New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-12-31

Directors estimating operating expenses OF their road
Yet every 1000 tuns OF freight transported they woud
consume fully much coal to 1t up that grade as
would be required to supply water to take 1000 tuns
cargo In shin over 800 feet OF elevation the lsthmus
Con can be delivered TO stationary engines at the locks
OF the contemplated Darcn Canal about ~ chcapy ash
can Do supplied 20 most OF our Western railways for their
locomotives The chief operating expense OF an elevated
ship canal supplied by natural feeders would
bc The cost OF coal and hremons In other words
Il would be about In the proportion that railway
with grade of 10 feet TO the mile costs more to operate
than one with horizontal grade. which il 80 little as to
be comparatively insignificant and demonstrates the en-
tire praccability OF filling ship locks with water from
the lower levels. by artificial means.
A few readily comprchenlcd calculations viii enable
the reader 20 appreciate the wonderful power OF coal
when converted into steam force to lift weights One
horse power is force that will raise 5000 pounds one
foot gh in minute and consume In doing 1t about IN
and half Of coal Six pounds Of coal VIII supply
onehOrso engine hour and raise In that time 2OD
OOO pounds foot high, or 1000 tuns one loot Ohe
pound OF coal will raise pounds one foot HIGH or
166 tuns that hight tun l6G feet high. cubic
foot Of water weighs 62s pounds and 3 cubic feet OF
water EQUALS tun. Stated in cubic feet. one horse
power equal $50 cubic feet OF water raised one foot
high in minute. But making allowance for wastage
and leakage of water. let assume that horse power
only equals 500 cubic feet Let Us suppose, next
that the proposed ship canal Ia furnished with
other. and each with two sets OF gates
The largest lock feet long by IS broad and ten
feet lift The second gates be hung forward
90 feet vessel requiring more than go feet OF ooh,
one The other lock might say feet long by GO wide
with second OF gates hung 20 feet forward Prae
tcay this gives US four locks to Neseo o,
different Sizes and thereby ECONOMICS water ana then
passing through them To Oh these locks would REQUIRE
respectively 262tOO cubic feet 2JO cable feet lCOO
and 10000 feet stated IN tlns-the largest, S sec
ond SIZE. G3o third size, 5000 tuns ana smallest 4ovo
on of 4 D
approximations of the proper size of the locks
Let us now see how long 1t VIII take hmIled-noIse
power engine 20 iii any of them One hundred-hOrse
power will lift 5000 cubic feet ten feet high IN minute.
and consequently MI the largest l9ck III o. 1 ne
second size IN 90 tho third IN So and the fourth szc III -
The combustion Of coal for the performance OF this
amount of work would be pounds the largest lock-
400 for the second for the third and 2O pounds for
the smallest Suppose the elevation t. overcome Is 500
feet with - locks feet lit 20 each the quantity 0f
coal required to pump enough water from the lowest
level 10 the highest to ioa the largest size ocean steamer
over the summit would be - tuns. for the next size 10
uns for the third size uns for the small class oil YES
| sells tuns.
Eliminating the cost OF fuel with dremens at Sl2 per tu
We have $50 l9 the probable cost oi the steam power
carry tile largest steamer and cargo over the mountain
Sl2O Tor next % the largest ana 500 ana 81 respecycy
f0r the medium ami smaller vessels Tie average cost
| of mower for each vessel would perhaps he 500.
The tolls charged on the Suez Canal about 81 per
overcome an elevation would only be from six
To ten cents per tun. AstonShngy small ~ TINS may
SEEM the truth OF II easily be verified by computing
the extra cost for fuel used IN locomotive to convey
tun OF produce rchandize ten miles up grade Of 90
!
cent per mile, perhaps not quarter cent fOr coal ana
! engineering service on each tun moved.
water that could be obtained during the ongrany season
from lateral feeders, reservoirs. ana mountain streams
would he much clear gain. The long levels would be
the lower ores, near the sea, which would he mainly
supplied with water from the rivers, whose valleys
channels the canal would follow a. far as possible An
| the exit water when cmptying . lock, through tur
bine wheels. by which power would be obtained that
would throw pehlps half fluid let ont Of the Lock
!
ally reducing the quantity 70 be lifted by the pumps
Engineers can calculate just how much this saving
Another method o' saving water is that adopted in
Europe where water il scarce. viz reservoir equal IN
to tc lock is formed at its side When the lock is to
be empcd the water l. into the reservoir until IT
hshi. The fcservor is then closed by dropping the
connecting gates aud the remaining water In the lock
runs on through the lower s!uco- ~ the usual way
on Iehilns The lock- before opening the upper sluces
onoquater OF tine quantity required he obtained
from the reservoir thus ehcctng saving OF onequacr
the waior But the turbine wheels. which cost nothing
TO operate and require the excavation OF M reservoir
ponds, VIII save more than twice q" inuch water.
The cbcapncs, OF steam power to elevate water is com
and Illinois Canal Where that ditch connects with tho
Chicago River bayou IL isegh feet higher than tho
Sr 10 supply ply the aTe Wien es long
me or "a AZ chag6 " water s into o this Level dt Of
the Chicago River Those works have served their pur-
pose admirably and economically. They have capacity
Ia supply hall dozen such levels in the dryet Summers
For eyeral past seasons they have been operated during
the whole period OF canal navigation ny tue city Tor SAM
ayy purposes TO throw into the canal the staga9n puIid
uii % the river, into which Is emped several hundred
miles sewage This filthy stun is replaced by pure
water drawn through the bavou from the lake. Nothing
but the unceang hb35 OF those water-~orks preserve
the health of the people OF Chicago during the warm
season, and prevent nc breeding Of a pestilence.
The lifting machinery and power consist Of four plain
engines OF bOgsc power each gearcd in pairs 10
huge wheels Of 80 feet IN diameter which reyOyc the
speed Of a little more than two and half revolutions per
minute The power !, applied to the cogged perlneter
of the wleel whose BUCKET. are eight feet wide IN the
revolution OF the great wheel scoops up 500 cubic feet OF
water and throws it the dam into the canal the LIT
feet per minute ana requires FOR It's revolution 2Oohorse
power, and combustion Of Is 70 tim, Illinois
ana unfraGIant sewage water, which rciards the genera
ton OF steam, and the coal used l. Of quality. one
Of these wheels mn the largest slplock before de-
scrbed, raising the water 10 feet in about y minutes
The Illinois Canal II go feet wide ana ~ feet deep. The
two wheels elevate water gh from the
river TO ill 25 miles Of Ills ditch d. day, and
10 nai1tun ~ u CuitShl Oh more than 4 he an
sl75 per day, every hing included IncSe facts aud fig
10 elevate vast quantities OF water at comparatively
| small cost.
In locating ship canal the plan here proposed. the
engineers would first search Tor The best hlrb,r at either
terminus second, for the lowest place OF cruising the
line both sides Of the pass fourth the easiest and
best ground on which 10 excayatc it, In short, tie cheap
est ana pest route gu things considered intending cost
Of operating VIII venture no estimate Oi the first cost
OF such canal, but u would hardly be more than the
| annual interest on the sum required To tunnel the
Cordillera7 and construct a ship canal on level
e St@ O of saPpyns the locks and npr ' yci
by steam power over q summit OF 500 feet,
Tor many vessels COuld ne crowded through the
locks which probably 80 GO per day each way would
hardly equal one per cent on the capital required 10
struct shpcanal without locks across the ISnus on
any route yet discovered likely be- discovered
1t may he objected that there would he goat oss OF
time in taking ship through 100 locks up and 80
down. reply that the delay viii not one-forcth
part great as that In sailing round South America
distance OF 1000 5000 miles. BIT il may he said that
there would be liability 10 injury IN taking ships through
many locks. Again reply not forticth OF The dan
ger that is incurred from storms and other causes in
doubling CapeHOrn and COMMUNICATING south Aneri
ca at all seasons OF the year.
Lake schooners and proers OF 500 tuns burden pass
the 20 locks the Welland Canal from lake lake
side of "a hours the Ockage is $50 feet, the distance
% miles, and one rarely hears of any injury done 10 the
huneds Of vessels which weekly pass through that mar