Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-04-02

miles from mean low water mark in each
ocean and extends for five miles on each
side of the center line of the route of the
canal. 1t includes the group OF islands i'm
the bay Of Panama named Perco, Naos,
Culebra and Flamenco The cities of
Panama and Colon are excluded from the
zone, but the United states has the right
to enforce sanitary ordinances of those
cities and to maintain public order I'm
them in case the Republic Of Panama
should not be able, in the judgment Of the
United states to do so.
OF the 44S square miles Of zone territory
the United States owns about 800 square
miles. Under the treaty with Panama, the
United States has the right TO acquire by
purchase, or by the exercise of the right
of eminent domain. any lands. buildings
water rights. or other properties necessary
and convenient for the construction, main
tenance. operation, sanitation and protec-
ton OF tine canal. and II can therefore,
at any time acquire the 1876 square miles
within the zone boundaries, which are
now owned by private persons
The Canal Locks
There will be twelve locks in the canal,
all in duplicate; three pairs in flight at
Gatun, with a combined lift Of eighty five
feet; one pair at Pedro Miguel, with a
lift Of thirty and one-third feet ana two
pairs at Miraflores. with a combined lift
of f!fty-four and two-thrds feet at mean
tide. The dimensions OF all are the same
a usual length Of 1000 feet, and disable
width Of 10 feet Each block will be
chamber, with walls and floor of concrete
and water-tight gates a each end.
The side walls will he fortE--fI,s o., fiffg-
feet wide at the surface Of the floor; will
be perpendicular on the face. and will
narrow from a point twenty four and one
third feet above the floor untn they are
eight feet wide at the top. The middle
wall will be sixty feet wide, Approximately
eighty-one feet high, and each faco will
be vertical At point fortv-two and one
third feet above the surface Of the floor,
and fifteen feet above the top Of the mid
die culvert, this wall viii divide into two
parts, leaving a space down the center
much like the letter "U", which will be
nineteen feet wide az the bottom. In thi,
center space which will be forty -four fee
wide at the top. will be a tunnel divided
into three stories. or galleries. The loves
gallery will be for drainage; the middle
for the wires that will carry the eIectIi,
NNA rent " operate the gate ana waive
machinery, which will be installed In IN,
center wall; and the upper will be a pas
sageway for the operators The loci
chambers will be filled and emptlet
through lateral culverts in the floors. con
meeting with main culverts, eighteen fee
in diameter, in the walls the water flow
ing in any out by gravity
swing of Huge Gates.
The lock gates will be steel structures
seven feet thick, siXty-five feet long an,
fOrty-seven TO eighty-two feet high The,
will weigh from 800 10 800 tons each
Ninety-two leaves will be required for an,
entire canal the total Weighing $1,000 tons
intermediate gates will be be used In IN,
locks, In order to save water and time Il
desired, in locking small vessels through
the gates being so fixed as TO divide IN,
locks into chambers 600 and 900 feet long
respectively. Ninety-five per cent Of M
vessels navigating the high seas are les
than 600 feet long. In the construction o
the locks It Is estimated that there will b.
used approximately 100000 cubic yards o
concrete, requiring about the same numbe
Of barrels Of cement
No vessel Will be permitted TO enter Of