Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1853-09-10
Correspondence Of the Public Ledger.
LETTER FROM sHaMOKIN
SHAMoKIN, Sent.

SHAMoKTN, Sept ., 1853.
Since the opening Of the Philadelphia and
Sunbury Railway, on the 25,h ult, which
was attended by so large class of your in.
fuenlial and wealthy citizens, have been
rusticallng between this place and Sunburv.
and have observed much that is worthy or a
passing notice.
The patent Canal Lock of Kimber Cleaver
Esq Chief Engineer OF the Railway, is an
invention so entirely new, that description
OF 1t may not be uninerestiAg. Before do.
ing so II Is proper TO say that it is in course
OF construction TO be located on the Spsope.
hanna, near Sunbury, at the shipping basin
Oh ihe Philadelphia and Sunbury Railroad.-
MS basin, as was stated in Mondays Led.
ger, when completed will be 100 fee, lonp
with a wharf 40 feet broad, and EXTENDING
Inc whole length Of the basin. The lock is
designed to supply this basin, and the Canal
winch skirts the eastern side of Sunburv
with sufficient depth of water from the Sus.
qushauna, TO not only pass in and ou, boats
fIeish'ed to the full navigation capacity OF
me pennsylvania Canal, but to enable the
Hnnoury Canal Company to cary on success
iuIy various manufacturing establishments,
10 oegin then, with the description, this
iocN Is constructed, probably unlike any
'I"eF IN the country, solely ofiron. In place
D. 'he stone walls used in the old style locks,
W.: o!sayer substitutes cast iron columns
n siHe We" of these columns presents some
"Aa' me shape OF an italic capital A. The
Fer'ica side next the chamber of the lock.
ana s@ch .oo is firmly boted 10 the bo,lem
"mpers and arranged on each side of tho
-'cE 'onr and half feet from centre 10 cen.
"e' Inc four first timbers lay lenp,hwise
win Inc iock-two on each side one un.
der each foot OF the A column The screw
oolts by which The columns are made fas,
are inserted through these longitudinal t,m.
oe'S from the under side, with cast iron
washer between the head of the hoI, and tho
TIMBER o. The top o: the longitudinal tim.
oe'' Inc transverse timbers are placed side
hy side, and the plank floor on these the
screw bolts extending up through all the
'imoers and through the feet of the columns
resting on the plank floor. The vertical side
o' 'he column next the chamber, is provided
WIN eiu'ches or seats for key bolts, which
sustain the side lining of the lock, which is
ol 'hree inch plank and one inch boards 10
oEeak Joint, making the side lining four inch.
eS mex, against which rests the bank and 10
sustain the insisting strength is required in
'he several parts of the structure.
The pressure of the bank against The sido
ha'ng plank, is received by the cast iron A
colnmns, causing tensile strain on the slopinp
SIDE oil the column, and compression on The
vertical side, the column being sustained in
It's upright position by the transverse strength
OF The transverse floor limbers of the lock,
ana oy the weight of the bank resting on the
ends oil the limbers and outer or rensile foo,
OF the column beyond the chamber of the
lock.
There will be sc columns in all, including
'he WINGS tihose at the wing angles, quoin
posts, &c, varying somewhat in shane,
i'ASo ieet high, averaging over one ion
each. ~"
The SIZE Of the boat chamber being 321
lee' wide and 94A feet between gates, with
five feet depth OF water.
The structure of this lock is novel and
will, perhaps, strike many persons as being
impracticable, yet MIR. Clesver believes il
preferable in many respects to the stone lock
both as 10 facility Of construction, durabil,v
and costs, where good stone are scarce and
iron and timber are plenty. If it fully an.
swers The purpose, and there is no reason to
believe otherwise, here is another article fol
the consumption OF large quantities of iron
ANTHRACITE.