E.S. "Gordon" Lacey - Diary 2

N.W. and following the line of the Canal as close as possible, is a railway which crosses the Isthmus from Panama City to Colon, a town at the Atlantic end of the Canal. All around the entrance to the Canal there is a large tract of swampy country covered with scrub growing to the height of about 6 feet. The

swamp runs back about 1/2 mile to the left and about 1 1/2 on the right and then the hills start. They are covered with thick jungles composed of various tropical plants, great ferns, palms, creepers, and tall trees. All mixed up in glorious confusion, and together they make a butiful picture. Now that we are in the tropics, nearly

everybody sleeps up on deck, and it is funny to see the rush for good positions, as soon as the hammocks are given out. 6 A.M. 1st Sept the pilot came aboard and we started for the mouth of the Canal. The approach to the first set of Locks is something like a river. The first set of Locks are called Miraflores Locks. Everything is

built of concrete, and there must have been some thousands of tons used in the construction of one Lock. The ship does not go through the Locks under her own steam, she is towed along by Electric Mules which run on rails on either side of the Lock. First the boat steamed into a Lock and the propellers stopped and

the great gates at each end were closed. Water is then pumped in and the ship gradually rises until it is on a level with the water in the next Lock. Then the gates ahead were opened and the cables were run ashore, two from the bow, two amidships and two at the stern, these were fixed to the Electric Cars and