The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-05-30

by lgeC NCV. ~
These are in the form OF a letter vi
with the apex of the letter up stream
II now you will think Of pile OF these
letters laid over on their side and pill
ed as high as the lock you will be
able to imagine something OF the
shape of these gates. By means OF
wrench operated from the top Of the
lock, iron shutters are opened and
closed at the bottom of the gates and
by means of these the water is con-
fined or released, as the operator de-
sires. II the upper gates are closed
and the shutters" of the lower gates
are open, the lock can be drained until
the water in the lock is on a level
with the water below where the boat
is lying. This makes 1t possible to
open the gates, the letter V" pulling
apart at the point and opening as wide
as the lock itself. This gives room
for the boat to enter. after which the
gates are closed and the shutters" in
the upper gates are opened allowing
the lock to fill with water. until it
reaches the level of the water as high
as the dam has raised it. after which
the upper gates open and the boat
passes out into the stream above. but
has gained in elevation the height of
the dam. This then makes body of
water of sufficient depth to carry the
boat to the next rifle" when anoth-
er lock is put in, and SO on to the
head of navigation. Thirteen locks
and dams in all, have been completed.
Trip by Daylight.
l have made this portion Of the trip
a number of times and inasmuch as
my first trip up the river to distance
of forty or fifty miles was made by
daylight, instead of night as my read
ers may have been led to conclude
am tempted to go back again to Car
rollton and come over this portion of
the river by daylight. At the junction
of the two rivers, the Kentucky and
the Ohio there is a depth which it is
said the plummet has never reached.
The traveller who enters the river at
this point sees narrow chasm, doubt
less created by some great geological
cataclysm, and is at first disappointed,
especially if in reaching Carrollton he
has been moving on the broad ex-
panse of the Ohio, the river which
Bayard Taylor has called, La Belle
Riviere. Almost Immediately, either
on the one side or the other, and fire.
quently on both, will he note the pre-
cipitous banks, and will see that at
the very edge of the stream the water
is of sufficient depth for the steamer
to push 'her nozzle against the bank,
till the last galoots ashore
Unfeigned Delight.
But this early disappointment soon
gives way to an unfeigned delight, as
now by the world forgotten, he is en-
which he has come, and he uncon-
sciously yields himself to the enchant.
ment of the new world into which he
is going. In single continuous line
sometimes running for miles will the
sightseer observe RATS of logs which
have been towed down from the
mountains of Kentucky, or which may
have drifted to their present mooring
under the skillful pilotage of some
"mountaineer." Craft of every kind
floats upon this stream; the stately
steamboat and the gasoline launch
the house boat and the "John-boat
are all at home upon these waters. All
sorts and conditions of men, of every
vocation and color will be seen along
the way. So different is this new
world, SO unlike the busy, hustline
world out of which he has emerged
that one soon finds himself taking or
some of the same lethargy that seems
to possess men and nature alike.
Hurricane Deck.
So soon as the steamer comes In
sight of the lock the passengers with
one accord find their way forward or
the cabin deck, or else dividing into
squads will 60 aloft to the hurricane
deck" As yet they are not vel
enough acquainted with the pilot mol
the officers OF the vessel to be per
mitted to enter the pilot house, or the
Texas" that portion of the upper
part of the vessel used as quarters
for the officers and crew. But res
assured that before this trip is con
cluded every last one of them will a
some time or other have extended
them the courtesy of visiting thes<
coveted spots. But just now. from
whatever vantage point may be gain
ed. each is busy with securing TO
himself sight of the lock and Of thu
methods employed in ''lockin,
through" Nor does the process tir'
the tourist, for on the return tril
there is shown the same kecnness t,
observe every particular as there wa
on the way up.
Iridescent in the sunlight and spark
ling as with million diamonds is tn
sheet of water that pours over the fol
midable wall Of masonry that ha
blocked the way. The formation o
the lock we have already described
The pilot has signalled the enginee
for slower speed and finally all pow
er is shut off and the vessel glide
into her temporary prison. An iro1
ladder imbedded in the masonry al
fords a convenient way for tn
<'rousters" to scale to the top wit
rope in hand by which when the wat
lers have grown turbulent in seekin
IA