The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1912-12-26

That IS because the geological forma-
ton changes so frequently AID sudden
ly that no other effective. treatment
has been found. SO unstable Is the
earth that the material In one part OF
the cut begins to move on IN inclina-
ton as low as 1 on 7, owing to b
mass Of stratified rock sliding over o.
layer Of Ignite. One slide now In mo-
ton, near the bridge of Culebra, covers
an area of SO acres. from which 2,7l0,-
900 yards has already been removed,
leaving 100000 still to be handled.
Then there is another little slide of
no less than 30 acres on h opposite
side of the canal. The result OF these
earth movements. which are quite Blk
ceptional In engineering practice, Ia
been to leave the canal In Its deepest
portions with very fiat slopes. The en-
couraging feature of the heavy work at
that point is found In the statement
In the report that none OF the slides
which occurred during the would
have interfered with the passage OF
ships had the canal been In operation"
Appropriated $3~22,541,46e,
Already the appropriations, made by
congress for the canal have run into
big figures, the total VI to June 80,
last. being $293, 561,46S, and since that
date there have been additional APP
propriations, exclusive. of those for
Notifications, amounting to $28, $4,000,
making the grand total $322.541,468. On
June 80, of all these appropriations the
engineers had expended 90 per cent OF
the total estimated cost Of the canal.
OF even greater interest. from an en-
gineering 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 have been solved and
lock machinery constructed OF special
designs of a magnitude never before
heard.
For i~nstane, SO big are the valves at
the side Of the locks that q test showed
that 1t required a pull of over 10 tons
on the stem to pen one Of these val
yes. All this work is done electrically,
and here. again, the engineers were
confronted with new difficulties.
Owing to the peculiar climatic condi-
lions on the isthmus. with tropical
heat and extreme humidity, and the
d~eteriOrating effect of these conditions
on thu insulation of electrical machin-
cry, the ordinary insulation proved un-
reliable and tine engineers u It
necessary to make q great number Of
experiments, no less than 16 sample
motors being pitted against n an
other
operating STOaE SdL6Ss
II was q severe test for dynamo and
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 SO degrees centigrade
and having the motor ases filled with
water for five hours at 80 degrees. But
finally the American motor builders
responded and suitable apparatus Is
being installed. T'
vi. - - L--A 49,.
now swinging h great gates OF h
canal, each Weighing very many tons
ard as tall and broad as q great sky
scraping building, in the remarkable
time Of l minute and As seconds. In
cidentally, 1t appears that, to make
these gates, the iron workers must
drive and head $3.50, 900 rivets.
The pivots Of these great locks are
being made of a special grade Of steel
and bronze, not only for strength but
to protect them against ~corrosion, a
very necessary precaution in view, OF
the fact that they will always be sub
merged in sea water after the canal Is
open. To guard against galvanic .ac-
ton, zinc rings are also placed on the
bronze bushings.
To supply the power to operate the
gates and sluice valves in the locks,
and furnish current for the monster
electric locomotives which are to tow
the steamships through the locks. a
great hydro-electric station Is being
erected adjacent to the spillway In
Gatum dam.
The sanitation Of the isthmus also
a been maintained at the high level
set by Col. William &. Gorgas, the
chief sanitary officer, from. the begin
ming. Contrary to the common Inn
preston the sanitary work, In the way
OF clearing land. does not extend ovsH
the entire zone, but less than 1900 OF
the 27S. S4S acres in the tract are kept
clear for sanitary purposes, and al
most the entire zone is in it's original
condition as regards brush and jungle.