1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:03,239 Speaker 1: Hey, everyone, hope you're having a good weekend. Chuck Bryant. 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:06,480 Speaker 1: Here ho host of the podcast you're listening to, and 3 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:09,520 Speaker 1: I am in charge with picking this week's stuff you 4 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:12,680 Speaker 1: should know. Select episode. It is from April to two, 5 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:16,960 Speaker 1: the day after April Fool's Day. But I don't worry. 6 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:19,800 Speaker 1: This isn't how three D printing works. When I famously 7 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:23,639 Speaker 1: fake quit and was replaced by Ben Bowling. No, no, no, 8 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:27,320 Speaker 1: this is the episode about the Panama Canal. So interesting. 9 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 1: I love civic projects. I love huge, um unwieldy projects 10 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:35,040 Speaker 1: that seem impossible to complete, and the Panama Canal was 11 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:38,080 Speaker 1: and is that? So? I know you're gonna love this one. Everyone, 12 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:44,240 Speaker 1: how the Panama Canal works. Welcome to Stuff you should 13 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:53,120 Speaker 1: know from House Stuff Works dot com. Hey, and welcome 14 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 1: to the podcast. I'm Josh Clark. Uh with me is 15 00:00:56,360 --> 00:01:00,200 Speaker 1: always a child's w Chuck Bryant. And that's if you 16 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: should know the podcast. The two of us together, a 17 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 1: couple of mincs, our voices. You know what I've been 18 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:11,080 Speaker 1: singing all day, of course, Panama over and over and 19 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:13,080 Speaker 1: I just whistled it and Jerry was, well, now I 20 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:15,399 Speaker 1: got that stuck in my head. Yeah. When we were 21 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:17,760 Speaker 1: growing up, my sister I was singing it and I 22 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 1: realized that she was singing turn and Run? Like what 23 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 1: what she's like that song? That Van Halen song, like 24 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:27,480 Speaker 1: don't be an idiot? She thought that's what they were saying. Yeah, 25 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:30,680 Speaker 1: that's so interesting because there's so many misinterpreted song lyrics 26 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:33,480 Speaker 1: famously over the years, but I never have heard Panama 27 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 1: as being one of them. Yeah, especially since the song 28 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 1: is named Panama. Yeah parentheses, turn and run? Right, Maybe 29 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 1: they were talking about the people who were working on 30 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 1: the early French effort to build a canal and Panama. Yeah, boy, 31 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 1: that didn't go over so well. We'll get to that, okay, spoiler, 32 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:56,480 Speaker 1: the French didn't build the Panama Canal. I thought we 33 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 1: were gonna get to it right now. All right. Do 34 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 1: you want to talk about Da Gama Balboa? Which one? 35 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 1: Which one is? George Costanza's favorite explorer was a da 36 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:10,840 Speaker 1: Gama or Balboa? O? Man, it was one of the two? 37 00:02:11,040 --> 00:02:14,720 Speaker 1: Da Gama, was it? Yeah? I think so? Okay, Um 38 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 1: that was a funny conversation though, Um so, Yeah. Balboa 39 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 1: back in the day was was wandering around in a 40 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: region called Darien and he summoned to the peak there 41 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:29,520 Speaker 1: and was like, holy cow. If I look this away, 42 00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:32,360 Speaker 1: I see the Pacific Ocean, and if I look at 43 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:35,079 Speaker 1: that a way, I see the Atlantic Ocean or the Caribbean. 44 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:38,720 Speaker 1: And the only thing between these two big bodies of 45 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:42,639 Speaker 1: water it's this little isthmus of land. Yeah. I'm gonna 46 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 1: have a lot of trouble with that word. That's okay, 47 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:48,080 Speaker 1: just say strip, okay. So the strip of land here 48 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 1: is the only thing in between, and we should figure 49 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 1: out a way to use this as a as a thoroughfare. Yeah, yeah, 50 00:02:56,480 --> 00:03:01,000 Speaker 1: because this is it. This connects the world us exactly. 51 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: At the time, the Spanish we're trying to trade with 52 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:07,919 Speaker 1: the um Chinese and we're doing a pretty good job 53 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:09,680 Speaker 1: of it in the Philippines, and the best way to 54 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:12,960 Speaker 1: get to that was to come across the Atlantic and 55 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: go into the Pacific. It worked very, very well. And 56 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:20,679 Speaker 1: the idea of just having a place where you could 57 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:23,160 Speaker 1: go straight through rather than go all the way down 58 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:27,800 Speaker 1: South America and then back up it was just mind boggling. 59 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 1: It's like you said, it opened up the world. This 60 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:33,000 Speaker 1: guy got it immediately. The problem was it would take 61 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:35,920 Speaker 1: about four dred more years before anyone finally got around 62 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:40,600 Speaker 1: to completing it successfully. Well, yeah, and forget the rest 63 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 1: of the world. The United States just like, Hey, I 64 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 1: want to ship this by boat from New York to 65 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 1: San Francisco. How can I do that? I can just 66 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 1: like kind of sneak around Florida, right Nope, blocked? Right, Well, 67 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:54,520 Speaker 1: then what do I gotta do? You gotta go eight 68 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 1: thousand miles nautical miles around South America to get to 69 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 1: California or um, you know when you and I were 70 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 1: in Nicaragua, we were in a town that in the 71 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 1: nineteenth century was a way station for minor forty niners 72 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 1: going on to California, and um, they would sail on 73 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:14,119 Speaker 1: to Nicaragua, take a train, and then ship out from 74 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 1: Nicaragua up to California. Except the handful that was like 75 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:19,680 Speaker 1: I think I might just kick it here exactly. Yeah, 76 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:22,800 Speaker 1: I bet you there were some du oh, definitely, I'm sure. Um, 77 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:25,840 Speaker 1: but yeah, there was there was a continent in the way, 78 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:28,680 Speaker 1: in the idea that it was just this little narrow 79 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:32,359 Speaker 1: strip of land that that made a lot of people 80 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:35,120 Speaker 1: say this is the place to be. In the sixteenth 81 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 1: or know, the eighteenth century, the Scottish showed up. They 82 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 1: tried to establish an outpost, failed spectacularly. Yeah, that's there's 83 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:47,720 Speaker 1: a great um section in about it. Yeah. Um, the 84 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 1: Spanish were there, the French were there. Uh, they established 85 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 1: pretty good outposts there. It was very clear that this 86 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 1: little area which was then part of Colombia is now 87 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:01,599 Speaker 1: present day Panama, was going to be a hoping spot 88 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:04,640 Speaker 1: because there was no thinner portion of the North or 89 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:07,400 Speaker 1: South American continents than this one, and everyone needed to 90 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 1: figure out a way to get through. Yeah. And it 91 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:11,480 Speaker 1: wasn't as easy as like, hey, let's just dredge all 92 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:14,599 Speaker 1: this sand and let the waters meet, because that's not 93 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:18,479 Speaker 1: too hard. It's like dense jungle and mountains and the 94 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:22,280 Speaker 1: continental divide. Yeah, so it's it's My first thought was like, 95 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 1: how hard could it have been? I didn't realize how 96 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 1: treacherous that area was. Yeah, and I think that, um, 97 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:30,120 Speaker 1: that Balboa and a lot of people who succeeded him, 98 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:33,800 Speaker 1: I thought the same thing, like how hard is it? 99 00:05:33,839 --> 00:05:36,760 Speaker 1: But it is like, that's that continental divide. That's a 100 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:38,560 Speaker 1: tough thing to break through. That's why they call it 101 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:41,120 Speaker 1: a divide. Yeah. Well that's where two tech time plates 102 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:43,320 Speaker 1: to come together and form a mountain range and like 103 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:47,640 Speaker 1: that's you're cutting through not one, but two tech time plates. 104 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:51,880 Speaker 1: Everybody wrap your head around that. Seriously, let's talk about it, 105 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:56,360 Speaker 1: because obviously we were successful eventually. But the first attempt 106 00:05:56,520 --> 00:05:59,719 Speaker 1: was not in the first attempt, it was by the French, yeah, 107 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 1: who in the eighteen twenties, I believe, started to undertake 108 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:06,320 Speaker 1: a what is known as a sea level canal, which 109 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 1: is basically they were going to cut their way straight 110 00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:12,760 Speaker 1: through the Isthmus of Panama. That's right. And canals were 111 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:15,200 Speaker 1: all the rage at the time because of steam technology. 112 00:06:15,440 --> 00:06:17,440 Speaker 1: So all of a sudden you didn't have to use 113 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:20,800 Speaker 1: the very cool and quaint towpath and have a mule 114 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:24,760 Speaker 1: walk alongside of a river or canal. Well, yeah, a 115 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:26,640 Speaker 1: lot of them now are like jogging trails and stuff, 116 00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:30,720 Speaker 1: you know, which you know, that's great, it makes for 117 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:33,400 Speaker 1: good us exactly. I don't see any mules on them 118 00:06:34,279 --> 00:06:36,960 Speaker 1: these days. But it's great that people can use these 119 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:41,800 Speaker 1: topas now too, you know, it's like a nature trail. Yeah, um, yes, 120 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:45,440 Speaker 1: So the steam technology gave the French the idea that 121 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:47,839 Speaker 1: hey man, we can we can build a sea level 122 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:50,360 Speaker 1: canal here because we can just dig right through it. 123 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:53,080 Speaker 1: We have steam. We don't need the mules for the 124 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:56,159 Speaker 1: tow paths any longer. All we need is some good 125 00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:58,920 Speaker 1: steam shovels. We're gonna cut right through this continental divide, 126 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:02,520 Speaker 1: right through this jungle. And as a result of this ambition, 127 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:07,440 Speaker 1: twenty thousand people died. Yeah, and um, they were able 128 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:10,520 Speaker 1: to you know, get a little, a little far thanks 129 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:13,960 Speaker 1: to the railroad there in Panama. Believe it or not, 130 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:16,520 Speaker 1: it was the first railroad in the world to connect 131 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:19,520 Speaker 1: both sides of a continent. Wasn't very big, but it 132 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:21,880 Speaker 1: didn't need to be, which is kind of great. But 133 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:25,360 Speaker 1: that allowed the French to get in there. They were 134 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:29,680 Speaker 1: deciding between Nicaragua and Panama at the time. Um, and 135 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:32,120 Speaker 1: they said, like you said, we can do sea level, 136 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:34,280 Speaker 1: we don't need these locks. Yeah. If you look at 137 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 1: a map of Nicaragua and look at Panama, like the 138 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 1: idea of going through Nicaragua over Panama is just nuts. Yeah, 139 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:43,480 Speaker 1: and we'll explain how the locks work. But it essentially 140 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:47,040 Speaker 1: just raises and lowers your ship right for sure, in 141 00:07:47,080 --> 00:07:50,200 Speaker 1: a little like bay station of water that's flooded and 142 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:53,560 Speaker 1: then drained. Actually, that's how a lock works. So the 143 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 1: French organized this thing called the company Universal Duca Now 144 00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:02,840 Speaker 1: enter they cute and uh, led by a guy named 145 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:06,880 Speaker 1: Ferdinand Lesseps who had created a sea level canal through 146 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:10,480 Speaker 1: the Suez that connected the Mediterranean and the Red Seas. 147 00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:13,400 Speaker 1: It was a big deal. So they brought him in 148 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:15,640 Speaker 1: and he's like, sure, we'll do another sea level canal. 149 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 1: I'm feeling good about this. Like I did the Suez 150 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:20,280 Speaker 1: Canal with my eyes closed, exactly, Like I can do 151 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:22,120 Speaker 1: this with one arm tied behind my back. Well, he 152 00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:24,280 Speaker 1: didn't realize was that digging through a bunch of sand 153 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:27,960 Speaker 1: is not like digging through two tectonic plates and a 154 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:31,400 Speaker 1: bunch of jungle and malaria. Uh. And like I said, 155 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:33,920 Speaker 1: twenty thousand people died as a result of this. Like 156 00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 1: this guy was like, no, we can do it. We 157 00:08:36,160 --> 00:08:37,959 Speaker 1: can do it. We're gonna do a sea level canal. 158 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:39,760 Speaker 1: We can do it. And then finally it was like, 159 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:42,000 Speaker 1: I don't think we can do this. It was too late. 160 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:44,200 Speaker 1: A lot a lot a lot of people were dead 161 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:48,800 Speaker 1: from yellow fever, in malaria, from accidents. Um. It's privately financed, 162 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:51,839 Speaker 1: so a lot of people lost a lot of money too. Exactly. 163 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:56,319 Speaker 1: This company goes under well, he tried to salvage it though. 164 00:08:56,360 --> 00:09:01,280 Speaker 1: First he tried to hire Gustav Eiffel of Eiffel Tower fame, right, 165 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:04,840 Speaker 1: and said, hey, I think we need those locks after all, um, 166 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:07,800 Speaker 1: and you're good at building big steel things, so can 167 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:10,320 Speaker 1: you help? And he was like, of course I can. 168 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:12,319 Speaker 1: And then it was too late though that the business 169 00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:15,199 Speaker 1: was done right, and they had done a little bit. Well, 170 00:09:15,240 --> 00:09:18,360 Speaker 1: they had done a lot, Like they made eleven miles 171 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:20,679 Speaker 1: of canal up to that point. Not bad, it's about 172 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:22,600 Speaker 1: a quarter of the way there, right, But this was 173 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:27,000 Speaker 1: the when did they start chuck the eighteen Yeah, so 174 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:29,280 Speaker 1: chuck as we understand it, they started in the eighteen 175 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:33,840 Speaker 1: twenties and this thing went bust by nineteen o two, 176 00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:38,320 Speaker 1: I believe. Well that's when Congress. I mean they were 177 00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:40,199 Speaker 1: busts before that, but that's when the US stepped in 178 00:09:40,240 --> 00:09:43,080 Speaker 1: and said, hey, we'll buy your junk. Oh I'm sorry. 179 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:49,240 Speaker 1: Eight So in like sixties, about sixty years they they 180 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:52,080 Speaker 1: had managed to dig eleven miles of canal, build a 181 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:54,240 Speaker 1: bunch of buildings. They had a lot of equipment and 182 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:58,679 Speaker 1: supplies there. Um, and yeah, the US said, we smell 183 00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:02,800 Speaker 1: a really really great opportunity. And congres said, let's spend 184 00:10:02,800 --> 00:10:05,600 Speaker 1: some cash. We're feeling good about things these days, where 185 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:10,400 Speaker 1: we annexed Hawaii recently Puerto Rico, Philippines. What else, How 186 00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:14,560 Speaker 1: why not take over this very ambiscious project. Why it's 187 00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:17,120 Speaker 1: the American century by now, and we can stick it 188 00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:19,840 Speaker 1: to the French at the same time. Exactly, So they 189 00:10:19,880 --> 00:10:21,880 Speaker 1: did this in nineteen o two, UM with the one 190 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:25,160 Speaker 1: stipulation that said, you know what, you guys have to 191 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:28,400 Speaker 1: Columbia controls Panama right now, and you guys have to 192 00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:31,120 Speaker 1: work out a deal with them. And we tried and 193 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:33,120 Speaker 1: that failed. So he said, you know what, We're just 194 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:38,400 Speaker 1: gonna overthrow Columbia then and give the control to the Panamanians. Yeah, 195 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:43,800 Speaker 1: they we supported this Panamanian independence movement and yeah, threw 196 00:10:43,840 --> 00:10:46,800 Speaker 1: off the shackles of Columbia. And Columbia is like, what 197 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:52,080 Speaker 1: did you just do? Because we gain control of that. 198 00:10:52,120 --> 00:10:55,360 Speaker 1: We we followed that congressional mandate and gain control of 199 00:10:55,400 --> 00:11:00,160 Speaker 1: this Panama Canal zone. Basically, the swath uh that went 200 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:05,080 Speaker 1: through Panama was considered American soil thanks to a treaty 201 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:08,720 Speaker 1: UM from my believe nineteen o two, the hey Bunal 202 00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:12,720 Speaker 1: Varia treaty UM where Panama signed over the canal zone. 203 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:15,840 Speaker 1: There was no Spanish translation of this treaty. Yeah, so 204 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:19,000 Speaker 1: basically the U S went in over through Colombian control 205 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:23,640 Speaker 1: of Panama, supported Panamanian independence and then rob Panama of 206 00:11:23,679 --> 00:11:27,480 Speaker 1: its canal one fell in like a year, yeah, and 207 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:29,400 Speaker 1: Columbia is like, well, just I guess we'll just start 208 00:11:29,440 --> 00:11:33,120 Speaker 1: exporting cocaine and massive exactly, we'll get you back one day. 209 00:11:33,520 --> 00:11:36,600 Speaker 1: So um. In the end, they paid about forty million 210 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:39,320 Speaker 1: bucks in nineteen o four for the assets of this 211 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:42,200 Speaker 1: French company, just a lot of money back then, and 212 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:46,680 Speaker 1: about ten million dollars um as this very cheeky article 213 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:52,200 Speaker 1: by the way, did you notice um they offered they 214 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:55,480 Speaker 1: she referred to it as um alimony of sorts to 215 00:11:55,679 --> 00:11:59,160 Speaker 1: Panama ten million bucks to get gain the rights to 216 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:02,400 Speaker 1: this canal zone. And basically, hey, we're gonna run the show. 217 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:05,480 Speaker 1: We're gonna finish your canal from the eleven mile mark 218 00:12:06,080 --> 00:12:09,040 Speaker 1: to the you know, to the ocean where it belongs. 219 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:10,960 Speaker 1: And like you said, I think there was a certain 220 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:14,600 Speaker 1: amount of snub to it, right, probably so um, but 221 00:12:14,640 --> 00:12:16,360 Speaker 1: they said, you know what we gotta do first, though, 222 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:19,120 Speaker 1: is we have to decide on if we can go 223 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:22,240 Speaker 1: sea level. Um, like, was it just the French were 224 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:25,400 Speaker 1: incompetent or is it really impossible to do sea level? Yeah, 225 00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:27,880 Speaker 1: like we need to do our own due diligence basically, 226 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:32,880 Speaker 1: And they did that, and Theodore Roosevelt chose chief engineer 227 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:35,240 Speaker 1: John Frank Stevens, and he was like, it's all about 228 00:12:35,240 --> 00:12:37,760 Speaker 1: the locks, dudes. If you want to canal here, you 229 00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:40,760 Speaker 1: can have to go over these mountains, not through them. Right. 230 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:44,160 Speaker 1: So here's the thing. And this is just brilliant because 231 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:47,960 Speaker 1: there was another problem with this isthmus And there's this 232 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:52,400 Speaker 1: thing called the Chagres River and it is very temperamental. 233 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:56,680 Speaker 1: It was prone to flooding. All sorts of crazy stuff 234 00:12:56,880 --> 00:12:59,000 Speaker 1: associated with this river. So not only did you have 235 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:01,320 Speaker 1: the continental divide, the jungle and the malaria to deal 236 00:13:01,360 --> 00:13:03,680 Speaker 1: with once you completed it, what were you gonna do 237 00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:06,600 Speaker 1: with this river? Stevens came up with this great idea 238 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:09,560 Speaker 1: that you go over the mountains, and you go over 239 00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:11,719 Speaker 1: the mountains. You killed two birds with one stone by 240 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:14,559 Speaker 1: damming the river, and you create a lake that will 241 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:18,719 Speaker 1: carry you over the mountains. Like, yeah, I'm sure that's 242 00:13:18,720 --> 00:13:20,920 Speaker 1: not pronounced correctly. Think about that. That is one of 243 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:24,200 Speaker 1: the most brilliant feats of engineering I've ever heard of, 244 00:13:24,360 --> 00:13:28,240 Speaker 1: the Panama Canal. Yeah, but that's specific aspect of it 245 00:13:29,040 --> 00:13:31,000 Speaker 1: damming the river to create a lake so you can 246 00:13:31,040 --> 00:13:34,600 Speaker 1: go over the mountains. Yeah, that's just incredibly beautiful the 247 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:36,160 Speaker 1: whole thing too. And at the time, dude in the 248 00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:38,440 Speaker 1: early nineteen hundreds is just like, it's amazing that they 249 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:40,640 Speaker 1: could pull us off. Yeah, because they're all wearing like 250 00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:43,840 Speaker 1: knickers and stuff. Yeah, it's very there's some awesome documentaries 251 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:45,600 Speaker 1: out there, by the way, you should watch. In fact, 252 00:13:45,640 --> 00:13:49,839 Speaker 1: there's one. There's one cool. Just go to the YouTube's 253 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:53,640 Speaker 1: and uh, put in time laps Panama Canal and it 254 00:13:53,679 --> 00:13:56,160 Speaker 1: takes you the full route in like a minute and 255 00:13:56,200 --> 00:13:58,520 Speaker 1: a half. Nice and said eight to ten hours. And 256 00:13:58,559 --> 00:13:59,880 Speaker 1: it's kind of neat. You know. The boat goes in 257 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:04,360 Speaker 1: and sinks and then not sinks but lowers and then raises, 258 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:06,160 Speaker 1: and then it tools along in the lake for a 259 00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:09,240 Speaker 1: little while and then sinks and lowers and raises and yeah, 260 00:14:09,280 --> 00:14:11,760 Speaker 1: because it's like an eight to ten hour transit right 261 00:14:12,559 --> 00:14:16,600 Speaker 1: from from deep water to deep water eight to ten hours. Yeah, 262 00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:18,720 Speaker 1: depending on your boat. I guess once you finally get 263 00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:22,080 Speaker 1: clearance to go through. That's right, So he's damned up. 264 00:14:22,120 --> 00:14:26,920 Speaker 1: The river created got tuned lake. Um ships going towards 265 00:14:26,920 --> 00:14:30,040 Speaker 1: the Pacific kind of enter it uh Lemon Bay in 266 00:14:30,080 --> 00:14:33,800 Speaker 1: the Caribbean, go through a couple of locks upward and 267 00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:37,040 Speaker 1: just it's like walking up steps basically, except it's a 268 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:39,360 Speaker 1: big boat and it's done with water. And then they 269 00:14:39,440 --> 00:14:41,480 Speaker 1: navigate through that lake for a little while and then 270 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:46,040 Speaker 1: go towards Panama City through another series of locks and down, down, 271 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:50,640 Speaker 1: down over the mountains and boom, you are connected to 272 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:53,120 Speaker 1: the rest of the world. Right, So when they when 273 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:57,720 Speaker 1: they um agreed on the lock method, they had one 274 00:14:57,760 --> 00:14:59,960 Speaker 1: other thing to handle. And that's why the scott is 275 00:15:00,520 --> 00:15:04,160 Speaker 1: maybe they were getting confused with locks meaning lakes, right, 276 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:06,680 Speaker 1: maybe that's a bunch of locks. They're like, where are 277 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:08,960 Speaker 1: all the locks? They're like they're right there. They're like, no, 278 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:13,080 Speaker 1: but where are the locks? So there was one other 279 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:17,160 Speaker 1: big problem that had leveled the French effort, which was 280 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:21,840 Speaker 1: um yellow fever, which you can be immune to if 281 00:15:21,920 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 1: you're exposed to it in childhood, but if you're from 282 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:28,440 Speaker 1: New York, you're not. So you go down to Panama 283 00:15:28,560 --> 00:15:31,360 Speaker 1: and you are stung by a mosquito and you die. Um. 284 00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:34,640 Speaker 1: The thing is, nobody knew that it was mosquitoes until 285 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:40,000 Speaker 1: a guy named Ronald bross uh in seven studied mosquitoes 286 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:43,640 Speaker 1: in India and found malaria present in their stomachs and 287 00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:47,000 Speaker 1: that it was transmittable through their saliva. Yeah, they didn't 288 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:49,680 Speaker 1: know what it was. They were all sorts of different theories. Yeah, 289 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:55,320 Speaker 1: they thought it was maybe from like unclean living whatever. 290 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:58,000 Speaker 1: When they found out that it was the mosquitoes, they 291 00:15:58,280 --> 00:16:02,400 Speaker 1: that changed everything. So they to this really rigid um 292 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:07,200 Speaker 1: anti mosquito uh program. They cleaned up the country basically 293 00:16:07,280 --> 00:16:10,840 Speaker 1: and basically eradicated came close to eradicating yellow fever in 294 00:16:10,840 --> 00:16:13,840 Speaker 1: the area, which paved the way for this lock system 295 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:16,440 Speaker 1: to be built. Yeah, and you can thank Colonel William 296 00:16:16,480 --> 00:16:21,160 Speaker 1: Gorgas for heading up that sanitation squad. And um, yeah, 297 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:22,760 Speaker 1: I mean it worked, and that was the key, because 298 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:25,240 Speaker 1: you can't have your workers dropping dead of yellow fever 299 00:16:25,280 --> 00:16:28,000 Speaker 1: every day. You have to they have to drop dead 300 00:16:28,040 --> 00:16:31,160 Speaker 1: of landslides. Yeah. Even though a lot of these workers 301 00:16:31,200 --> 00:16:34,480 Speaker 1: were you know, poor black people. I think eighty five 302 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:37,640 Speaker 1: percent of the people that died were black. Um, and 303 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:39,960 Speaker 1: a lot of people still died, but it wasn't like 304 00:16:40,120 --> 00:16:44,480 Speaker 1: the dropping dead from yellow fever, you know. But it's 305 00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:48,080 Speaker 1: still a very dangerous project. Mudslides, all all sorts of drownings, 306 00:16:48,160 --> 00:17:23,120 Speaker 1: things like that. So we've got the the we've got 307 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:27,879 Speaker 1: yellow fever licked. We've settled on the lock system, and 308 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:30,680 Speaker 1: um John Frank Stevens is replaced by a guy named 309 00:17:30,680 --> 00:17:34,760 Speaker 1: Lieutenant Colonel George Washington Gothals and he was a lock 310 00:17:34,960 --> 00:17:37,400 Speaker 1: expert and he looked at the plan and he said, 311 00:17:37,400 --> 00:17:40,760 Speaker 1: you know what, We're gonna divide this up into three sections. 312 00:17:40,920 --> 00:17:43,160 Speaker 1: That makes perfect sense. It does. You've got the Pacific 313 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:46,280 Speaker 1: section that's going to be working from Limon Bay, which 314 00:17:46,320 --> 00:17:48,800 Speaker 1: by the way, means lime in Spanish. Did you know that? 315 00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:53,480 Speaker 1: I did not. Uh. So they're working from Limon Bay 316 00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:56,600 Speaker 1: to the newly created Lake Gatun. Yeah that was the 317 00:17:56,600 --> 00:18:00,000 Speaker 1: Atlantic Division. Yeah, okay, you're right. So the Atlantic divis 318 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:04,560 Speaker 1: is synonymous with the Caribbean um. And then so you've 319 00:18:04,600 --> 00:18:08,320 Speaker 1: got the Atlantic Division working from Gattuned to um or 320 00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:11,399 Speaker 1: Lemont to get tune. You have the Central Division. This 321 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:14,320 Speaker 1: is the hardest part. Yeah, they're working in Lake Gatune 322 00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:19,440 Speaker 1: to basically create a channel through this Continental Divide. You 323 00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:21,440 Speaker 1: don't have to cut sea level, but you you don't 324 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:23,320 Speaker 1: need to make sure these ships aren't gonna like run 325 00:18:23,359 --> 00:18:26,560 Speaker 1: around in a mountain. Um. And then you have the 326 00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:30,399 Speaker 1: Pacific Division, which is working from uh the end of 327 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:34,720 Speaker 1: the Continental Divide pass which is Pedro Miguel locks down 328 00:18:34,760 --> 00:18:39,320 Speaker 1: to the Pacific, right, that's right. And like we said, 329 00:18:39,359 --> 00:18:44,680 Speaker 1: the railway, the Panamanium Railroad is there, and um, we 330 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:47,440 Speaker 1: had like awesome gear at the time. It was no 331 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:51,200 Speaker 1: longer you know, men with chisels and sledgehammers and stuff. 332 00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:56,119 Speaker 1: It was steam shovels, rock drills, dynamite and uh they 333 00:18:56,280 --> 00:19:00,359 Speaker 1: moved ninety six million cubic yards of earth and rock, right, 334 00:19:00,359 --> 00:19:04,280 Speaker 1: which is seventy three million cubic meters, that's right. And 335 00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:06,359 Speaker 1: uh it was really hot though, and it was a 336 00:19:06,359 --> 00:19:09,919 Speaker 1: pretty bad scene and they called that Hell's Gorge and 337 00:19:09,960 --> 00:19:11,520 Speaker 1: it was dangerous and that's where I think most of 338 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:13,840 Speaker 1: the lives were lost on this second pass. Yeah, and 339 00:19:13,840 --> 00:19:16,600 Speaker 1: that was definitely the hardest work, but they made it through. 340 00:19:17,359 --> 00:19:22,159 Speaker 1: Um and by nine a crane that was used in 341 00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:25,760 Speaker 1: the construction of the Panama Canal was the first thing 342 00:19:25,840 --> 00:19:28,520 Speaker 1: to ever make it through all the way and they 343 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:31,560 Speaker 1: were like sweet, yeah, and eight months later it was 344 00:19:31,600 --> 00:19:35,840 Speaker 1: open for business as far as I understand, Yeah, big business. 345 00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:39,000 Speaker 1: Um should we should we walk people through or I 346 00:19:39,040 --> 00:19:43,119 Speaker 1: guess swim people through? Yeah? I think we should. Okay, Uh, 347 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:46,399 Speaker 1: you approach from the Atlantic, you go through the gattoon locks. 348 00:19:46,800 --> 00:19:50,359 Speaker 1: It's gonna lift your vessel up eighty five ft pretty awesome, 349 00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:54,160 Speaker 1: and take you to Gatun Lake. Very nice. There. You're 350 00:19:54,160 --> 00:19:56,680 Speaker 1: gonna wind through that channel for about twenty three miles, 351 00:19:56,680 --> 00:20:02,160 Speaker 1: then enter the Gallard cut about eight miles through there, 352 00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:04,560 Speaker 1: and you're gonna reach the Pedro Miguel locks, and then 353 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:07,639 Speaker 1: they're gonna lower your ship about thirty feet to the 354 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:10,080 Speaker 1: mirror floors lake. You're gonna pass through this, it's about 355 00:20:10,080 --> 00:20:12,959 Speaker 1: a mile long, and then the two steps mirror floors 356 00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:16,040 Speaker 1: locks are gonna return you finally back to sea level 357 00:20:16,320 --> 00:20:19,199 Speaker 1: to seven mile passage from there to the Pacific, And 358 00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:21,840 Speaker 1: all told, you've gone fifty miles in about eight to 359 00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:26,119 Speaker 1: ten hours. And um, mind bogglingly, I saw that it 360 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:30,399 Speaker 1: takes fifty two million gallons of fresh water to move 361 00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:34,920 Speaker 1: a ship from one end to the other two million, 362 00:20:35,359 --> 00:20:37,560 Speaker 1: and they're getting all that from Lake Gatun. Yeah, and 363 00:20:37,560 --> 00:20:40,600 Speaker 1: it's just I imagine it's just recycled back into the system, right, No, 364 00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:43,040 Speaker 1: what is it? What happens to it? They lose it, 365 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:46,399 Speaker 1: most of it. It's it's either pumped back in. It 366 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:50,679 Speaker 1: either goes flows back into Lake Gatun or else it 367 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:54,480 Speaker 1: flows out into the oceans, which is not necessarily good. 368 00:20:54,520 --> 00:20:57,639 Speaker 1: They're worried that Lake at Tune may become brackish and 369 00:20:57,840 --> 00:21:01,960 Speaker 1: like a Tune is now the freshwater supply of Panama 370 00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:05,360 Speaker 1: and it they're using a lot of it up. Yeah. Well, 371 00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:09,439 Speaker 1: it's always presented a bit of an environmental quagmire, especially 372 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:11,720 Speaker 1: with their plans to expand, which we'll get to. But 373 00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:14,800 Speaker 1: right now they have two way traffic. Um. They're looking 374 00:21:14,800 --> 00:21:18,760 Speaker 1: to make that a three lane highway, which would actually 375 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:23,720 Speaker 1: adding that third lane, um will double the amount of traffic. Yeah, 376 00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:25,840 Speaker 1: which is crazy. You would think it would increase it 377 00:21:25,840 --> 00:21:28,959 Speaker 1: by a third. Yeah, I don't know. Maybe it's wider. 378 00:21:29,680 --> 00:21:31,520 Speaker 1: Oh maybe it allows for two ships at a time. 379 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:33,919 Speaker 1: They just jam like eight in there once. I don't know. 380 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:36,160 Speaker 1: I do know that if you are a large enough ship, 381 00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:39,480 Speaker 1: they don't let you drive yourself because you know you've 382 00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:41,600 Speaker 1: got one drunk sea captain and all of a sudden, 383 00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:44,960 Speaker 1: your locks are out of commission, so they use electric 384 00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:48,240 Speaker 1: towing locomotives to tow those big bad boys. Right, And 385 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:50,639 Speaker 1: we should say, just briefly, with the locks, if you 386 00:21:50,720 --> 00:21:54,200 Speaker 1: want to move a ship upward, you flow into a lock. 387 00:21:54,359 --> 00:21:57,040 Speaker 1: The lock closes behind you and it fills up with 388 00:21:57,119 --> 00:21:59,520 Speaker 1: water so that you can float over the lip of 389 00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:03,159 Speaker 1: the next higher lock that the gate closes behind you 390 00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:05,760 Speaker 1: with that one and it fills in with water, and 391 00:22:05,760 --> 00:22:09,000 Speaker 1: so on and so forth. Yeah, it's remarkably basic. Yeah, 392 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:11,600 Speaker 1: and then the opposite takes place when you're stepping down. Yeah, 393 00:22:11,760 --> 00:22:15,480 Speaker 1: it's just basically going into a little square pool, raising 394 00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:17,280 Speaker 1: or lowering the water level so you can go up 395 00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:19,440 Speaker 1: or down. It's really neat. Yeah. And if you've got 396 00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:20,880 Speaker 1: a minute and a half to kill, you can take 397 00:22:20,920 --> 00:22:25,000 Speaker 1: this voyage in high speed on the YouTube. So uh, 398 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:29,640 Speaker 1: Like we said, the US used gunboat diplomacy to and 399 00:22:29,720 --> 00:22:33,359 Speaker 1: I guess good old fashioned, old timey nineteen o two 400 00:22:33,400 --> 00:22:37,000 Speaker 1: swindling to gain control of the Panama Canal zone. And 401 00:22:37,280 --> 00:22:42,399 Speaker 1: it had complete control until nine nine when Jimmy Carter 402 00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:49,720 Speaker 1: um malaise forever right terrise that Simpsons, they unveil a 403 00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:52,760 Speaker 1: statue of Jimmy Carter and it says Malaise Forever on 404 00:22:52,800 --> 00:22:55,560 Speaker 1: the base and one of the townspeople goes, he's history's 405 00:22:55,600 --> 00:23:01,920 Speaker 1: greatest monster. Anyway, Carter negotiated with the leader of Panama 406 00:23:02,040 --> 00:23:06,840 Speaker 1: at the time, UH General Omar Terrios Herrera, and said, hey, 407 00:23:06,880 --> 00:23:09,280 Speaker 1: how is he like this thing back? Give us You 408 00:23:09,280 --> 00:23:12,199 Speaker 1: think they said, hey, we'd like this back. I like 409 00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:17,320 Speaker 1: to think of American magnanimous. Not sure. So we said, 410 00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:19,200 Speaker 1: you know what, we've had it for this long plus 411 00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:22,040 Speaker 1: plus we're talking Carter, it's entirely possible. He just started 412 00:23:22,040 --> 00:23:24,080 Speaker 1: contacting people and said, what's the US have that we 413 00:23:24,119 --> 00:23:27,040 Speaker 1: can sell or give back. It's a good point. Um. 414 00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:31,640 Speaker 1: So yeah, he he sold like one of the like 415 00:23:31,680 --> 00:23:34,880 Speaker 1: the presidential yacht was sold by him. I really yeah. 416 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:37,680 Speaker 1: Why because he thought it was frivolous. That's awesome, um 417 00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:40,560 Speaker 1: and Panama Canal He's like, how about this, Let's get 418 00:23:40,640 --> 00:23:43,399 Speaker 1: rid of a significant portion of our economy. Anyway, he 419 00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:46,360 Speaker 1: gives it back after twenty years and on December thirty, 420 00:23:47,760 --> 00:23:50,439 Speaker 1: which is why I suspect they made it a twenty 421 00:23:50,480 --> 00:23:52,560 Speaker 1: year deal. Yeah, I mean they had to transition. You 422 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:54,480 Speaker 1: can't just hand the keys over and be like all right, 423 00:23:54,640 --> 00:23:57,479 Speaker 1: send your crew in, right, but not only that, Like 424 00:23:57,600 --> 00:23:59,560 Speaker 1: why not a fifteen year deal or an eighteen year 425 00:23:59,560 --> 00:24:01,800 Speaker 1: deal or year deal. They went with twenty because it 426 00:24:01,880 --> 00:24:06,040 Speaker 1: was gonna end on December thirty millennium. Actually that didn't 427 00:24:06,040 --> 00:24:10,400 Speaker 1: start till two thousand one though, Right, yeah, but you know, okay, 428 00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:15,880 Speaker 1: it's symbolic, right, Okay, So the Panamanians take over and 429 00:24:16,040 --> 00:24:22,119 Speaker 1: um immediately start taking flak because the things aging traffics 430 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:24,400 Speaker 1: jammed up. Yeah, they've done a good job with it, though, 431 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:26,639 Speaker 1: it's it's just by nature of how things are. These 432 00:24:26,680 --> 00:24:30,320 Speaker 1: they are victims of circumstances. UM and five percent of 433 00:24:30,359 --> 00:24:32,880 Speaker 1: the world's trade goes through the Panama Canal. We sold 434 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:35,280 Speaker 1: them a limit of a canal, right there. The millionth 435 00:24:35,359 --> 00:24:38,600 Speaker 1: ship UM went through in two thousand, ten hundred and 436 00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:41,760 Speaker 1: forty four thousand ships go through a year, and it's 437 00:24:41,800 --> 00:24:44,960 Speaker 1: a very narrow little strip. Yeah, you know what that means, 438 00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:49,359 Speaker 1: waiting in line, a lot of waiting in line. Plus 439 00:24:49,359 --> 00:24:52,199 Speaker 1: also there's an upper limit to the size ship that 440 00:24:52,280 --> 00:24:56,159 Speaker 1: can go through. It's called Panama Panamax is the is 441 00:24:56,160 --> 00:24:59,720 Speaker 1: the ship size. That's yeah, what a great name for 442 00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:03,400 Speaker 1: the guess ship that Panamax, what could be bigger than that? Well, 443 00:25:03,440 --> 00:25:06,400 Speaker 1: these ships that are called post Panama exactly, A lot 444 00:25:06,440 --> 00:25:08,959 Speaker 1: of shippers are like, you know what, I'm tired of waiting. 445 00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:12,800 Speaker 1: It's actually going to be more economical for me to 446 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:15,240 Speaker 1: build a ship that can't go through the Panama Canal 447 00:25:15,560 --> 00:25:17,600 Speaker 1: but can hold a lot more and I'll just sail 448 00:25:17,680 --> 00:25:22,639 Speaker 1: around the lower part of South America. And um, that's 449 00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:27,320 Speaker 1: kind of increasingly happening. Plus, Nicaragua threatened to open their 450 00:25:27,359 --> 00:25:30,320 Speaker 1: own canal, So Panama says, okay, wait, wait, wait, let's 451 00:25:30,400 --> 00:25:32,320 Speaker 1: let's holl the referendum and see if we can expand 452 00:25:32,359 --> 00:25:34,920 Speaker 1: this thing and modernize it and save the canal. And 453 00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:38,080 Speaker 1: Panamanian said, yes, let's so in two thousand and six 454 00:25:38,080 --> 00:25:41,240 Speaker 1: they approved this third lane that's expected to be open 455 00:25:41,280 --> 00:25:44,520 Speaker 1: by two fourteen. That is Nicaragua still planning a canal. 456 00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:46,240 Speaker 1: I don't know. I don't know if that shot it 457 00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:48,600 Speaker 1: down or not. Well, and there's also talk now with 458 00:25:48,680 --> 00:25:53,560 Speaker 1: a northwest passage thanks to um what some people might say, 459 00:25:53,560 --> 00:25:56,879 Speaker 1: it's climate change and melting ice caps. There may be 460 00:25:57,000 --> 00:26:00,399 Speaker 1: a way to get there, um by land. Henry Hudson 461 00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:04,840 Speaker 1: is clapping in his grave. Um, So we'll see if 462 00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:06,680 Speaker 1: that happens. I don't know. I didn't get a chance 463 00:26:06,720 --> 00:26:08,960 Speaker 1: to really look into that research. And like, how real 464 00:26:09,119 --> 00:26:12,360 Speaker 1: is that? Right? Even still, the Panamanians will probably make 465 00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:17,280 Speaker 1: their UM five point to five billion investment back eventually, 466 00:26:17,480 --> 00:26:20,640 Speaker 1: although it took the US good forty years to make 467 00:26:20,720 --> 00:26:25,040 Speaker 1: four million back. Yeah, yeah, I think thee when they 468 00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:28,560 Speaker 1: finally broke even. Huh that's crazy. Yeah, And um, you 469 00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:30,840 Speaker 1: break even by charging a toll. I don't think we 470 00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:36,200 Speaker 1: even mentioned that. You obviously, like any way station or passage, 471 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:39,560 Speaker 1: you gotta pay according to how what how much stuff 472 00:26:39,600 --> 00:26:42,359 Speaker 1: you got, right, It's like I think the record is 473 00:26:43,119 --> 00:26:44,520 Speaker 1: I looked it up. It was like a hundred fifty 474 00:26:44,920 --> 00:26:47,199 Speaker 1: or something. Yeah, they do it by ton in. The 475 00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:50,359 Speaker 1: thing is is if you are, um carrying a lot 476 00:26:50,440 --> 00:26:54,639 Speaker 1: of really expensive natural gas, right, you're gonna pay a 477 00:26:54,720 --> 00:26:57,240 Speaker 1: lesser toll than if you're carrying a bunch of less 478 00:26:57,240 --> 00:27:01,240 Speaker 1: expensive or even equally expensive coal, which isn't fair. And 479 00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:04,159 Speaker 1: if you're if you're transporting a lot of raw steel, 480 00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:06,840 Speaker 1: why should you pay more? So they're they're trying to 481 00:27:06,840 --> 00:27:09,760 Speaker 1: figure out a new toll system, especially for the newly 482 00:27:09,840 --> 00:27:13,920 Speaker 1: expanded version of the canal um that takes into account 483 00:27:13,960 --> 00:27:16,680 Speaker 1: the value of the of what's on board rather than 484 00:27:16,760 --> 00:27:19,480 Speaker 1: just the weight, right, So they should make a little 485 00:27:19,480 --> 00:27:21,560 Speaker 1: more money that way. Yeah. I don't know if this 486 00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:24,399 Speaker 1: is still accurate, but the record that I have is 487 00:27:24,400 --> 00:27:27,680 Speaker 1: a hundred and fifty three thousand dollars, six hundred and 488 00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:31,119 Speaker 1: fifty three thousand, six hundred and sixty two and the 489 00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:35,320 Speaker 1: cheapest was when a dude swam across it. Any weighed 490 00:27:35,320 --> 00:27:37,120 Speaker 1: like a hundred and fifty pounds, and so they charged 491 00:27:37,160 --> 00:27:40,720 Speaker 1: them what like thirty cents. Yeah, that back in Richard 492 00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:44,080 Speaker 1: Halliburton and he swam the Panama Canal, and I guess 493 00:27:44,119 --> 00:27:46,200 Speaker 1: it was some sort of publicity stunt. I'm sure people 494 00:27:46,280 --> 00:27:48,399 Speaker 1: love doing stuff like that back then. Yeah. But if 495 00:27:48,440 --> 00:27:53,320 Speaker 1: you look at this um this high speed route on YouTube, 496 00:27:53,640 --> 00:27:56,520 Speaker 1: it's pretty neat and there's a lot of times you're like, oh, 497 00:27:56,760 --> 00:27:59,080 Speaker 1: look out for that boat, and then it turns you're like, okay, 498 00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:01,720 Speaker 1: so there's a lot of activity out there. Yeah, you know, 499 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:04,800 Speaker 1: it's not a pleasure cruise. Well no, and it's not 500 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:07,720 Speaker 1: one ship at a time. They have, like you said, 501 00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:11,760 Speaker 1: two way traffic, right, that's right, and they try to 502 00:28:11,840 --> 00:28:14,240 Speaker 1: keep them going through as efficiently as possible. And I 503 00:28:14,240 --> 00:28:19,720 Speaker 1: should say also, um, the the um the new locks 504 00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:23,320 Speaker 1: that they have can serve about six of the water used, 505 00:28:23,359 --> 00:28:27,000 Speaker 1: so they'll address a lot of environmental concerns hopefully. I 506 00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:30,840 Speaker 1: got a couple of little facts here if you're interested. Uh, 507 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:33,159 Speaker 1: the entrance to the canal in the Atlantic side is 508 00:28:33,160 --> 00:28:36,520 Speaker 1: twenty two and a half miles west of the Pacific entrance, 509 00:28:37,160 --> 00:28:40,240 Speaker 1: which is interesting because it has a unique S shape. 510 00:28:40,800 --> 00:28:47,080 Speaker 1: And then, um, the locks themselves are seven ft thick each, 511 00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:50,480 Speaker 1: So if you're wondering how to keep out that much water, 512 00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:53,800 Speaker 1: like to to basically damn up the oceans, you need 513 00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:58,480 Speaker 1: to do it with seven foot thick concrete. Um. The 514 00:28:58,480 --> 00:29:02,240 Speaker 1: workforce is paname in right now, which is pretty great. 515 00:29:03,120 --> 00:29:06,480 Speaker 1: And uh, it's about all. I got. Sixty million pounds 516 00:29:06,520 --> 00:29:09,840 Speaker 1: of dynamite was used to construct this thing. That's some 517 00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:13,640 Speaker 1: nice stats. Chuck, Yeah, it's not bad. Cool You got 518 00:29:13,680 --> 00:29:15,560 Speaker 1: anything else then? No, all the rest of these are 519 00:29:15,640 --> 00:29:20,480 Speaker 1: kind of boring. Panama Canal forever. Uh. If you want 520 00:29:20,520 --> 00:29:22,040 Speaker 1: to learn more about the Panama can now, you can 521 00:29:22,080 --> 00:29:24,640 Speaker 1: read this very good article on how stuff works dot 522 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:27,560 Speaker 1: com type in Panama Canal or turning a run canal. 523 00:29:28,040 --> 00:29:30,920 Speaker 1: See what happens when you do the ladder. Um, Chuck, 524 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:52,080 Speaker 1: hold on, let's let's take a message break. Huh, it 525 00:29:52,280 --> 00:29:55,680 Speaker 1: is time for a listener mail, Josh, I'm gonna call 526 00:29:55,720 --> 00:29:59,000 Speaker 1: this one listener mail about listener mail. Hey guys, I'm 527 00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:02,120 Speaker 1: currently on the seven train heading to Queens for Manhattan 528 00:30:02,600 --> 00:30:04,479 Speaker 1: after a long day of working as an auditor at 529 00:30:04,480 --> 00:30:07,600 Speaker 1: a C p A firm. Um, as usual, I'm listening 530 00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:10,200 Speaker 1: to your podcast. This time it was the death Mask episode, 531 00:30:10,760 --> 00:30:14,160 Speaker 1: and you're concluding with a listener mail. And this is instance. 532 00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:19,240 Speaker 1: It was from Martha regarding peak oil. And I think 533 00:30:19,280 --> 00:30:22,760 Speaker 1: Martha was talking about the auditing of oil reserves. And 534 00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:25,400 Speaker 1: he says this to Marda. She was correct for the 535 00:30:25,400 --> 00:30:27,719 Speaker 1: most part, regarding the audit of oil reserves held by 536 00:30:27,840 --> 00:30:31,160 Speaker 1: entities whose stocks may be publicly traded on the stock market. 537 00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:34,040 Speaker 1: Just one thing. I was so a gas by that 538 00:30:34,080 --> 00:30:36,160 Speaker 1: I felt I needed to type this from my phone 539 00:30:36,240 --> 00:30:38,920 Speaker 1: as I'm on the train. Still, the SEC does not 540 00:30:39,120 --> 00:30:43,240 Speaker 1: perform any audits of its own on these companies. It 541 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:45,520 Speaker 1: is firms like the one I work for that audit 542 00:30:45,560 --> 00:30:51,040 Speaker 1: these companies, albeit under SEC guidelines. Actually p C a 543 00:30:51,360 --> 00:30:54,920 Speaker 1: O B public company audit oversight board guidelines and if 544 00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:57,880 Speaker 1: you want to get technical, uh, the SEC may perform 545 00:30:57,960 --> 00:30:59,920 Speaker 1: a type of audit, but when they do, there you 546 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:03,000 Speaker 1: really auditing an audit firm or an audit that has 547 00:31:03,160 --> 00:31:06,239 Speaker 1: already been done by an audit firm as part of 548 00:31:06,280 --> 00:31:10,720 Speaker 1: some kind of investigation. What So they'll audit an audit 549 00:31:10,760 --> 00:31:13,120 Speaker 1: like the SEC does an audit. So it's a long 550 00:31:13,120 --> 00:31:15,400 Speaker 1: and sort of it. I've said audit club finds. I've 551 00:31:15,520 --> 00:31:17,920 Speaker 1: actually been through one of these audits and it is 552 00:31:17,920 --> 00:31:20,160 Speaker 1: no fun at all. For some reason, it seems everyone 553 00:31:21,240 --> 00:31:24,600 Speaker 1: whom works at the SEC is what you stereotypically picture 554 00:31:24,640 --> 00:31:27,240 Speaker 1: as an accountant with no humor. Plus the word audit 555 00:31:27,280 --> 00:31:29,640 Speaker 1: loses all meaning when you hear it. That's right. I 556 00:31:29,760 --> 00:31:31,800 Speaker 1: digress though, Guys. If you pull up a ten K 557 00:31:32,200 --> 00:31:35,040 Speaker 1: annual filing for any public company, you can see in 558 00:31:35,080 --> 00:31:38,959 Speaker 1: the audit opinion the audit firm which performed the audit 559 00:31:39,120 --> 00:31:42,080 Speaker 1: for that particular year. I hope that clears things up. 560 00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:45,360 Speaker 1: Henrik Gomez and Henry I'm not sure if that cleared 561 00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:48,080 Speaker 1: it up, but um, if I was an accountant, I 562 00:31:48,080 --> 00:31:51,760 Speaker 1: would probably say, yes, very much clear things, very nice, 563 00:31:52,320 --> 00:31:54,160 Speaker 1: Thank you very much, Henry. That was very nice of 564 00:31:54,200 --> 00:31:56,720 Speaker 1: you to correct somebody who is correcting us. Yeah, and 565 00:31:56,760 --> 00:31:59,120 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You gotta take that. Thank you. 566 00:31:59,200 --> 00:32:02,479 Speaker 1: Seven train man? Is that a terrible train? Do that one? 567 00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:04,600 Speaker 1: It's like it's the old red train that looks like 568 00:32:04,640 --> 00:32:07,400 Speaker 1: it's about to fall off. It's like the midnight Meat train. Yeah, 569 00:32:07,480 --> 00:32:11,040 Speaker 1: have you seen that? Now? What's midnight meat? That's a 570 00:32:11,120 --> 00:32:13,680 Speaker 1: midnight meat train. It's got Vinny Jones and Bradley Cooper 571 00:32:13,720 --> 00:32:17,080 Speaker 1: in it. It's actually based on a Clive Barker short story, 572 00:32:17,520 --> 00:32:19,280 Speaker 1: because that's an old joke between me and my friend 573 00:32:19,280 --> 00:32:23,160 Speaker 1: p J, who've met I believe. Yeah, he cookouts famously. 574 00:32:23,280 --> 00:32:26,080 Speaker 1: PJ is a great chef home chef, but he was 575 00:32:26,600 --> 00:32:29,000 Speaker 1: so he would typically take so long we referred to 576 00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:31,720 Speaker 1: his meals as midnight meat. And then I made a 577 00:32:31,760 --> 00:32:34,120 Speaker 1: joke about cold cooking a steak one time night because 578 00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:36,800 Speaker 1: it took like twenty four hours. Yeah, no, that's definitely okay. 579 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:39,160 Speaker 1: This is not a slam on PJ. No, we love 580 00:32:39,240 --> 00:32:42,960 Speaker 1: the midnight Meat. Uh, if you have anything you want 581 00:32:43,040 --> 00:32:44,600 Speaker 1: us to know, if you want to correct somebody who's 582 00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:47,240 Speaker 1: corrected us, or you just want to say hi whatever. 583 00:32:47,680 --> 00:32:50,320 Speaker 1: You can tweet to us at s Y s K podcast. 584 00:32:50,440 --> 00:32:52,640 Speaker 1: You can join us on Facebook, dot com Slice Stuff 585 00:32:52,640 --> 00:32:54,080 Speaker 1: you Should Know. You can always find us on our 586 00:32:54,080 --> 00:33:01,520 Speaker 1: website Right that's right, Stuff you Should Know dot com. 587 00:33:01,560 --> 00:33:04,120 Speaker 1: For more on this and thousands of other topics, visit 588 00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:11,000 Speaker 1: how Stuff Works dot com. H