Newport daily independent., 1906-04-11
THE .Pal
NAVIGATION OF THE PRopoaad
 IsTHMIAN WATERWAY.
Homs Interesting Particuisrs sf fss Construction and Probable Length of Time It
 Will Take

To maze i- possible se ps.s ' snip from ocean to ocean, sTeg bg hssS- level design will require from SIX 70 eight cars and by one at seq ieves ton years though possibly t2. Whice of the two types. sli things considered. Ia the better is question rsaHiTjas great thought for the propar answer, writes William Barclay Persons. tu Century. On the one hand, tasre are required, greatly increased invest snt of capital and some det&y ta ti:u.. although the latter im shs life of suca an enterprise is probably st small amount. The dacidisg factor vii! gr0Sah,y bs ttts practical uaeSuineaa of the typs when completed. No mat ter what the design. tho csual cannot bs tay:gated ita entire se1,Sth by large steamers with tke fwes6om that they pass up aud down broad river, 1t is con,empiated ttat the width of the canal at She bottom shal, >e about t50 fset. giving . width on tho surface of from 2Oe to Ss0 feet. according ts the aat nsss Of the side slopes. dependent ca the varying local charaetsr as the rock or earth tira0gh which the canal will bs dug. AS large modern steamers have a beam of 7S fset. it iS obvioua that two such vessels cannot pasa sack other in 5he regalar channel
 On arriving at sitasr terminus tt.s ship will report 70 ths harbop master for \ permit 10 pass and. if she ba a sailing vessel. for tug to take her through. After an inspection. tue talk ias on of es,al. supplies and a pilot. and being meAsured for and paying tolt charges. tha vessel ~i.s then receive an order entitling her to proceed. This order will be like train order oa . to 50 to certain point, and there either to meet anG paas ship comiug from the ether cad or to draw to ons side and permit the othsr ship to pass. or to ge. other orders to proceed fur ther The passing of ships will be ar ranged by constructing "siiings:" that Is. Nidenings ot the channel tntO which a yassel can draw and moor to clusters of piles When the passjng Is made the vessel then advances to the neXt siding where a vessel Is expected all Of which will he controlled by teie- graphic orders from central Gis- patchers office. where there will be 3 chart showing the exact position Of An: ship at any time, corrected ln- stantly by adyices received from ths local stations. Along the banks the"9 will be 5emaphore signals by day aud lights by might. indicating the position of Instructions or vessels ahead. so g.: to prevent collisions.
 On arriving at lock the steaEler will find a structure similar in prirci, pie to the sma! canal i0cks with which the reader is familiar. bat vast iy larger These locks will have q length of about ,00G feet and Wid {, in the clear of 100 feet. iu order t0 ac- cOmmodate not only the steamers SA feet long nOw building, but tn allow for slrh increase in size as may b@ realized. The gates closing the iccka at the downstream end will have 5 height equal 10 the depth of tie nara. he height to lift. and say. ten feet nj surplus or total of . to perhaps 1t( feet, according to conditions-din!an sjons far in excess of those CT any other lock gates in the world. A, soGI q; tho lock is entered and ha shi5 made fast so that 1t cannot be m0vet about by the in or ouirushiug water a4d yet may rise or fall with. th- chcnGe Of level, the great gates behind her will be closed water admit ed into tha lock from the highev level ol ,iraWn off into the lONer as th8 ye5Se
 is ascending or descending. WhaL the new level Is reached tha Oihe, cates are opened, and once more thI
 vessel continues her journey betwaeE
 ankss crowded to the waters edge witt yhe. wild tanE'e of tropical jungle Q, the lOng-leafed banana trees set out il regular rows i0 plantations. On arriv ing at the far terminus the piiot f. , dropped and the vessal disappears a
 seq