THE "PATH BETWEEN THE SEAS." Stretching from
Colón to Panama City, the Panama Canal was built
by 65,000 men over a 20-year period. The French
began the massive project in 1881, but stopped
work as the mortality rate of workers increased and
engineering problems arose. The United States took
over the project under Theodore Roosevelt. When
completed in 1914, the canal was hailed as one of the
world's great engineering feats. Forty-eight miles
long, it crosses the narrowest stretch of the Isthmus
of Panama, cutting thousands of miles off shipping
routes that once stretched all the way around Cape
Horn at the tip of South America. Crossing this
manmade wonder through the heart of Panama, your
ship will be raised and lowered through enormous
locks at each end and you will enjoy a scenic cruise on
the manmade, 21-mile-long Gatun Lake.
PA N A M A C A N A L , PA N A M A
12
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