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    Canal interoceanique de Panama (letter in French)
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    English translation of Canal interoceanique de Panama
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Translation of the letter of which a copy is attachedbyBernard McTigue, Chair, Dept.ofSpecial Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, March24,1993.29Kilometer Oct. 5th, 1887 [In another hand]Animpossible scheme Description of a Transport System for Removal of Rubble Dredgedupby180 Horses WorkingwithFloating Pipes The apparatus that I have in mind should serve three purposes: 1. To separateoutasmuchas possible the rubble beforeitenters into the passage of the excavation.2.To assureanabsolutely complete mixture of rubble before it enters the pipes. 3.Andfinally to have neither a stop in the flow of materialnoranyobstructions created in the pipes causedbystonesorother objects which have avoided beinggrounduppassingthroughthe grills. Inorderto achieve this I propose the following:1.Wearmthe bucketsofthe dredgedwithclaws sothatthey sliceupthe debris before digging it up. 2. When dredgingwecouple a barge carrying 2 ferries ofgroundupdebris of large size where the debris willbediversified alternatelyinsuch a way thatasone ferry fillsupanother emptiesandthe debris is constantly submitted toanenergetic grinding movement .3. After leaving the grinder the debris is sent into a chamber simultaneouslywithapipeofrefilling with a powerfulpump.At the otherendof this receptacle is apipeneck from which comes theendsof the tubes designed to remove the debris to the discharge point. The water pipedinbythe high pressurepumpformsinthe reservoir a relativegapandcarries the debris through the conduits at great speed. All the movementsofopeningcorridors of thegrindingbargesareautomatically regulatedandshielded from one another. .Inorderto realise [illegible]andimmediately the trialofthis systemoneshouldputtogether the following equipment:Ona barge (woodoriron) of about200... we mount two grinders of 40 to 50 ... representing about1/2hour to one hour of dredging work. One should replace the moveable gang-way for dredging withanother thathas2 directions for each of the mixers, one opening being able to closeoropenalternately to each of the sides of thedualgang-way thereby providing access to the mixer. The mixers canbesimplymadeof 2 cylindrical reservoirs with inclined bottoms connectedatthe bottombya chamber with a [illegible] that alternately opensandcloses thereby giving access to each of the mixers. The mixing is done simplybymeans of 2 vertical treesonwhich aremountedscrewsofthe sort used on small boats. The [illegible] of distribution shouldbetaken awaybya hand-winch ... at the same timeasthe ... at the opening of the gang-way entry.

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Oneside of the distribution chamber there comesoutthe... of thepump;from theotherthere should come apipethatcarries off the debris. A spherical jointora series of flexible pipes should permit the .... Continued All the movements shouldbeachievedbymeans of a transmissionof80 horsepower with variable cut-off placedattheextremity of the barge.SummaryCalculation Theworkabsorbedbythe mixer to give to the mass a speed of 050wouldbe[l/2,MV2, etc.] For a steam horsepower 1000/75 =18horses, moreorless. With resistance's of about21%orso which arenotcounted -around23horses.Ifwesuppose thatinorder to avoidanyblockageinthe conduitsweoughtto sendout4 partsofwaterto onepartof ground-Up earth (this isata great maximum) the quantity emittedattheendof the conduits will be 50+200=250cubic meters.Ifweputitanotherway,around70[Illegible]cangoupto 140 [Illegible]withactive dredging work.Ifthe sectionofthe opening of theendoftheconduit is .20 square meters, thespeedofdischarge will vary between 3.5and7 meters corresponding to awaterpressureof.7 to 2.4 meters,asin(p=(V 2 / ag) The discharge openingbymeter will be: h= Ie/dxV 2j2g=0.03x 1/0.5 etc. So for each 100 meters of conduityouneed 4 meters of pressure. The total pressureintheconduit should thereforebefrom 4.70+H the height from whichonewantstopumpoutthedebris. Theworkabsorbedbythepumpshoulddependonthis heightbuta...compoundof80%being able without expansion to produce 100 willbecompletely sufficientbothforthegrindingandfor thepump.Ifoneshould wish topumpit back a greater distance one should setupa...with apump.Thewaterwill come into the conduitbya double pipe, onepartreceiving theoutpumpingof debrisandthe other the runoff from the pumping.