The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1909-03-19

any way interrupted 10y these small
settings. Rock will be dumped until
the toe has reached the desired height
OF sixty feet. and each settling will
only result In more rock being dump.
ed there until the solid foundation IL
reached and an equilibrium estal-
llshcd
The idea that there Is n lake under
the site OF Gatun dam probably orig
mated from the fact that the borings
made at close intervals all over the
dam site revealed water In about 10
per cent OF the holes sunk. The re-
suits OF these borings were published
Sept. ., 1908. and nothing has devCl
opcd further. The report on these ex
ploratlons, which will appear in the
annual report OF the chairman and
chief engineer to congress, covers the
matter thoroughly from technical
standpoint, Briefly, 1t shows that wa.
ter under pressure was found in sew
cral places under the dam site.
"rhe fact that there was no commu-
nicatlOn between the various holes
shows beyond question that the water
under the dam site Is in pockets and
Is not pool or lake, and the fact that
the water was under pressure and rose
in the test holes shows that 1t has no
outlet. In addition to the borings two
test pits were sunk 100 feet below sea
level. and they merely confirmed what
the borings had already shown-that
the dam is being built on very firm
foundation of impervious clay.
what is true of the foundation of
the dam is also true of the foundation
OF the locks. There Is no question at
all OF its satisfactory character. The
locks are being constructed in a series
of three double locks, making rise
from sea level to the eighty-fve foot
level of the Gntun lake. Each lock Is
1000 feet long, 10 feet broad at the
entrance and n 1-3 feet deep In fresh
water over the stills.
"The excavation for the south or up
per lock is practically completed, ana
the concrete work will be begun as
soon as the power handling and mix
ing plants are delivered on the 18TH
mus and can be put in running order
The excavation In the second and third
locks involves the removal of 100000
cubic yards Of material by steam shov-
els and 100000 cubic yards by suction
dredges. The steam shovel work Is al.
ready well advanced. and the dredging
will be begun soon.
"The locks will be built entirely Of
concrete, forming a series of three wa
ter tight boxes, each divided into two
parts. Beneath the level of the floor
of the upper and second locks cur.
tain wall will be sunk to sufficient
depth to keep out whatever water is
now finding or is likely to find its out
let beneath the lock site. The eXcava-
ton on the curtain walls will be begun
in a few weeks The plans for the
locks have been completed in all but a
few details. The stone and sand nee
essary can be delivered at the handling
plant in Gatun as soon as they are re-
quired.
THE slide on the relocated line of
the Panama rallrOad at Gatun is Slllll-
lar to those which occurred at Cuca-
racha and at other points along Guile
bra cut and at MirahOres tunnel 1t Is
caused by the earth. which has become
saturated from the excessive rains and
has been burdened with the weight of
the fill, sliding on the surface of the
rock, which underlies 1t. This slide
has reached its angle of repose for the
present, but it is expected that during
the next rainy season, when the fill is
continued to the ninety-fve foot grade,
the slide will begin again. More mate
rial will then he dumped into the de-
preston, and the filing will be con-
tnued until the material has reached
It's angle of repose, when no further
trouble is expected"