The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-07-29
CATUN Lake SOON
READY FOR SHIPS
With Last Gate Shut, Should
Be 85 FG9i 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 Gorsona, Forces Abandonment of
Tracks Through tho Black Swamp.
The Canal Record, the official publ
cation of the isthmian canal commits
sion, in 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:
anticipating the schedule, the last
gate Of the three by 19 foot sluices
through the ogea Of the Gatun spill
way dam was closed at 1910 a. IN.
on June q, with the surface of the
lake 1925 feet above sea level. 1t 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-
termtned by measurements recorded
over the watershed for the past twul-
ty-three years, the lake should reach
eighty-fve feet about Dee. l, IJ13. /.
should rise to seventy-one feet. the clc-
walton of the railroad at Gorgoua,
about Oct. 1. At that height it would
afford twenty-one foot channel The
top Of the dixie at Gamboa, protecting
Culebra cut from flooding through its
north end, is 1872 feet above sea level,
but 1t 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.
"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. 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-
tdIROli anu llltll htu Will llSIlIS anu
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.
''The heavy work was from San Pa
bio to Gamboa. Total excavations in
the Chagres district to date have
amounted to 12,3S4,G55 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 %, 1910, when the west diversion
lat Gatun dam was closed and the flow
from the Chagres and Trinidad rivers
was forced through the spillway chan
incl. The head of the spillway was ten
feet above sea level, which caused the
water to rise to normal surface of
fourteen feet above the sea. In times
|of food the surface rose to about
eighteen feet inundating parts of the
Panama railroad through the Black |
swamp.
"On Feb. 10, 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 We're closed |
Ihnd the lake was allowed to rise 1t |
httained a maximum elevation of 56.3 |
feet ON Nov. 80, 1912. At this height |
/ he water poured over a gap at fifty |
Feet above sea level, IN the uncom-
1pleted ogee, and, in order to allow the
completion Of the dam during the dry |
Feason, the sluice gates We're opened in
December. On Jan. 1, 1913, the sur
Face of the lake was 4S.3 feet above |
+ =ea level, around which 1t has been |
'naintained since, though the compile
ion of the ogee to its elevation of |
}jXty-nine feet was accomplished in /
} bril-"