 The segregated school, with an enrolment of 166, was the largest colored school in the Canal Zone.Cristobal’s constant activity, particularly in port and railroad traffic, provided employment to most of Silver City’s men and guaranteed that the population of the segregated town continued to experience growth even as white settlements in the Canal Zone experienced sharp population drops as Canal construction drew to a close.In 1915, soon after the Canal was inaugurated, a survey of housing needs throughout the Canal Zone was conducted, and urgent need for more quarters was clearly identified for Atlantic Side towns.