Part 3, Chapter 6 Summary and Analysis

"Steam Road to El Dorado" tells the story of the building (1850-55) of Panama Railroad, proof of man's capacity to do great things against impossible odds through skill, endurance, and perseverance. Begun before Europe or the Western U.S. have such technology and the Suez Canal, Union Pacific, and Brooklyn Bridge lying in the future, it is amazing that trails run 47.5 miles through remote rain forest. It is called the "first steam road to El Dorado," because the impetus for its building is getting East Coast gold seekers to the California fields. Mile-for-mile it is the costliest railway undertaken ($8 million) and for 14 years is the best paying line for investors. It is done without proper equipment, medicine, supplies, or even a good map. It still crosses between Colun to Panama City and riders experience the same jungle, but only...