Category: Canal Zone Myths

• The Panama Canal as Hollow

  This theory claimed that the Panama Canal was more than an exposed waterway and lock system: it was said to conceal a hollowed strategic interior, hidden chambers, tunnels, and submarine facilities usable by imperial powers, especially the British in some versions. The theory drew strength from the canal’s immense military importance, the existence of real naval and submarine facilities in the Canal Zone, and the secrecy that often surrounded strategic defenses. While the open historical record confirms extensive U.S. military and submarine infrastructure around the canal, it does not establish that the canal itself was constructed as a hidden hollow submarine base.