The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1915-05-21

Used For Towing Purposes-Safe-
guarding the Lock Walls and Gates.
Forty electric locomotives of unique
design are used to tow shipping
through the huge locks Of the Panama
canal When the canal was being
planned II was apparent that the vari-
GUS winch and capstan systems In
vogue for towing ships through exist
ing canals and locks would not do at
all for Panama. After thorough
study Of the entire problem Of maneu-
vering ships through the locks at Pan
anna It was evident that they could not
safely proceed through the locks under
their own power and that substitute
for the ships power should embrace
tho following requirements:
Ability to place the ship In proper re-
lation to the lock.
Capability for keeping the ship in its
course.
Accelarating and retarding the ship
without rupturing the lines.
The lines when once attached should
DO used without change for lockage In
flight.
In passing through the canal from
the Atlantic to the Pacific a vessel en-
ters tho approach channel In Limon
bay, which extends to Gatun, a dis
tance Of about seven miles. At Gatun
Il enters q series Of three locks In
fight and Is raised eighty-flve feet to
the level Of Gatun lake. 1t then
steams at full speed through the great
eY part Of the channel In this lake for
a distance Of twenty-four miles to Bas
Obispo, where II enters the Culebra
cut. It passes through this cut, which
has length Of nine miles, and reach
es Pedro Miguel where 1t enters a
lock and ia lowered thirty feet. Then
b passes through Mirafores lake for
q distance Of one and one-half miles
until It reaches Mirahores, where 1t Is
lowered fifty-five feet through two
lDcks TO the sea level after which 1t
passes out into the Pacific through an
eight and one-half mile channel.
The main features Of all the lock
sites are identical, and the following
brief description Of the Gatun locks,
with special reference to the arrange
ment Of the towing tracks, ship chan
nels, inclines and approaches, gives a
clearer conception Of the towing
scheme In general.
There are two channels ut Gatun,
one for traffic in each direction. The
channels are separated by center
wall, the total length Of which Is $3.50
feet. There are two systems OF tracks,
one for towing.'and the other for the
return OF the electric locomotives when
idle. This, however, refers
only to the outer walls. For the cen
Der wall there Is only one return track
In common for both the towing tracks.
Tho towing tracks are naturally placed
next to the channel side, and the sys-
tenn Of towing utilises normally not
less than four locomotives running
along the lock walls. Two Of them are
opposite each other In advance Of the
and two run opposite each 9TH
er following the vessel. The number
Of locomotives Is, however, Increased
when the tonnage Of the ship de-
mands II.
Cables extend from tho forward To-
comotives and connect with the port
and starboard sides, respectively, or
the vessel near the bow, and other ca
bles connect the rear locomotives with
the port and starboard quarters of the
The lengths Of the various ca
bles are adjusted by a special winding
drum on the locomotive to place the
vessel substantially In midchannel.
When the leading locomotives are start
ed they tow the vessel, while the trail
Ing locomotives follow and keep the Gu
bles taut. BY changing the lengths OF
the rear cables the vessel can be guild
ed, and to stop the vessel all the loco
are slowed down and stopped,
thus bringing the rear locomotives In
action to retard the ship. Therefore,
the vessel Is always under complete
control quite independent Of its own
power. which is not used, and the dan
ger Of injury to the lock walls and
gates Is consequently very greatly les
Bened.
These towing tracks have n specially
designed rack rail extending the entire
length Of the track between the rails.
1t IL through this rack that the loco
motive exerts the traction necessary
for propelling large ships and climbing
the steep inclines. When the locomo-
i've reaches one Of the inclines between
the locks, the grade Of which may be
rs much as "A per cent, or when 1t Is
towing a ship, the cog rail system is
utilized to enable the locomotive to
eiimb the grade and In the other case
10 exert traction necessary for pulling
The ships The cog or rack rail Is laid
between the track rails and the loco
motive Is provided with cog wheel or
rack pinion 10 engage the rail.-Elec-
trfc News.