Lock 44 - C and O Canal
by Susan Rissi Tregoning
Title
Lock 44 - C and O Canal
Artist
Susan Rissi Tregoning
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Looking down into the watered lock at Lock 44 along the C&O Canal towpath at Williamsport, Maryland.
When a canal boat passed through a lock, the boat captain put his life and livelihood into the hands of the locktender. The wooden lock gates were a delicate balance between safety and efficiency. While the gates had to be lightweight enough that one man could operate them, they also had to be strong enough to hold back 140,000 gallons of water. A lock tender's job was to keep the water flow both in and out of the lock adjusted, minimizing risk to both the boat and lock.
A lock is an elevator for a boat. It uses water to lift a boat up or down to the next level in the canal. The C&O Canal locks are 100 feet long by 15 feet wide, leaving six inches on either side and one foot on each canal boat's end when it is inside the lock. There are 74 lift locks to complete a total elevational change of 605 feet along the entire length of the C&O Canal.
Here is an example of the ten to fifteen-minute "lock through" process, while one person can do it, it's much easier for two. The mules are unhitched and led downstream. Using ropes attached to the boat, the lock keeper guides the canal boat into the lock to prevent damage to the boat or the lock walls. Once the boat is inside the lock, it is tied off to snubbing posts to keep it secure. The lock tender pushes the large balance beams on either side of the lock to close the gate doors. The boat is now completely enclosed within the lock. Using a lock key, the lock keeper opens the butterfly or wicket valves at the gates' bottom to lower or raise the water level depending on which direction the canal boat is traveling. With the water level equalized in the direction the boat is heading, the lock gates are opened back up, and the boat is pulled out. The mules hitched back up so the boat can continue on its way.
Copyright 2021 Susan Rissi Tregoning
Uploaded
January 27th, 2021
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