The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1909-04-17
LOCKS OPENED.
First Large Boat Passed
Through the Gates at Pla-
quemlne.
Miss Carrie b. Schwing
Christens the Waterway
Number of Addresses
Made.

Il PIaquemine, La, April 9-Tl
PIaqu anime locks were formal
opened this afternoon. That is
; say, the first large boat passe
through several gates, and MI,
Carrie y. Schwing, daughter
: DIR. S. =. Schwing aud niece {
Judge Calvin X. SchwiDg, chris
ened the waterway by smashing
bottle of champagne against th
towering concrete walls. tn
Carrie b. SchwiEg, Il steInwheeic
belonging to the Schwing Lumbe
and Shingle Company, of thi
place, was the boat 10 pas
through. All Plaqnemlne was on
to see the formal opening, an(
thrOngs lined the picturesque ba
you and gathered on the higl
walls whose mighty gates checl
the might Of the river, and gaZe(
Oh the boat as she made her Jour
ney.
On board the trim craft Carrie
Il. Schwing were gathered many
of the leading ladies and gentle
men of Plaquemine, the guests OF
DR.. Schwlng and his brother. f.
B. Schwing, and musicians OH the
hurricane deck dlscOursed sweet
music. The boat with her many
passengers passed through the
first two gates of the locks and
moored to the wall, while the wa
ter from the rive: was let in slow
ly raised her higher and higher,
until at last she was twenty -four
feet above the bayou. While the
boat was mOOred to the wall Hon
Joseph A. Grace, tho Clerk of the
Court, as Master of Ceremonies, in
stirring speech, introduced CIar-
ence Hebert as the first speaker.
MIR. Hebert spoke of the import
ance of the Jocks to The Teche
country and of what they meant
to Plequemine.
Edward }. Gay, member of the
House from this parish, and one
of the leading planters, was intro
duced by Mr.. Grace, who said that
it was Mr.. Gays honored grand
father who made the first move to
wards securing the locks for Pla
quemine, and it was his uncle who,
in 1894, turned the first shovel full
of dirt on the work.
Mr.. Gray made ringing speech
in which he cOmpllmented the
locks fair sponsor, and told not
only Of the efforts her relatives
had made for the work, but Of the
service rendered by Congressman
as we'll.
Miss Schwing very gracefully
performed her task, and hurling
the bottle of champagne against
he wall of the locks formally
the great work while
he guests applauded and the
)and played a national air.
The boat, out on the river, took
he guests for Il pleasant excur
ion, which consumed several
lOurS.
Jhon p. Dimmick, United States
Assistant Engineer, is in charge Of
he locks, and MIR. Dlmmick has
cen to the completion Of the great
vork since being transferred here
rom Plttsburg. Colonel Lansing
/. Beach, U. s. A., is in charge
+ the entire Mississippi Levee
district in which the locks are
and Colonel Beach has
evOted much Of his time to the
'laquemine locks and bringing :
hem to the required standard.
The locks are provided with
our sets of inter gates, and have
maximum lift from the frs: wa
Or chamber to the river chamber r
{ thirty feet. The locks are 3GO
set long from the two Ou er gates
nd are made Of heavy cOncHtc
alIs. In fact 1T is one Of the
lrgest pieces of concrete work in a,
10 United States. Its lit is the
CHEST IN the Uuited States and
i'll equal the locks to be built in
le Panama Canal. The width Is
fty.five feet, and each leaf to the
stes weigh ITO tons. The gates g
Q of steel and are operated by B