The lock-and-dam system on the Muskingum River dates back to 1836, though the structures have been renovated several times over the years. The locks are among the oldest hand-operated locks in the nation still in use and measure 35 feet wide by 160 feet long, which is barely big enough to contain the Valley Gem.
I watched the lockmasters strain to push the large iron levers to open the upstream gates and let in water, which slowly raised the sternwheeler to the upstream water level. Crew members released the ropes and kicked the boat away from the side of the lock so it could make its way out the upstream gates and on up the river--straight into a sudden shower.
When I'm surrounded by technology so complex it seems magical, it's encouraging to see a geriatric feat of engineering prove its worth. Actual human beings turn the levers that move the gears that open the gates, and it's all visible right before our very eyes--not a hidden algorithm anywhere. The locks that originally opened the Muskingum watershed for commerce and transport now support tourism, but seeing the sternwheeler chug through the locks and up the river reminded me that human ingenuity has mastered a lot of knotty problems--and that's just the kind of insight that floats my boat.
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