"U.S.S. MISSOURI - The First Battleship to Pass From the Atlantic to the Pacific Without 'Rounding the Horn,' Panama Canal"

stereograph

PHOTOGRAPHS
Keystone View Co.
PANAMA, Panamá, Canal de
1915-07
paper
overall: 3-1/2 x 7 in.; image: 3-1/8 x 6 in.

Stereograph mounted on gray board with rounded corners; photograph of the battleship MISSOURI (built 1901), passing through the Panama Canal, aft half of deck is covered with large awning, possibly for concealment (?); printed on left "Keystone View Company/ Manufacturers Publishers" and "COPYRIGHTED/ MADE IN U.S.A."; printed on right "Meadville, Pa., New York, N.Y. Portland,/ Oregon, London, Eng., Sydney, Aus."; printed on top "254"; printed on bottom right "21781 - "U. S. S. Missouri - The First Battleship to Pass/ From the Atlantic to the Pacific Without 'Round-/ ing the Horn.' Panama Canal."; printed on back "254-(21781)/ U. S. S. MISSOURI IN THE PANAMA/ CANAL"; "Lat. 9° N., Long. 80° W."; and "One of the reasons the United States wanted/ the Panama Canal built was to get our war ves-/ sels from our east coast to our west, or the other/ way round, in a short time. By using the Canal/ our fleet can be rushed from one side of our/ country to the other in a month's less time than/ if it had to go around Cape Horn. In the Span-/ ish-American War the battleship Oregon was on/ our Pacific coast. We needed it to help the fleet/ fight the Spanish ships in the West Indies. The/ Oregon had to sail alone entirely around Cape/ Horn before it could be of service./ The Panama Canal can be used by the ships of/ war of any nation. But the United States has/ built large forts to keep enemy ships out in time/ of war. Three million dollars are being spent to/ fortify it. Cannon of 6-inch, 14-inch, and 16-/ inch caliber have been put in the forts. There/ are also 12-men mortar guns. With such cannon/ as these, the canal ought to be reasonably well/ defended./ The battleship Missouri, which you see in the/ view, is the first war vessel to go through the/ Canal. It must have been a proud group of sail-/ ors on board this vessel to have had such an/ honor. The ship is in the Gaillard cut. How far is/ this from Colon? From Panama?/ Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries sent/ many ships to find the 'northwest passage' to/ China and India. The Panama Canal is this/ famous 'northwest passage.' And the battleship/ Missouri is the warship to which the glory of be-/ ing first belongs./ Find out all you can about the voysge of the/ Oregon from the Pacific to the Atlantic. Who/ were some of the early sailors tht sought the/ northwest passage to China and India?/ Copyright by the Keystone View Company."

2000.65