The kiss of the oceans (1915)

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Panama Canal links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the narrow Isthmus of Panama. The length of the Panama Canal from the seacoast to the seacoast is approximately 65 kilometers or 40 miles.

Panama Canal opened on August 15, 1914, was one of the two most strategic artificial canals globally, the other being the Suez Canal.

France began work on the canal in 1881 but stopped due to a high worker mortality rate. The U.S. took over the project in 1904 and controlled it until 1979.

Annual traffic has risen from about 1,000 ships in 1914, when the canal opened, to 815,000 vessels in 2012, which carried about 213 million metric tons of cargo.

Below is a propaganda map describing the effort expended in building the canal.

“What everyone should know. Canal Statistics.
Length of Canal: 50,5 miles
Culebra cut depth: 300 feet.
Locks in pairs: 12
Locks usable length: 1000 feet
… width 110 feet
Excavation estimated total: 174.666.596 cubic yards
… by french useful: 29.908.000 cubic yards
Concrete total estimate: 5.000.000 cubic yards
Time of transit through the canal: 10 to 12 hours.
Canal forces actually at work: 39.000
Canal Company formed by the French – 1879
… work began – 1881.
Eight years work cost: $300.000.000
Work began by U.S. May 4, 1904
The U.S. paid the French Canal Company: $40.000.000
The U.S. paid the Republic of Panama: $10.000.000
Cost of Canal Total Over $375.000.000
Date of Completion: January 1st, 1915
Shortening of route New York City to San Francisco: 8415 miles
A yearly saving of millions to the shipping world.”