Semi-weekly herald., 1913-02-03

in the tropical trade is under 800
feet long, auxiliary or intermediate
gates are provided so that 40 per cent
of the water for locking vessels can
be saved unless the vessels exceeds
500 feet.
The Gatun locks are about ! 1-3
miles long, of solid concrete, and form
the largest concrete structure in the
world. They are double, to allow the
passage of vessels in both directions
at the same time if necessary. Elec-
tric locomotives ahead, behind and
on both sides will tow the vessels
through the locks, both to save time
and to prevent damage to the locks
themselves.
The overflow of the Gatun dam will
provide electric power for the locomo-
tives and probably for all the uses of
power along the canal zone.
The lock gates are steel structures,
each leaf weighing about $50 tons.
They are about n feet high, 81 feet
wide and feet thick There are 92
leaves, for there are 46 pairs of gates.
An idea of their bulk may be had by
noting that if they were laid flat, one
on top of the other, the pile would
be higher than the Singer tower. The
riveting problem is also interesting.
Counting 300 riyets as a good days
work for single gang of riveters, it
would take them year to rivet up a
single leaf. or 90 years to complete
the lot.
The whole administration of the
shop and storehouses is under army
in its various branches. The stores
come under the quartermaster's de-
partmeni, and the storehouses are
splsndidly kept in every way. En-
ployes all have a brass check or tag
similar to baggage tag bearing their
number. This tag is the open Sc
same to all commission stores. Here
the employees can buy anything at cost
usually much cheaper than the same
thing can be secured in New York
or any nothern city.
At Cristobal are the main store
houses, the government ice factory, ice
cream factory, bakery and laundry.
Early every morning the supply train,
usually of twenty-one cars, starts out
to supply the smaller storehouses and
distributing points along the isthmus.
And there are very few of the neces-
sites and even luxuries which cannot
be secured from the main stores and
sent to you at short notice.
These seem strange when we think
of canal digging, but show conclu-
sively that it is the attention to de-
tails that brings success no matter
how large the enterprise. Men would
not stay until the surroundings were
healthy and congenial. This meant
comfortable quarters for their wives
and children. This in turn necessi-
tated the adoption of complete pub
lie school system, including high
school which ranks second to none
as a preparatory school for college
, 1t also mean recreation centers anC
Y. NJ. C. A. buildings for the men anc
womens clubs for the women. AL
/ strangely out of place and seeming
! extravaganza in a tropical climate ant
for temporary job, but all absolute
| ly necessary to the successful building
of the canal in record time as has beer
done.
This same thing has been carried
out in the details of shop manage
ment and the buying of proper ma
terials to work with. We go int,
large or small machine shops and pa,
all our attention to the machines an,
never see the belts that drive then
and without which they would be o.
almost no use. And the belt problem
is one of the worst that comes up
especially in shops in tropical coun
tries.
The ideas of heat in the canal zon,
are apt to be exaggerated, as the TEN
| perature rarely goes over 93 degree.
and sunstrokes are unknown. Blu
heat is not the only factor in thes,
climates.
Imagine sitting down at the tabl,
on damp, rainy day and pressing
with your knife on the salt in tn,
salt cellar and see moisture stant
in drops on the knife. Salt shaker.
are out of the question, and envelope.
are made without gum to prevent theil
being accidentally sealed when moi
wanted. This gives you some idea OF
the dampness in the atmosphere.
1t is not so hat as you expect, but
you perspire at the slightest provo
cation and sometimes without any
provocation at all. Your clothes may
be damp in the morning, almost wet
in fact, unless you put them in tht
tight wardrobes usually provided. Ant
your boots insist on getting mouldy
unless they are wiped dry when put
away, and even this is not a sure
preventative.
| And then imagine what belt is ur
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