Imperial Valley press., 1913-01-07

locks. These locks-three pairs ant
double-are nearly completed. Long
inclined concrete runways for cleo
trio engines to mount The extreme pin
nacle Of the locks, in towing vessels
are nearly finished. A small harbor
with abuttment walls, to nestle the
merchant fleets of the nations before
entering, are almost completed. A
mammoth concrete wall, 100 feet in
height and 1000 feet in length, is be-
ing finished to divide the entrances TO
the double row of locks. Installation
of steel buffers, operated with springs
of high tension, to protect the delicate
sides Of vessels, only remain to be
done.
Interior work Of the locks, each
1000 feet in length and 14O feet wide
and each elevated like giant steps of
a mighty marine ladder, is practically
finished. The steel gates, like the
sides Of skyscraper, are all installed
Electrical machinery, hidden beneath
the concrete abuttments at the sides,
is in operation. President Taft saw
them slowly swing open and shut
all in three minutes. Only the buff
fers remain to be installed, and the
bottom Of the locks, where men viewed
from the crest, appear like pygmies, is
to be cleaned of debris.
Above the three pairs of locks, ieal-
ously guarding their mighty but deli
cate mechanism, is another harbor ana
abuttment wall Of 1000 feet, dividing
The upper entrance. Range lights have
been erected at night to guide canal
mariners to the mouth Of the Atlantic
side.
Like a mammoth steel bridge, SHIN
mering red in the tropic sun above the
locks, is the emergency dam, almost
completed. This dam is in two sec
tiOns, like drawbridge, to swing its
mighty bulk before the upper mouth
of the locks in case the machinery of
The locks should be broken and the
locks left open. The emergency dam
IS intended to be swung out and
dropped a powerful shield Of steel
plates, 100 feet high, and 200 feet in
width.
Ranking only next to Culebra cut. ~
the west side Of the locks. is the
Gatun. dam. This great mountain has
been built to harness the turbulent
CharSres river and form a great lake
Of tG4 acres. For, contrary to general
belief, the water in the canal is to be
entirely fresh. Hardly drop Of sal.
water will enter its portals. The en-
tire canal is 85 feet above sea level
This height is maintained throughout
almost its entire length, except where
the dips to the ocean level are made
by means of locks.
AS there are three locks at Gatun
raising vessels S5 feet, so are therc
three locks at the Pacific end-one at
Pedro Miguel and two at MinafloreS
to lower vessels S5 feet. All of the
water to float vessels will be obtained
from the artificial lakes, one at Gatua
and the other at Miraflores. But the
Gatun lake, manufactured literally bv
man, is the result of the Gatun dam.
The dam is one in name only. Today
1t appears to be the crest of the small
mountain, reaching from the western
range Of mountains into the valley
where the Gatun locks lie. 1t was
quilt almost entirely with earth ex-
tracted from Culebra. 1t is entirely
of dirt, except rock riprapping at the
base. It is nearly two miles in length
and one-half mile mide, extending
from the heights of Gatun city aeruss
the valley to the mountains. Behind
u pound the waters of the Chargres.
flooding valleys, villages and tropical
iungles for a distance Of IS miles tn
Culebra
President Taft saw the finishing
touches put on the dam. Its TOP is
being levelled off by dumping of dirt
from dozens Of dirt trains, putting anil
winding their way up its sides.
This artificial lake is fed by the
Chagres and other rivers. TOPS OF
trees are to be seen today waving their
last protest against the ruthless hand
Of man. Today the lake is 81 feel