Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-11-04
Continued from page ..

hardened. At Gatun the walls Of the
locks We're built i'm sections thirty-siX
feet long and joined together. on the
idea that such construction would have
less tendency to settle and crack than
If 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 disable part Of each lock Is
1000 feet long. and there are three In
fight
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is turned into or withdrawn from the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 It 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 at Pedro Miguel on
Sept l. 1902 seven days after the be-
ginning Of operations at Gatun. It
was in February. 1910. that concrete
work was started in the two locks at
Mira flores. For all twelve locks AGO.
600 cubic yards Of concrete were re-
quired.
For the three locks at Gatun 2.O00.-
600 cubic yards of concrete were requir.
ed. for the one lock at Pedro Miguel
921 400 cubic yards and for the two
locks at Mirahores 1904 900 cubic
yards. A contract was awarded for
4.5OO.0OO barrels of cement. with the
privilege Of increasing this order by Is
yer 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
1. 1911. The best months record for
laying concrete was made in April.
1912. in the Pacific division. when o.
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
tons. as ut Gatun. but as one solid
piece Of masonry more than 1000 feet
long At Mirufores the two locks were
built In sections. as mt Gntun.
The gates for the locks were con-
tracted for. in 1910. to cost $5.374.-
474.S2 Their construction and cree
don are by the MrClintie- Marshall Con-
struction company Of Pittsburgh. un-
der the inspection of the commission
This concern in 1919 had more than
1900 men ut work and was rushing
the construction to meet the dates
agreed upon for their completion. Un-
der the contrnct this company has until
Ian. l. 1914. to finish the work. On
July 1. 1918. out Of a total Of 5000
tons Of steel required In all the gates.
- 900 tons had been erected. or 81 per
cent. leaving tn be erected before Oc.
tOber. 1913. when the 6rst ship II
scheduled to go through. 1000 tons.
There are foty-six gates In all
twelve locks. with two leaves to the
gate or ninety-two leaves. The gates
are from forty seven to eighty one feet
high. are seven feet thick and weigh
from 800 to coo tons each leaf. They
are constructed with interior cells.
which at the bottom will be air cham.
bers to assist In their manipulation.
and at the top water chambers to in
crease their weight al the water rises
In the locks The sheathing Il with
steel plates riveted on heavy Orders.
These gates will be opened and shut
to permit the entrance or egress OF
ships by electrical apparatus.
As 05 per cent of the vessels In the
world are less than 600 feet long It
would be a great waste Of water and
time to use the full 1000 foot lock In
each passage So intermediate gates
are being constructed which will per
NIT the use OF only 400 or 600 feet. a.
the particular vessel may require
There are recesses in the lock walls
which allow the gates to be opened
and still leave clear width Of 40
feet At the entrance Of the locks o
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 first
gates should be rammed and broken
second set of gates especially pro.
vided for emergencies have been con
structed behind the first set II both
sets Of gates should be demolished the