The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-09-01

other machinery. This model IS only
| six feet four inches long and eight
and one-half feet in width. II looks
exactly like a lock IN miniature with
the gates at the end The gates are
perfect limitations. having pins for
every rivet and in all about 10. 900 pins
on the sheet copper which covers them.
They arc operated by onc-ifteenth
horsepower motor. and are equipped
with such devices that the operation
is automatically controlled just as it
viii be in the great locks here at
Miranores and elsewhere.
! How the Ships Go Through.
| The vessels are not allowed to move
from one lock TO another by steam.
They are towed by electric locomo-
tlves. and there are number of pro-
toctive devices to see that they do not
injure the locks or themselves on their
way through.
There arc four towing locomotives
which run upon tracks on each side
of the lock Two OF them are fas-
tened to the front of a vessel NOV
ing IL onward, and the other two are
on the tracks at the rear holding 1t
/ back so that it can go only so fast
! The rate fixed Is to be two miles an
hour and the locomotives viii prevent
! IL being more or less than this.
! These locomotives will run on a
level excepting where they pass from
one lock to another. whcro they will
climb up or down heavy grades Be
tween the lower ana intermediate
locks at Gatun. for example. the diff
ference in elevation is over twenty
nine feet.
There are to be two systems of
tracks, one for towing and the other
for the return of the locomotives
.tsba, fa..r l-e
Will have a centre rack. and the loco
motives will always operate on this
rack. On the return track there Will
also be n rack on the incline between
the locks. but elsewhere the cars VIII
run by friction.
The motive power for running
these locomotives will be electricity,
generated by the spillway of the Ga
tun Dam. This. 1t is believed. will
for all the machinery of tho canal.
but possibly enough to run the trains
OF the Panama Railroad.
Chains 10 Hold the ships Back.
In addition to the locomotives. the
J locks have other means of keeping
the steamers from striking the gates
or going too fast. Among these are
chains which run across the lock
chambers from one side To tho other.
! ncSc VndlNS are SO powerful tnat
they could stop a 1O,010-ton vessel
going at the rate of four miles an hour
| within a distance of sixty feet with
out injurinS either the ship or tho
chain. The chains run across from
lock wall to lock wall and from the
| approaches passing down into holes in
the walls In such a way that they play
out gradually when struck by the yes
sells. retarding them and bringing them
to stop The chains are also SO ar
ranged that they can be lowered and
dropped down into a groove IN the bot
tom OF the lock floor. so that the vessel
| steams out over their tops
These chains are enormous. Each
link viii be oval in shape. It's longest
diameter will be as big as the largest
dinner plate. and the stcA. OF the link
VIII be about as thick as your wrist
| In addition. the gates viii be double.
the upper gate acting as protection
TO tho lower. so that both would have
TO break before any damage could
| come to the lock
| In addition to all this. there are tn
he emergency dams at the upper end
Of each set of locks, which viii work
something like q. drawbridgc. and thus
protect the locks
The water for the Cnnni.
One OF the live questions In connec-
ton with the locks is whether the
A Ghagres River can furnish enough