Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-17
PASSING BIG L0CKS'BEuEFS OF THE SEA
Transit by Ships of the
Canals Great Gates.
ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES
Methods That Will Be Used to Haul
Vessels Through the Isthmian
Waterway at Panama.
/ rom Ca ss.iers Magazine.

From Casters Magazine
\ cardinal regulation governing the
operation of the Panama canal will be
the requirement that no ship shall pass
through lock under its own power. In
this way minimum of accidents, both
to ship and locks will he assured.
When a ship has got well into the fore
bay Of lock, or system of locks. she
will come To full stop and he taken in
charge of four electric locomotives. a
taut haEser Will connect each quarter
of tho ship with one of the locomotives
so that there vii, be two ahead and two
astern.
These locomotives will operate on tracks
laid on the walk Of the locks The two
forward will tow: the two to the rear
Will maintain the after part of the ship
in correct position There will be two
tracks either side of lock chamber
one for towing. one for returning. But
the return track laid the center wall
will be the same for both flights of locks.
At the Gatun locks and al AIiraflores
locks. where there is more than a sim
gle lift. the tracks will he at more than
one level. Thus AT Gatun locks there
will be three levels at vertical intervals
OF perhaps thirty feet 1t seemed de-
siraDle to accomplish this rise in the
shortest horizontal distance possible. Ac-
cordinSly. the two vertical curves and the
included incline occupy total of only
1o61s horizontal feet. The maximum
grade is one in two.
Great Electric Tractors.
1t is expected that forty electric loco
motives Will be required to equip the
three lock locations. One will first be
tested, when minor changes will be doubt
be found desirable. The system of tow
ing is the invention of Edward Schild-
hsuer, a member of the engineering staff
employed by the canal commission A
patent has been applied for. but the gov
eminent will have the use of the system
without charge
1t may well be imagined that a night
towage Will be a most interesting sight.
The moving headlights of the four loco
motives, together with the lights on ship
board, will make up novel system of IL
Elimination 1t is expected that the rate
of towing will be about two miles an
hour. The only switches will be at the
ends of the railways.
The change of level will be made by
the forward locomotives during the pc
Rod when the ship is being raised or
lowered in the lock chamber. They will
exert no tractive effort at this time. The
towing tracks and the incineS are pro-
vided with racks laid half way between
the rails. The level portions of the re-
turn tracks have no racks. When tow
ing or changing levels a locomotive will
operate by the aid of the rack At other
times friction will be relied on.
The racks themselves will be Of cast
steel. and the form will be such as to
preclude the passage of lubricant to the
concrete of the lock wall. and such as
not to retain water in the interstices. The
latter provision is made against mos
quitoes. Having towed a ship all the
way through the locks and out into the
forebay. the locomotives Will reel up their
cables and return, or will perform an
other towing operation, this time in the
opposite direction.