This is the story of Albert Peters, a native of Nassau, Bahamas, who lived in Panama during the construction of the Canal. At age 21, he read in the papers that the U.S. government was building an ocean-to-ocean waterway and decided he could not miss on such a monumental task. His parents, however, were completely against the venture, due to the poor sanitary conditions in Panama at the time. Nevertheless, the young Albert Peters disembarked in Colón in August of 1906 and immediately found a job as part of a rail track relocation crew.

However, it wasn't long before his parents fears came true. The young man soon contracted malaria, and was admitted to Ancón Hospital, in the Pacific terminus of the Canal. His stay in the hospital was terrible. His ward was a large army tent filled with uncomfortable stretchers. After a number of days watching hospital personnel carrying away the corpses of his fellow patients, Albert soon remembered his parents? words, although he managed to get better and eventually re-joined the construction work.

In 1910, Albert got a new job. He was now a diver, working at the hydraulic excavations at Culebra Cut. Assigned to a four-member crew, Albert worked eight-hour shifts in which each crew member spent two hours in the water.

In those days, Canal workers were paid in a train car that tra-veled along the project's route. Laborers were often required to form long lines in order to reach the clerk at the car's window. Once at the window, the clerk would ask laborers to hold out their hats up, where he would then place the money.

One day, while on duty at Culebra Cut, Albert Peters heard the pay car whistle, signaling departure. There was one problem. He was on the opposite side of the cut. "Wait, wait!" he shouted and swam across the cut at an incredible speed. He then struggled to negotiate a rugged hill 12-meters high, covered with mud as slippery as soap.

Exhausted and panting, Albert finally reached the summit and managed to run to the car window, where he presented his hat. His satisfaction, however, turned into embarrassment, as he noticed he was completely naked. Albert then grabbed the money and covered himself with the hat.

Albert Peters worked for the Isthmian Canal Company until 1913, leaving behind his contribution to one of the world's greatest wonders of modern times. He lived the remainder of his days always wearing a hat.

(This is an adapted version of the story "Historia con sombrero", which appeared in El Faro, a bi-monthly publication of the Panama Canal Authority).