Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-12-27

That is because the geological fOrlt1f.-
tiCn changes SO frequently and Sudden
ly that no other effective treatment
has been .ound. So unstable is the
earth that the material in one part of
the cut begins to move Oh an inclina-
ton as low as I on Z. OWNS to the
mass of stratified rock sliding over Il
layer of ignite. One Slide noW in mo-
ton, near the bridge OF Cuiebra. covers
all area of G3 acres, from which 2.110.-
GOO yards has already been removed,
leaving 1900. 600 still To be handled.
! Then there is another little slide OF
no less than 50 acres OH the opposite
! side OF. the canal. The result of these
earth NOV ments, which are quite eN-
ceptional in engineering practice. has
been to leave the canal i'm it's deepest
portions with very Hat slopes. The en-
couraging feature of the heavy work at
that point Is found in the statement
in HI report that none of the slides
which occurred during the year would
nave interfered with the passage of
ships had the canal been in operation"
Appropriated $~322,541,46s.
Already the appropriations made by
congress for the ana have run into
big figures. the total up to June 80,
last, being $293. 561. 46S. and since that
date there have been additional APP
preparations. exclusive of those for
Notifications. amounting to $28. $50, 900.
making the grand total 1922. 54l. 46S. On
June 30. of all these appropriations the
engineers had expended 60 per cent of
the total estimated cost of the canal.
+ OF even greater interest. from an en-
cheering point of view. than the vast
but commonplace work of excavation in
Culebra cut. was the work of construct
ing the great locks at Gatun. Mira
flores and Pedro Miguel, for there many
novel problems nave been solved and
lock machinery constructed OF special
designs of a magnitude never before
heard.
For instane. so big are the valves at
the side of the locks hat a test showed
that it required Il pull of over 10 tons
on the stem to open one of these vail
YES. All this work is done electrically,
and here, again. the engineers were
confronted with new difficulties.
tions On the isthmus. with tropical
heat and extreme humidity. and the
deteriorating effect of these conditions
on the insulation OF electrical machin-
cry, tho ordinary insulation proved un-
reliable and the engineers found it
necessary to make a great number of
experiments, no less than 16 sample
motors being pitted against one an
other.
Operating Great Gates.
1t WAS a severe test for dynamo n
| motor builders to have their machines
required to operate for a period of 10
days in a building filled with steam at
a temperature of 80 degrees centigrade
having the motor cases filled with
water for five hours at 30 degrees. But
finally the American motor builders
responded and suitable apparatus is
being installed.
Thus electric motors. under tests. are
now swinging the great gates of the
canal. each Weighing very many tons
ard as tall and broad as a great sky
scrapine building. in the remarkable
time of l minute and IS seconds In
cidentally. 1t appears that, to make
these gates. the iron workers must
drive and head $780, 900 rivets.
The pivcts of these great locks are
being made OF a special grade>of steel
and Dronze. not only for strength but
to protect them against cOrrosiun, a
very necessary precaution in view Of
the fact that they will always be sub
merged in sea water after the canal is
open. 10 guard against galvanic ac-
ton. zinc rings are also placed on the
bronze bushings.
To supply the owe to operate the
gates and sluice alv in the locks.
n furnish current for the monster
electric locomotives which are to tow
the steamships through the locks. a
great hydrc-electric station is being
erected adjacent to the spillway in
Ciatufn dam.
The sanitation of the isthmus also
mas beer maintained at the high level
set BY Col. William G. -Gorgas. the
chief sanitary officer. from the begin
ming. Contrary 10 the commo inn
preston the sanitary work, in the way
of clearing land. does not extend over
the entire zone but less tina 1.2OO of
the 21S.S4S acres in the tract are kept
clear for s%anitary purposes, and al
most the entire zone is in it's original
condition as regards brush and jungle.