The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-01-26
THE panama CANAL

Inc ldVtSJ OulCldl nduuDOOh VI Oht
Panama Canal gives some interesting
information regarding this great UNI
dertaking.
The entire length of the canal from
deep water in the Atlantic to deep
water ip the Pacific is fifty miles; its
length from shorelne to shoreline is
about forty miles
There will be six double locks in
the canal-three pairs IN fight at
Gatun, with a combined lift of eighty
five feet; one pair at Pedro Miguel,
with a life of thirty and one-third feet,
and two pairs at Mirafores, with a
combined lift of ffty-four and two
thirds feet at mean tide The disable
dimensions are all the samoa length
of 1000 feet and width of 40 feet,
Each lock will be a chamber, with
walls and floor of concrete and inter
ing gates at each end
The side walls will be forty-fiye to
fifty feet at the surface of the floor;
they will be perpendicular on the face,
and will narrow from a point twenty
four and one-third feet above the floor
until they are eight feet wide at the
/ top. The middle wall will be sixty
feet wide, approximately eighty-one
feet high and each face will be verdi
cal. This wall will be divided up into
two parts, thus allowing for provision
/ for the operators drainage, and for
the electric wires that carry the cur
rent to the machinery.
The lock gates will be steel struct.
ures, seven feet thick, siXty-fve feet
long and from forty-seven to eighty
feet high. They will weigh from 50U
, to 600 tons each. Ninety-two leaves
will be required for the entire canal
the total weighing $1,000 tons. Inter
mediate gates will be used in the
locks in order to save water and time
if desired, in locking small vessels
through, the gates being SO placed as
to divide the locks into chambers GOO
and 400 feet long, respectively. IN
the construction of the locks it is es
timated that there will be used ap
proximately 100000 cubic yards Of
concrete, requiring about the same
number of barrels of cement.
Electricity will be used to tow all
vessels into and through all gates anC
valves, power being generated by
water turbines from the head created
by Gatun Lake. Vessels will not bt
permitted to enter or pass through tn,
locks under their own power, but vii
be towed through by electric locomC
tives running on cog rails laid on tn
tops of the lock walls. There will b.
two towing tracks for each flight o
locks, one on the side and one on tn
middle wall. The number of locomc
tives used will vary with the size ,
the vessel. The usual number will b
,four-two ahead, one on each wal
imparting motion to the vessel, an
two astern. one on each side, to al
sition and to bring it to rest when Ell
tirely within the lock chamber. The
will be equipped with a slip drum
towing windlass and hawser, whic
which will permit the towing line
be taken in or paid out without actu;
motion of the locomotive on the tract
The average time of filling an
emptying a lock will be about tiftee
minutes. without opening the valve
$50 suddenly as to create disturbin
currents in the locks or approache
The time required to pass a yesst
through all the locks is estimated
three hours-an hour and a half
the locks at Gatun, and about I'll
same time in the three locks on tn
Pacific side. The time of passage
a vessel through the entire canal
estimated as ranging from ten
twelve hours, according to the size
the ship, and the rate of speed a
which it can travel,
There are about 44S square miles i
the Canal Zone. The appropriation
amounted to 1898, $685. 2S.76, includin
over $4,000 for relief of four people
The expenditure has so far amounte
to $21S,22S,67O92. The equipmer
comprises 100 steam shovels, -
American locomotives, 112 French, )
narrow gauge, 10 electric-3l5 alto
gether-56O drills, 4S46 cars, 20 dred'
ers, 25 spreaders, 10 track shutters, .
unloaders, 10 pile drivers, 81 cranes,
rock breaker, ~ tugs, one towboa
two households, ii clapets, one tioa
ing pile driver, one craneboat,
barges, lighters and scows,
launches, three cutters and two dri
boats.
The Panama railroad has 70 el
y gines, 1884 cars, locomotive crane,
track piledriver, floating pile drive
J., two tugs and 10 lighters.