Page:The National Geographic Magazine Vol 16 1905.djvu/524

laborer with the island government to meet the burden which his leaving the island would probably throw on his parish under the poor law of the island for the support of those dependent on him. He also insisted that we should agree to pay the expenses of the return of each laborer, whether he was satisfactory or not and whether he abandoned the work in violation of his contract or not. It is probable, however, that Jamaica laborers will come voluntarily in considerable numbers to the Isthmus, because there are two direct lines between Kingston and Colon, the fare is only $5 a person, and the wages paid in the canal zone are double those paid in Jamaica. Indeed, the governor informed me that about 6,000 Jamaicans were leaving the island annually to work in Panama and Central America. It is hoped that satisfactory labor may be obtained in Porto Rico."

The labor problem will probably be harder to solve than any of the engineering difficulties.

In view of Admiral Chester's account of the destruction in Colon harbor caused by the terrible northers (p. 457), the following experience of the Isthmian Commission in January, 1905, is interesting:

The norther began blowing soon after noon of January 26 with such force that three steamships in the harbor of Colon at that time were compelled to seek safety by putting to sea and remaining away for three days. The U. S. Ship Dixie was preparing to leave at about that time and was obliged to hasten her departure to escape the danger of the storm. Not a vessel of any description remained in the harbor except two schooners in the slips adjacent to the Panama Railroad station, which were tied by a number of cables at a sufficient distance from their piers to prevent damage from excessive pitching and rolling. They could not get away, and were compelled to ride out in the gale in grave danger to themselves and to the neighboring piers.

At the time of the committee's visit storm waves of great magnitude and force were rolling directly into the harbor, breaking over the entire water front of that part of Colon known as Aspinwall and blocking the marginal streets with deluges of water and great quantities of coral rock and other debris. The same effects were produced on Christobal Point, seriously injuring a number of houses and rendering them uninhabitable, as well as putting out of use the marginal street. The magnitude and violence of the wave action along the entire water front of Colon not only drove to sea every vessel that could get away, but it also endangered the piers or wharves, some of which have been heretofore seriously damaged in similar storms. Further than this, great inconvenience and some loss was caused, not only to the shipping interests affected, but also to the canal work in interrupting the discharge of cargo urgently needed and in other ways injuring isthmian transportation.

These storms ocur on the average but twice or twice a year, and during some years they do not occur at all. For probably not less than three hundred and sixty days in the year the harbor of Colon is free from any objection of this kind. If the construction of the canal were a purely commercial enterprise, the protection of an outer terminal harbor open to storms at rare intervals, as in this instance, would not be justified. This project, however, is a great public work by the United States Government, in which no feature contributing effectively to either safety or efficiency should be omitted.

Plans and specifications are being prepared for a breakwater extending across the mouth of Limon Bay approximately on the line drawn from the light on