Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-12-04
Dredging St. CInir Flats.

Congress appropriated $4,000 for the pur-
pose of dredging out the channel across st. Clair
Flats. Mr.. Theodore D. Barton, Of Buffalo,
took the Job to dredge the middle passage of the
South Pass, and in the fall of 1857 be made
cut Of four thousand feet in length and forty feet
in width, and second cut of same width and
depth and nearly the same length alongside the
first cut. The winter then closed the work
The Detroit Free Press gives the progress of
the work this year as follows;
Early last spring operations were resumed,
with a balance on hand of $50, ,39l. During the
season there has been excavated and removed
I29. .s6s cubic yards of earth. The whole
amount exeavated and removed by the contract
or. in both seasons, is I53, 26O cubic yards
The channel as cut is about G, 500 feet in length
The narrowest part is the upper end, where
there is a with of 200 feet, of u feet water
The width at the lower end is 275 feet, which
Is about the average width throughout The
Least width of I3 feet water is 10 feet, and the
average about 230 feet. There are, however,
near the lower end of the channel, several spots
where there is but IL feet depth, caused by the
movement of the dredges in stormy weather,
which could not be brought back to their old
position again with perfect accuracy. Since the
contractor stopped work on the United States
government account, he has been employed by
the authorities having the disposition OF the Ca
madam fund, and has kept steadily at WORK until
quite recently. The Canadian Parliament, some
Years since, made an appropriation OF $50 OOO to
| be expended on these works when channel oi
certain dimensions-about tie size Of the cut
made by our government-shouldb be completed
Being satisfied with that work they have taken
the works in hand. Their operations have been
directed mainly towards increasing the width oi
the present channel. We have no definite ac-
count of these operations, but understand that
they have increased the width at the upper enc
about sixty feet, and about thirty at the lower
and probably about fifteen through the centre
As the works are now, an appropriation o
$4,000 will make channel 5000 feet long, Il
feet deep and $50 feet wide, which would atfor'
sufficient water even when at the lowest stage
for all classes of vessels navigating the lakes
The amount of capital invested upon these wa
ters should certainly be an indueement for Con.
gress to make this appropriation. There is now
by estimates made at the Custom House, owe
S3OO 00O, 900 invested in property annual
passing over these Hats, and putting the amour
already expended with that required to cOmplet
the works it will be seen that for every dOila
expended in the improvement three thOuslnt
dollars worth of property will be benefited
every cent of which is now imPeriled by th
passage.
But the Northwest will be grateful for th
: work already accomplished. Vessels have pas
sed through the channel, since these improve
: ments have been made, in the night time, tei
: never before accomplished in the history OF LAX
navigation; and wien the light house and bea
con which are now being constructed at u
head of the lake shall be completed, 1t Will |
quite easy to make the passage at any time,
BuOys have been placed along the line of I'll
T. channel, by the aid of which the passage Is pc
t fectly safe.