One of the reasons the United States wanted the Panama Canal built was to get our war vessel 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 Spanish-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-inch 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 sailors on board this vessel to have had such an honor. The ship is in 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 being first belongs. Find out all you can about the voyage of the Oregon from the Pacific to the Atlantic. Who were some of the early sailors that sought the northwest passage to China and India? Keystone ID: 21781 Note: All titles, descriptions, and location coordinates are from the original Keystone Slide documentation as supplied by the Keystone View Company. No text has been edited or changed.