Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1866-01-12
The Champlain and 81. Lawrence Ship
Canal.
NO. ii.
BURLINGTON, Jan. 3, 1866.

ID BURLINGTON, Jan. 8, 1866.
o. .Hsssrs. Editors Of the Free Press:
ss The Importance Of ship navigation
"A extending in an unbroken line, from the Allan
- tic to the Great West, adapted to a water Graf
Of 500 to 900 tons burden, is every day attract
g ing additional public attention. Its importance
especially to New England, and the Great Valley
Il OF the Mississippi, can scarcely be overestimst
It ed. Since the date Of my last, have observed
e with some interest, in a communication from an
Illinois correspondent of New York paper, an
expression of anxiety, deeply felt in the Great
West. upon this subject. The following are
brief extracts. He says The West never
J felt as she does to-day, the need Of cheap and
direct transportation to the seaboard. There is
not farmer or public man, who does not recOg
niIe the blghting effect Of the present system
Of freightage on Western agriculture,
tens Of thousands of bushels (of grain) have
rotted in the warehouses. for want Of a quick
and sure outlet to the East, the great
Ship Canal is what we need, and what we
must have, and we ask our friends in the East
to rise above all local interests and join hands
with US to carry ont this great project"
The evils experienced from a want of the COM
nereial facilities now denied to our Western
friends, are by no means confined to the great
and growing West They are not without their
eject upon the East. To the former, they re-
suit in delay, and arrangement Of their trade
waste Of means. and general discouragement
to their agricultural industry. and to the latter
counting host Of consumers, in an enhance |
agricultural productions supplied by the West, /
and an abridgment Of the trade and consump- /
tion Of their manufactures. The acknowledged /
principle, that the law Of supply and demand"
mainly controls prices. in the affairs Of trade, is
scarcely better established, than that which re-
CARDS the interests Of all, whether commercial
or otherwise. as best promoted, when the means
Ct prosperity are most equally distributed
throughout the land.
The immense quantity and bulk OF the sur
plus productions Of the great valley Of the Mis-
sissppi, require for their transportation TO a
distant market, the combined advantages Of
abundant stowage room, and cheapness and
certainty Of movement. This want can be most
perfectly secured by means Of Dsyigable chan
mel adapted to a water craft oflArge dimensions
navigable channel through RsturGl leaters,
from the seaboard to the Great West, has for
tunately been provided by means Of the Great
Lakes, the upper ST. Lawrence, and the waters
Of Lake ChamplAin and the Hudson. for the
chief part Of this whole distance. These Lakes 4
and Rivers indicate the line which this great
thoroughfare must occupy to secure the best
route practicable for the desired object Here
lies the great continuous valley Of Natures
formation. more favorable than any other lead i,
ing inland, from the Mississippi valley to our :,
great markets upon the Atlantic The portion
Of the route not now shordIng ample natural <
raterI is short Upon this portion, however,
with the exception Of the narrow space between :.
the St Lawrence and Lake Champlain, artificial -
annals already e1ist, but ,h-- all too limited
n their dimensions for present accommodation. I.
These canals must be enlarged, and adapted to
. water craft drawing at least 10 feet depth Of
water, and the new work referred to, now want oil
ng to connect the ST. Lawrence with Lake
'hamplain, must he constructed Of like eapaci-
v. With these artificial works ,thus completed, m
IN unbroken communication. which the public L.
necessities now require. will be supplied, and "
here can be little If any hazard in saying, that IL
" no other route than that Of the main valley "
Indicated, can this great object Of the character %
be accomplished within any reason ,s
ble expense. II,
But to avoid trenching too much upon your =,
mace can now make further reference only to
hat portion Of this work, which lies west Of
UT Burlington Harbor, reaching thence to the
alley Of the Great Lakes-this embraces the
most important division, whether viewed in ref -
renee to the paramount interest Of the public, gu
r that of our own citizens, and our commerce
With New England. Lookiog over the distance, n
,eing about 1900 miles, following the great he
iavigable route proposed, from Burlington to
,hicsgo, the latter being the most prominent SO
ommercial point in the Great West, and we OBJ ar
erye az prominent feature more than sereH- al
ighihs Of this distance, already presenting deep
latural iraters, requiring no improvements. oi
cav ing less than 100 miles in the aggregate Of a.
anal navigation to be supplied upon this en- dp
ere distance. N N
To perfect the whole of this part Of the line, hs
eouires the long contemplated improvement fu
ast the Falls Of Niagara, or the enlargement -
f the Welland Canal, the enlargement also Of
he few short canals, (nOw Of too limited cap hs
eity) along the ST. Lawrence, and the construc- be
ion of the Champlsin and St. Lawrence Ship se N
anal. to connect the navigable waters OF the
H. Lawrence, by the shortest distance practie- be
bic, with those Of our Lake. TO
The work at Niagara, partaking Of national
haracter, may perhaps be accomplished by the
id Of our General Government at an early day. III
rhe Champlain and ST. Lawrence Ship Canal,
work which has long occupied the attsntiOn :. -
both Of our Provincial friends, and Of our Il
,ti1eDs of the States, and cannot be much ii
longer deferred To the former. we may nov 'ue u
ook for renewed efforts for they cannot fail to al
De receive the international benefits in their be-
,alf, now involved in this measure. This link
N the chain would connect with the st. Law
renee at Beauharnos, situated above Montreal, :,
md 20 miles distant therefrom, and extend W
hence eastward to the navigable waters Of the n
Lake at St. Johns. Its length by the shortest :
route would be 81 miles, and the lockage 37A
feet, descending eastward. thus favoring the Il
balance of trade which would tend in that direc-
ton. The ground intervening is smooth and
regular, presenting no obstacle to enhance the
cost above that Of the cheapest Of this class Of
public works. The mechanical structures would e
be few, and their expense coufned chiefly to the
lockage, which as will be seen, is small in
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