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Show NEW DIFFICULTY IN THE CANAL j Heavy Currents in the Locks Caused by Fresh and Salt Water. VESSELS ARE IN DANGER ; Until the Two Waters of Dif-i Dif-i ferent Density Mix There I Is Trouble. i Washington. Dec. L'" A new factor in hydraulic engineering has been developed as the result oi" tne operation opera-tion of the Panama canal. None of tin distinguished engineers w:io participated par-ticipated in designing the great water-. water-. v ever took into account the peculiar pecu-liar conditions that might arise and at feet navigation as a result of th." s idden mixture of large quantities of fresh and salt water. Yet it has been found that an important element ele-ment oi delay In the passage of es-Belfl es-Belfl through the canal is caused by the discharge into the great locks, aj-read) aj-read) filled With salt water from tn-oceans tn-oceans at either end. of the perfectly fresh water which fibs tiie prism of the canal and is supplied from the Charges and other rivers. The result ol" the sudden mixture ol the waters when the lock valves are opened is the creation of heavy currents cur-rents which continue until the fresh water has thoroughly permeated the heat ler salt water, and these currents, sweeping back and forth through the locks are apt to dash about and seriously seri-ously injure any vessel Within, unless she ia securely held and carefully handled. When making the first nigln lockage recently, the steamship Li-niari Li-niari was held in the lower chamber of Miraflores lock for fifteen minutes waiting for these currents to Bub-side. |
