The Panama Canal and The Lost Angeles Aqueduct

By Jeffrey Phongsamran

Important People of the Progressive Age

• The Progressive era was a period of social reform that flourished in the 1890’s to the 1920’s.

• Roosevelt was the 26th president and was a leader in the progressive movement. He was the main driving force behind the completion of the Panama Canal

• Stevens was the chief engineer picked by Roosevelt to work on the Panama Canal project. He’s main achievement was building the infrastructure necessary to complete the canal.

Theodore Roosevelt

John Stevens

Important People Cont.• Gorgas was a Army physician. His

main role during the construction of the Panama Canal was to take care of Yellow Fever by controlling the mosquitoes.

• Goethals was a Army officer and civil engineer. He is know for his supervision and opening of the Panama Canal.

• Mulholland was head of the L.A. department of Water and Power and is responsible for building the water aqueducts and dams that allowed the city to grow into the one of the largest in the world.

Dr. William Gorgas

William Mulholland George Washington Goethals

Panama Canal

• The construction of the Panama Canal is considered one of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever taken.

• It had an enormous impact on trade because it allowed ships to move from the Atlantic to the Pacific in 5,900 miles instead of the 14,000 mile journey around Cape Horn.

Panama Canal Importance

• The Panama Canal is considered one of the seven modern wonders of the world by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

• After the U.S. became a global power it became necessary to be able to move ships from the Atlantic to the Pacific as fast as possible.

• The alternate route (cape horn) was known to have violent seas and was almost twice as long.

Panama Canal Construction• Originally the French had tried to

build a canal, but was abandoned after 21,900 workers died, mostly from diseases and land slides.

• John Stevens, successfully argued against the massive excavation for a sea level canal like the French did. He suggested a series of damns and locks be built.

• Diseases became controllable as soon as it was discovered that mosquitoes were the source.

Los Angeles Aqueduct

• Los Angeles was first founded as a small settlement and depended on its own river. As the city grew the water supply would not meet future demands.

• Construction crews set numerous records for miles of tunnel cut and length of pip installed.

Los Angeles Aqueduct Importance

• Fred Eaton convinced Mulholland that Owens River could provide Los Angeles was a reliable water source.

• Once Los Angeles obtained a reliable water source the city began to grow dramatically.

• As Los Angeles continued to grow Mulholland began looking to the Colorado river to supply water.

Los Angeles Aqueduct Construction

• The ptoject began in 1908 and cost about $24.5 million with 5,000 workers employed for construction.

• The Construction of the Aqueduct system devastated the ecosystem of Owens Lake.

• The Aqueduct used gravity to carry the water so it was autonomous and cost-efficient.