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The Panama Canal

Chapter 8: V. LOCATION, SIZE, AND PLAN
By Harry Clow Boardman
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Engineering & TechnologyHistory - Modern (1750+)

About This Book

The thesis examines proposals and the long history of efforts to build an interoceanic canal across the Isthmus, surveying alternate routes and comparing natural harbors, seismic and volcanic risk, climate, curvature, and hydrology to support a chosen alignment and canal type. It summarizes engineering trade-offs between lock and sea-level designs, sets out location, dimensions and plan, and describes organization and methods for constructing the canal prism, locks and dams. The work also addresses sanitation and social conditions during construction and outlines anticipated economic importance and maintenance considerations.

V. LOCATION, SIZE, AND PLAN

The location, size and plan of the Panama Canal with several recent changes which have been ordered by the President and adopted by the commission is described in the “Canal Record” as follows: “A channel, 500 feet wide at sea-level will lead from deep water in Limon Bay to Gatun, a distance of 6.76 miles. At Gatun a dam one and one-half miles long and 115 feet high will impound the waters of the Chagres river in a lake, the normal level of which will be 85 feet above mean sea-level, A flight of three twin locks, each 1,000 feet long, 110 feet wide, and allowing for 41⅓ feet of water over the sills, will raise vessels from sea-level to the lake, or lower them from the lake to the sea-level channel. From Gatun navigation will be through the lake in a channel from 1,000 feet to 500 feet wide for a distance of 23.59 miles to Bas Obispo where Culebra cut begins. The channel through the continental divide, from Bas Obispo to Pedro Miguel, a distance of 8.11 miles will be 300 feet wide, and the surface of the water will be at the lake level. At Pedro Miguel vessels will be lowered from the 85-foot level to a small lake at 55 feet above sea-level, in twin locks of one flight. A channel 500 feet wide and 0.97 miles long will lead to Miraflores locks, where the descent to sea-level will be made in twin locks of two flights. The locks at Pedro Miguel and Miraflores will be of the same dimensions as those at Gatun. From Miraflores to deep water in Panama Bay, a distance of 8.31 miles, the channel will be 500 feet wide and 45 feet deep at mean tide. The channel widths given are all bottom widths. The entrance both in Limon Bay and in Panama Bay will be protected by breakwaters.”