La Junta tribune., 1912-09-21

Each gate consists OF TWO i'aNts
hinged on great shafts. firmly
fixed 10 the walls, and when closed
their edges meet and are water
tight, standing out into the lock
forming an acute angle. They do not
close straight across the lock.
These head gates are made OF
riysted steel. are hollow inside and
divided into alright compartments.
so that when the lock Is fnll OF wa
ter the float almost bears the weight
OF the gates The gates are each Z
feet thick. g. feet long and from II
to 50 feet high, weighing from 800 to
500 tons each These gates will be
operated By electrical machinery In
stalled within the walls Of the locks.
As an additional protection. there is
an immense chain stretched across
the locks just above the gates TO
check and stop the ship and prevent
i's striking the gates should an ac-
rident occur Boa handling the ship.
Poudprous steel gates are operated
by electricity 20 open and close them.
both u the great main tunnels and
th. lateral lessor tunnels. SO that
0pauIus tho huge gates OF the locks
opening aud closing the tunnel valves
or gates the towing OF the vessels
through the locke and operating the
mulua7i1us and immense machinery
will b. done by electricity
The manner iu which a ship will
pass through the locks az Garuu
Is as follows
The vessel viii enter Limou bay.
or Colon harbor by the braakUater.
and sail through a channel in the
bay which has been dredg-d much of
the way, for the bay is shallow Co...
to the canal and into the nrst lock
The lock gates arr closed behind the
vessel. Of which here are two gates
Of two leaves each The water is
turned into this lock where th"
vessel is from Gawu lake through
tho tunnels. nluug the lock and thus
raising the vessel a. feet above the
floor Of the next higher lock
When the vessel is raised 10 this
point the gates 10 tho second lock
are opened aud the vessel is toVcd
into DO. second lock. now being
2S l3 feet above sea leycl the
gates ar. closed behind this YES.
sci. the second lock filled in the
same manner as the first and the
vessel lifted another . i-3 feet
Then the gates OF the last LOCK
ar. opened. the vessel toWed with
In the lock and the gates behind
the vessel shut and the vessel
lifted again - 10 feet. or total
OF - feet from sea level The YES
sci is now on level with the LAX,
and the canal The last gates ar,
opened and the vessel l. iowet
out cf the locks into the lake
The vessel viii then proceed {,
sail by tts oWu power through m,
lake and the canal 10 the Pedr,
Miguel lock. within ten miles o
the Pacific ocean. Here the YES
sci Vill be- towcd into the lock
which u filled 90 level with ihl
canal. and IA" gates viii be- close,
behind the vessel 10 prevent IA,
water from entering from the ca
nal The water will be let out o
the lock. and the vessel will settl
down 10 the level of Mlranorri
lak" when the lock gates In fron
will be opened and the yoss.
tow"d out into the lake. whence /
viii again proceed by It's owl
power. on its Journey over LAX
Mirafl1rcs 10 the Mirsflor-s locks
Of which there are tao The y"s
sci will be- lowered through thee,
locks q % feet and will then sal
out through the canal 80 mile
lnto Panama bay and the Pacin
ocean.
From a description on. cal
scarcely realize the bigness OF hos
locks. dam and spillway. \ sls
story building placed In one Of thcs
locks would be hidden. \ locomotiv
and train could run through tn
large tunnels which run the lcnst
OF tn. miidl. and sidc walls an,
an automobile could run through tn
lateral tunnels. i.soo. .ooo cubic yard
of oonere,. Will b. us.d to build IN
locks. Niagara Falls could now o,c
the spillwzy.