' ' : I-'.",' . 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/panamacanalrevie133pana urn NG_ Oclobei, 5 196! THE AMERICAS Robert J. Fleming, Jr., Governor-President *~=^ Publications Editors | | &£*& Robert D. Kerr and Julio E. Briceno VV. P. Leber, Lieutenant Governor Official Panama Canal Publication Editorial Assistants Will Arey Published monthly at Balboa Heights, C.Z. Eunice Richard, Tobi Bittel, and Tomas A. Cupas Panama Canal Information Officer Printed at the Printing Plant, Mount Hope, C.Z. On sale at all Panama Canal Service Centers, Retail Stores, and the Tivoli Guest House for 10 days after publication date at 5 cents each. Subscriptions, $1 a year; mall and back copies, 10 cents each. Postal money orders made payable to the Panama Canal Company should be mailed to Box M, Balboa Heights. C.Z. Editorial Offices are located in the Administration Building. Balboa Heights, C.Z. Index Une J^and J\eunlted The Bridge by Night 3 IT IS DOUBTFUL if any bridge in the world surpasses the Mr. Thatcher 3 Thatcher Ferry Bridge as a uniting element between: Two parts of a country, two continents, two peoples, and, soon, the two Free, Permanent Transit 4 parts of the world's greatest highway system. Dream of Years Realized 5 Nothing, perhaps, could better express the historic setting for the October 12 dedication and opening of the huge new bridge Tribute From an Ex-President 6 linking the Americas. The above words, from Elmer B. Stevens, bridge project First-Hand Report, With Sidelights 7 resident engineer, stress the true meaning of this new major world traffic link. Pictorial Progress Report 8-11 The bridge also is viewed by Mr. Stevens as "a fitting and Dollars Flow to Panama 12 proper sequel to the slogan coined during Canal construction days, The Land Divided, the World United.' We can now say, Good Will Ambassadors 14 The Land Reunited' with the secure knowledge that this fact further enhances world unity, and at a time when such unitv Geologists Try Fins 16 is sorely needed." News and picture highlights of bridge history may be found School Calendar 18 on the following pages, along with some sidelights provided by Mr. Stevens in an article on page 7. Safety 19 Techniques, technology, and equipment have improved vastly Canal History 20 since the days of Canal construction. But the kev roles have ever been those of the men and women of the Isthmus. Magnitude Anniversaries 21 of the jobs faced, and conquered, is evident in every picture and every account of the bridge project. Promotions and Transfers 22 The date of the ceremonies is a memorable one for more than one reason. It was on an October 12 that Christopher Columbus Shipping 22 first saw American soil. ABOUT OUR FRONT COVER-The commemorative This issue of The Review will reach a far broader audience than medallion for the Thatcher Ferry Bridge dedication October 12 is flanked by an aerial view of the bridge itself the edition. The Review average Extra copies of and of The showing dramatically the linking of the banks. The reverse Review En Espanol have been ordered to meet expected demands. side of the medallion portrays a map of this part of the hemisphere, with the Isthmus at its center, and dedication Among these is a request from the Foreign Office of the 1 date. Aluminum pocket pieces l ^ inches in diameter, Republic of Panama for extra copies for distribution to embassies, miniatures of the medallion, have been ordered as souvenirs, along with decals reproducing the face of consulates, schools. and the medallion. October 5, 1962 The Bridge by Night Dedicated - To Service missions. He held THE ONLY surviving member of the the foreign diplomatic 1910, until Isthmian Canal Commission will be this position from May 13, present October 12 at the ceremonies to August 8, 1913. has long been associated be held to dedicate the impressive new His name the Isthmus of bridge which bears his name. with matters relating to On two occasions he has been He is Maurice H. Thatcher, a man Panama. Gorgas Institute and who celebrated his 92d birthday in president of the "Panama August and whose enthusiasm and was one of the founders of the Washington. In addition, he vitality won for him the unofficial title Society" of with the Isthmian of the "First Governor of the Canal is closely connected which was organized Zone." He was, in fact, the youngest Historical Society, member of a group of extraordinary at his suggestion. from 1922 men which included Col. W. L. Sibert, For five consecutive terms, Thatcher was elected to Joseph Bucklin Bishop, Adm. H. H. until 1933, Mr. Representatives from Rousseau, Col. Harrv F. Hodges, Col. the U.S. House of Ky. It was David D. Gaillard,' Col. William C. the district of Louisville, Goethals. during these years that he introduced Gorgas, and Col. George W. H. Thatcher. the ferry serv- Maurice Mr. Thatcher served as Chief of the legislation which created as Civil Administration ice across the Canal later known Department of of Tropical and possible construc- Memorial Institute which controlled Canal Zone civil affairs Thatcher Ferry, made Preventive Medicine. the tion of a road connecting the west ter- and included the representation of on behalf of the with the town of Tireless in his efforts Commission in its rela- minal of the ferry Isthmian Canal (See p. 19) established the Gorgas tions with the Republic of Panama and Arraijan, and The Panama Canal Review And by Day Free, Permanent Transit THE $20 MILLION high level bridge rup, Parcel & Associates of St. Louis, manufactured in West Germany as a across the Panama Canal at Balboa, a Mo. Governor Potter named a construc- joint venture by four firms. U.S. Treatv commitment, assures free, tion advisory board whose members The steel started to arrive on the permanent transit of vehicles and pedes- were Ralph A. Tudor, structural engi- Isthmus in June and July of 1961. In trians from one bank of the Canal to neer; Dr. R. P. Davis, structural engi- August, a crew of 75 specially trained the other. neer; F. C. Turner, chief engineer in steel construction men arrived from the Such a bridge was one of the principal the office of public roads; E. B. United States. These men, skilled in the stipulations of the Remon-Eisenhower Burwell, Jr., geologist; and Aymar work of erecting bridge spans, did the Treaty and Memorandum of Under- Embury II, architect, all experts in their actual work of joining 15,000 tons of standing signed between Panama and special fields. steel with bolted connections. the United States in 1955. The contract for construction of the Fabrication of structural steel for the The US. Congress, in 1956. approved substructure was awarded in 1959 to bridge was completed in Germany in an appropriation of S20 million for Fruin-Colnon International, S. A., and January 1962, and by the end of that the design and construction of the LeBoeuf and Dougherty, Inc., a joint month all fabricated steel, with the permanent bridge across the Canal. venture from St. Louis, Mo. Some diffi- exception of some minor parts, had been This bridge replaces the Thatcher culties were encountered by the sub- shipped to the Isthmus. Ferry service, which had been used the structure contractor in satisfactorily The bridge is 5,425 feet long, with past 30 years as a means of communica- completing the two largest cofferdams the longest single span, directly over the tion between the east and west banks erected at the water pier sites. Canal channel, measuring 1,128 feet. of the Canal. In order to excavate to firm rock and The highest portion of the bridge is Construction started on December 23, pour concrete footings "in the dry" for 384 feet above the average level of the 1958, with an official ceremony in which the water piers, cofferdams of the open, Canal. The lowest portion of the struc- former President of Panama Ernesto de internally-braced single-wall tvpe were ture is 201 feet above the Canal at high la Guardia, Jr.. and former Canal Zone used. All piers and abutments were normal tide. Governor \V. E. Potter participated. completed in November 1961. The bridge has four traffic lanes and Other Panamanian dignitaries present Foundations of the bridge consist of a pedestrian walk, with three traffic- included the Minister of Public Works, reinforced concrete abutments, with the lanes and a pedestrian walk on the Roberto Lopez Fabrega. Silver shovels water piers resting on firm rock and the approaches. The roadway is of 7-inch were used to turn the first shovelfuls of land piers on clusters of cylindrical reinforced concrete, which rests on steel earth at the base of Farfan Hill. reinforced concrete caissons which beam and girder framework. It was not until September 1959, that extend down to firm rock. The lighting system provides actual work began. The midget dredge The largest contract in connection 1,600,000 "lumens" of light from 80 Mandinga began excavation of a with the bridge, for the superstructure, mercury vapor lights, 16 aerial and sea channel parallel to the location of the was awarded in February 1960, to John navigation lights, and 3 flashing hazard bridge piers, to facilitate access to the F. Beaslev Construction Co. of Dallas. lights, one at each end of the bridge, piei sites. Tex., on a bid of $9,199,000. The con- another in the center at the highest The bridge was designed bv Sverd- tract included furnishing structural steel point of the bridge.