The penny press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1859-1860, 1859-09-22
Tho Transit Trade with thu Western
States Of America.
.rrom the Lircrrool journal, sert. 81

tEiCm tho liverpool Journal sept o.
When Sir j. PGkington announced that the
navy would have to DO reconstructed, the torn
was considered at tho time inr-fetchod and M
exsggeraiion; subsequent revelations, however,
prove that he correctly appreciated tho changes
which were required to be made to meet the
wants of tlsuge, arifing from the improvement
in steam, gunncry and naval construction. A
similar re-copsiruotion of our ocean mail routes
must shortly follow, and also of goods and pas
sergor transit between Europe and the great
Western S,u;os Of hm5rica. To understand
the question IN all ita bearings it will be neces-
sery 10 go back quarter Of century to trace
tho changes that bayo taken place since the
establishment Of steamships and rnilVays.
Prior to tho opening of the Erie Caosl, in 1923,
tho produce Of tho States bordering on the
lakes passed 6UHn tho st. Lawrence, which
vas the ouly rntlet to the lesbOard at Qpebec;
but no 5ooasr WIS the Erie Caual opeued, al
though only having dopth Of four feet, than
the tradO was intercepted at Buffalo, and di~
y9i.ed 70 the Hudson and Now York, this port
h:ing open all the gear round, while tho ports
Of tho st. Law renee wero closed for six noDtbs.
The rapid rite Of the commerce Of New York
dnies from this period, and which WIS after
ward greatly accelerated by Tho progress of
railways toward tho Western States. The
whole Of tho imports then went to Now York,
ready to DO iorw4rdOi 90 the opening of tho
caGai aud lake Uagisation. The New York
packet Shi;s cIce 80 celebrated, carried all
veIOr5 them on the ocoan, ard the floating
ps!sGG1 on the Hudson and LNko EIio were thb
a3tnirstioa Of all, unul The ocean atasmers aud
s4;Iweys sOgk Gw.y bpiy crafio, ANA they nov
no longer exist. Tho Erie Canal has bsen an
9a2liy lu5H8 i.a tafl1, aal Il is gow proposed
10 S1ii Il, 10 ~as uoue IN The GsSe Of the Penn
Gyiyani1 liats uilGil
Tbs repeal OF tho corn laws, md snbso.
! GuaDtty the navigation laSs, gava an impetus
% ho New York Central R4iiHay and to tha
Shipping II New York, which WNs tho faal
blow 10 ths ST. Lgwrence rCute. G,ca. d;sGon.
| .ont prevailed In CgE,ds In couhequeace, snd
II vas conceded by al lhat the only way to
regain tho vast trade ofthe Wert WAS to con-
| s!ruct trunk railway from Sarria to Quebec
and PorTlsnd, Toward this lhs Causdian
| Government contributes ill,6O0, and in
November neGtiS is expected tho limo with
tho Victoria Bridge will bo opened from
Portland to Detroit and Chicago, without
break--a distance Of ono thousand ore hundred
and thirty-sght mieH--with weekly line of
mail steamers to Quebec and Portland from
! Liverpool.
/
| eppa,ent, Quebec hepg some Ave hundred
miles nearer than Now York, with tho railway
connecting with shipping at Quebec, Portland
and SsrDiR, which saves oattage and timo,
| A: Three Rivera, sbou ninety milas above
! Quebec, the id doE Casaes ,aui steameEa have
10 contend against a strong current, requiring
Tho all Of greet power to overcome tbs resist.
nnce, especially at tho rapids below Moatrcal;
! above Montreal tho Et. LsHrsnce cGuas have
| 20 be pPssod before entering Lako Ontario,
! gnd tho Woliaui Canal before roacbing Lake
| Erio, in al sixty uine miles Of canal, ard de-
! .ontiOn in the passage Of the fifty four locks,
! invuiviny heavy tolls On goods, marine i-arr-
( ance 30, 30; from lake Eric tho transit over
tho shoal water Of tho 81. Clair River to Lake
Huron ID attended GiGh considerable danger,
shown by tho annual casualties. Atsarnia,S ,She
entrenoe to Lake Huron, the current runs at
| Tho rGto Of seven miles nm hour; in short, to
overcome tho current, the propelers arc COM
PEELED to bn equipped with powerful ma.
chinery, end a tho season barely lasts six
months, the forwarding companies have been
one by ono retiriRg from the unequal competi-
! tim; and next the fine passenger steamers
! which arc still running bctgeen Toronto and
! Montreal will become matter OF history, like
the sister vessels on tho Hudson and Lake
Erie.
We rro among thoso who consider seam yet
| in its infancy. We believe that steamships Of
Ton thousand tuns will become common, that
iron sailing ships of one thousand tuns will
sIpersodo wooden, and that the principle Of
tho construction Of tho Great Eastern will be-
come general.
We have thus briefly given history OF the
artificial means by which great trade has
been diverted from its natural channel and
the means adopted 10 restore it TO its old
course. Portland and Quebec can admit the
Gceat Eastern a1oat at the wharves, while
New York barely affords the required depth
Of waterfor the Ptrsia. 1t will be- curions to
trace the effects Of steam on chipping and
trade connected with Canada and the Vest
ern StOtcs. Tho financial operations Of mer.
chants and contractors in tho Western States
Nrc conducted at New York or Montreal
these again are in correspondence with Liv-
erpool or London. The question of transit,
say on 10000 tunS Of iron to Chicago from
Liverpool, depends, therefore, on tho ocean
freight, insurance aud railway, or railway
| and water transit combined, whether New
York or Quebec Is selected; and as tho tun.
mage from the lakes exceeds 6,000,0O0, there
is ample scope for enterprises on the part OF
the ship-ownerS and the managers Of the
Grand Trunk Railway especially as Quebec
is always a loading port, which Now York il
not excepting when breadstuffs command d
high price in England.