Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-11-04

To get the concrsle inlO pace iou.
cableways suspended across the lock
site on towers eighty-five feet high
were installed. Electrically operated
cars brought the concrete to these
towers, where great buckets were fill-
ed. These buckets then were run up
to the cables and out on the cables to
a given point, where they were lower
ed and the concrete dumped into the
proper position.
After the floors Of the locks had been
laid the walls were built In the usual
manner of erecting steel forms. which
were removed when the concrete had
hardened. At Gatun the walls Of the
locks were built in sections thirty-six
feet long and joined together. on the
idea that such construction would have
less tendency to settle and crack than
II It were built in one solid. continuous
wall. This may be appreciated when IT
is understood that at Gatun the locks
form a concrete wall about $500 feet
long, or considerably more than half a
mile. The usable part Of each lock Is
1000 feet long. and there are three In
flight.
In each of the outside walls and in
the center wall tunnels eighteen feet
in diameter were constructed for use
in filling and emptying the locks with
water during the processes Of raising
and lowering ships. Smaller tunnels
run out from these main longitudinal
tunnels, under the floors Of the locks.
with openings through which the water
is turned into or withdrawn from the
lock chamber by gravitation. Valves
operated by electricity regulate the
flow Of the water. The water for
operating the locks starts from the
Gatun lake and flows through the tun-
nels down grade through the three locks
until 1t finally is used in the lowest
lock. when 1t Is spilled into the sea
level channel.
The first concrete for the Pacific side
locks was laid ut Pedro Miguel on
Sept I. 1909. seven days after the be-
ginning of operations ut Gatun. 1t
was in February. 1910, that concrete
work was started in the two locks at
Miraflores. For all twelve locks 4.iS0.-
900 cubic yards of concrete were re-
Guired.
For the three locks at Gatun 2,0OO,-
900 cubic yards Of concrete were requir
ed, for the one lock Mt Pedro Miguel
1000 cubic yards and for the two
locks at MiraHores 100000 cubic
yards. A contract was awarded for
4,5OOOOO barrels Of cement. with the
privilege Of increasing this order by 10
per cent. and In 1912 another 100000
barrels were bought to complete the
canal
All twelve locks were half done as
regards the concrete work about May
/, 1911. The best months record for
laying concrete was made in April.
1912, in the Pacific division, when 91.-
735 cubic yards were laid. The con-
crete is all of REINFORCED construction.
and an unusual feature has been the
placing of rocks weighing many tons
throughout the walls. The lock walls
at Pedro Miguel were not built in Sec
tions, as at Gatun. but as one solid
piece Of masonry more than 1000 feet
long. At Mlrahores the two locks We're
built in sections. as at Gatun.
The gates for the locks were con-
tracted for. in 1910, to cost $5.374.-
474.S2. Their construction and erec-
ton are by the McClintic Marshall Con-
struction company Of Pittsburgh, un-
der the inspection Of the commission
This concern In 1913 had more than
5000 men at work and was rushing
the construction to meet the dates
agreed upon for their completion. Un-
der the contract this company has until
Jan. l.. 1914. to finish the work. On
July 1, 1913. out Of total OF 5S.COO
tons Of steel required In oil the gates, 1