What obstacles did the physical and human environment of panama present to building a canal and how were they overcome?

Answer 1

Some of the obstacles of building the Panama Canal were diseases like malaria and yellow fever that were spread by musquitos, mud slides, and explosions. They overcame the obstacles with hard work, and careful planning by John Stevens, chief engineer, and Col. George W. Goethals, the administrator. For more information go to http://nhs.needham.k12.ma.us/cur/Baker_00/baker_1800_soc/baker_jw_p1/canal_page.htm

Answer 2

Two serious challenges to the building of the Panama Canal were mountainous terrain and tropical diseases such as Yellow Fever.

The first attempt to build the Panama Canal was made by the engineer who had dug the Suez Canal in Egypt. But unlike Suez, which was simply a large ditch across flat desert, the Isthmus of Panama had a mountain range down the middle. The solution was the creation of a series of "locks" which would raise and lower the ships as they crossed from one side to the other.

The tropical diseases took a heavy toll on the workers until a U.S. Army doctor, Walter Reed, discovered the source of the fever to be bites from infected mosquitoes. The Army exterminated the mosquitoes and the canal was completed.

Answer 3

The challenges they faced were deadly diseases called malaria and the yellow fever. The way the builders overcame them were because a doctor named dr. william C. Gorgas figured out a way to stamp the diseases out.

Answer 4

they faced malileria and yellow fever

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Answer 5

when building the panama canal, it faced three problems, they were engineering, sanitation, and organization.

Answer 6

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