Evening star., 1912-09-01

devices that the operation is automatical-
ly controlled just as ii will be in the
great locks here at Miraflores and else
where.
The vessels are not allowed to move
from one lock to another by steam. They
are towed by electric locomotives, aud
there are a number OF protective devices
to see that they do not injure the locks
or themselves on their way through.
There are four towing locomotives.
which run upon tracks on each side of
the lock. Two of them are fastened to
the front of vessel. moving IL onward.
and the other two are on the tracks at
the rear holding IL back SO that it can go
only so fast. The rate fixed is to be two
miles an hour and the locomotives will
prevent it being more or less than this
These locomotives will run on a level
excepting where they pass from one
lock to another. where they will climb
up or down heavy grades. Between the
lower and intermediate locks at Gatun.
for example. the difference in elevation
is over twenty mine feet
There are.to be two systems of tracks.
one for towing and the other for the
return of the. locomotives when not tow
ing. The towing tracks will have a
center >rack. and the locomotives will
always operate on this rack On the
return track there will be also a rack
on the incline between the locks, but
elsewhere the cars will run by friction.
The motive power for running these
locomotives will be electricity. generated
by the Spiliway Of the Gatun dam. This,
1t is believed. will furnish enough eiec-
tricity not only for all the machinery
Of the canal, but possibly enough to
run the trains of the Panama railroad.
In addition to the locomotives. the
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 chamber
from one side to the other
These chains are SO powerful that they
could stop ten-thousand-ton vessel GO
ing at the rate Of four miles an hour
within a distance of sixty feet, without
inJurinS either the ship or the 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 vessels. retarding them
and bringing them to a stop. The chains
lowered and dropped down into a groove
in the bottom Of the lock floor. so that the
vessel steams out over their tops.
These chains are enormous. Each link
will be oval in shape. Its longest diane.
ter will be as big as the. largest dinner
plate, and the steel of the link will be
about as thick as your wrist In addition
the gates will be double. the upper gate
actlng as protection to the lower, Sc
that both would have to break before an,
damage could come to the lock-
In addition to all this there are to bs
emergency dams at the upper end Of eacf
set of locks which will work somethins
like a drawbridge and thus protect tht
locks.
One of the live questions in connection
with the locks is whether the Chagres
river can furnish enough water to keel
them full. and still accommodate all the
traffic that will pass through the canal
The engineers say that II can. The Gatur
lake is now filling, and when the canal il
completed We will have 1874 square miles