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Moving a 200-ton dredge overland to the New Panama Canal lock site
278
CURRENT TOPICS.
[J. F. I.
M o v i n g a 2 o o - t o n D r e d g e O v e r l a n d to the New P a n a m a C a n a l L o c k S i t e . - - ( Engineering News-Record, Vol. I27, No. 2i.) Picked u p bodily and placed on shore, then skidded 1,8oo ft. overland into a n artificial pool t o begin excavating for the additional locks for the Panama Canal, the 22 in. hydraulic dredge Grand Lake recently completed a long trip begun weeks a h e a d near Kansas City, Mo. Towed to New Orleans, the dredg~ was stripped of its machinery and provided with a superstructure for its ocean trip to the Canal Zone. Upon arrival a t the Isthmus, the dredge was moored along the canal bank while the superstructure was removed. Then the IOO X 35 ft. hull, weighing 220 tons, was picked up b y the floating crane Ajax and placed on a skidway. Sliding on two timber ways, the dredge was slowly moved overland, crossing a highway a n d three railroad tracks, including the main line of t h e Panama Railroad. Motive power was supplied b y a tractor, using cables a n d blocks. The dredge was floated into the pool and its machinery re-installed, for the removal of a b o u t 2,000,000 cu. yd. of material a t the n o r t h end of the new Gatun Locks site. As the pool is not yet connected with a waterway, water is being supplied from the c a n a l through a 2,000 ft., 22 in. pipe, fed by two 16 in. pumps, each driven b y a 250 hp. motor. To permit dredging t o t h e required 65 ft. depth, the pool surface will gradually be lowered as excavation progresses. The final use of the dredge will be to u n w a t e r the pool, in o r d e r t h a t hard material t h a t underlies the muck may be excavated and t h e locks built in the dry. R. H. O.
CURRENT TOPICS.
[J. F. I.
M o v i n g a 2 o o - t o n D r e d g e O v e r l a n d to the New P a n a m a C a n a l L o c k S i t e . - - ( Engineering News-Record, Vol. I27, No. 2i.) Picked u p bodily and placed on shore, then skidded 1,8oo ft. overland into a n artificial pool t o begin excavating for the additional locks for the Panama Canal, the 22 in. hydraulic dredge Grand Lake recently completed a long trip begun weeks a h e a d near Kansas City, Mo. Towed to New Orleans, the dredg~ was stripped of its machinery and provided with a superstructure for its ocean trip to the Canal Zone. Upon arrival a t the Isthmus, the dredge was moored along the canal bank while the superstructure was removed. Then the IOO X 35 ft. hull, weighing 220 tons, was picked up b y the floating crane Ajax and placed on a skidway. Sliding on two timber ways, the dredge was slowly moved overland, crossing a highway a n d three railroad tracks, including the main line of t h e Panama Railroad. Motive power was supplied b y a tractor, using cables a n d blocks. The dredge was floated into the pool and its machinery re-installed, for the removal of a b o u t 2,000,000 cu. yd. of material a t the n o r t h end of the new Gatun Locks site. As the pool is not yet connected with a waterway, water is being supplied from the c a n a l through a 2,000 ft., 22 in. pipe, fed by two 16 in. pumps, each driven b y a 250 hp. motor. To permit dredging t o t h e required 65 ft. depth, the pool surface will gradually be lowered as excavation progresses. The final use of the dredge will be to u n w a t e r the pool, in o r d e r t h a t hard material t h a t underlies the muck may be excavated and t h e locks built in the dry. R. H. O.