The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1915-03-13
Photos by American Press Association

thirds feet above the Pacific ocean,
and a mile farther on there is a fight
of two locks, which lowers vessels to
sea level on the Pacific side. about
locks are in duplicate.
Vessels can easily make the transit
from ocean to ocean through canal.
locks, lake and again through locks
and canal in ten or eleven hours.
The culebra Cut.
The Cordilleras. which form the
backbone Of the continent, extend
through the center of the isthmus.
They reach their highest point at Gold
hill, rising there in a sharp peak to an
elevation of 534 feet. The French
there began their excavations and re-
duced it to an altitude of 312 feet
above sea level. 1t is through this
point that the Culebra cut extends for
a distance Of nine miles. This cut is
excavated so that there is a channel
at the base 300 feet wide. The width
at the top of the cut varies with the
conformation Of the ground and In
some places is fully half a mile wide.
The twelve locks are the largest that
have ever been designed. 1t is, estf-
mated that in their construction 5,OOO,-
600 yards of concrete have been used.
As explained above, the locks are in
pairs, so that vessels can pass at the
same time going in opposite directions.
Three pairs are at Gatun, n pair at
Pedro Miguel and two pairs at Mira
flores.
They are all similar in design. The
locks are 40 feet wide and have usa-
Bile lengths of 1000 feet. 1t is difficult
to describe the locks so their construc-
ton will be understood by the lay
reader, but an effort will be made to
explain their construction in the sim
plest ANN possible. 1t should be
remembered that the object of the lock
is to receive water, so that it will raise
or lower a vessel 1000 feet long from
t~wenty-four to thirty feet. The lock is
an immense receptacle of concrete. Of
| course in pairs. The outside walls are
| f~orty-five to fifty feet wide, eighty-one
feet high ON the inner face; the outer
face rises in steps, tapering in width
about twenty-five feet above the base
until they are eight feet wide at the
top. These outer walls are 2S0 feet
| apart; midway between them is erect
ed a middle wall. which is sixty feet
wide and eighty-one feet high. In this
wall near the top is first a tunnel or
passageway for the operators. Below
this there is a gallery to carry the cleo
trio wires to operate the gates and
valve machinery and below this anoth-
er gallery for drainage.
At each end Of the lock there is a
steel gate seven feet thick, sixty-five
feet long and from fO%rty-seven to
eighty-two feet high. They will weigh
from 800 to COO ions each. The gates
are constructed of steel sheets riveted
to a steel framework. In the center Of
each lock there Is an intermediate gate
to lock small vessels. the gates being
so placed that they cal divide the locks
into two chambers 600 and 400 feet
long respectively. AS 95 per cent OF
the vessels at sea are less than COO
feet long. 1t is seen at n glance what a
saving in time and water there is by
employing the immediate gates.
Electricity Is used to tow all vessels
into and through the locks and to OPP
crate all gates and valves. Vessels
will not be permitted to enter or pass