast to European ports. The Brazilian Reefer, his last command, runs between Ecuador and Antwerp. Cascadas Under Overhaul The Dredging Division's dipper dredge Cascadas is now nearing completion of its biennial overhaul at the Industrial Di- vision and is scheduled to return to duty about May 19. The veteran dredge, which has been in service with the Canal organization since 1915, was being used for dredging operations at the Paraiso- Cucaracha-reach widening project before she was taken to the Industrial Division for engine overhaul. Following recon- ditioning, the Cascadas will return to dredging operations in the Cucaracha reach. The Cascadas is the only dipper dredge now in operation on the Panama Canal, the sister dredge Paraiso having been on loan to the St. Lawrence Seaway project for the past two years. Cruise Ships Transit Two big luxury liners made north- bound transits through the Canal in April on their way back to New York after extensive winter cruises. They were the Norwepgian-American liner Bergens- fjord, which arrived in Balboa April 3 on the last leg of a three-month round- the-world cruise, and the Swedish-Amer- ican Line's Kungsholm returning to New York after a cruise to the South Sea Islands, Australia, and New Zealand. Both ships, carrying approximately 325 passengers each, were making their-last cruise of the winter season before return- ing to New York to enter the North Atlantic trade for the summer. Both are well-known Canal visitors. The Bergens- fjord is represented here by the Pacific Steam Navigation Company and the Kungsholm by C. B. Fenton & Company. Last Cruise The Hamburg-America Line's 7,500- gross ton cruise ship Ariadne which takes approximately 250 passengers on exotic trips up the Amazon River and to lesser- known Caribbean ports, will arrive in Cristobal May 18 on the last cruise of this winter season. On this trip, the Ariadne will visit Kingston, Port of Spain, St. Thomas, and several other West Indian: Islands before returning to New Orleans. During the summer months the tidy air-conditioned vessel will make cruises to the North Cape and Scandi- navia and will return to Caribbean and South American cruising in September. Formerly the Swedish Patricia, the Ariadne was purchased and rebuilt by the Hamburg-America Line in 1957. This year she made several visits to the Canal from New Orleans and U. S. Gulf ports. Her next to last cruise in March and April was made up the Amazon River. The Continental Shipping Cor- poration acts as agent here. MONTHLY COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC AND TOLLS Vessels of 300 tons net or over (Fiscal years) Transits Tolls Month Transits_(In thousands of dollars) 1959 1958 1938 1959 1958 1938 July------------------------- 767 788 457 $3,681 $3,668 $2,030 August---------------------- 777 812 505 3,664 3,599 2,195 September----------------- 717 771 444 3,357 3,504 1,936 October---------------------- 806 813 461 3,718 3,680 1,981 November------------------- 773 779 435 3,628 3,522 1,893 December------------------- 793 774 439 3,682 3,521 1,845 January---------------------- 826 744 444 3,925 3,376 1,838 February-------------------- 791 700 436 3,654 3,104 1,787 March-----------------------... 882 810 506 4,100 3,628 2,016 April -------------------------------- 734 487 --------... 3,363 1,961 May-------------------------------- 752 465 -------... 3,526 1,887 June----------------------------...---. 710 445 --------.... 3,305 1,801 Totals for first 9 months of fiscal year.....---------. 7,132 6,991 4,127 33,409 $31,602 $17,521 Totals for fiscal year ---- --------... 9,187 5,524 -------- $41,796 $23,170 LEAVING Capt. Warner Scott Rodimon, USN, who has served for the past two years as the Canal's Marine Director, is leaving the Isthmus next month for a new assignment with the Navy. His successor has not been announced. Captain Rodimon's service has been during the busiest period in the Canal's history. This applies not only to Panama Canal traffic but to the many plans being form- ulated and implemented for more and bigger ships through the water- way. Since the Marine Bureau is the most vitally concerned of any unit in these matters, he has main- tained a full schedule which was by no means kept within office hours. Even with this work load, how- ever, he has taken an active role in community affairs, one of his prin- cipal interests being Boy Scout work. He was born in Northampton, Mass., and was graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy in 1929. Be- fore his assignment with the Canal, he was Commander of a Destroyer Squadron of the Atlantic Fleet. THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW May 1, 1959 |
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| MILLISECOND | CLASS.METHOD | MESSAGE |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | sobekcm_page_globals.constructor | |
| 0 | sobekcm_page_globals.constructor | Application State validated or built |
| 0 | sobekcm_database.verify_item_lookup_object | |
| 0 | sobekcm_page_globals.constructor | Navigation Object created from URI query string |
| 0 | sobekcm_database.verify_item_lookup_object | |
| 0 | sobekcm_page_globals.display_item | Retrieving item or group information |
| 0 | sobekcm_page_globals.get_entire_collection_hierarchy | Retrieving hierarchy information |
| 0 | sobekcm_assistant.get_entire_collection_hierarchy | |
| 0 | cached_data_manager.retrieve_item_aggregation | |
| 0 | cached_data_manager.retrieve_item_aggregation | Found item aggregation on local cache |
| 0 | item_aggregation_builder.get_item_aggregation | Found 'all' item aggregation in cache |
| 0 | system.web.ui.page.page_load (ufdc.page_load) | |
| 0 | sobekcm_page_globals.constructor.on_page_load | |
| 0 | html_echo_mainwriter.add_style_references | Adding style references to HTML |
| 0 | html_echo_mainwriter.add_text_to_page | Reading the text from the file and echoing back to the output stream |
| 39 | html_echo_mainwriter.add_text_to_page | Finished reading and writing the file |