Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-10-26
NAVIGATING THE CANAL
Engineer Tells How Ships Win i Go Through Panama Ditch.
YEARS BEFORE TRIP CAN BE MADE

William Barclay Parsons Says 1t
 will. Require From Six to Ten
 Years, According to Type of Canal
 BuiIt-why Large steamers Cannot
 Pass Each Other In Regular Chan
 nel-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 "The Panama Canal" in the No yember Century:
 To make 1t possible to pass ship from ocean to ocean, even by 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 sidered, is the better is a question re quiring 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 it's entire length by large steamers with the freedom that they pass up and down broad river. It is contemplated that the width of the canal at the bottom shall be about 150 feet, giving a width on the surface of from POO to $50 feet, according to the fatness of the side slopes, dependent on the varying local character oe 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 caunot pass each other in the regular channel.
 On arriving at either terminus the for permit to pass, and, if she be sailing vessel, for a tug to take her through After an inspection, the talk ing on of coal, supplies and pilot, and being measured for and paying toll charges, the vessel will then receive an order entitling her to proceed. This , order will be like train order on Il single track railway, giving authority to go to certain point, and there either to meet and pass ship coming from the other end or to draw to one side and permit the other ship to pass or to get other orders to proceed farther.
 The passing of ships will be arrang- ed by constructing 'sidings"-that is, widenings of the channel into which a vessel can draw and moor to clusters of piles. When the passing is made the vessel then advances to the next sid ing where a vessel is expected, all of which will be controlled by telegraphic orders from central dispatcher's of flee, where tLere will be a chart show. ing the exact position of any ship at any time, corrected instantly by ad- vices received from the local stations. Along the banks there will be sema- phore signals by day and lights by night. indicating the position of ob- structions or vessels ahead, SO as to prevent collisions.
 On arriving at a lock the steamer will find a 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 a width in the clear of 100 feet, fin order to accommo- date not only the steamers 800 feet long now building, but 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 5 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 50 that 1t 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 of 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 tangIe 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 diaap-