Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1911-03-31


Mr.. Baker, the organizer and builder
of the Atlantic Transport line, who
since his retirement from business has
taken a deep interest in this country's
commercial development and has been
regarded as an expert on the subject.
Mr.. Baker quickly pointed out TO
Mr.. Roosevelt and Secretary Wright
that the canal enterprise lacked a
business end, which it should have;
that 1t should embrace some system
Of docks the advantage Of which could
be seized by this country's shipping
Given such a system of docks, said
Mr.. Baker, permitting the transfer of
South and Central American freight
at the terminal of the canal from
trunk lines of steamships. the capture
Of the great markets of the south
might with confidence be left to the
country's shipping interests.
Two Miles of Docks.
The extreme length of the land re-
served for these docks is two piles.
but only about two-thirds of this is to
be improved Immediately. That ships
will have no trouble In turning be-
tween the two lines OF piers is indi-
Gated by the fact that from pierhead
to pierhead, across the intervening
basin, the distance win be 5000 feet,
or more than the fairway on the Hud-
son. Taking in the length of the
~,fo-- a. xcyifI ~, uoarI~ a x,,ilo ooroea
Here are some other figures: Area
of slips, 4.231. $50 square feet; wharf
frontage, $4,000 square feet; length
Of turning basin, 1900 feet
One of the most interesting features
in connection with the piers is their
slanting direction They will slant
toward the canal. This was decided
upon by experts in the matter, for the
5eason that 1t win enable ships to
run into them more easily from either
direction. allowing them to dispense
with the use Of tugs and to go In
under their own steam. 1t will also
obviate difficulties that would other
wise be encountered by reason Of the
20-foot tide there.
Where the Pacific piers are to be
there is now swamp. To construct
the basin 1t will be necessary to
dredge this to a depth of 80 feet at
mean tide. The excavated material
will be used to fill In other parts of
the swamp to make ground for the
transfer yards of the Panama railroad,
which is to extend around the basin
with a spur Of track running on to
each pier.
AS projected now these docks on
the Pacific side will be probably the
largest and most completely appointed
system OF docks in the world. The
new Tilbury docks at London have
water area Of only 20 acres to com
pare with the area of I'll acres of the
Panama turning basin alone What
is more. these docks are to be
equipped with the most modern cleo
trio cargo handling machinery, in
GLIDING huge overhead electrical
cranes and system of escalators for
handling tween deck cargoes, the en-
tire system to be operated probably
by water power developed at the Mira
flores dam.
Docks on the Atlantic.
The docks to be erected at the At
lantic side are not so extensive, as
they are intended merely for the
berthing of steamers while waiting
to enter the canal and for the han
ding Of such supplies and material
as are necessary for that end. Never
theless these piers will be worthy of
admiration.
The improvements at this end con-
template the dredging out of an an
chorage basin a mile long and 1925
feet wide and the construction of four
concrete piers of the same size as at
the Pacific docks. The basin will ad-
join the canal channel. which is
dredged out to Limon bay.