Show PlAN TO OPEN CANAl TO GOMME COMMERCE GE ON AUGUST 16 15 WASHINGTON July 24 War N.-War War department de der officials today were perfecting plans for the opening of tho the Panama canal to commerce on Au August st 16 15 Tho The vessel which would be beon given on the tho honor honorof of leading a fleet of merchantmen through the great waterway had not notI been determined upon but it was I j n a le lc that the Christobal n a war nr department department depart depart- I ment steamer would be selected elected No ceremonies will mark the climax of years of toil involved in in digging ig n the big ditch across the backbone of the continent That will wait until the official opening opening open open- in ing in March 1915 when an international international fleet of warships will pass through the waterway and up the tho Pacific Pa coast Secretary G Garrison mison in announcing the date of tho the canals canal's opening stated that at this time ships not needing more than thirty feet of water tater could be bo accommodated dated in the tho pass passage e between tho two oceans A greater depth will be bo available available avail avail- able later Inter Some Somo of the navys navy's dread dread- might now grope ropo t through rou h the tho canal but Secretary Daniels said ho he would not venture the tb a passage e of a battleship bat bat- battleship until deeper draught was reached reache Construction Boat Holds Honor While the Cristobal probably will be bt selected as the first commercial vessel cs sol solto to pass through the canal yet ot the tho distinction distinction dis dis- of f being the first steam vessel to i no o through tb thereat i reat waterway 1 belongs belongs be be- longs to the Alex La Valley a crane construction boat Her IIer passage e occurred occurred oc oc- oc in the ordinary cour course e of canal work January 7 7 La Valley Captain Carter commanding command in lug ing had been working on the tho Atlantic entrance She crept along the canal I passing through h tho the Culebra cut soon after the tho Gamboa dike was blown up and before tho the great earth slides had thoroughly thorough developed nn and and- partially Martially JI clo closed ed the tho canal None but tho the crow was aboard when La Valley on tho the lost last stage of her journey through the canal left Pedro Miguel loc at on tho tio morning of January 7 j passed through h the Miraflores lock at 1015 a a. a m m. m and reached the Pacific channel at 1105 The first man to go 0 through the tho canal was Alfred Brown an nn American who ho swain from the Gatun locks to Balboa Balboa a adi di distance tance of oC thirty miles on November 24 4 la last t in sixteen hours and thirty five minutes actual 8 swimming time The Tho first vessel to pass completely around South American Americas by hy way war of or tho the canal was tho the tut Reliance Capt R. R C. C Thompson which sailed from Colon February 11 14 1 1912 oya voyaged ed miles around mound South America and returned to the Atlantic ocean through Gatun locks February 1 I last Jat |