Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-15
At GATUN
CLOSED; LAKE
RISING FAST
Huge Artificial Body of Water
Ready October | to Float
Ships Through Canal.

The Canal Record, official publica-
ion Of the Isthmian Canal Commits
sion, in the issue just received in At
anita contains this account of the
closing of the last of the great Gatun
gates, which will bring Gatun Lake
10 the operating level:
Anticipating the schedule, the last
gate of the three by IS foot sluices
trough the ogee Of the Gatun spill
way dam was closed at 1910 a. m.
IN June p, with the surface of the
lake at 1925 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.
Under conditions of normal run
off, as determined by measurements
recorded over the watershed for the
past % years. the lake should reach
IS feet by December 1, 1913; it should
rise to Il feet. the elevation of the
railroad at Gorgona about October
I. At that height II would afford a
2l-fOOt channel
Water in Culebra Cut Soon.
The top Of the dixie at Gamboa,
protecting Culebra Cut from flooding
through its north end, is 1872 feet
above sea level, but il is anticipated
that the water will be let into the
cut before the lake has reached that
elevation, which it may do about No
vember l.
THE channel between Gatun and
Gamboa has ben completed since July,
1912. with the exception of about 300,-
600 cubic yards of gravel, washed into
II by the Chagres River, which is to
be removed by dredges. From Gatun
10 BOhiO no excavation was required,
except a small quantity at Pana
Blanca: the surface of the ground
was less than 40 feet above sea level
and the full lake will afford depth
enough for the ships.
THE channel needed only to be
cleared Of vegetation and marked with
lights and buoys. From Pena Blanca
to Tahernilla the excavation was
mostly in cutting off the tops of pen
lnsuas formed by the tortuous course
Of the Chagres.
Less Than Years Work Here.
The heavy work was from San
PABLO to Gamboa. Total excavations
-tL @tAN y. moi Ns' AtAHAA ~ " 1ctlE lldNN
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
"Gatun Lake came into existence
on April Is, 1910, when the wide di-
version at Gatun Dam was closed and
the flow from the Chagres and TTini-
dad Rivers was forced through the
spiuWay channel The head of the
spillWay was 10 feet above the sea
level which caused the water to rise
TO a normal surface Of IA feet above
the sea In times of food, the sur
face rose to about IS feet inundating
parts of the Panama Railroad through
the Black Swamp.
Old Railroad Is Removed.
ION February 10, 1912, the relocated
line of the railroad, between GatuS
and Gamboa, was placed in use ant
Immediately afterward the remova
of the old line was begun. About tfNs
same time the sluice gates were closed
and the lake was allowed to rise It
attained a maximum elevation of 56.3
feet on November 80, 1912
AT this height the water poured
over the gap, at 50 feet above sea
level i'm the uncompleted ogee and
in order to allow the completion Of
the dam during the dry season, the
sluiCe gates were opened in December
ION January l, 1913, the surface
of the lake was 1873 feet above sea
level, around which it has been main
tanned since though the completion
Of the ogee to its elevation of So
feet was accomplished in April"