Conceived by Ferdinand de Lesseps, the Panama Canal was a miracle of engineering and human endeavour. He was beaten by jungle, swamps, rainstorms, mudslides, the death of 20,000 workers and financial ruin. American, John Stevens took over the project and saw it through, in the process creating a new country and the largest lock and canal system in the world. No longer would shipping have to face the terrors of Cape Horne to get from one side of America to another. (FEATURE ARTICLE AVAILABLE)