T

HE two great arteries of commerce in New York Statethe New York Central Railroad and the barge canalwill cross each other at a point five miles east of Utica. The level of canal and railroad will be about the same, but a crossing at grade was obviously impracticable. So the railroad men and the state engineers got together and planned a combined lock and crossing, whereby the canal will be lowered twenty-one feet and pass under the railroad to the lower land near the Mohawk River. This novel structure, with its approaches, will require huge walls of concrete a quarter of a mile long and nearly fifty feet in height. Panama hasn't got very much on that. The lock chamber will be of standard barge canal dimensions-328 feet long and 45 feet wide-permitting the lockage of two 1600-ton barges at one time. The gravel foundation is

so firm that piling
is unnecessary,
but the lock
chamber will be
floored with
three feet of
solid concrete.
A great steel
bridge will
carry the four
tracks of the
New York.
Central across
the canal just be-
low the lower gates.

The lock will be filled and emptied by culverts passing through the side walls. Small ports open from the culverts into the lock chamber at regu

lar intervals. The flow of water in the culverts will be controlled by iron valves. Snubbing posts and iron ladders will be set in the concrete walls, for the convenience of boatmen using the lock.

While the crossing is under construction, the New York Central tracks are being carried around the works by a detour a third of a mile in length. A branch from the railroad parallels the lock site, thus facilitating the unloading of supplies. The entire construction plant is conveniently arranged and up-to-date. The work is progressing steadily, and the new crossing will probably be in use this fall.

The material excavated from the approaches is used in making concrete. A steam shovel scoops up the gravel and deposits it in automatic dump cars, which are whisked away by dinkey locomotives to the "laundry." This apparatus looks like a confused jumble of chutes and screens; but it is saving the contractors thousands dollars by converting ordinary gravel into first-class aggregate for concrete.

of

After being dumped into large hoppers at the top, the gravel passes through a series of revolving screens while jets of water play upon it. In this manner the sand and stone are cleansed and assorted.

N the presence of the Emperor of Germany and a notable gathering the steamship Imperator, of the Hamburg-American Line, was launched recently at Hamburg. The new liner, which establishes new standards for size, luxury and-it is claimed safety at sea, will enter the North Atlantic service early next year. The Imperator's length of 900 feet and her tonnage of 50,000 render her the largest ship in the world. She is to be followed by two sister ships of about the same size. The Imperator is built with a double bottom, extending her entire length. In addition she will have coal bunkers at the sides, practically giving her a double skin, rendering her a ship within a ship. The Imperator is also equipped with many transverse bulkheads whose doors are controlled by hydraulic power from the bridge, and can be closed simultaneously within a few seconds by touching a lever. A complete system of electrical communication extends throughout the ship, thus placing the officer on the bridge in instant control with any part of the ship. Her owners declare that she will carry sufficient lifeboats of the latest de

sign to provide ample accommodation for passengers and crew. The wireless apparatus on the Imperator, it is asserted, will be the most powerful of any ship in the world and will be in constant service at all hours of the day and night, to receive or send messages.

To drive this immense steel vessel it will be necessary to install engines capable of developing 70,000 horsepower. The Imperator is not expected to establish a new time record for crossing the Atlantic. She will be driven at an average speed of about 221⁄2 knots an hour. She will have four propellers driven by the turbine engines.

Probably the Imperator's most unique feature will be a magnificent swimming pool, reproducing with great fidelity a luxurious Roman bath. This cabin is two stories or decks in height, and surrounded by a broad gallery. The ceiling of the bath is carried out in marble and bronze. For those desiring special privacy, beautiful suites are provided, including a private veranda or deck. These ocean "apartments" as as they may be called, consist of drawing room, bed room and dining room.

STEAM MOTOR TRUCK

THE

HE motor truck shown in the illustration was made by its owner for less than twenty dollars. All its parts were gathered together from discarded scrap iron. It is of ten-horsepower, with two simple engines working at right angles, in locomotive style. The maximum speed on a level road is twelve miles per hour. It has low speed for a heavy pull or for hill climbing. The weight of the machine, with necessary coal and water for its operation, is one-half ton. The inventor uses his device to saw his neighbors' wood and to haul produce. Automobilists, in their modern machines, stare in wonder as they pass the strange looking vehicle on the highway.

A FLOODED SEWER THAT BURST THROUGH A MANHOLE INTO THE STREET ABOVE. AT LOS ANGELES, CAL.

There is a joy in constructing one's own machines that the man who buys does not experience. At first thought the impression is obtained that this steam motor truck is something for nothing. Reflection will show, however, that its inventor put into it a good deal more than merely so many parts, and so much labor. He had to have the knack, the ingenuity, the skill to do this. The point, however, that the thing is there to do, and can be done by the man who has the eyes to see, and the patience to execute, is the one striking thing that every one should dwell upon when considering a piece of work of this sort. It must have been a very slow process to accumulate the parts.