The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-09-03
Copyright, 1912, by Frank q. Car
Denter.t

In writing these notes this bright
Sunday morning in the great locks OF
Miratlores. l am within eight miles
of deep water in the Pacific ocean
and at the two first great steps up
which the steamers will climb OF
their way across to the Atlantic. Be
yond this is Miraf1OreS lake, and Its
end the lock Of Pedro Miguel, which
with its boost Of thirty feet, shoves
the vessels to the level Of the Culebra
cut. where the canal will be eighty
five feet above the surface Of the sea
below.
1t is quite here today, for Uncle
Sam keeps the Sabbath. The men
stopped work, the mighty cranes are
at rest and long lines of cars loaded
with spoil stand on the tracks. Ihat
steam shovel down there at the right
is black and dirty and it gives no IN
dication Of the work it has done the
past week,
How hot the sun is and how daz-
cling, The concrete whish walls the
lock is made of white sand, and where
it catches the rays it is binding. How
high the walls are, / am in a mighty
chamber in which you could drop
and there would be still room to
spare.
| walk over to one side and look
up with my hin touching the ON
crete wall. The whole earth is shut
off, and the wall reaches the sky. 1t
looks like a smooth white sandstone,
put together in blocks bigger than
those Of the pyramids, but far
smoother and more closely laid. 1t
is Il solid wall and was nodded as
such. the appearance Of blocks COM
ing from the joints in the molds. Mid
way in the walls is an iron ladder
about two feet in width. I laborious-
~ climb to the top and it seems as
though the ladder would never end.
The Locks Of the Canal.
These locks are about the most in
tercsting features of Uncle Sans
mighty Panama works. The ditch
itself is wonderful but its constructors
has been merely a matter OF blasting
out earth and rock and carrying
them into the hOllows or down to the
sea. The locks are remarkable Great
ions in that here man tries to initiate
nature and he has built these gigantic
rock masses. holding sand, cement
and rock into stone.
There are six great locks on the
canal. It does not sound big as I
write ii, but these locks contain ce-
ment by the millions of barrels. They
aYe ship-loads OF sand which has
been brought from the Atlantic and
Pacific, and mountains Of rock have
been blasted out and crushed to form
their concrete. The materials are
now so united that they are one Ole
stone. Let me give you some idea Of
the extent OF the concrete alone. They
o"ntain over four million cubic yards,
or enough Of this artificial rOck TO
make a solid wall fifty feet high, ten
feet thick and over fifty miles long
Such a wall would reach from Wash
ingtOn to Baltimore and have ten
miles to spare.
Each Of these locks has a twin. The
whole consists Of two mighty cham.
bers, the side walls Of which are abou
fifty feet wide at the bottom m grow
narrower and narrower as they come
10 ne top, where the width is eigh'
1eet. They are about eighty fee
nigh. There is another wall in tn,
middle which is sixty feet WIDE, an(
within these walls are the two might,
chambers which are closed at eaci
end by the gates.
No Salt Water i'm the Canal.
SO much for the outlines Of tn,
structure. The foundations of tn,
locks are as complicated as a cata
comb. They have tunnels and gal
leries running this way and that. ant
IN their floors are man great holes a
big as a -four barrel where the waite
comes INTO the chamber SO fast tina
they can be filled or emptied in tn,
space OF eight minutes. The waite
is admitted by mighty culverts or con
ouits which run along the side. Thes
are tunnels through the concrete con
struction and they will carry river
from Lake Gatun to lift and lower tn
vessels.
You often hear it said that we ar
ringing the waters Of the Atlanti
II the Pacific together. This is $
only flSuratively speaking. Their
Will be no salt water in the canal ex
cept at the ends. The locks will b
filled with fresh water from Tai
Gatun and it will be the Chagre
which we shall harness and make pul
up and let down the steamers fror
ocean to ocean.
But let me tell you more nsou
these Dig tunnels. into which the wa
yer hrst nows. They are SO huge tina
you could drive q caravan Of elephan
and giraffes through them, and tn
elephants might walk four abrea:
not touch the sides, while a NOR
kaU otn