Newport daily independent., 1906-04-23
THE PANAMA CANAL
NAvTGATI0N OF THE PROPOSED
 IsTHMIAN WATERWAY.
Some Interesting Particulars ot tts Constructiot 7u1 Probable Length 2E Time I.
 Will Take

" t44 Lt'tASs
 ID maxa 1T possible ca 445s } shj0
 from ooaan N nceao e-aH by I ltsh- ieve. 1asIEu. 1H cs.J ire from FIX to elgh, cars. md hr one 2t sa, !oval ten years thoagh possibly l2 Whiea Of the tN0 t2pe5. all things o3asldarsd, !,
 is the better js question requiring great thought for the proper answer.
 writes William 8Hclay Parsons in . CsDfCry. Dn the one hand. there are t. requ,ced, a greatly increase1 invest. ant of capital aud some delay iii t,me /, alth0ugE tha latter n the life of such an enterprise is probably 0f small amount The deciding factor will ! ProbAbly be tde ir3cti13i usefulness of the type when completed No mat-
 ter what the design. tue e3O2l anaot l be uavtgated l., entire length by large steamers witb thr fraedom that l they pass up aud down broad river. It Is contemplated that i tue width of the canal at the 1 bottom shaIl he about I50 feer, giving | width on the surface of from 200 to $50 feet according b the flat
 ness of the side slopes. dependent 0a
 tue varying local character of the rock
 or earth through which the canal will
 be dug As large modern steamers
 have a beam 0f 75 feet. 1t is obvious ] that two such vessels cannot paaa each
 other in the regular channel
 l On arriving at either terminus the i ship will report to the haCbor master l for permit to pass, and, if she be a
 sailing vessel. for tug to take her
 through. After an inspection, the tak-
 ing on of coal, supplies and a pilot, and l being measured for and paying toll 1 charges. the vessel vii! then receive m order eutitling bar to proceed Thts
 order will be like & train order on
 ngle-tcack railway. giving authority 1 to go to a certain point and there i either to meet and pass 8 5htp coming
 from the sther end or to draw to one side and permit the other ship 70 pass.
 or to get other orders t0 proceed fur ther The passing of ships will be ar
 ranged by constructing sldingS chat
 Is, Widenings of the channel tata
 which vessel can draw aud moor D clusters of piles When the passing is
 made the vessel then advances to tae
 next siding where ] vessel is expected l graphic orders from central dis
 patcher's office, where there will be I
 chart showing the exact position of
 any shtp at any time. corrected iU-
 stanty by advices received from the 1 local stations, Along the banks tbers
 will be semaphOre signals by day and
 lights by night. indicating the position
 of Instructions or vessels ahead, so ae
 to prevent collisions.
 On arriving at a lock the steamer
 will find a structure similar in priHci.
 pie to the small canal jocks witt
 which the reader is familiar. but vsat.
 ly larger. These locks will have length of about ,000 feet and Wld in the clear of 100 feet. in order 10 3 =
 COmmOdate not only the steamers g." feet long now building. but to allow for 3NCh increase in size as may ',e
 reali2ei The gates closing the lock
 at ria downstream end will have
 height equal to The depth of tie cana
 he height to lift, and, say. ten feet ol
 surplus or total of 75 to perhaps lta
 feet, according to conditions -dimer
 sions far in excess of those of any
 other lock gates in the world As 500!
 as the lock is entered and the sht;.
 made fast so that it cannot be move4 about by the in or outrushing water
 and yet may rise or fall With the , change of level, the great gates behind her will be closed d water admttad into the lock from the higher level og drawn off into the lower as the vessel is ascending or descending When -he new level Is reache,i the other gates are opened, and once more tha vessel continues her journey between { banks crowded to the waters edge with the wild tangle of q tropical jungle or the lOng-eafed banana trees set out in regular rows in plantations On arriv. ing at the far terminus the pilot is i dropped and the vessel disappears al SAA