Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-07-28
Lake thamnlaiu, {

The quantity of lumber which comes down
Lake Champluin, has SO increased within the
past five years, that this " piece and parcel"
of water must hc looked upon hereafter, as
one Of the great arteries of our prosperity.
Let US examine its capacity. Lake Cham
plain is about one hundred and five miles in
length and varies in breadth from one to
fifteen miles it contains several islands.
principally towards the upper end, of which
the largest are North and South Hero. and
La Motto island and in addition to all
the waters of Lake George, its urncipal
afflucnt, the outlet of which enters it at Ii.
c0ndcroga, receives nine considerable streams;
the otter creek, the Onion river, the La
molle, the Mlsssquoi, from Vermont to the
north and eastward the Chazy, the Sara
nae, the Sable, and Bouquet rivers. on the
west. and Wood creek, ON the south. from
the State Of New York 1t discharges its
own waters into the st. Lawrence by the
Sorel and Richelieu river, in northeastcrlv
course the navigation of which has been i'm
proved by the works of the Champlain ga
nadldn) canal, so as to afford an easy COM
municatIon for large vessels to the St Law
renee, and thereby TO the great Lakes From
its southern extremity it Is connected by the
Champlain canal with the Mohawk river and
the Erie canal, at the village of Waterford
where the united works enter the Hudson.
and thus form perfect chain of inland ma
yigatun from the lakes of the far northwest
to the Atlantic seahoard The whole length
of the Champlain canal, including about
seventeen miles of improved natural naviga-
tiOn On Wood creek and the Hudson River,
is about sixty four miles 1t is forty feet
wide on the surface, twenty eight at the bot
tom. and four feet deep, The amount Of
lockagc is cighty-iour feet
The Lake is hordcrcd ON its eastern shore
by lands possessing a coast line of consider
ably more than a hundred miles, including its
many deep, Irregular bays and inlctS, of great
pruductlycuo-s and fertility, especially adap-
ted to grazing and dairy farms and to the
cultivation of the northern fruits Its
western shores are, for the most part, high,
wild and barren, soon rising into the vast and
almost inaccessible ridges of the Adirondack K
mountains, lying within the counties of lIa-
milton, llcrknrr aud Essex, IN New York Il
region the widest and must rugged, the
least adapted to cultivation or the residence
of man, OF any to the eastward of the great
American desert and still the haunt Of the
deer, the moose, tine carb'p, the otter and
tine beaver, the volt. the rluthor and thc
luup-ccryl'r, winch still ah,uud in this fast
ness ol rock, river, lake and forest, almost
Wl'hlh Njuui ul great ana pupulrus cities.
by it. means Of communication with the
St. Llwrenct, and It's outlet t. the Hudson,
this lake has become the channel Of a large
and important trade with Canada, employing
nearly two hundred thousand tons OF craft
ana shipping, counting the aggregate OF en-
tries ami eIeArauccs, ANA giving occupation,
speaking In rouad numbers, 10 twelve thou.
saul men,
The commerce of Lake Champlain in lS5l,
was over twentN-six millions OF dollars At
the present time its commerce must amount
t. over tl.rty millions of dollars This trade
is large already, and vet the reciprocity
treaty will double it IN five years. Should II
do this, its elects on Albany would he meal
culthlc. This city is the greatest lumber
market in the world, consequently whatever
tends 10 increase the lumber trade on axe
ChampIan, tends directly to the advance