The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1907-11-23


work on the Panama canal has pro
crossed apparently SO slowly, for it has
given time to appreciate the marvel
Gus development in ship construction,
and to suggest the necessity of a
larger channel than was provided in
the act of congress authorizing the
construction of the inter-ocean water
way. 1t is only too apparent to
those who are thoroughly acquainted
with the situation that the S5-foot
level lock with width of 100 feet is
not going to be wide enough to accom-
modate the largest type of battleship
or the gigantic steamships of the pro-
portions of the new Lusitania. These
boats would scarcely be able to
squeeze through the locks if construct
ed according to the dimensions of the
present canal plans, and ships OF
larger size, which are apparently
certain development Of ship architec-
ture of the future, would be unable to
use the canal at all. For this reason
the question is being asked: Is not
serious blunder being committed in
carrying out the plans as adopted?
Some of the greatest engineers of
the world, supported by accurate fig
ures regarding the wonderful growth
In the beam and tonnage Of both COM
mercial and warships during the past
half century, and backed by the opin-
ions of certain reliable naval con
structors and naval officers, do not
believe that the adopted locks of 100
feet in width will accommodate the
largest vessels that will be afloat
within the next quarter of a century.
Those locks are, as now planned, only
10 feet wider than the beam of the
largest American battleships author
lied by congress, and only II feet
wider than the greater Cunarders Lu-
sitania and Mauretania, both of which
were under construction when the
present type of locks was adopted,
and both Of which are now afloat
One Of the ablest naval construct
0rs in the United States navy, whose
name cannot for obvious reasons be
used, in view of the adoption of the
lOOfoot width for the proposed canal
declares: There is danger ahead in
the big battleship programmes unless
the locks proposed for the canal are
made wider than 100 feet. Unless
those locks are made wider than that
[ predict that the largest vessels of
ten years hence will scarcely be able
70 pass through them. Now is the
lime to settle this question. The canal
Is being built for the future. 1t is
not being built for a decade, but for
the century. When the locks are once
built they cannot be enlarged without
seriously interfering with the traffic of
the canal and without enormous eX.
pense. With the water turned into the
canal it will also probably be more
difficult to enlarge the locks than to
build them In the first place. Even
II this is not the case, the total eX-
pense Of building the locks 100 feet
wide, and Of later charging them to a
greater width, will be much greater
than the total expense of building
them the proper width in the begin.
aing.
Unless some change is made in the
plans already definitely adopted for
i00foot locks, the United States gov
eminent may some years hence be
confronted with the problem which
has been facing Germany-that Of en-
Iarging the Kaiser Wilhelm canal.
The German government has just car
ried the act providing for the widen
ing of that canal. The widening be.
came necessary when the German
government at the end of 1905 deter.
mined on increasing the displace
ment Of the new battleships to 49,
900 tons, and OF the new cruisers tC
10000 tons, as it would be impossible
for those warships to pass through
the present locks of the canal.
"a chain is only as strong as its
weakest link. A canal Is only as wide
as its narrowest lock, Unless the
locks OF the Panama canal are wild,
enough to pass the largest vessels o
the future, those ships will not bt
able to get through the canal, no mat
ltE W ldl lto hiulu lLdg DS III Iit
widest tcstton Of the channel. Tt,
beam OF the American warship ha
grown al a rate Of foot year for
quarter of a century. The net gail
Ia the growth Of the width of beam 0
American battleships has been q fee
IN 81 years. The largest American
battleships--the Delaware and NortI
Dakota-yet authorized are to have
bean vi So feet inches. II tn
same ratio Of growth IS maintaine,
in the next 81 years, the beam Of gu
largest battleship would in 1928 b
100 feet, and they would not be abb
TO pass through the locks nos
planned.
When DeLesseps first undertoo
ne building Of the canal he provide
for locks only 70 feet wide and 29,
feet deep II such canal were no.