The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1905-11-16

NAVIGATION OF THE PROPOSED
IsTHMIAN WATERWAY.
Some Interesting Particulars Of Its
Construction and Probable
Length of Time It
Will Take.

To make 1t possible to pass snip
from ocean to ocean, even by a high
| level design, will require from six to
eight ears, and by one at sea level
Ten years, though possibly IL. Which
Of the two types, all things considered,
Is the better is a question requiring
great thought for the proper answer,
writes William Barclay Parsons. in
Century. On the one hand, there are
/ ,epuired a greatly Increased invest
snt 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 mat
ter what the design. the canal cannot
be navigated its entire length by large
steamers with the freedom that
they pass up and down a broad
river. It 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 fiat
ness 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 rs feet. II 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
Tor a permit to pass. and, IL she be a
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 emitting her to proceed. This
order will be like train order on a
single-track railway. giving authority
10 go to a certain point. and there
either to meet and pass a ship coming
from the other end or to draw to one
side and permit the other ship to pass,
Or to get other orders 10 proceed fur
ther. The passing OF ships will be ar
ranged by constructing "sidings;" that
Is. widenings of the channel into
which vessel can draw and moor to
clusters of piles. When the passing is
made the vessel then advances to the
next siding where a vessel is expected
all of which will be controlled by tele-
graphic orders from n central dis.
patcher's office, where there will be q
chart showing the exact position OF
any ship at any time. corrected In.
stantly by advlces received from the
local stations. Along the banks there
viii be semaphore signals by day and
lights by night. indicating the position
of distractions or vessels ahead. so as
10 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 vast.
ly larger. These locks will have 9
length of about 1000 feet and width
in the clear Of 100 feet in order to ac.
commodate not only the steamers S0C
feet long now building, but to allow
for such increase In size as may be
realized. The gates closing the locks
at the downstream end will have {
height equal to the depth of the canal
the height to lift, and, say. ten feet oi
surplus, or total OF rs to perhaps lOt
feet, according to conditions-dimen
sions far in excess of those OF any
other lock gates in the world. As soor
as the lock Is entered and the shiI
made fast so that II cannot be moveC
about the in or outrushing water
arl "st may rise or fall with tn,
el .se of level. the great gates behinC
her will be closed ID water admitted
into the lock from the higher level o.
drawn of into the lower as the vesse
Is ascending or descending. Wher
the new level is reached the othe
gates are opened. and once more tn
vessel continues her journey between
banks crowded to the waters edge witt
the wild tangle Of a tropical jungle O
the long-leafed banana trees set out II
regular rows In plantations. On arriv
ing at the far terminus the pilot 4
dropped and the vessel disappears a
sea-