Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1905-11-25
NAVIGATING THE CANAL.
Engineer Tells How Ships Will
Go Through Panama Ditch.
YEARS BEFORE TRIP CAN BE MADE

william barclay Parsons says II
VIII Require From six to Ten
Years, According to Type of Canal
BuiIt--why Large steamers Cannot
Pass Each other In Regular Chan
neI--sidings For ships.
How the proposed isthmian water
way can be navigated is thus de,
scribed by William Barclay Parsons,
the well known engineer, in his article
on 1.-THE Panama Canal in the No.
vember Century:
To make 1t possible to pass a ship
from ocean to ocean, even by a high
level design, will require from six to
eight years, and by one at sea Level
ten years, though possibly twelve.
Which of the two types, all things con
Bidered, is the better is a question re-
curing great thought for the proper
answer. On the one hand, there are
required greatly increased invest.
ment of capital and some delay in time
although the latter in the life of such
an enterprise is probably of small
amount. The deciding factor will
probably be the practical usefulness OF
the type when completed.
No matter what the design, the canal
cannot be navigated its entire length
by large steamers with the freedom
that they pass up and down broad
river. 1t is contemplated that the
width of the canal at the bottom shall
be about $50 feet, giving a width on
the surface of from 200 to $50 feet
according to the fairness of the side
slopes, dependent on the varying local
character of the rock or earth through
which the canal will be dug. AS large
modern steamers have a beam OF
seventy-fve feet, it is obvious that two
such vessels cannot pass each other In
the regular channel.
On arriving at either terminus the
ship will report to the harbor master
for permit to pass, and, if she be
sailing vessel, for a tug to take heI
through. After an inspection, the TAX
ing on of coal, supplies and a pilot, and
being measured for and paying toll |
charges, the vessel will then receive !
an order emitting her to proceed. This
order will be like a train order on d
single track railway, giving authority
to go to certain point, and there
either to meet and pass a ship coming
from the other end or to draw to
)ne side and permit the other ship to
pass or to get other orders to proceed
farther.
'In Ggiy1 IF Obi
I'd by constructing "sidings'-that is,
of the channel into which
| vessel can draw and moor to clusters
If piles. When the passing is made the
,essel then advances to the next sid
ng where a vessel is expected, all of
which will - 4--,,ebv telegraphiet
81 srrs "a ERis,H spatcher p of.
fce, where there will be chart show.
ing the exact position of any ship at
any time, corrected instantly by adj
vices received from the local stations
Along the banks there will be soma.
phore signals by day and lights by
night, indicating the position of OBJ
prevent collisions.
On arriving at a lock the steamer
will find structure similar in princi. !
pie to the small canal locks with which |
the reader is familiar, but vastly lar. |
ger. These locks will have a length of |
about 1000 feet and width in the |
clear of 100 feet, in order to accommo
date not only the steamers 500 feet
long now building, l%t to allow for
such Increase in size as may be realiZ-
ed. The gates closing the locks at the
downstream end will have a height
equal to the depth of the canal. the
height to lift, and, say, 10 feet of sur
plus, or total of IS to perhaps 100
feet, according to conditions-dimen-
sions far in excess of those of any
other lock gates in the world AS soon
as the lock is entered and the ship
made fast so that it cannot be moved
about by the in or out rushing water
and yet may rise or fall with the
change of level, the great gates be-
hind her will be closed and water ad-
mitted into the lock from the higher
level or drawn off into the lower as
the vessel is ascending or descending.
When the new level is reached the
other gates are opened, and once more
the vessel continues her journey be-
tween banks crowded to the waters
edge with the wild tangle of tropical
jungle or the long leafed banana trees
set out in regular rows in plantations.
On arriving at the far terminus the
pilot is dropped and the vessel disap-
pears at sea.
New Light For City Streets.