7The+Panama+Canal

= __The Panama Canal__ = Contents: -Essay -Pictures  Essay: The Panama Canal is a waterway that goes through Panama. It creates a shorter journey for ships because without it, ships would have to go all the way around the tip of South America to get from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, or from the Atlantic to the Pacific. It is a fact that without this shortcut, boats sailing from New York to San Francisco would have to go 13,135 miles further than if they used the canal. On average, a vessel will spend fourteen to sixteen hours in the canal, seeing as it is fifty-one miles long.

The creation of The Panama Canal was started in May of by the French in 1882. In 1904, the United States took over the job from the French, who had failed due to diseases such as malaria and yellow fever. Theodore Roosevelt had signed a treaty with Panama in 1903 that gave the United States control of the area around the canal. The canal was started soon after. To dig the canal, workers used dredges and steam shovels to get through rough terrain. The canal was completed in 1914. Ships were then allowed to pass through it. The first ship to ever sail through the Panama Canal was the S.S. Ancon on August 15, 1914. Everything was going fine until a landslide in 1915 closed the canal. It stayed closed into 1916. After that, the canal was running. Since not all of the Panamanians agreed to the treaty, a new one was signed in 1979 that stated that the land would be given back to Panama on December 31, 1999.

Ships enter the canal through Limón Bay. Then, a canal pilot comes aboard to steer the boat through the canal. The next important part that ships come to is the Gatun Locks. In the Gatun Locks, a small electric boat comes up to the ship and assists it into the chamber to be lifted. The ship is then lifted to the level of Gatun Lake, the next significant area of the Panama Canal. The ship sails through the Lake and passes the Gatun Dam. Towards the southeastern end of the lake is The Gillard Cut, a small duct within the canal. After that, the ship goes through the Pedro Miguel Locks, which lowers it to the level of its next point, the Miraflores Locks, which then lowers the ship to sea level. Lastly, the ship sails under the Thatcher Ferry Bridge and eventually, into the Bay of Panama and then into the Pacific Ocean.

The Panama Canal has been very useful and has created a much shorter journey for many people over its 95 years. It gets an average of 33 ships a day, which shows just how often it is used. Panama Canal has helped many people have shorter trips and hopefully it will still be appreciated in the future.

Pictures: This is a picture of the Gatun Locks, part of The Panama Canal.

This is a picture of the Gatun Dam, part of The Panama Canal.

This is a picture of the Gillard Cut, part of the Panama Canal.

This is a picture of the Pedro Miguel Locks, part of The Panama Canal.

This is a picture of the Miraflores Locks, part of The Panama Canal.

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