New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-11
Huge DrydoCks and Coal Piles
Aggregating Many Thou
sands of Tons Features.
MODEL SHIPPING SYSTEM
Repair Shops, Powerful Cranes
and Accommodations for
Largest Ships Announced
by Commission.
From The Tribune Bureau. ]

item in the expenditures to get the Dig
ditch" in operation The Isthmian Canal
Commission has just announced in detail
these projects.
The piers for commercial use at Balboa
will be built at right angles to the axis
of the canal with their ends about ESQ
feet from the centre line of the canal
channel. They will be about 1000 feet
long and no feet wide. with aoO-foot slips
between, and with landings for small
boats at the head OF each slip for the full
width between piers. The construction Of
one pier only will be undertaken at first.
The French steel wharf. about 1000 feet
long, viii be retained for some time for
commercial purposes; two wharves and
one pier are under construction at CTfsto-
bal behind q mole and breakwater built
out from shore toward the canal chan
mel and parallelins the boundary line be-
tween the Canal Zone and Panaman
waters. Primarily. the docks are to meet
the commercial requirements OF the Pan
anna Railroad. but should there be enough
traffic after the canal Is completed to
Justify II, four other piers, each about
100 feet long ard go feet wide. with 800
foot slips between, will be constructed.
Main Drydock at Balboa.
The main drydock will be situated at
Balboa, and will be capable OF accommo-
dating any vessel that can pass through
the canal locks. 1t VIII have disable
length Of 1000 feet. a depth over the keel
blocks Of IS feet at mean sea level. and
an entrance width OF 10 feet. The en-
trance will be closed by mtre gates SINH
lar to those used I'm the locks. The dry
dock will have a rock foundation, and It's
sides will be lined with concrete. Its
equipment Will include a i0-ton locomo-
tive crane. with a travel on both sides.
For vessels OF smaller type an auxiliary
drydock will be built at Balboa, I'm lieu
of the marine railways originally con-
templated. II will have q usable length
OF $50 feet width at entrance Of II feet
and a depth over the keel blocks Of 1871
feet at mean sea level IL will be pro-
vded with a floating caisson. The lotion
locomotive crane on the main drydock
will be utilized for this dock also. The
work OF providing space for these dry
docks as well for the new shops. Is
now urder way, and requires the excava-
ton of about 10000 cubic yards Of ma
terial from the northwest face OF Sosa
Hill. The excavated material is used IN
filling the cite for the shops and terminal
yard.
on the Atlantic side IL is proposed to
retain the old French drydock, at Mount
Hope, which has a usable length OF 30
feet. a width at entrance Of 80 feet and a
derth over the sill OF 10 feet at mean sea
level. 1t was the opinion Of the board IN
charge of the dock projects that the com
mercial requirements in sight would not
warrant the construction OF drydock at
Cristobal capable of accommodating large
vessels, In view OF the building Of a dry
dock at Balboa, 10 which any large vessel
on the Atlantic side could be taken ard
returned. in case Il was found necessary
to dock it for repairs.
To Furnish Supplies Of All Kinds.
The plans contemplate furnishing YES
sells with fuel, fresh water and supplies
OF all kinds. The main coaling plant will
be situated on the north end Of the island.
opposite Dock H. Cristobel II will be
/ capable OF handling and storing 10000
tons of coal, with a possible increase Of
! 80 per cent One hundred thousand tons
Z OF the total normal storage is subaqueous.
The plant will have railroad connection
with the mainland over a bridge OF the
Bascule type. which Will cross the French
canal at a point about half "A mile south
of the Mount Hope drydock The pre-
liminary work OIL this plant has been be-
gun by the Panama Railroad.
a subsidiary coaling plant will be stu
ated at Balboa, at the outer end of the
: southeast approach wall Of the drydock,
) having frontage Of 900 feet thereon.
, adapted for discharging vessels This
: plant will be capable of handling and
storing 10000 tons of coal. with a possible
increase of 80 per cent Fifty thousand
tons of the total normal storage il sub
} aqueous.
In addition 10 coal facilities will be pro-
2 vided at Cristobal and Balboa for supply
: ing shipping and the canal works with
T fuel oil. In line with this plan, four steel
tanks Of 10000 barrels capacity each have
been contracted for recently in the United
States.
2 The main repair shops will be built at
Balboa and are designed to maintain the
following equipment:
l. Lock. spillway and power plant ma
, chinery.
, 2 Water and land equipment retained
! for the maintenance Of the canal.
3. Rolling stock and equipment Of the
: Panama Railroad
4. Mechanical apparatus connected with
the coalng plants. Notifications, cold stor-
; age plant, wireless stations, etc
.. The making Of repairs, etc, required
by commercial vessels and by private In
dividuals and corporations.
= 6. The making Of such repairs as may
be required by vessels of the United
States navy.
The main metal working shops, lnclud-
ing machine, erecting and tool shops, the
forge and pipe shop and the boiler and
ship filters shop, together with the shed
for the storage OF steel. will be placed
end on between the drydock and repair
wharf. The general storehouse, foundry,
woodworking shops, subsidiary buildings
and Office building. will be built parallel
TO the line Of the drydock and water
front. northeast of the main shops Two
lines OF railroad tracks Will extend past
each end of the metal working shops, and
shops will be provided with overhead
, travelling cranes. the crane runways
being extended through each end Of the
buildings over the railroad tracks. AS
o. no ma or q