Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-11-29
GREAT GATUN DAM
is MASSIVE WORK
Col. GOethals Describes Famous
EarthwOrk Across the
Chagres River.
LOCKS OF PANAMA CANAL
CONSTRUCTED IN PARIS
Navigation Would Be obstruct-
ed if Accident to One
Happened.
PART III.
q, COZ. G. w. GoErnALs

PART III.
ny COL. G. w. COCKTAILS
!. ,copyrighted, 1913, by the NewspS-
per Enterprise Association In the
United states, Great Britain,
France and GERMANY
An earth dam across the Cnagres 81
fiat,,n innpounds the water or the
river and creates the lake which con-
st,tutee the highest level OF the
panama canal. The dam Ia 1900 feet
long over all, measured along the
TOP Il is 2,100 feet wide at the base
: 30s feet through at the water surtaee,
. and 100 feet wide ct the top. Wn cn 10
liz feet above the aea level. II crosses
t]go valleya separated by hill
The dimensions of the dam nave
naan criticised as excessive and UNI
. warranted, but it's designers consiu-
red II desira BILE, In view OF the
amount of material available, tnal
arnia proyts ons be made against
svery force which may affect rts
safety. and that barrier be made SO
tEat the layman, without engineering
Knowledge, would recognize its sta-
biiity. It extends from the mn IN
which the locks are constructed 70
sniilway Hiu. thence along the spur
or horback of the hill on the west
! side of the valley. - 40
The locks are n pairs, so that Il
any lock is out Of service Navigation
viii not be interrupted. Tnuh, aiso,
when Ali the locks are In use, the
nasaaRe of shipping will be expedited
hv using one set of locks lot tne
ascent and the other for the descent.
! THE locks are ITO feet W de ana nave
|. 1sable lengths of 1000 feet.
The system of filling adopted con,
"a. l.aI -, nor n
. saeding laterals perpendicular 10 inc
axis of the lock, from which are OPEN
ings inward into the lock cnaihpel.
RMS system distributes the water as
/. evenly as possible over the entlre nos
igoofg1 area of the lock and reduces
the disturbance in the chamber wnen
the latter is being filled or emptieo.
Tho middle or separating wah ~ n.
/, tains q single culVert OF tne SELL
I, urea as the culverts IN the size 49, .,n,.s
which feeds in both directlons
I through laterals controlled by waves
Resigned to operate against a head
from either direction. This arrange
: ,nent nerrnits communication between
tha chambers of twin locks, so LhaL
/ water may be passed from one lock
to the other of the pair, erecting
saving of water. av.s
: The entire lock can be niied OF
efnptied, using one cuiverS ~ - n,;n-
ttes and AZ seconds, and In MIN
,,tes and 81 seconds when both Gull
verts are used. .-s=i..,.
The lock gates are of the inter
ing type, double leaf, straight gates,
VARYING In height from 40 Feet q
inches to 10 feet; the length or each
leaf ie about IS feet.
II has been accepted az q funoa.
rusfltal feature of the design that q
each flight of locks there must a.. a.
WAYS be two barriers separating the
high level from the next
level below. To carry this out, two
sets OF nitering gates are placed at
the upper and two at the lower eno
ef each OF the uppernost LOCKS IN
In addition. a chain device is used
no guard the barrier gates against
accident and SO controlled as 70 De
/ eapable Of checking a ship OF lV,vVV
I kpns moving at the rate of five miles
/ an hour.
More than 90 per cent. OF the ves-
= aels navigating the high seas are less
:, than 800 feet In length and this mas
been taken as the determining FACTOR
4 for the location OF intermediate gates,
z which are introduced In the design 10
save both time and water. For the
protection of the intermediate gates
against vessels using smaller length
of chamber q chain barrier is to be
{ Installed.
Guide piers are provided both up
& stream and down, to which vessels
will tie before entering the locks.
!, Electric towing machines will be used
FOR towing vessels into and control
4 ling their passage through the locks
7 BY means OF lines or cables attached
ITO what may be considered the four
corners OF the ship,
~ Even with all these precautions &C
.eidents may happen, and emergency
ls dams are provided at the head or
each flight of locks, consisting or
!. swing bridges. which can be thrown
$ across the locks in case Of an accis
=, dent which makes connection be-
4 tween the top level and the level be-
! low; wicket Orders are let down from
: these swing bridges, supported by a
sill at the bottom and the horizontal
truss work OF the bridge at the top,
These wicket Orders act as runways
for gates, which are lowered and
: gradually stop the flow.
In the Pacific division the work
consisted of the construction OF du-
+, plicate locks at Pedro Miguel, over
coming a 30-foot difference of level,
with the necessary dams; two locks
4
kores, connected with the adjacent
. hills by one earth and one concrete
4 dam: excsvating the channels be-
tween the locks to the required
depths, and the excavation OF the
channel to proper width to deep water
IN the Pacific.
The Mirafiores locks are two In
= flight, overcoming the difference in
level between Mirafores lake and the
sea level section. The maximum lift
for these locks is about sixty-five
feet
The relocated Panama railroad was
pushed forward so as TO keep pace
With canal construction work.
Under the Spooner act the Presi-
:. cent was authorized to construct a
= canal through commission consist
ing OF seven members. In January,
1905, the secretary of war, in letter
To the President, called attention to