Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1913-10-10
Especial to The wurld.)

ing Two oceans.
Especial to The Wurld.)
WASHINGTON. d. c., oct AR
engagements are practically completed
for the blowing up of Gamboa dixie,
which will mean the flooding of Guile.
bra Cut and the practical completion
of the water connection between the
Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Gamboa
dixie is a great artificial embankment
at the northern end of the famous
Culebra cut. 1t was erected to pre-
vent the waters of the Chagres river
and of Gatun lake. created artihcially
by impounding the waters of tie
Chagres river. from flowing into Cul
ebra cut while the cXcavating work
was going on there. This dixie is
nearly 1000 feet long, 48.2 feet high,
SO feet wide at the 3as, aud u feet
wide at the top.
Gatun lake, the waters of which
will be released by the dynamiting Of
the Gamboa dixie came into exist
enee on April %, 1910, when the west
ern diversion dam at Gatun was clos
ed and the flow from the Chagres and
Trinidad rivers was forced Through
the artifcially constructed spillway
channel Since then the waters IN
the lake have risen gradually. and last
fall the rising of the lake caused the
waters of the Chagres river to back
up against the great dEe at Iamboa,
which protected Culebra cut. The
flow and the rising continued and for
several months the water backed up
against the Gamboa dixie has been
higher than the bottom Of the finish
ed portion of Culebra Cut
Since the morning of June 27 last
the gate Of the sluicna through the
Fogee of The Gatun spilway has been
closed At that time the 5urface Of
the water in Gatun Lake was 1873
feet above sea level, having been
maintained at that leve! since Jana
uary l, 1913. When the shhce gates
were opened. The spillway has been
completed and the sluice gates will
not be opened again before the final
completion of the canal This means
that the lake is on its final rise to
the operating level. Under condi-
lions of normal runoGf Of the Chagres
and other streams which are pouring
their flow into Gatun Lake, where the
water is held confined it is believed
| that Gatun Lake will reach its flnal
level of IS feet above the level OF
the sea about December l Of this
year. If the calculations of the en-
gineers have been correct, the diver
sion Of the waters of the Gatun Lake
into Culebra Cut next week should
give twentyone foot channel
through the cut The town OF Gorgona
would be covered with waer aud Wip
ed off the map.
The top of the dixie at Gamboa IS
| 1872 feet above sea level, but even II
the dixie should not be blown up, the
water in the lake would not reach
that height for some time. The wa
tiers now impounded in yGatun Lake
represent the draining of basin
comprising 1920 square miles. When
the surface Of the water In the lake
rises to So feet, the level at when
it win be maintained for the opera
ton of the canal. the lake will have
an area of 164 square mites. il
VIII be the largest artihcially created
lake In the world. There viii be lS3-
900. oO0. 600 cubic feet OF water in the
lake When the level of the lake Us
IS feet above sea level there will be
depth OF As feet in Culebra Cut.
After Gamboa dixie has been dyna
mlted and the water from Gatun
Lake has flooded Culebra Cut, grea'
dredges will be put to work to
dredge the channel and to remove
the enormous mass OF material that
will naturally be swept into the cut
by the inrushing waters OF the lake
and any masses Of rock and soil ina
may slide into the cut having been
shaken loose by the shock OF the ex'
plosion.
Although the flooding Of the Guile
bra Cut will be an event Of greai i'm
.portanee. highly significant ITS
bearing upon the final achievement
of the canal as it will mean the sup.
lplyiug OF the last INK connecting the
Atlantic with the Pacific ocean, the
blowing up of Gamboa dixie will not
be made the occasion OF any exten'