THE PANAMA CANAL HANDLING FLEETS OF LARGE SHIPS.
(MOM OUR OWN CORBESPONDBNT.) SAN FRANCISCO, 12th Feb. . Both in this country and in England — according to cabled newspaper reportsconsiderable apprehension is felt regarding the ability and preparedness of tho Panama Canal to handle fleets of large ships. The landslides in the Culebra Cut are constantly causing trouble, as is admitted by the canal authorities, and recently, it was reported the -waterway •was to bo closed indefinitely because of the unfavourable conditions. This report was conveyed "to the authorities by the British . representative at Panama, ■who asked to be informed of the actual conditions in the interests of the shipping of Great Britain. The report seems, however, to have been an exaggeration, doubtless having arisen from the fact that the formal opening of the c&nal had been postponed from March to June, because Colonel Goethale had informed President Wilson he could not guarantee that large battleships could be sent through next month. According to the canal officials, the condition of th© channel k better to-day than it has been at any time since October last, ■when it wis^ closed for more than a week on account of a landslide. On the day the request for information was made by tho British representative five vessels of heavy draft safely navigated the -waterway, and in the following' week steamers drawing 31ft of water were put through, ' Since, it was thrown open to the world's traffic there has been a constant increase of the use of the canal. In December shipments aggregating 451,024 tons passed through the -waterway, the largest total in any one month so far. This m made up as follows : — .From the Pacific Coast of America to the Atlantic Coast and to Europe. 196,156 tons; from the Atlantic Coast of America to Pacific Coast ports, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Siberia, South America, and Balboa, 131,033 tons; other westbound traffic, aggregating in all 179,145 tons, emanated from Europe, Cristobal, and Gulf ports.
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Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 57, 9 March 1915, Page 8
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329THE PANAMA CANAL HANDLING FLEETS OF LARGE SHIPS. Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 57, 9 March 1915, Page 8
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