New-York tribune., 1909-11-22
REPORT on CANAL
EYCELLENT RESULTS.
Years HOrk Shoes Great
fdrdncc iR Panama.

Washington NOV. 2l.-Satisfactory
progress IN the construction OF the Pan
sme Canal Is shown IN the annual re-
port ~ fhe Isthnlian canal Commission
for the fiscal year ended June 30. l9t9,
made public by ,hc Secretary of War
today. The report deals with the or
canization OF the work. construction and
engineering problems which were solved,
the civii government OF the Canal Zone.
fhe Improvement IN sanitary conditions
and the estimated oost of the canal.
while tho report contains few facts
which have not been printed from time
10 time. snd scarcely any comment by
Colonel GOethals chairman Of the COM
mission and chief engineer Of the work.
u affords synopsis 81 what has been
accomplished during the year. The re
port Says in part:
a complete reorganization o. The work
was inaugurated IN duly ], 1905. ana
brouEht about gradually through the
year with q view. as previously stated.
10 concentrate authority. 10 expedite the
transaction ~ business. TO secure better
Coordination. 20 fiN more definitely the
responsibility in any particular case. and
10 reduce Tie cost of administration. Tho
sub-cepartments of the department Of
CONSTRUCTION and engineering were abol-
lshed and three construction divisions
suaSttuteo-the Atlanfic division cN-
tending from deep water IN the Carib-
bean 20 Include Gatun locks and dams.
the central division extending from Ga
tEn o6m 10 PcGr0 II iCuel locks and the
Pacific division from Pedro Miguel locks
70 deep water Ia the Pacific. The divi-
sion engineers also took charge Of the
execution OF all sanitary engineering
work These changes resulted in the
elimination - the department u munlC-
lpal engineering. motive power and ma
chinerV and building construction and
the construction forces Of the sanitary
department. The main work connected
Win motive power and machinery WAS
assigned 10 a new division. styled the
mechanical division" which reports 10
lhe chlei engineer directly
DESIGNS FOR WORK AT GATUN.
during lhe year The designs for the
Viper locks al Gatun and the locks at
PEDRO Miguel We're finished The locks
N pairs. separated by a wall 50 feet
h-lck. are 10 feet in width. with 1.009
feet sble lengths. The method of fill
iLg and emftying adopted is by longi-
iuoinal culVerts 81 the side walls op-
Grated by Stoney valves. from these
cuiVerts water passes through laterals
unoer The floors and perpendicular to
III axis Of the locks from which open
lusE sFDwaro admit water 10 or draw L
froI2 - Jock chambers. A longitudinal
cuiver rs placed IN the centre wall also.
connected with the lock chambers by
iatcrals, but in this case. while the
water N the main culvert IL governed
bS StoDey gates, flow through the later
ais Is controlled by cylindrical balanced
waves capable Of Nithstanding pres
sure from either direction Tho ar-
rangemeut permits the passage -
Wsrer from one lock 10 Tho other of ary
pGir
After study and investigation ~ vari-
Gus forms 81 gates. the double lea
FiuubiC sEeatlfed, Str1 igl7t rniterinE
EEfeS were ADOPTED as being the most
economical IN construc-iUu. operation
and mhintensnce. ln all plans for tie
capal II has hcer accepted as a fund
mental feature of design that Al each
liCht " locks -thepe -f77FHet-al7g l7gaz-S-f,e
Two barriers separating tho nigh level
from thr level next below. After care
rul study of the horizontal rolling gate
a. the barrier IL vas abandoned be-
tsusc cf the great cost and weight
sno another set of miteTiug gates VAS
substituted with chain barrier con-
trolled by capstans in The wall. As over
- per cent of the vessels 0f thc world
ars less than six hundred recr rong. IN
--rmeciate gates have beoa Introduce
49, feature of Tho finished 6esigu.
0l~ioinE the lock chambers into two
Iarts suited 10 vessels Ct $50 and go
feft IN length respectively; these are
also protected by a chain barrier
tUlce piers are 10 be constructed
both up aud down stream from The
lock-. against which the vessels ,,ilI
ne before entering the locks Designs
for electric towing machines are being
prepared. which I'm al rrob. bilfra- viii
hc used for towing vessels into AMI
cuntrolling them throughout the pass
aEe ~ the locks. In addition ener-
Eency dams are 20 be provided 20 cllt
"u Lle now in Ire event that a counec-
Lon ls mad" between the high ley-l
ano thc lekel below rhe fight -g~ba
general design has been adopted ana
consists - "a swing bridge from which
Eirdeus are lowered and supported hv
thf DrluEe 81 TIE top and sills al the
bottom These girders in turu sun
port specially designed wickets.
Tho work 81 excavating the Gstr.D
locks Uas continued during the wear bv
si~aru shovels throughout ihc f9rahav
and the grester part of the Jock cham
hfrs. and by one Of the 2O-inch sue
uon dr7dgss In the lower ua-t or the
lowest lock ENcav alton was in prog
ress - tho close of Tho year trenchiUc
t"r tnf curtain walls. The material eN-
Cayaled in the dry amounted 10 q:.2.
80 cubic Yards, and that removed fu
10" Wet amounted 10 1880 cubic
Yards. The plant for the couSrrucri0r
% the lock Is practically Installed and
ready for operation
The concrete channel below the dam
D. %ro feet long ana - feet wide be-
tween the walls The foor varies in
thickness from one foot a. the lower
fxfremitv 10 four feet near the dam.
the side walls VII average - feet in
height
EXCAVATION OF CULEBRA CIT.
The Tork OF rhis construction division
enlhrsces al the excavation between the
gatDn Dam and Pedro Miguel includ-
ing the diversion channels. construction
OF the Na0s Island Urea kR-ater. clearing
~ Timber from abe chanuel and anchor
age basin. and such municipal sanitary
ana building work az il Included within
It's territorial limits. Il takes in the
former culebra and Chagres River di-
visions, consolidated in the rcorCaniza-
fiOu
The tuiebra section OF the division eK-
tends from the Chagres River. in the
vicinity Of GambOa. 10 Pedro Miguel
The original plan contemplated a chan
No 800 feet vide az the bottom. EXCEPT
Tor the portion between Las Cassadas
anc I-araiso, where the width was fixed