UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA LIBRARIES Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from University of Florida, George A. Smathers Libraries http://www.archive.org/details/panamacanalrevienov16pana A^ NOVEMBER 1966 Governor-President Robert D. Kerr, Press OfiBcer Robert J. Fleming, Jr., Publications Editors H. R. Parfitt, Lieutenant Governor ^^^b. Morgan E. Goodwin and Tomas A. Cupas Editorial Assistants Frank A. Baldwin Eunice Richard, Tobi Bittel, Fannie P. Official Panama Canal Publication Hernandez, and T. Panama Canal Information Officer Published quarterly at Balboa Heights, C.Z. Jose Tunon Printed at the Printing Plant, La Boca, C.Z. Review articles may be reprinted in full or part without further clearance. Credit to the Review will be appreciated. Distributed free of charge to all Panama Canal Employees. Subscriptions, SI a year: airmail S2 a year; mail and back copies (regular mail), 25 cents each cAbout Our Cover PHOTOGRAPHED AT THE ruins of the Cathedral of wearing typical Indian dress. The two at either end are i>ld«E^aD^a and wearing the costumes which portray wearing the dress of the guaymi Indians who inhabit the the rich folklore of Panama are members of the conjunto high mountains of Veraguas and Chiriqui. Next to them '^Wiythms of Bgnama, a dance group directed by Professor and the two in the center are cuna Indians from the Petita Escobar of Panama City. San Bias Islands, the tribe never conquered by the Standing on top of tlie ruins are the "dirty devils," Spanish and the members of which still hve and dress wearing trousers and shirts of rough muslin dyed red and as they did before Columbus' discovery of America. black, and terrifying masks with multi-colored feathers. BetNveen the San Bias Indians are two girls from the They hold castanets and inflated bull bladders which rural area of Ocu. The women of that area, the most they use as accompaniment to their dances. The dance central of Panama, in the cool lands of Herrera Province, of the "dirty devils" originated from the colonial era and dress as their ancestors during the Spanish colonial days. still is seen at the religious festival of Corpus Christi in There has been no change in their dress since then; and the town of Los Santos. Brought to the Isthmus by the when tourists go to Ocu for the San Sebastian Fair, Spaniards, it recalls the dances held in the Cathedral January 20, they are transported to the days when the of Sevilla. Spanish hidalgos ruled on the Isthmus. The five masked men in the center are the "cucuas" Lovely senoritas wcax the present typical costume of who live in the Code Mountains in central Panama. Their Panama. Five at the extreme left wear the montuna, a costumes are made of the pounded bark of the cuciia wide skirt of printed chintz with white embroidered tree. The masks imitate deer heads; the whips tliey carry appliqued blouse, hatless or wearing the typical straw mark the rhythm of the dance. hat, and generally barefoot. The others are wearing In the center, wearing dyed feathers on his head and Panama's national costume, the elegant and elaborate a silver eagle on his chest stands a Doraz Indian chief, pollera, which has won international acclaim. a haughty tribe that lived in the Chiriqui area and has In the center, majestically beautiful, is Miss Brenda long been extinct. .\rosemena wearing the colors and stars of the Seated in the foreground are eight young women, also Panama flag. (Photo courtesy of Kodak Panama Ltd.) Ever since the opening of the Panama Canal more than 50 years ago, people have flocked to see this engineering marvel. Today, a staff of trained, multi-lingual guides welcome visitors to the locks areas. These visitors pictured above, part of a Congressional party, were not greeted by uniformed guides but obviously were fascinated by what they saw at Catun Locks, March 13, 1925. November 1966 It's Panama's CARIBBEAN SEA 63d Birthday AS OUR COLORFUL cover s>Tnbolizes, the Republic of Panama is celebrating its 63d anniversary this month. Panama's destiny began millions of years ago with the formation of continents and oceans, the Isthmus becoming part of the chain that united the great land masses of PACIFIC OCEAN North and South America. The Isthmian territories came to serve as a pathway for the multitudes of mules that transported Inca treas- ures ultimately bound for Spain. Pirates and privateers also were attracted to the Isthmus where they left 3ndiex bloody footprints. The men who settled the Isthmus decided November 28, 1821, to separate from Spain. Guided by General Jose de Fabrega, the Creoles—Spanish descendants bom here—then began calling themselves Panamanians, like F'ort San Lorenzo 4 their native brothers. Panamanians later realized that because of its unique Phvsician-Metallurgist 7 geographical assets, Panama deserved a place on the maps of the commercial world. The January 1855 comple- tion of the Panama Railroad—the first transcontinental Governor's Driver 9 rail line of the Americas—strengthened this conviction. Thousands of men of varied races and nationalities Panama Museum 11 crossed the Isthmus in wagons to share in the wealth of gold that had been discovered in California. Ingots of Anniversaries 14 the precious metal were transported by the Panama Rail- road and, for the first time, large ships of many flags anchored off Atlantic coast an port that had not been World Ports 15 mentioned for centuries—the port of Chagres. The main Atlantic port was later established a few miles awav at what today is Colon. Canal History 17 The Panamanians were prepared to become one of Statistics the nations of the world November 3, 1903, when they Shipping 18 severed the ties that bound them to Colombia. Eleven years later, the Panama Canal was opened to traflBc, Shipping Trends 18 benefiting commerce of the entire world. In this anniversary of Panama's independence, The Anglers' Retreat 20 P.\XAMA Canal Review salutes Panama, which has been appropriately described as "the bridge of the world, the heart of the universe." Shipping .Notes 22 'I'he P.\na.\i.\ Can.\l Review Fort San Lorenzo as seen from the air today. It was built almost 4 centuries ago by the Spanish to guard the mouth of the Chagres River. It was protected on 3 sides by sheer cliffs and on all 4 sides by cannon but it fell twice to invaders. A New Look Being Given To Old Fort San Lorenzo A LONG awaited face lifting is being ing the mouth of the Chagres and com- were forced to win hard-earned victories carried out at historic Fort San Lorenzo, misiJioned Juan Bautista Antonelli to against the invaders. built bv the Spanish in 1597 at the carry out the project. Ships began to Peace came to an end at the bastion mouth of the Chagres River on the use the port developed at the entrance in December 1670 when buccaneer Caribbean side of Panama. to the Chagres where small vessels Henry Morgan set up a plan to raid what Boy Scouts from Panama and the moved up river to the town of Cruces. is now Old Panama. First, however, he Canal Zone plus Latin American stu- There the\' met the road which considered it necessary to take Fort San dents at the U.S. Army School of the took them to Panama via muleback Lorenzo and for this task delegated Col. Americas volunteer their time and in 8 hours. foseph Bradley. efforts to rehabilitate the fortress which From the east side of the river mouth, While Morgan and the balance of his is situated on the Fort Sherman Military the fort commanded a sweeping view partv remained at Santa Catarina Island, Reservation. of the sea and the abutting cliffs pre- Bradley departed with 4 ships and 400 Fort San Lorenzo, partially because vented access except from the east. Here men to attack the fort. The desperate of its vital position, was the target of a drawbridge above a 30 feet deep ditch battle ended 1 dav after it had started, sorties by pirates and enemy navies in led to the single gatewav. The defenses gi\ing victorv to the attackers despite a turbulent era when privateering and included artillen.' guarding land and the determination of the defending raiding were the leading sports in this sea approaches while stores of muni- .314-man garrison. hemisphere. People like Drake, Morgan, tions and food provided essentials to Only 30 men were found alive inside Hawkins, Blackbeard, Avery, Anne Bon- withstand extended sieges. the fort where, according to one account, ny, and Mary Read terrorized shipping For years. Fort San Lorenzo remained several Spaniards threw themselves into on the Spanish Main. unmolested while most ports in the the sea rather than ask for mercy. The Spain's King Philip 11 saw the impor- Caribbean, including others on the Isth- buccaneers lost 100 men and suffered tance of a fort on the sheer cliff guard- mus, were attacked and pillaged or 70 additional casualties, including Brad- NOVEMBER 1966 ley, who died from a wound received in the battle. A few days after the victory, Morgan and his main body of forces joined the others and together made their way to Panama. They reached the city in a famished condition, having found little food on the way. Morgan captured the city, left it in flames and returned to Fort San Lorenzo with 600 pris- oners and 17.5 pack animals laden with plunder. Old Panama residents abandoned the place and moved to the site of the present city.