The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1913-12-25
By WILLIAM R. SCOTT
CHAPTER xl.
Wonderful Locks and Dams.


Wonderful Locks and Dams.
elevator system for ships Is be
~ In. Installed at Panama at a 4
~ cost Of s5S.OO0 600 These ele
vators. known as locks. will
raise ships to and lower them from the
great artificial inland lake which Is
five feet above sea level
There are siA locks on the Atlantic
side and six on the Pacific side. at
each end Of the (Iatun lake.
ship arriving at Colon from New
York, on it's way to San Francisco. ell
ters the sea level channel In Limon
bay and steams for seven miles
through the canal. which is 500 feet
wide and forty one feet deep, to Gatun.
Here its way Is barred by massive
pile of masonry with impressive steel
gates. and towering eighty-fve feet
above the ship Is the surface OF the
Gatun lake. To the west OF the ship
runs the man made mountain. the
Gatun dam. which holds the lake In
bounds. The problem is to. lift the
ship to this lake.
AS II by magic, the gates swing open.
and an electric Locomotive. which has
run out on guide wall and fastened
to the ship. tows 1t into the frst lock.
The gates swing together, and the ship
Is imprisoned in a chamber 1000 feet
long and 10 feet wide and built OF
concrete. In moment the water In
this chamber begins to rise, being sup
piled through holes In the bottom. and
the ship rises with the water
Fifteen minutes after entering the
lock the ship has risen with the water
for twenty seven and one-half feet. II
the full capacity for filling the lock
should be used the ship would rise
that height in eight minutes Another
set OF gates swing open tn front OF
the ship. and the locomotives tow II
into the second lock. concrete cham,
her of the same dimensions The gates
having closed behind. this chamber be-
gins filling with water until the ship
is raised again for twenty-seven and
one-haif feet third set Of gates
open, and the ship is towed into the
flnal lock. where the operation Is re-
peatcd with rise of thirty feet. or
! total lift for the three locks OF
eighty-fve feet. When the gates In
front swing open the ship steams out
into the Gatun lake. The time spent
in climbing eighty-five feet was IN
hour and half.
For sixteen miles through this lake
the ship steams In a channel 1000 1ee'
wide, for four miles in channel sN
| feet wide and for three miles IN
! channe. 500 feet wide. or twenty -three
miles III all. Then It enters the famous
Culebra cut. which is 800 feet wide
through the continental mountain d1
vide and nine miles long. At the enc
OF the cut Is the Pedro Miguel lock
thirty-two miles from Gatun.
After entering this lock. which es
/ sentialiy is the same as the ones OF
, the Atlantic side, the ship goes through
the reverse of the process at Gatun
The water In the concrete chamber be
gins falling. taking the ship down witt
II. When It has fallen thirty feet tn
gates In front open and the ship goe
out into another artificial lake. mill
and q half long. at the end OF whicl
are the Miradores locks. These tw'
locks lower the ship twenty seven ant
half feet each. or tot-.l for the thre
locks Of eighty five feet which was tn
height the ship was raised on the othe
side. The ship then stcams throug
sea level channel for seven miles
the Pacific. having made the Who'll
Journey from deep water In the Al
iantic to deep winter In the Pacific
fifty miles. in ten hours.
81 At both ends the locks are built
pairs or twins, 80 that ships goin
In opposite directions may pas
through them simultaneously. A wa
sixty feet thick separates the lock!
and II one set should become disable
the adjoining set still would be avail
able FOR passage The time require
for q ship to mount the three locks
one side and descend the three locks o
the other side is three h0nrs.
On the Atlantic side the locks
Gatun are connected and constitut
one solid piece Of masonry On Il
Pacific side the lock Mt Pedro Mign
Is separated from the two locks at n
rnflores by small lake q mile and
half long. This lake. like the gre'
:. Gatun lake. Is formed by damming n
ers. A dam ut the Pedro Miguel ioc
whici, IL the first lock encountered
Ing toward the Pacific. holds the "
lers Of t,atun lake from spilling dow
the Pnciic slope
J Chief Engineer Stevens began {
} excavations In the Gatun and Ped
] Miguel lock sites IN 1906 shortly aft
the decision was made for lock tt
. canal, hut most OF the excavation n
aiI Of the concrete laying have he
j done under Colonel Goethais. It "
necessary to remove about 10000
cubic yards Of rock and earth fro
the site Of the three locks at Gatun
prepare 4 foundation for the treme
I dously heavy structure. Careful be
: ings had been made to ascertain If
! suitable foundation could be foul
there