The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-11-06
NAVIGATING THE CANAL
Engineer Tells How Ships Will
Go Through Panama Ditch.


How the proposeG istmian water
way can be navigated Is thus de-
scrlbed by William Barclay Passons,
the well known engineer in his article
on THE P0nama Canal" In the No
vember Century;
To make It possible to pass a ship
from ocean 70 ocean. even by q 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-
shered. is the better is a question re-
qmring great thought for the proper
answer. On the one hand, there are
required a greatly increased invest
ment Of capital and some delay in time,
although the latter In the IKE Of such
an enterprise is probably of small
amount. The deciding factor Will
probably be the practical usefulness Of
tne 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. 1t is contemplated that the
width Of the canal at the bottom shall
be about 100 feet. giving a width on
the surface OF from 200 TO $50 feet,
according to the fatness 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 beam Of
seventy-fve feet it is obvious that two
sucli vessels cannot pass each other in
the regular channel
On arriving at either terminus the
ship viii report to the harbor master
for a permit 10 pass. aud, il she 6e
sailing vessel. for a tug to take her
through. After an inspection, the TAX
ing on OF coal supplies aud pilot, and
being measured for and paying toll
charges, the vessel will then receive
an order entiGiug her to proceed. This
order will be like n train order on q
single track railway, giving authority
to 20 to certain point. and there
either to meet and pass a ship coming
from the cthet 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 siding" that is,
wideniugs Of the channel into which
u 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 vessG ~ expected, all Of
which will be conuolled by telegraphic
orders from central dispatcher's Of
fee. where there 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 OBJ
structions or vessels ahead, SO as to
prevent collisions.
On arriving at q lock the steamer
win find a structure similar IN prlnci-
pie to the small canal locks with which
the reader is familiar, but vastly lar
ger These locks will have a length Of
about 1,000 feet and a width Ia the
clear Of 100 feet, in order to accommo-
date not only the steamers 500 feet
long now building, but to allow for
such increase in size as may be reallz-
ed. The gates closing the loca5 at the
downstream end will have height
equal to the depth of the cana'. the
height to lift, and, say, 10 feet Of sur
plus, or a total Of T5 TO perhaps 10C
feet, according to conditions -dimen
siOns far In excess of those Of any
other lock gates in the world AS sooI
as the lock is entered and the shiI
made fast so that Il cannot be moved
about by the in or out rushing water
and Pet may rise or fall with th'
change of level the great gates be
hind her will be closed and water ad
mitted into the lock from the highel
level or drawn OF into the lower al
the vessel is ascending or descending.
When the new level is reached th'
other gates are opened, and once more
the vessel continues her journey be
\ tween banks crowded TO the water
edge with the wild tangle of a tropica
jungle or the loEg leafed banana tree
set out in regular rows in plantations
On arriving at the far terminus th'
pilot is dropped and the vessel Gisap
pears at sea.