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Something is 103 Years Old Today!


BillB48
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Don't know if there is cake or something celebratory to drink, but the Panama Canal was opened 103 years ago today on August 15, 1914. Below is a picture of the SS Ancon passing through Culebra Cut marking the first "official" transit. The Cut was first named Culebra which was later changed to honor Col. David Gaillard, the engineer in charge of that section of the Canal during the construction. Col. Gaillard passed away about 8 months before the Canal was opened. Since 2000 the Cut has been called by its original name, Culebra.

 

While the Ancon has the official title of the first transit, it is really was at least the third transit through the Canal. For those interested in the trivial parts of history, the crane boat Alexandre La Valle made the first transit of the Canal from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The La Valle was veteran of the French effort and was used by the US during the construction of the Canal. The transit was not made as a result of a single continuous transit, but rather worked its way through the Canal during construction finally winding up on the Pacific side. About 2 weeks before the Ancon's official transit, a sister ship to the Ancon, the Cristobal, made a complete transit from the Atlantic to the Pacific delivering a load of cement.

 

The Ancon and Cristobal were part of a 3 ship fleet operated be the Canal to support the construction of the Canal.

 

The SS Ancon in Culebra Cut... the location of the picture is in the vicinity where the Centennial Bridge is currently located.

 

2m3gphs.jpg

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