A Water-Powered Elevator

A Water-Powered Elevator. . , The Locks Are Key , Engineers on the Delaware and Lehigh canals installed over 70 locks to raise and lower canal boats onto stretches of level water. Although there were variations between individual locks, the process of "locking through" was similar on both canals., Locking Through , The boatman coming from the coalfields upstream gives a blast on his conch shell horn. Alerted, the locktender hurries down to the lower gate and closes it so the lok chamber will start to fill. He opens wickets set below the drop gate, allowing water to flow into the lock chamber. When the level of the water in the lock chamber equals that upstream, the locktender closes the wickets and the drop gate falls under its own weight. The mules pull the canal boat into the lock chamber right over the lowered gate. When the boat is settled in the chamber, the locktender raises the drop gate. Now, no more water can pour into the lock., The locktender then hurries down the miter gates to do his work there. The two miter gates at the end of the lock chamber form a V-shaped angle (miter joint) that points upstream. The force of the water pushes the mitered edges together, forming a seal that prevents leaks. With the canal boat in the lock chamber the locktender opens the wickets of the lower gate. Water is released from the chamber. When the water level falls and goes into the lower level, he opens the miter gates. The gates press into the sidewall of the lock. The canal boat opens the chamber and continues on its way downstream.