36£ SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN 363

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GATUN

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TEMPORARY SLUICEWAYS t e locks hll or the the r.�ntcr of the dam the spillway, with a ha l :l()O a l er cJllstruct n f m To the right arc h ilt of concrete in the solid rock on tho t'astcrly si 'c valley. In is c nne fcct wide. nurinil tho c r i io o the da • tbe "" River flowed through the spillway. For some months the river has b(!cn shut in by the err-eLiolt of the spillwa.y tin.lll. a.nd the Gatun Lak.e is slowly forminH. it.s level being t,o-jaY 20 leet C Uil-gros above the valley. To Prevent the lake trom rising ahove the lock :-;iiL!'S. the WaWl" will he rc;.;:ul ated hy tcrnpOl'ilry sluiceways ill tho SI)ilIway dam. Cross-section, not to scale, of the Chagres valley at Gatun, showing the locks, dam, and spillway.

__ .!"_'LS�__ T�P _Of _GAT_U_N_ 9t't:1 ______Looking seaward from Colon, the Atlantic terminus of the Gatun Lake will cover the site of the town of Tabernilla, srl�';.-:'�:� lately removed, except for the few buildings sho.wn. I TOP 0,. GATES +87." canal. Note the foundations for the new Washington Hotel. ''Bs.Ii�Jot'''101 ! __ "f'.?:_I-fW�"L!-��L....!.!I�,!�I�.�y...!t�_ _ ---:-= . _____ C"".Jr"".lI".u. "'A;·�- --- - _ _. _. / \, - �-=- -- : --=_ ------. c=---' -- =--;:::�I ... +c: . -- lL Panama-Personal Impressions of the I�. ,..uaHT WAH;:tilI-EVlL Controlling the Chagres River by the M[AN SEA L£VEL Work on the Canal-I Gatun Dam and Spillway By J. Bernard '\Talker

[This is the first oj a series oj articles on the Panama canal, written by the Editor-in-Chiej oj the Scientific Rnglish scientist, who at first 'was skeptical as to the Gatun dam, said, after a recent lIi.�,:t, that he wa,� :;hips will be raised in three flights from Atlantic sea levcl to Gatun Lake level, which normally will s(.and at 85 fcct. J)urin� the rainy .0a'01l the levol .. An American. The author was sent to the Isthmus by the Publishers oj the Scientijic American for the purpose oj will be raised to 87 tcot. Loss through lockages, evaporation, etc.. will reducc !-his Icv.cl a few fcct during tho dry season. converted to the present plan, bFcause it is not a dam at all that is buildinv. but a veritable hill." making a personal inspection oj the work and gathering the impressions upon which this series of articles is based.] Col. Geo. lVm. Goethals in National Geographic 1\1[agazine. Diagram, not to scale, showing Gatun locks and lake. Ifhe

PAClfJC OCEAN RECEXT visitor to the Panama canal asked the isthmus approximately parallel with the sea. They sudden and extremely violent floods. Had the canal its waters to accumulate in a vast lake, which would A engineer who \vas showing a party over the work found such a depression in tIle valley of the Uhagres, been built at sea level, the Chagres and its tributaries back up through the Chagres valley and extend the when the sea water would be flowing through the canal. which extends from the Atlantic, some 2G miles, to ��------�---- would have required costly diversion channels to carry whole length of the great cut through the Were conditions other than they are, and had de Les­ the base of the Culebra divide, and then swings to the the water to the sea independently of the canal, and mountain divide. The rocl, formation on tILe east­ seps and his French engineers carried out their scheme left or east, the source of the river lying far bacl, these would always have constituted a more or less seri­ ern end of the dam provided an admirable founda­ for a sea·level canal, the question would have been among the hills. From the point, Gamboa, where the ous menace. tion for a systcm of locks, through which ship­ perfectly in place; for, with a difference in level, reach­ river intersects the line of the canal, the natural sur­ Incidentally, it may be mentioned here that the ex­ ping could be raised from sea level to lake level, and ing at times as high as ten feet, between the Atlantic face of the ground rises more steeply up the valley of cavation through the mountain divide has shown the the small hill in the center of the valley offered an lind Paciflc oceans, a sea·level canal would not only the Obispo until the summit is reached, a t an elevation material of which the hills are composed to be of an equally good foundation for excavating and buildin;; a have been fllled with salt water, but there would have of 320 feet above sea level. On the other side of this extremely unstable character; so much so that lifteen spillway 300 feet wide, through which the surplus been a flow north or south, the direction of the current summit, about seven miles from Gamboa, the en­ million cubic yards of slides have already been re­ waters of the Chagres and the lake could be allowed being determined by the relative state of the tides. gineers found another valley, that of the Rio Grande, moved and there is a large amount yet to come. It is to pass on their way to the Atlantic Ocean. But the French failed in their undertaldng, and the which provided a natural outlet to the sea. certain that if the cut through the whole length of And so it has come about that the great problem Americans, thanks to the adoption of the minority re­ But although the valley of the Chagres greatly re· the Gatun Lake had been carried 8G feet lower in the of the Panama canal has been solved by turning an port of the Board of Engineers, decided to build a high­ duced the work of exca vation necessary over some 2G endeavor to open a waterway at sea level, tile slides implacable enemy into a useful friend. The ton'en­ level canal. Consequently, out of a total length of GO miles of the canal, the river itself, because of the tor­ would have developed such enormous proportions as to tial Chagres River, ever ready at a few hours' notice miles, only 1G miles of the canal will contain salt rential floods to which it is subjected in the rainy sea· delay the construction of the canal by a number of to disgorge its enorIlJOUS, silt-laden floods upon the water. The other 3G miles will be fllled exclusively son, presented a problelU of appalling magnitude. The years, and increase the cost probably by several hun­ canal, has not only Ileen taken into the general scheme with fresh water, supplied by the Chagres River and rain in this uistrict has been Imown to sliow a fall uf dred millions of dollars. of construction, but has been constituted its most im­ the lesser stl'eams which are intersected by the canal. 5.86 inclies in one hour, and at Gamboa, wliere tlie Now, it so happens that, about six miles from the portant and absolutely indispensable elelUent. The greatest physical difficulty that presented it�clf Chagres intersects the canal, the ri vel' has risen as lllOUth of the Chagres River, the valley, at Gatun, The luck·and-Ial,e canal, as nuw being built, pruvides to the lUany able engineers who umde the early iu­ mucIL as 2G.6 feet in 24 hours, the uischarg;e at the narrows down to a width of less than a mile and a half. a channel frum ocean to ocean which is nowhere le�s vestigations of the Panama ruute was the turbulent commencement of tlie tloou being 8,200 cubic feet pel' On the eastern side of the valley, a t the surface, is rock than 40 feet lIee)! anlI whose wiuth is a t no IJoint less ('hag-res River. With a view tu reuucing- the ue[Jth· seconu, anu 24 hours later, at the height of the 1100d, of a fair quality. At about the center of the valley than 300 feet on the bottom. Even through the locks of the excava Uon which would have to be made for a as high as 90,000 ('ubic feet per second. Furthermore, the engineers found a small hill of similar rocl" and this waterway has the generous width of 110 feet. canal, the engineers naturally lool,ed for some valley between Gamboa and (;atun the Chagres receives they determined to improve the na tur;!! opportunities Starting from deep water on the Atlantic Ocean, the of very gradual ascent, through which the canal could twenty-six tributary streams, all of which, llke the thus presented by throwing a great dam across the canal extends for seven miles a t sea level to the greatl reach the Culebra Monntains, which traverse the larger river, are torrential in character and subject to \'alley, cutting o.lf the outlet of the Chagres. and cau�ing Shaded portion shl»Ys present area of Gatun Lake at 20·foot level. Unshaded line shows shore of lal{e when complete6- fiile�:. (Concluded on paac 370.)

The channel trom the Atlantic to Gatun, seven miles long. is at sea level. Note the sloping face ot the two dams, teet high. which This view shows the spillw.ay. with the partially tilled Gatun Lake beyond. To the lett is a completed portion ot the spillway dam, Floor ot this lock is 41 feet below level of water in sea-level channel beyond. Note the temporary concrete dam across the entrance, 45 keep the water out of the locks during onst uct o . with its crest 69 teet above sea level. The rock dump beyond is a portion ot the Gatun dam. which will be blasted out when the canal is ready for service. c r i n Present condition of Gatun dam spillway. Looking seaward through lower end of Gatun locks. The' sea-level entrance to Gatun locks. Photoll1'aphs by Underwood &: UDdeJ>wood

© 1912 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, INC 870 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN April 20, 1912

Foot aDd Power during the night when both. the "Salem" done, there followed the concrete work "STAR" Screw CutliD, and the "Prairie" were searching the At­ for locI,s and spillway, which has pro­ Automatic Cro.. Feed lantic for the destr·oyers in distress in gressed with practically no interruption LATHES the fearful storm which broke up the fleet and at a rate of speed which has passed For Fine, Accurate Work Oil its recent trip to Guantanamo. On the far beyond any records of work of this Send lor Catalogue B same night the San Francisco operator Idnd in the history of engineering, an SENECA FALLS MFG. CO. heard the operator on the battleship avel'age for one year of over 3,000 cubic 695 Water 51reet 5ene a "Florida," then near Galveston, Tex., send­ yards of concrete laid per day having ______c__F_a _n,� . r:-!.__ y_ .,_U_. _S _. _A_. ing "Good night." He also talked with been achieved on the Gatun locks, with the operatol' at Colon, on the canal zone, a maximum record for one day of over E S �!���h �w�!HES and heal'd the station at Cape Cod send­ 4,200 cubic yards. BA High Quality Low Price. Catalog Free ing news dispatches to Europe. Only a Simultaneously with the construction TIlE SEBASTIAN LATHE CO., 120 Culvert St .. CincinDati, O. few days ago, in a test, a message was of the locks and the spillway the work !! perfect edge sent from Hawaii to San Francisco, and trains were building the Gatun dam, and thence to Key West, Fla. as soon as the spillway channel had been· This GRINDER with this � strop These feats, however, are now regarded concreted the Chagres River was diverted as merely accidents, and not to be ex­ through the artificial channel thus Has no pumps, no valves. No piping You see it's not an ordinary strop-it's the pected regularly with the present height formed. required to supply it with water. Always New Torrey Honing Strop with the honing ready for use. Simplest in con­ side surfaced with our newly discovered and equipment of the naval wii'eless Rta­ The spillway consists of a dam whose struction, most efficient in opera­ sharpeningpreparation. Just a few strokes tions. To make these, and even more no­ crest is 69 feet above sea level, and a line tion. Price will interest you. on this side once or twice a week and a few table feats, every-day matters, is part of of vertical steel gates, which slide be­ more on the prepared leather side before the purpose of the proposed scheme. tween concrete piers erected upon the crest and aftershavingwill keep razor in perfect of the dam. The top of the gates is 87 shape. Anyone can successfully use the Panama-Personal Impressions' feet above the sea level. An impression (Concluded from page 369.) 01' the present condition of the spillway New Torrey may be gathel'ed from one of the iIIus· dam across the Chagres valley at Gatun. SOUTH BEND 'this dam is nothing more nor less than a trations in which a portion of the dam Honing Strop huge artificial hill, whose width across the is shown carried up to full height (+ 69). LATHES base, measured up· and down the valley, is For several months there has been no It wlll keep an edge on your razor so keen that you. can Screw Cutting your skin will flow of the Chagres through the dam, and .have smo oth and close every day and some 2,000 feet, and whose top or crest is 9 to 13·i nch Swin g remain free fr om smarting. through the past dry season the lake Don't bl ame your razor-get one of these str op� and shave 115 feet above the bottom of the valley. Power, Foot & Electric Drive In level has slowly risen to an elevation of Askcomfort.your de aler to show you the New Torrey Honing Strop. 'l'he dam has been built up by constructing Interesting Catalog Free Ifhe cann ot do it, write to us. Prices. SOc, 75c. 11.00, 11.50. + about 20 feet above sea level. The South Beud Machine Tool Madi.on St .• Sonth Bend. Ind. .2.00 and 12.50. . across the valley two parallel embank­ Co., 421 e o a e ments, formed of rock which has been rainy season with its heavy floods is at ----. :e�'¥a �;Ucin�:i��o t f��:!t��ff�c�� � :ale�� J� X:!l�� The Engineer Needs This RED DEVIL t:J. everypa rt d the who are not suppUe d shoul d hauled by the train load from the heavy liand, and the rise will be rapid from now writ e us at Once for OUfcountry specia l prop osition. on. To prevent the possibility of excavation through the Culebra Moun­ the lake .,.••• ___ Q!!!! Torrey �-!!!!. � rising above the level of the lock floor !I NGul��GLASS tains and elsewhere, and then filling the ;:gEl. liiiiii� TORREY CO., before the lock gates are completed, R. & space between with closely compacted and the It i, ab.olutely perfect and will cut any grade 01 size J. o t W rces er, M ass. spill way is provided at its base with glass evenly, quickly and correctly, II your supply ou,e hasnt Dept., G , impervious silt, which has been pumped up sev- :f7.!�' remit and one only will be sent prepaid att his p ice. eral temporary sluiceways, through which it SOc. r by hydrauliC dredges and allowed to set­ SMITH & HEMENWAY CO .• tle between the big rock fills, which form the water can be spilled if it should be- 152 Chambers Street, New York, N. Y., U. S. A. come necessary. 2 & 4 Lemoine Street Montreal, Canada the upstream and downstream "toes" of Future visitors to Panama will be the dam. STARRETT'S NEW TAPER GAGE startled when they enter Gatun Lake to The waters of the Chagres are at present Leaves thin, tapering. Width varies by slowly backing up in the Chagres valley, find that the virgin forests in the bed of 1/64tll in. to each 1/4th I,. of lell!.rth. Used In every civilized the lake have been left untouched. Here Desiglled fesC��:lll l��e!118���i���ns�1i� country on earth. Best and the water level will rise against the O n s� and there and particularly in the tributary :lccurnte Hnd convenient-used bv and cheapest li ght for dam until it reaches an ultimate eleva­ all kinds of machinists. Fine for homes, stores, factories valleys, the tropical jungle will lift its settillK l'alipers. Plaill, ,4.60; and public buildings. tion, normally, of 85 feet. At this level nickel plated, '5.0(). Makes you independent of the water will spread out far and wide head above the waters. The question of Sendjor27.4 pagecatalog, No. f9-B. lighting compames. Over clearing the Gatun basin of timber and TilE L. S. STAUUETT CO., Athol, Mn... . U. S. A. 200styl es. Every lamp war- over the valley of the Chagres and its . burns its ranted. Makes and tributaries, and create a veritable fresh­ vegetation was considered; but vegetation Ow n gas. 100 to 2.000 candle_ will do no harm, and as its removal over FOR ·SEWING LEATHER power. Agents wanted. Write water inland sea, having a total area of to-day for catalogue and prices. the whole 160 square miles would cost The Speedy Stitcher is the latest and best 01 anything ever about 164 square miles. The depth of the offered for $1.00. Agents THE BEST LIGHT CO. probably over a million dollars, it will be make profits. 87 East 5th Street, I lake at the dam will be 85 feet. 'rhe Over 200% Canton. O. floor of the valley along tIle route of tile left in place. The va,rious towns and vil­ Send at once ���..,.�CCn ;G;;;;;;;;;;;;;',f, lages in the basin, however, are being re­ lor cata log canal rises so slowly that no excavation of a n d e rms. moved, and with them will be destroyed t any quantity was necessary throughout Automatic Awl Company, 56 Gardner Terrace, Worcester, Mass. ELECTRONS THE· ELECTRONI<: the visible record of several interesting AND the first 16 miles from Gatun dam. Just THEORY are discussed by Sir Oliver Lodge in beyond San Pablo sundry high points links in the chain of early Latin-American ELECTRIC LIGHTING FOR AMATEURS Scientific American Supplements 1428, 1429, 1430, history. How a small and simple experimental installation can 1431, 1432, 1433, 1434. Price 10 cents each. of land in the valley had to be cut down. The water supply for lockages during be set·�p at home. Scientific American Supplement For sale by Munn & Co., Inc., and all newsdealers. At Gamboa, 7 miles further up the valley, the three months of the dry season will be 1551. Price 10 cents. For sale by Munn & Co., the great cut through the Culebra moun­ Inc., and all newsdealers. tains commences. The bottom of this cut ample. During the wet season the lake will be held at 87 feet above sea .level. will be finished up at 40 feet above sea DRILLING level, or 45 feet below the normal 85-foot At this level there will be 47 feet mini­ surface of the lake. The Culebra cut ex­ mum depth in the channel. But 41 feet WELL MACHINES is sufficient for navigation. Evidently the tends for approximately nine miles, to Over 10 sizes and styles, for drilling eltber deep or level may fall five feet without hinder­ sballow wells in any kind of Boil Or rock. Mounted on Pedro Miguel, on the Pacific side of the wheels Or on BillS. \VUh engines or horse powers. divide, which may be regarded as the ing navigation. Hence the storage avail­ Strong, simple and d uralJle. Any mecbanic can overate them eaSily. Seno for cataloU'. southerly limit of Gatun Lake, the total able for losses by lockage, evaporation, WILLIAMS BROS .• Ithaca. N. Y_ distance along the line of the channel etc., is a five-foot depth over 160 square miles-more than sufficient for the largo through the lake being about 32 miles. NOVEL TIES & PATENTED ARTICLES Here there will be a single lock which est number of lockages that could possibly MANUFACTURED BY CONTRACT. PUNCHING OIES. will lower the ships from the 85-foot to be accomplished during the whole dry LIGHT AUTOMOBILE STAMPINGS season. the 55-foot level, where they will enter a E KOHIGSlOW STAMPING & TOOL WORKS, CLEVELAND. 0 small lake formed by a dam and spillway. One of the "Ten Stories" A mile and a half of steaming through the Models and Experimental Work lake will bring shipping to a double flight [Many ot our readers have doubtless INVENTIONS DEVELOPED SPECIAL MACHINERY ... of locks at Miraflores, through which ves­ heard ot the "Ten Stories," a little boole E :y:._��ILL_�.I!� CO.,._2� Y. sels will be lowered 55 feet to mean sea containing true nan'atives ot SCientific .f�a��f!?��t.,N. level on the Pacific. events in which the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN To manufacture METAL played a predominant part. It has been "".....,{,,,.,.;- WANTED . SPECIAL TIES. 20 years It should be noted here that the tide experience in making Dies. Tools and Special rises 10 feet above and falls 10 feet be­ quite impossible to meet the demand tor Machinery. Expert work. Complete equipment. the "Ten Stories." Acconlingly, they will NATIONAL STAMPING & ELECTRIC WORKS low mean sea level on the Pacific; where­ Dept. 2, 412 So. Clinton Street, - Chicago. Ill. as on the Atlantic side the rise and fall be republished, one at a Mme, in these above and below sea level is only about columns, tor the benefit ot those readers Patented Articles and Metal Specialties who were unable to obtain a copy ot the one foot. From Miraflores locks the MANUFACTURED BY CONTRACT original boolelet.-EDITOR.] Stamping Dies. Metal Stampiug. aDd Screw Machine Work Your PATENTS canal will extend at sea level 8 miles to �Dd BUSINESS deep water in the Pacific. Steinmetz May Smoke H. CARSTENS MFG. CO., st. Incorporate ID ARIZONA N ow the problem, as far as the Chagres 56��C��O HEN Steinmetz writes anything Laws tbe molt liberal. Expense tbe leatl. Hold mec:tinel. transact River is concerned, has been to excavate We b i1d models, of genel'al interest the do bUlinc:u anywhere. Blanks. By·Law. and o makinr stock W SCIENTIFIC � forml f r through the Culebra hills and build the experImental W 0 r full-paid for cash. property or services. free. Prelident Stoddard. AMERICAN. eagerly publishes it, and all INVENTORS k , FORMER SECRETARY OF ARIZONA. resident arcnt for Gatun dam and locks upon such a plan light manufacturing dies and tools. many thousand companies, Reference: AllY bank Arizona. who have to do with electriCity as eagerly in that the furious floods of the river read it. G. SCHWARZ & CO., 123 Liberty St., N.Y. STODDARD INCORPORATING COMPANY, Boz8000 would not interfere with the progress of PHOENIX. ARIZONA When Steinmetz first went to the Gen­ the work or destroy that which already eral Electric Company plant at Schenec­ �:d!:rto had been done. At Culebra no difficulty tady, his . genius wasn't fully recognized. Rubber Specialties Years Experience Make Us Expert was experienced until the excavation had In those' days Steinmetz was once working 33 been carried below the level attained by Parker, Stearns & Co. over a drawing board with a long bla.c.k 289-291 Sheffield Ave., Brooklyn, N. Y. New business. 500 " profit the crest of the Chagres floods. As the .' ��e����mwor�oarlx��r���: cigar in his mouth. time .. tra1/eling or at homo. Culebra excavation has been extended be­ "You can't smoke here," said a man oJ Post Card .. MANDEL" MacLioe low the river level the river has been authority, "it is against the rules for any­ Makes Photos on P.st Cards We10 shipDAYS on approval FREE without TRial a. cent controlled by the construction of a dam Wfth.. t Using Plates or Films. one to smoke in the General Electric n.n Everybody �A�"A tr���� ftr:!a:�. -r:��� across the canal, above the point where plant." after . 'ho bicycle 10 day •. ' the Chagres enters the prism of the Steinmetz looked at the man in sheer DO BUYUDUl �f�:����ero:'a�:::r(lcelvoou," ...., canal. At Gatun, the first work to be done amazement. He didn't even take the eve::-:; ��nd or _--"- was to excavate through the rock on the trouble to ask how they could expect any -".'''';''-'��:;:-'.:cne::,u�;er;.��ard0/ eastern side of the valley a vast rectangu­ man to solve difficult problems without Ie.U It will co., 100. write. poIial aDd &ver1- lar basin, in which to build the locks, smoking. The next day and the next ..D' JOu tree pOII tpaid b, You wm I.' much ....la.bl.lo .. and to open through the hill of rock in Steinmetz failed to appear. At that time Do DOt walt. wriMit DOW Coaater - Brake rev the center of the valley another excava­ the whole engineering staff was engaged at I14V""""priIIoo, tion in which to build .the spillway. This upon a problem which for many days and Dept. Cl-175, CHICAGO

© 1912 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, INC