random fact

[redroad]

For every person that died in the failed French attempt & successful US attempt of the construction of the Panama Canal, about 3 pounds of cargo are transported daily today from one ocean to the other.

Comments

[vajsha]

On the road from Cuidad de Panama to Gamboa there is a cemetary - all neat, white crosses in neat rows - that are the fallen French workers. It is an impressive sight.

[redroad]

They said there's like 20,000 of them total, the French. All I know is if someone told me as I was dying that for my hard work some jackass in the future would get 3 lbs a day, I'd have brought them to the other side with me.

[smegdogg]

3 lbs per day time what? 60 years so far? 65700 pounds so far. Not to mention the hours and lives saved by not navigating around the southern end of South America.

[redroad]

No its only recently its been 3 lbs. Before recently it was more like a pound I think. Or less.