The Panama Canal document summarizes the history and construction of the Panama Canal in three paragraphs. It discusses how President Theodore Roosevelt took the opportunity to build the canal in 1901. It describes the early engineering challenges and how John Stevens took a different approach by prioritizing worker living conditions and health. It notes that Stevens realized using a lock system would be more practical than digging to sea level. The summary concludes by stating the canal took 34 years to complete, cost a total of $639 million, and saw over 25,000 deaths between the United States and France efforts.

1. The Panama Canal By Talitha Skarnas

2. Panama Canal In 1901 President Theodore Roosevelt snatched up the opportunity to build the Canal. The first chief engineer (John Finley Wallace) quit after one very unsuccessful year. John Stevens was appointed in his place. Stevens took a very different approach to the project than previous engineers. He realized that dealing with the living conditions was paramount to success and authorized Dr. William Gorgasto handle the medical aspect of this. Stevens also commissioned the building of commissaries and better housing, as well as adding things like sidewalks to the surrounding area. He realized that digging to sea level, as the French had proposed, was impractical, and that a system of locks would be more efficient. Stevens use of the day’s technology was the key to his success. He brought in trains to move the day- often having 200 hundred train loads per day removing dirt. Much of the dirt was used to build a dam at the Chagres River, at the time becoming the largest man made lake. In 1907 Stevens quit, for unknown reasons.

3. Panama Canal Dr. William Gorgas was authorized by John Stevens to eradicate diseases that had plagued workers since the start of construction. Gorgas had worked with Walter Reed in Cuba to eradicate yellow fever there and knew that mosquitoes were the carrier. However prior to Stevens’ appointment he faced resistance to this new concept, and was not given sufficient funding to prevent the disease. Once Stevens authorized it, Gorgas used the proven methods to prevent the disease, such as removing standing water in ditches (a breeding zone for the mosquito borne disease) and installing screens on windows. He ordered cleaning supplies, including soap and carbolic acid, in the thousands. He also purchased $90,000 in window screens. Dr. Gorgas also brought the idea of fumigation with him, which was eventually used in every house in Panama, ultimately assisting in eradicating the disease. Gorgas went on to be the 22nd US Surgeon General.

4. Panama Canal The Panama Canal took a total of 34 years to construct (including the years the French worked on it) It cost the United State $352 million, and France $287 million. (Total $639 million) That’s today’s equivalent of $7 billion. The US saw 5,609 fatalities, of which 4,500 were black. France saw over 20,000 dead. It takes on average 9 hours to cross the 50 mile canal. Approximately 12,000 ships sail through each year. It is managed by around 8,000 employees, most of which are Panamanians.