The Panama Canal is 8 1.3km long, 304m wide and 9 1m narrow. Due to the water level difference between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean and the height difference between the isthmus of Panama and the sea level, the highest water level of the canal is 26.52 meters above sea level. It is difficult for a heavy ship to cross this height. In order to solve this problem, the designer built a three-stage water injection and drainage lift at both ends of the canal, which gradually lifted the ships passing through the canal to the highest water level of 26.53 meters, and then descended to the sea level through three stages at the exit. In this way, the ship can sail slowly into the ocean. Generally, it takes 8- 10 hours for a ship to pass through the Panama Canal.
Before the Panama Canal was opened, ships from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean could only enter the Atlantic Ocean by bypassing Cape Horn, the southernmost tip of South America. 1965438+In August 2004, after the opening of the Panama Canal, the voyage from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean was shortened by more than 10000 kilometers. Today, this canal has become the busiest sluice canal in the world and is called "the bridge of the world".
There is also a little-known story about the construction of the Panama Canal. As early as the16th century, the king of Spain ordered to dig a river in the narrowest part of the isthmus of Panama, but due to the limitations of technical conditions and construction capacity at that time, it could not be done.
1880, the French also thought of building a canal here, but it took many years and huge sums of money, and finally they had to give up this plan. At the beginning of the 20th century, Americans decided to build a canal connecting the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. In view of the difficulty of construction in Panama, they think it will be relatively easy to build a canal through Nicaragua. 1in the spring of 902, members of congress were ready to approve the project. At this time, a French engineer named Pi Nuo Valliera came to the United States. He had participated in the Panama Canal project of the French government, and knew that Nicaragua was not suitable for canal digging because of its poor geological conditions. He tried to persuade Americans to change their minds and build a canal in Panama.
Just a few days before the US Congress voted on the canal plan, a large volcano in the Caribbean erupted, affecting the coastal Nicaragua. Valliera dug up a stamp issued by Nicaragua, which printed the famous Momotombo volcano in Nicaragua, and saw a wisp of smoke around the top of the volcano, indicating that it was an active volcano. More coincidentally, this volcano is located on the predetermined canal route. Valliera seized the opportunity of volcanic eruption and hyped up the hidden danger of volcano on the canal route. He also found 90 stamps with Momotombo volcano printed on them, and put them on the tables of parliamentarians one by one, with the postscript: "This is the official witness of volcanic activity in Nicaragua." A few days later, lawmakers voted against building a canal in Nicaragua and finally chose Panama. 1904, the canal project started. Who would have thought that this golden waterway was actually saved by an engineer with a stamp?