OCR Text |
Show PANAMA CANAL IS OPENJDVESSELS STEAMSHIP OWNED BY UNITED STATES MAKES FIRST OFFICIAL PASSAGE IN NINE HOURS. War Vessels Now May Use New Highway Between Oceans in Accordance Ac-cordance With Provisions of Hay-Pauncefote Treaty. Panama. The Panama canal is open to the commerce of the world. Henceforth ships may pass to and fro through the great waterway which establishes a new ocean highway high-way for trade. The steamship Ancon, owned by the United States war department, vith many notable people on board, on Saturday made the official passage which signalized the opening of the canal. She left Cristobal at 7 o'clock Saturday morning and reached Balboa, on the Pacific end, at 4 o'clock Saturday Sat-urday afternoon, having navigated the waterway in nine hours. The Ancon did not anchor at Balboa, Bal-boa, but proceeded into deep water in the Pacific beyond the fortified islands, where sh anchored in the channel of the canil until her return to Balboa, when she landed her passengers. pas-sengers. The Ancon will remain at the Balboa Bal-boa docks for some time, discharge-ing discharge-ing her cargo, this being the first commercial voyage made through the canal. |