Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-10-02
Most Important Step Thus Far
toward Operation of the
Panama Canal.
EVERYTHING WORKS SMOOTHLY
Massive 500-TOn Leaves Work
with the Precision and
Nicely of a Well
Oiled Door.

Panama Sept. 2f.-The most i'm
portant step thus far toward the oper-
alton of the Panama canal took place
to-day, when the going tugboat
Gatun, drawing twelve and a half feet
of water, was successfully passed
through the Gatun locks and tonight
floats on the bosom of Gatun lake.
This was the first attempt made to
operate the locks on the canal and the
result was highly pleasing to Colonel
Goethals, chairman of the canal com
mission, and canal officials generally.
All day long hundreds of persons, men,
women and children. withstood the
burning rays Of the tropc sun to see
the passing of the first vessel from
sea level to the level Of Gatun lake.
which to-day had reached height Of
a little over 60 feet or within 90 feet
Of it's normal level
The operations We're conducted with
great care and everything W mt through
bers, upper, middle and lower, on thu west
side of the locks were used on this occa-
sion. The men worked far into last night
making everything ready for me opera
ton. The upper lock filled in the fore
noon and this evening the water was adj
mitted to the middle and lower locks but
it was not until 4:45 p. m that the water
in the lower lock had reached the level
Of that in the sea channel OUTSIDE.
At this hour the sea gate was swim (.
and a moment later the tug, whi,n h1t
been in readiness all day in the approach
channel. turned its head toward the en-
trance. As the vessel passed inside the
lower lock chamber a mighty cheer went
up from the assembled crowds that ine i
the lock walls, the tugs whistle vas
blown loud and long and all tn whistles
in the neighborhood poined in tn. chorus
The Gatun was in charge of Captain
Stewart. Among .hc party on beard
We're: Col. VIM. l.. Sibert, division en-
rineer of the Atlantic division Of the
canal, under whose supervision the Gatun
locks were built; Col. Harry f. Hodges
assistant chief engineer and designer of
the canal locks and the operating ma
ichinery. and Major J. F. Jervey, who has
had personal charge of the masonry con-
struction of tho locks.
Colonel Cocktails was on hand all day
but did not make the trip. The tug gaily
decorated. In the rOomy lock chambers
appeared like a toy boat in a tub. Its
navigation was personally supervised by
w G.. Comber, head of the dredging OPP
erations of the canal. The vessel was
raised to the middle level at 5i5 p m.
land passed into the upper chamber at
1915 p m. Then at f:42 p, m. the last
gate was swung and, although the tropic
night had fallen, the waiting crowd re-
manned and watched the tug steam out on
the placid waters of Gatun lake. The
rousing demonstration of the early after
noon was then repeated
The ma ssive Cotton leaves OF the lock
gates performed their functions perfect
lN, working with the precision and nicely
of a well-oied door.
HINTS At A RIVAL CANAL
London, Sept. 97.-The Standard in a
long editorial to-day hints that English
capital represented ny Pearson & Son
will give Colombia a chance to avenge
herself against Panama by constructing
an ocean-to-ocean canal by way of tn,
Atrato and Cupica rivers.
What" says the Standard, "is to pre-
vent Colombia, if it has sufficient sup
port from foreign capitalists from max
ing this canal itself and thereby setting
| M a formidable rival to the entorpris,
which is now rapidly approaching com
! plotion?"
The assertion of the Monroe doctrin,
would be- according to the editorial
J equivalent to the assertion of sovereis
| rights over every American republic
which so far is not a pretenson Ameri.
can statesmen have put forward"