The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-13
HANDBOOK ISSUED ON PANAMA CANAL Gives Interesting Facts
 About the Zone STRIP 40 MILES LONG Zone Contains AS Square Miles of Which United States Owns the
 Larger Portion and Has
 Authority Over
By JONATHAN WINFIELD

sion has recently had published revised and enlarged edition of the official hand book of the Panama canal, which con tains many interesting facts concerning the canal which are not generally known to the public.
 The canal zone contains about AS square miles. It begins at a point three marine 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 It includes the group of islands in the Bay of Panama, Perico Naos, Cule- bra and Flamenco. The cities of Panama and Colon are not included in the zone, but the United States has the right to enforce sanitary ordinances in those cities and to maintain public order in them in case the Republic of Panama should not in the judgment of the United States be able to do so
 Of the AS square miles of zone territory, the United States owns the larger por- tion. The exact amount of the land owned by the United States being deter mined now by a survey. Under the treaty with Panama the United States has the right to acquire by purchase or by the exercise of the right of eminent do- main, any buildings, lands, water rights, or other properties necessary and con- venient for the construction, maintenance, operation, sanitation and protection of the canal. This government can therefore at any time acquire the lands within the zone boundaries which are now owned by private persons.
 The entire length of the canal from deep water in the Atlantic to deep water in the Pacific is about 50 miles. Its length from shore line to shore line is about 40 miles. In passing through 1t from the AL lantic to the Pacific, a vessel will enter the approach channel in Limon bay, which will have a bottom width Of 800 feet and extend to Gatoum, distance of about seven miles. At Gatoum it will enter a series of locks and be lifted S5 feet to the level of Gatoum lake. It may then steam at full speed through this lake, the chan mel varying from 1000 to 800 feet in width for a distance of about 24 miles to Bas Obispo, where it will enter the Culebra Cut. It will then pass through the cut, a distance of about nine miles. At Pedro Miguel 1t will enter a lock and be lowered 30 feet to a small lake, at an elevation of 54 feet sea level, and will pass through this to Mirafores, distance of one and one-half miles. There it will enter loclls and be lowered to sea level and then pass through a distance of about nine miles into the Pacific. The depth of the ap- proach channel on the Atlantic side will be fl feet, and on the Pacific side 45 feet
 The depth of the inner canal will vary from S5 to 45 feet.
 There will be six double locks in the canal. three pairs in the flight at Gatum, with a combined lift of 80 feet, one pair at Pedro Miguel with a lift of 30 feet and two pairs at Miraflores with a combined lift of 54 feet. The usable dimensions of all are the same-length of 1000 feet and a width of 110 feet Each lock will be a chamber with walls and a floor of con- crete. and mitering gates at each end. The side walls will be 45 to 50 feet wide at the surface of the floor. They will be perpendicular on the face, and will mar row from a point 24 feet above the floor until they are feet at the top. The mio- dle wall will be 60 feet wide, approxi- matey 81 feet high, and each face will be vertical
 The lock gates will be constructed of steel. They will be seven feet thick. 65 feet long, and from 47 to S2 feet high. Each will weigh from 100 to 600 tons. Nine ty-two Trek leaves will be required for the entire canal, the total weighing 57,00O tons In the construction of the locks, is esti- mated that 4,2OOO00 cubic yards of con- crete will be used, requiring about the same number of barrels of cement
 Electricity wifi be used to tow all ves- sells into and through the locks, and to operate the gates and valves, power being generated by water turbines from the head created by Gatum lake. Vessels will not be permitted to enter or pass through the locks under their own power, but will be lowed through by electric locomotives running on cog-rais laid on top of the lock walls. The number of locomotives employed will vary with the size of tie vessel. The usual number required will be four. The locks will be filled and emp tied through system of culverts. The average time required to fill or empty a lock will be about 15 minutes, without opening the valves so suddenly as to create disturbing currents in the locks or the approaches
 The time of passage of vessel through the entire canal Is estimated ranging be- tween 10 and 12 hours, according to the size of the vessel and rate of speed she can travel. The time required to pass a vessel through the locks is estimated at three hours, one and one-h half hours in the lock at Gatum and about the same time in the locks on the Pacific slde The total excavation of the canal, wet and dry, as originally planned, was esti- mated at 103,795,OO0 cubic yards, in addi- ton to what the French companies did Changes in the plan of the canal made by the order of the President. increased the amount to 174,6e6594 cubic yards. In 1910 more than 31, 100000 cubic yards were re- moved. the monthly average exceeding 2,6o0.000. The total for the three years that the United States has been digging aggregated nearly three-f1fths of the total amount required to complete the canal.
 The canal force is recruited and housed by the United States Quartermaster's De- partment. There have been brought to the canal zone 43 452 laborers, of whom ll,797 came from Europe, and 19.44S from Barbadoes. and the balance from the other islands of the West Indies. About $12,000,0 900 worth of supplies are purchased annually, requiring the discharge of one steamer each day. The commissary de- partment has P general stores in as many villages along the route of the canal. IL Is estimated that counting the employees and their dependents, 1000 people are SUD- piieo daily with food, clothing and other necessities. A supply train of 21 ears leaves Cristobal every morning at o'clock and distributes supplies to the stations along the line.
 careful estimate has been made by the canal commission of the value to he commission at the present time of the franchise, equipment material work done and property of various kinds for which the United States paid the French Canal company $4O.0o0.000. It places the total value at $42. .799.S26
 There can be little doubt with the nro,- ress that has been made that tho com