The Sun.
London, England, 1858-03-05 00:00:00

GREAT SHIP CANAL.

(From the Morning Herald.)
As the discovery of the passage to India round
the Cape of Good Hope comp'etely changed the
course of trade between Asia and Eu rope, so in our
times on the North American continent we may
witness a revolution of a character scarcely less
important, which will render the ports of St.
Lawrence the main conduit of the produce of the
north-western States of the American Vnion,
superseding the Erie Canal and the harbour of
New York. The Canadians already speculate on
the junction of the Atlantic and Pacific by a rail-
way stretching from the St. Lawrence to Van-
couver's Island, through British territory ; and
they are actually preparing to connect Lake On-
tario with Lake Huron by a ship canal. They cal-
culate on transporting to Europe the agricultural
products of a miltion and a half of square miles,
lying around the great lakes, with the region west
and north-west, where all the grains and grasses
are capable of growing luxuriantly, where flocks of
sheep will yield rich fleeces, and fat beeves reward
the enterprise of the grazier. The line of coast
formed by the margins of the lakes is upwards of
4,000 statute miles, and the region above the lakes,
organised into the North-Western territory in
1787, now embraces the States of Illinois, Indian'',
Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin, and it is proposed
to divert the whole of the enormous and annually
expanding trade of these vast countries through the
channel of the St. Lawrence forshipment to Europe.
Nor is the scheme visionary, but has many recom-
mendations, among which relative distances are
prime elements. The distance from Quebec to
Liverpool is 475 miles less than from Now York t')
Liverpool. Kingston, at the foot of Lake Ontari ‘,
is 125 miles nearer Liverpool than New York is.
From Hamilton, at the head of Lake Ontario, it is
the same distance as from New York to Glasgow.
From Lakes Ontario, Erie, and the southern point
of Huron, is nearly a straight line to the ports of
Great Britain, through the St. Lawrence and the
Straits of Belle Isle.
The sagacity of Washington foresaw this possible
revolution in trade. In writing to a member of the
national legislature, he urged the policy of prevent-
ing " the trade of the western territory from set-
tling into the hands of either the Spaniards or the
British." " If," he observed, " either of these
happen, there is a line of separation drawn between
the eastern and western country at once, the con-
sequences oC which may be fatal. . . If, then,
the trade of that country should flow through the
Mississippi or the St. Lawrence—if the inhabitants
thereof should form commercial connections which,
we know, lead to connections of other kinds, they
would in a few years be as unconnected with us as
are thoseof South America. It may be asked how
are we to prevent this 1" In answer he recom-
mends the extension of the inland navigation of
the eastern waters, connecting them as nearly as
possible with those which run westward; the open-
ing of these to the Ohio ; of those which extend
from the Ohio to Lake Erie ; and, these points
accomplished, then he considered that his country-
men would not only draw the produce of the wes-
tern settlers, but the peltry and fur trade of the
lakes.
As soon as the war of independence had been
brought to a successful termination the citizens of
the new republic desired to reach the unexplored
territory of the west and utiliseits natural resources.
The plan proposed was by the construction of
canals, and Washington himself projected a plan
which was to stretch to the west by ascending the
Potomac. But this effort and some others failed,
because public opinion was not sufficiently ad-
vanced, or because capital was wanting. At length
the genius and energy of De Witt Clinton, whose
name will ever be honoured as one of the most emi-
nent benefactors of the United States, coneeived
and executed the plan of the Erie Canal connecting
New York with Buffalo, and by this channel Ame-
rican enterprise had access to the western territory.
The canal is 363 miles in length, and seven feet in
depth. The original cost was 7,143,780 dollars,
and the enlargement 12,989,851 dollars, being at
the rate of 13,8651. stg. per mile. This truly mag-
nificent work was commenced in 1817 and finished
in 1825 ; and it is a remarkable proof of the spirit
of the population of the state of New York who
then only numbered 1,300,000 souls.
The British Government, perceiving the value of

, .
Internal trade to Upper Canada, constructed the
Welland Canal, which connects the Lakes Ontario
re y.rie. The length of the main trunk is 28 miles :
_B..e-ojaudttztri:enubbrancla to Dunnville 21 miles, and the
miles. Iris not
ranch li miles, making altogether 50i
Erie, and now il
sufficient for traffic lying round Lake
s
roposed to carry a ship canal
from Ontario to
which the tl on, a distance of 100 miles, by
commercee of all the lakes would be
direct brought into eommunication with the St.
Lawrence. With equaleutspairit the merchants of CY-
cage are prepared to
erall4o miles in lencrth
through the southern put Michigan, to avoid the
eat. Clair Flats, which
dangerous navigation of tho
The position of Chicago
connect Huron with Erie.
It is the prin-
cipal commerce is most commanding,
g on the so
_ clipal trading mart of Illinois, st.
, western bend of Lake Mic'hin,an
b. aVigation as regards the lakes.
I' t as
rapidth the head
uth.
hadevadancoof
vs a wonder, for '
vivrava 0, . in 1833 the Red Indian built his
bout over
:ritssit!azitd
etihii:rastktheag, free and fearlets
and east,
wohpielnestiticie
Illinois satire el th
ca.,,iga...,u Canal gives it the trade of
theasonta. anti
art:zing about 1(X)
miles to the Aletuill-fusZatlbo
Illinois River. Ito°
1,700 miles to the .beam-boat
oafwater e"-)"Ing4tioll on
the
an inland navigation of 3,2oo"xice.' anallelecra‘tilnof
St. Lawrence, by way of theralatet"PL 6 Gum
canals, and St. Lawrence River ; and Vne.hanada
of the lakes, the Erie Canal, and the Einclso-ntv,.."
to the city of New York, a distance of 3,100 rader:
Tilt, country surrounding Chicago, a mixture of
woods and prairies, diversified with gentle slopes,
and irrigated with numerous clear streams, is the
most fertile and beautiful that can be
out imaglt to the
eined.
These rich territories demand an
ocean to avoid the heavy cos oft rans-shipement,
arand
this can be effected by the junction of th Onti )
and Huron by a ship canal. Goods could then be
conveyed from Chicago to Liverpool and Glasgow
without breaking bulk, and the same vessels that
carried the agricultural products or the FAr West to