The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1913-02-28
Panama Canal
Henry Seide, Jr., Writes to his Par
ents Interesting Letter About
the Great Ditch


ry Seide to his parents here will
be of interest to all friends of the
young man and TO others inter
eSted in the Panama canal. Hen.
ry is in the United States naval
service in the mechanical depart
ment of the U. S. Battleship
Idaho, now in the Gulf of MeXi-
co, and writes from Cuba:
Dear Parents,
We are back to Cuba again; we got
IN yesterday afternoon, and the whole
Atlantic feet coaled ship, and took on
stores after we got in. We started to
to coal at 900 last night and got
through at four this morning taking
on go tons of coal and several car
loads OF store ammunition. We are
now ready in case we are ordered to
Mexico. Several hundred marines
left yesterday on one of the smaller
ships. Ii We don't go to Mexico we
will sail north the 18th of March.
We got to Colon. Panama, week
ago last Tuesday, and Wednesday
went on my first sight seeing trip.
The Panama railroad furnish free
dinner, and car fare, and made stops
at al the principal places. The rail
road is owned by the L. S. Govern
ment and that is the reason we travelled
free
The first day we visited the west
side on the Pacific side, the second day
the Central divisions and the third
day the eastern or Atlantic side
The Canal enters the lsthmus about
five miles from the city of Colon,
which is in the u. :. Canal zone,
but Is Owned and governed bv the
Panama government. 1t then runs
tor about eight miles in a south west
erly d,rec ion, at sea level. At this
place 1t is raised to 50 feet above sea
level by the gatum lock, of which
there are three pairs, one of each pair
being for east aud west bound vessels
respectively.
In tn stretch of eight miles very
little digging is required. only one or
two small cuts. The rest is swampy
and almost ut sea level and can be
easily dredyed out, which is now al
most completed.
Above the gatum locks. they have
built the large gatum dam. Thus by
daming up the Chargres river and its
tributaries they have formed Gatum
lake which is twenty-four miles long
and varies from three to fifteen miles
wide. Through the middle of this
they have dredged channel complet.
ing another twenty-fOur miles of the
great water way.
At the Gatum lock the cha anncl of the
canal runs almost >tra ght south ma k
ing several bends. but always taxing
about the same course. After leaving
the lake district it runs almost
,ifalgh. We>t-cro>>ing the old French
ditch linen we arrive at Empire city.
At this place there Is quite a deep cut
through the mountain, which i al
most complete. But quite little
dredging and digging to do between
there and the lake.
After the Empire cut come comnara-
lively flat country, which i already
dug out until we come - the Culebra
cut which Is the largest OF all. They
have cut through hill of almost
solid rock over tive hundred feet hi Oh.
The cut is almost mile wide at the
top and slopes down to a caual channel
OF from three 70 five hundred feet at
the bottom. 1t is about a mile long
They had a slide about Il month ago
burving Il number of their large
shovels and locomotives. They we're
removing this dirt and rock when We
were there. They also did some blast
ing when W. were there. The holes
for the blasting are bored cby la -ge
diamond drills. regular we'll digging
out hts ana during he mon hour
they are exploded by electric out fits
The cut Is almost completed
After the Culebra cut comes the San
Mignal locks of which there are two
pair, lowering the canal channel from
80 above to 80 feet above sea level. !
These are almost complete. The
canal then takes another bend anC
arrives at the Mirat flores locks and
walls. Here the canal is lowered to
sea level, running south west again.
After the Miratlores locks the canal
runs in level country until ii reaches
the Pacific through the bay of Panama
near Panama city.
is wonderful piecesof work. and
derS OF their own.
The locks are each a thousand feet
long and one hundred and ten feet
wide, being built out of concrete, with
large tunnals underneath for filling
and emptying when a ship is raised or
lowered. The gates are built OF steel.
being eight feet thick. They are
hinged on each wall. and the centers
are mortlsed together, making a water
tight Joint when they are closed
These gates weigh about hundred
ton, and are operated by electrical
machinery built in the side of the lock
wall The balancing of these gates is
so perfect that there is very little bear
ing at the point from which they are
operated. esides these regular locks
they have large emergency lock built
This is to be used in case one of the
regular locks is carried away.
This lock is large steel frame
built like a Canta-lever bridge. 1t is
built on the side of the wall above
each set Of locks, and it is arranged |
on a large circular track so it can |
be swung out over the canal and one |
side which is a large steel frame low
cred down into the canal. They |
have built places into the lock walls
which it fits into. After the frame is
lowered they have large steel plates