The Story of the 27th Division, Vol. 1 (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from The Story of the 27th Division, Vol. 1

View of interior of St. Quentin Canal Tunnel, south endfor defensive purposes. The canal was constructed in the early part of the nineteenth century and was one of Napoleon's projects.

Canal boats are towed through the canal in rather an unusual manner. A heavy iron chain lies along the bottom of the canal from end to end. The canal boat that supplies the pulling power to the column of boats to be towed, is provided with a heavy windlass, operated by electric power. The electric current is taken by means of a trolley pole on the boat from a wire along the tow-path. The heavy chain is passed over the windlass from a hawsehole in the bow provided with a roller over which the chain moves. Upon leaving the windlass the chain passes over another roller and hawsehole at the stern of the towboat, from which it drops back into the bottom of the canal. When the power is applied the windlass turns, and winding and unwinding the chain, pulls itself forward. The following boats are connected to the towboat by lines, the leading boat in the column having lines to the towboat of such length that there is no interference with the drop of the chain into the canal from the stern of the towboat.

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