History behind world’s eighth wonder
East Kilbride Probus Club president Barclay Sinclair introduced speaker Malcolm Boyd.
Malcolm was a marine engineer for seven years on bulk cargo ships and container ships.
He spoke about the Panama Canal and pointed out that, although the sea route is between east and west, the canal was actually cut almost north to south in Panama.
At first a path was hacked through the jungle so the boats could dock at one end then offload ont o carts. The cargo was taken 50 miles to the other side of the country and reloaded on to other boats. This was about 1528.
In 1849 gold was discovered in the Yukon. Getting there meant a 3000-mile trail across America or taking the boat/ cart/boat across the isthmus of Panama.
Serious efforts were made by the French to dig out the canal but eventually the Americans bought them out for $100 million.
The French equipment was not up to the task so the Americans, under the army, brought in huge steam shovels and other equipment and finished the job by 1913/14.
Workers had to contend with yellow fever and malaria and there were 25,000 lives lost over the 34 years it took to build it from 1880.
It was designed to take the biggest ship of the time, the Titanic, which in its short life never made it. Using the canal could save time and fuel by taking 7872 miles off a journey.
During World War II the Japanese built one or two subs especially to sabotage the canal. They were designed to take a plane, which was brought out after surfacing and could then bomb the canal over three sorties.
They trialled it by dropping incendiary bombs to Oregon. However, the war ended so it was never actually used.
New locks were built in 2006 to allow bigger ships to go through.
However, competition is in the air as the Chinese are spending some $5 billion just to survey a completely new route through Nicaragua, further north.
Mr Boyd wound up his talk by saying the the Panama Canal was the eighth wonder of the world.
The vote of thanks was given by Bill Lennie, who said the talk had been excellent.
The next meeting is today at 2pm for 2.30pm in the Old Parish Church hall, Glebe Street, East Kilbride.
Nigel Lawrie will talk on ‘My Ideal Dinner Party Guests’.
The meeting will start 15 minutes earlier for a group photo.