Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-09-26

which allow the gates 70 be opened
and still leave clear width OF ITO
feet At the entrance Of the locks q
chain. with links three inches In d.
ameter. stretches from one side to the
other to stop vessels which might not
obey the signals, In case the frst
gates should be rammed and broken
second set of gates e,r rscially pro-
vided for emergencies have been Seoni
structed behind the first set II both
sets Of gates should be demolished the
water would rush through with fear
full velocity. but provision has been
made against this contingency By hav.
ing In readiness emergency dams,
which would be swung out over the
lock and forced down through; the In
rushing water. 10
II is to prevent such accidents that
the plan Of towing vessels through the
locks with electric locomotives was
adopted. az then no misunderstanding
of signals from the captain to the en-
gineer of ship could result The
tracks for these locomotives are on
each side wall of the locks, and two
will fastep to the rear and two to the
front of ship to effect passage. u
all twelve locks were Joined end 70
end they would make canyon nearly
three miles long. ITO feet wide ana
eighty feet deep. 5d3 ~ e.s', ~
The natural topography OF the 18th
mus at Panama permitted the Chagres
river to escape into the Caribbean ses
through break In the mountains at
Gatun. Engineers logically considered
that this was the point at which dam
should be thrown across the Chapes
river. Two valleys were formed at
Gatun by q hill which rose In the
center to an elevation Of ITO feet. and
the dam that WAS designed runs from
the Gatun locks to this hill and from
this hill to the mountains. total dis
tance of 1900 feet or mile and Q
half tr rffisa.ai =, fYtlf. ~ ,og
As the Chagres river every year dis
charges enough water to ill the lake.
some means Of disposing Of the sur
plus water had TO be provided. u Ths
plan adopted called for a spillway TO
be constructed In this hill. about third s
way In the dam site This spillway II
Of concrete. requiring 225.000 cubic
yards to complete. On July 4. 1919 ftl
was more than 90 per- cent completed.
The floor Of the spillway % ten feetII
above sea level. and 800 feet wide
through the hill which involved ext
cavation through rock TOR q deptn 'ox J
100 feet at the highest point or the
bill, A concrete dam was butt on
this floor to height Of sixty-nfne feet
above sea level and In shape IKE o.
semicircle. Il On top OF 4 the ccncretst
dam piers were built with ansarrange-g
ment for steel gates These steel,
gates viii be, electrically operated ano q
yegulate the dow OF water ont OF tnet
lake Az much, ast1400o0 cubic; feet on
water per second may escape through :
the spillway when the gates are open q
There VIII not be complete lees Oh;
this water, as on the east SIDE OF tne /
spiiway q power pant or tns nyafo-i !
electric type "ui oe opeaaeed - e1ov
Oh seventy-use ieet " ~ 49, ~"
Operate turbine elR,nes' Wn.Sn, 49,
"n opofale ~. o.ssN y,
WIZ kenerale ah 'ue pvrsl A-1 - .
nauns eurIen. ueeu ''or o e. "
tne eana' " .ne o'us ou' ~
uonaI power p'an' VIII os l,atn'a,re .s
at miranoses lof eneikenc'es @
power 10 operate tne siockt kates VIZ
come rom tnesi subway PlHn nt,,s.S; - ~
The Gatun dam IN 10 atupenoous tnaSI
It almost seems to be O continuation OF
the hills thaf incl0Se the aSe1fiit inl
fact does complete tne naturai noun.
fain cnains tnat iorm the oarIl@is oI
the Cnagres rver " u t'n Iee' n'&n.
OF twenty reet apove tue oV ina'y ~'e'
OF cne iake NJ elRhty ty'nsesseet e'esa
non The plum iof 'r0iistruction nas
been TO build parallel in0tiiHis rof the
mile and half. l.gn feet ninift he
tween these mounds. built At r'n.k and
earth, a core for the daln lias beeii ron