Panama Canal ~
1913
Eddie's first foreign assignment as a fledgling photojournalist for the APA was to travel to Panama to photograph the Panama Canal before its official opening in 1914
in order to have stock file photos available. The ship, Prince August William, in which Eddie was to travel nearly 2,500 nautical miles, was substantially less than a cruise ship. It was more of a tramp cargo steamer with little amenities. Undaunted, Eddie Jackson looked forward
to this great adventure, the first of many he would eventually have as a lead photographer.
" We left New York in October, a very wet and cold October. Our first port-of-call was Miami then Cuba to unload some freight that we carried. I was told that from Cuba south, the weather would be warm and balmy. I couldn't wait. I've never been on a ship
before, only the Staten Island ferry to and from New York City and didn't know what to expect. I did however, expect a bit more than what I got for my room and food.
Eddie Jackson captured the storm aboard the German ship Prince August William 2nd.
The Prince August William at anchor at Havana. Photo by Eddie Jackson.
The ship was past its prime and not in very good repair. It burned coal for fuel and standing anywhere on deck had you black with soot within an hour. By the time we reached Miami the weather had turned nasty, by Cuba, it was a regular gale."
The passengers of the Prince August William had two full days to explore Cuba while the ship was being unloaded and refueled with coal. Eddie is on the right holding the black Cuban baby in his arms. You can see the negative damage on the print that
came from the hurricane they would encounter when they left for Panama.
Eddie took this photo of the main ship channel leading from Panama City to Colon, now filled by a mud slide caused by the heavy rain from the hurricane that caught him at sea.
Below: The locks of the Panama Canal several months before it opened to shipping. Photo by Edward Jackson, 1913.
Right: Eddie Jackson - the first tourist to have his photo taken with the main locks of the Panama Canal in the background.
