The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-08-13
HANDBOOK ISSUED
ON PANAMA CANAL
( Secretary of Commission
Gives Interesting Facts
in Publication.
~ JONATHAN WINFIELD


and enlarged edition Of the official
handbook Of the Panama Canal which
contains many interesting facts con-
corning the canal which are not gen.
orally known to the public.
The canal zoue contains about 44S
square miles. It begins at point
three amrine miles from mean low wa
ter mark In each ocean. and extends
for five miles on each side Of the CEN
ter line of the route Of the canal. 1t
includes the group Of islands in the
Bay of Panama. Perico Naos. Culebra
and Flamenco. The cities Of Panama
and Colon are not included In the
zone, put 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 30.
OF the 44s square miles Of zone ter
ritory, the United States owns the lar
ger portion. The exact amount OF the
land owned by the United States be-
ing determined now by survey. I'm
der the treaty with Panama the Unit
Cd States has the right to acquire by
purchase. or by the exercise OF the
right OF eminent domain. any build
ings, lands, water fronts. or other
properties necessary and convenient
Tor the construction. maintenance, OPP
eration, 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 per.
sons.
Length Of the Canal
The entire length Of the canal from
| deep water In the Atlantic to deep
water In the Pacific 10 about 40 miles
In passing through 1t from the Allan
tic to the Pacific. vessel will enter
| the approach channel in Limon Bay,
which will have bottom width OF 800
feet and extend to Gatun, distance
! OF about seven miles. At Gatun 1t
\ VIII enter . series of locks and lifted
4 Is feet to the level OF Gatun lake. 1t
may then steam at full speed through
this lake, the channel varying from
1000 feet to 500 feet In width for
distance Of about "a miles to Bias Bias
no whore It will enter the Culebra cut.
Il will then pass through the cut q, dis
X lance Of about nine miles. At Pedro
Mieual Il will enter lock and be low
II cred 80 feet to q small lake. at an ell
evstjon OF 81 feet sea level and will
mss through this to Miraflores. dis
ktance Of one and one half miles. There
III will enter locks ana be lowered TO
"a level and then pass through dis
ktance Of about nine miles in the Pactf.
I e. The depth Of the approach chan.
nel on the Atlantic side will be II
ioet, and on the Pacific side IS feet
The depth OF the inner canal will vary
from S6 feet to Is feet.
r. There will be six double locks In the
canal, three pairs In the flight at Ga
\ tun with . combined lift OF IS feet, one
pair at Pedro Migual with lift of 81
{eet, and two pairs at Miraflores with
& combination lift Of "a feet. The us
sble dimensions Of all are the same
length 100 feet and . width OF III
I1oot. Each lock will be . chamber
With walls and . floor Of concrete
&nd mitering gates at each end.
! The side walls will be 45 to SO fee
wide at the surface Of the floor. The!
yin be PERPENDICULAR on the face. ant
viii narrow from . point "a fee
above the floor until they are 8 feet q
me top. The middle wall will be g.
feet wide. approximately 81 feet high
ana each face will be vertical.
- Lock oatss Of Steel.
The lock gates will be constructs
Of steel. The will be seven feet thick
OS feet long. and from ~ to 80 fee
high. Each will weigh from 800 t
coo tons. Ninety two lock leaves vii
b required for the entire canal, tn
total Weighing $1,000 tons. In tn
! construction Of the locks. 1t 10 estima1
"a that 1900, 900 cubic feet of cor
kcrete win be used. requiring about tn
hame number Of barrels Of cement.
Electricity will b used to tow all vel
cels into and through the locks. and I
operate the gates and valves, powe
being generate by water turbines frol
Ae head created by Gatun lake. Ve
cels viii not be permitted to enter 9
Ioss through the locks under the
own power. but will be towed throug
by electric locomotives runnin on CO
rails land ON top of the lock wall
The number Of locomotives employe
viii vary with the size Of the vesse
The usual number required will B
four. The locks will be filled and emf
tied through . system of cuverts. III
sverige time required to fill or empt
q lock will be about fifteen minute
without opening the valves 20 su
denlw ~ to create disturbing current
Ii the locks or approaches.
The time Of passage Of as vess
through the entire canal 10 estimate
% ranging between 10 and ~ hour
according to the sils Of the vessel ar
the rate Of speed abe cantravel. II
time required to pass vessel throue
the locks 10 estimated at three hour
one and one half hours In the lock
0atun. and about the same time in Il
locks on the Pacific side.
Excavation Of Canal.
The total excavation Of the can,
vet and dry. % originally planned ",
estimated ct l0s.7s6. 900 cubic yard
n aAditioa to what the French col
rnnios did. Changes In the plans
d canal made by order of the Pre-
aGaA( Increased tho amount to IL
oe1,So4 cubic yards. In 1910 mo
than 31.O0o.00o cubic yards were l