Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-07-28
CATUN lake SOON
READY FOR SHIPS

crsatien ~ the Lake. Which Should
b Seventy one Foot Deer Ossere
Oct. I, The elevation Of tire Railroad
at oorsena, Forces Abandermsnt Of
Tracks Through the Black swamp.
The Canal Record, the Official publ.
cation Of the isthmian canal commits.
sion, in Z late issue contains this &C.
count Of the closing Of the last Of the
great Gatun gates, which viii bring
Gatun lake to the operating level:
Anticipating the schedule. the last
gate Of the three 8 by IS foot sluices
through the ogee OF the Gatun spill.
way dam was closed ut 1O:4O a. IN.
on June q. with the surface of the
lake 1925 feet above sea level. It is
not expected to open the gates again.
and the lake may be considered to be
on its dnal rise to operating level. I'm
der conditions Of normal runon. as de-
termined by measurements recorded
over the watershed for the pnst TWEEN
ty-three years, the lake should reach
eighty-five feet about Dec. 1, 1913. II
should rise to seventy one feet, the eie-
walton Of the railroad at Gorgona.
about Oct. l. At that height it would
afford a twenty-o foot channel. The
top Of the dixie Mt Gamboa, protecting
Culebra cut from flooding through its
north end, is 1872 feet above sea level.
but it is anticipated that the water
will be let into the cut before the lake
has reached that elevation. which it
may do about Nov. 1.
Dredging Gamboa Channel.
1.-THE channel between Gatun and
Gamboa has been completed since
July, 1912, with the exception of about
100000 cubic yards Of gravel, washed
into it by the Chagres river, which is
to be removed by dredges. From Ca
tun to Bohio no excavation was requir-
ed. except a small quantity at Pena
Blanca. Tho surface Of the ground
was less than forty feet above sea
level, and the full lake will afford
depth enough for the ships. The chan
mel needed only to be cleared of vege-
tation and marked with lights and
buoys. From Pena Blanca 20 Tabernil-
Ia the excavation was mostly in cut
ting OF the tops of peninsulas formed
by the tortuous course Of the Chagres.
1.-THE heavy work was from San Pa
bio to Gamboa. Total excavations In
the Chagres district to date have
amounted to 12.3s4,e 55 cubic yards
Including what remains to be done
the total excavation for the channel
through Gatun lake 10 less than the
excavation accomplished In Culsbra
cut every year since 1907.
Birth Of oatun Lake.
"Gatun lake came into existence on
April Is. 1910. when the west diversion
at Gatun dam was closed and the dow
from the Chagres and Trinidad rivers
was forced through the spillway chan
mel. The head Of the spillway was ten
feet above sea level, which caused the
water to rise to a normal surface Of
fourteen feet above the sea. In timee
Of food the surface rose to about
eighteen feet. inundating parts Of the
swamp.
ION Feb. IS. 1912. the relocated line
Of the railroad. between Gatun and
Gamboa, was placed In use and I'm
mediately afterward the removal Of
the old line was begun. About the
same time the sluice gates were closed
and the lake was allowed to rise. II
attained maximum elevation Of &C.,
feet on Nov. 80. 1912. At this height
the water poured over a gap at ffty
feet above sea level. in the uncom
pleted ogee. and. in order to allow the
completion Of the dam during the dry
season. the sluice gates were opened
December. On Jan. I. 1913. the 50
face of the lake was 4S.3 feet abov
sea level, around which It has beer
maintained since. though the compile
ton of the ogee to its elevation OF
sixty mine feet was accomplished in
April