I must've played hooky (odds are I did) when this was taught in public schools. I never learned about it. It's a kind of hybrid beauty - human ingenuity situated in Panama's landscape. I hope to cross it someday.
This is a time lapse of a commercial vessel crossing it:
It was also an absolute blood bath. A lot of people died making it.
The video talks about it. IIRC 22,000 people died.
Lots of malaria and yellow fever. You can accomplish quite a lot if you throw enough people at it.
Still, it was an insane feat to accomplish.
The first guy in charge was a French engineer who tried to emulate the Suez Canal but that attempt was a disaster
It's amazing that the whole thing is gravity driven. Way better idea than digging a long ditch.
The first thing that comes to my mind about the construction of this canal is about me reading about a guy name William Gorgas (spelling?) and how his efforts on trying to control and cure yellow fever was a big contribution on getting this project done.
The doors use Da Vinci's miter locks (video by the same channel):
view on www.youtube.com