, 1859-05-28

IAe 1Ofonto anu Georgian Bny Ship
Canal.
Ground Was broken for thc proposcd Cerrr.
inn 1'ar Ship Canal, at Toronto, on Tuesday
lust, the anniversary Of tue Queens birthday
We take the following account from the & D.
i'i.a Of Wednesday morning:
TORONTO Axb GEORGIAN BAT CANAL.
According to announcement, the first sod OF
the proposed Canal was du. on the Davenport
Estate, a little cast Of Crooksbank's Lane. an,
south Of the Plank Road, 4 short time after ::
o'clock, the President and some uf the Directors
arrived. The Chief Engineer, kiras Tny,
Esq. having pointed out the proposed line ot
the Cana1, the President, Thomas Ciark>t H..
Esq. addressed the asScmhiasc. lie said, in :.c-
c"rdancc with the conditions Of the Chu, ter
6 aated On the 1st Of Juir, 1sat, which required
il,:t the work silunld b. commenced within.
three years-t1.cy were met. in :: corporate Ia
lactty, to commence the work by digging the
iirst sod Of Canal which, if constructed won!G
without doubt tend to promote the commercial
interests of this Province, aud diyert the trade
Of the Nest, Which DOW passes through t'r cir
cultolls and hazardous route Uf the IT. Clair ami
Lake Eric to the st. Lawrencc-thc natural n',t-
let between the Great Lakes and the Ocean
THIS proposed canal would shorten the prrsen:
| route 4'N hundred miles. and it would haze sh..
advantage over nther channels by command
ing more extensive trade. Great as lad bccn
| the increase Of tho West il population ami
| wealth, from personal knowledge he had no he's
itation in saying that the histury Of the West
trn States would nutstrip the calculations and
predictions Of the most Interested observers OF
its growth and Importance. S;,ringin. fran,
| the same stock as ourselves, the energy and in
| lustry Of the ArgloSaxon race would bcc"n,
still morc appreciable BY the millions Of pro
| duce which wonli be exported from what wnud
| soon he termed the granarr Of the world With
n 1tn
the work, he had reliance ON the engineers VIII"
reported on its feasibility. It reminded linn OF
All anccdotc Of the great Napoleon when H..
first attcmptejto to cross the AIMS. lie asked tslr
guide it it was possible to bring his ara,
through the p"zses In safely "B4rt!y ios*ia<"
nn&trated TO the world what perseverance could
do. Tic dcstiuies of empires were changed BY
that Que ward. Could WE doubt but thu, SCI
I tnce aud skill would yet complete this .rvas
work which commerce bud demanded:
The President then proceeded 10 perform the
ceremony Of digging the first sod. and was fol-
lowed by the Secretary, Z. Robertson, Esq, 4:
M'Donncll, Esq, one Of the Directors, Rowland
Burr, Esq, Aid. Stock, the Chief Engineer. ans!
| other*-the spade used on the occasion hayiEl:.
been similarly employed in 1851 By J. e. Dowes,
Esp. then Mayor Of the city, in filling the tr.,
barrowful Of earth ut the commencement Of 1h'
Northern Railway. when the first sod MAS turned
bv Lady Elgin.
The Chief Engineer having been called on By
the President, made few remarks with rcspec.
to the importance Of the proposed Canal a. a,,
additional avenue for the Western trade, and il,
reference to the difficulties Of cxcavating ninety
fcct On the average for ten miles, gase examples
Of the obstacles encountered in the construction
If the Wellaad, Dexjardincs, aud Chesapeake
and Delaware Canals. mud expressed his bclie
tint if ten millions Of aeres Of land were granted
to the Company by tho Legislature, the CaaG
expired.
Alter some further remark: By Mr.. Tully, snf
also by &essrs. Rowland Burr and Alien Nc
Donncll, three cheers were given for the Queer
aud the Ship Canal, when the as*eu,blase dis
rerscd, apparently well satisfied with thei
| iabors