The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1913-07-24
CATuN Lake SOON
READY FOR SHIPS
With Last Gate Shut, Should
Be 85 Feet Deep by Dec. |.
MOVE THE RAILROAD LINE,

Creation of the Lake, Which Should
Be Seventy one Feet Deep Before
Oct. I, the Elevation Of the Railroad
at Gorgona, Forces Abandonment of
Tracks Through the Black Swamp.
The Canal Record, the official publ
cation Of the isthmian canal commits
sion, in a late issue contains this ac-
count Of the closing Of the last of the
great Gatun gates, which will bring
Gatun lake to the operating level:
participating the schedule, the last
gate Of the three by IS foot sluices
through the ogee Of the Gatun spill
way dam was closed at 1910 a. m.
on June ~, with the surface of the
lake 1926 feet above sea level. It is
not expected to open the gates again,
and the lake may be considered to be
on its final rise to operating level. I'm
der conditions of normal runoff, as de-
termined by measurements recorded
over the watershed for the past twen-
ty-three years, the lake should reach
eighty-ive feet about Dec. /, 1913. It
should rise to seventy-one feet, the ele-
walton Of the railroad at Gorgona,
about Oct 1. At that height it would
afford a twenty-one foot channel. The
top Of the dixie at Gamboa, protecting
Culebra cut from flooding through it's
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 GAMBIA Channel.
*'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 Ga
tun to Bohio no excavation was requir-
ed, except small quantity at Pena
Blanca. The 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 to Tabernil-
la the excavation was mostly in cut
ting off the tops of peninsulas formed
by the tortuous course of the Chagres.
E'The heavy work was from Samoa
bio to Gamboa. Total excavations in
the Chagres district to date have
amounted to 12,3S4,655 cubic yards
Including what remains to be done,
the total excavation for the channel
through Gatun lake is less than the
excavation accomplished in Culebra
cut every year since 1907.
Birth Of Gatun Lake.
"Gatun lake came into existence on
April Is, 1910, when the west diversion
at Gatun dam was closed and the flow
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 times
Of flood the surface rose to about
eighteen feet, inundating parts of the
Panama railroad through the Black
swamp.
"On 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. It
attained a maximum elevation of 56.3
feet on Nov. 80, 1912. At this height
the water poured over gap at fifty
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 in
December. On Jan. 1, 1913, the sur
face of the lake was 4S3 feet above
sea level, around which it has been
maintained since, though the compile
ton Of the ogee to it's elevation Of