La Junta tribune., 1912-09-21

canal whether by pen o
speech. aided by pictures
- maps and plats. can Civ,
one any realization OF the greatness
OF the work Only by going down II
the canal and climbing It's steel
mouniain-like Sides. by ramblin,
among the powerful machines, III,
drills and the trains OF cars thai
are doing this great work by climb
ing down and over the massive locks
OF concrete and pa sing through theil
immense tunnels. which will nll anc
empty the locks. can one come IL
an appreciation OF the real magui
,ude Of this wonderful enterprise
The Panama canal Is fifty miler
long including some five miles OF
the open sea At each end. and will
carry depth OF ~ feet Of water
which will carry the largest yes,
sels anoat or which probably NlIl
b. built. and will be- 300 tro' wide
at the bottom in It's narronost
part The canal is forty miles ln
length from shore TO shore The
channel la the bay which is shall
low and is built by dredging. and
the canal through the land TO the
first great locks at Catun. eN-
tend seven miles with width ~
500 feet Here vessels will be- lift
ed from sea level. s. feet. 10 Gatun
lake. a lake Of lGi square miles
This lake extends twenty four
miles To the Culcbra cut. which Is
nine miles % the Pedro Miguel lock.
and 800 feet wide on the bottom
at It's nsrrowest places
At this place. the CuIsbra cut. the
canal picrccs the continental g.
vide. the cut between Gold HIM
and Contractors hill The deepest
excavation Of the canal Is az this
point. being on the east side. "a
depth Of 600 feet mud ot the center
line. tho lowest point OF tho zap
between the two hills ga feet An
other hike one aud ona.Ealf miles
long extends from Pedro Miguel
ther" are two locks The Pedro
Miguel lock fas @ nm ~ a0 10
foot and DE two locks at Mira.
flores u % -l feet From Mira
flores 20 the old q the canal.
IN the Pacific oc an. the canal ls
sea level canal. 500 feet In width
and eight and oue,half miles long
When Gatun lake is full and m,
ocean at mean tide. the canal will
be furty-ssven feet deep through
out At its lowest depth and In a
part Of It's length considerably
deeper In Gatnn lake. the depth
viii vary from forty.seycn to oi shtv
five feat The canal IS crooked. Their
being many cur es Where ther,
are curves. there is an incrcas, IN
III" width. To give easy passage fol
the longest aud largest vessels
Gatun lake is formed by dan
across the Chagres river. almos
two miles along The dam Il hall
mile wide at its base and ~
fr.t high Il Is 500 foot wide Al
m" water level ~ ths lake. and 10,
f"ot Wide a. IT, crest thirty Zee
above th" lake This dam is bull
u two parallel banks uf rock an,
earth. fillrd iu with silt clay an,
sand hy suction drclgos. maxim
an impsryious core IN the couts
part the eutir" length of the dam
The upper slope Is from eight u
one 20 sixteen 20 one below Wats
level, and four % one above waite
level IN fact the slope is 80 grad
ual ON" can hardly realize that thl
4 dam. The upper surface of "a.
dam wiIl Do ripappcd with heay.
stone
In The center OF the dam IL bull
a concrete splllway; In reality II o
built In cut through a hill o
rock. 10 take care Of the Hurplu
water OF the lake. or rather 81 IN
chagres river The Spiiiway q
800 feet wide. with an imm.ns
semi-clrcular concret. structure a
Its head, In which are installed N,
gates. the engines and machinorl
Ia regulate the FLOW Of the water
There Is an immense tunnel the ful
length Of this spillway structure
In which II 10 be played the ma
chinery for the operating IN. gate
and for communication from sid
Co side.
There are six doubi. locks %,
III. canal. ,hr-. ai Gatun. At th'
Atlantic end. one at Pedro Mixue
and tuo af Mira ftor,. IN. ,hr..