Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-04-25
RUTLAND HERALD.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL "a, 1867.
Tn. Ontario and Huron ship
Canal.

In the rapid progress vi Improvements
in navigation, the facilities OF intercom-
munication between distant points are
gathering a new impetus which the rap
Idly developing business OF the country
apparently demands This Is an evil
dence that the spirit Of our people Is
awakened to the necessity Of opening
all the avenues Of trade between the
East and the great West, that grain pro-
.ducing States may find ready market
and opportunity of export at the Allan
Tic seaboard, and thereby be gaining
business and profit. Among the pro-
iects of this kind that are now promin-
ent is the Huron and Ontario Ship
Canal, which is designed to connect the
waters of Lakes Huron and Ontario
through the Georgian Bay, thus avoid
ing the circuit Of the Peninsula of West
ern Canada, and the passage OF the
Straits of st. Clair, which would short
en- the distance between our Western ter
ritories and the seaboard 428 miles, and
enable sea, going vessels to pass from
the ports of Europe to Chicago.
The original charter for this great en-
terprise was granted by the Canadian
Parliament in 1856. After the expendi-
ture OF a considerable amount of money
with no effective result, the scheme lay
dormant until 1885, when it was reviv-
ed and new board of officers elected
and an amendment to the charter was
procured, giving leave to extend the
capital from s22, 100000 to 100000,
giving all person the right to use the
canal on paying the rates of toll to be
established, and the term for its COM
pletion was extended to ten years. The
report of a special committee Of the
Canadian Parliament expressed favor
able opinion of he feasibility of the I'M
dertaking and 1t is confidently antici-
pated that Canada will make grant Of
ten millions of acres of land as bonus
TO the company one million Of acres to
be conveyed for each million Of the first
ten million dollars on the canal,
1t embraces two divisions. The first
division, from Georgian Bay to Lake
Simcoe is 20 miles in length with rise
Of 1870 feet, thence the route crosses the
lake through % feet of water. The
second division extends from Lake Sim
coe to Lake Ontario, AZ miles, with
fall of 470 feet. The engineers estimate
that fifty million yards of excavation
are required on the route, the greater
part of which Is through a ridge II
miles from Lake Ontario, extending nine
miles and requiring an average depth of
80 feet, the greatest depth being 1877
feet. This cutting will form part of
seventy miles of navigation without
lockage and the elevated position of
Lake Simcoe allows both divisions to
be fed by its waters.
The estimated cost is thirty.fVe mil
lions, exclusive Of interest. On the ba-
sis that The canal would be open 220
days each season, Its carrying capacity
wond be 100000 tons each way.
There is no doubt that when once in
operation it would be taxed with freight
to its full capacity, but the estimates as
sumo that If only one-third of the full
amount of freight possible passed
through it with toll of three cents per
bushel or one dollar per ton for grain,
which Is only one-half Of the rates
charged on the Erie Canal, the gross
annual receipts would reach over four
millions, which would be ten per cent.
on its capital of forty millions, to be di-
yided as dividends after deducting cost
of maintenance and management.
Some progress has been made in Sc
curing the funds necessary for its COM
pletion, the capitalists of Pennsylvania
having pledged one-half the money re-
suired, on condition that the balance
should be pledged by British and Amer
lean capitalists.
The importance Of this canal to the
0USl Hess IUbeEeSIS VI NtW IAhSiduu
seems to us to be worthy of great con-
sideration, enabling, as it will, all
freight coming from the West to be sub
Jet to only one transhipment at Ogdens-
burgh, aud in addition, great benefit
would be derived from it in the develop
nent Of the commerce on the upper
lakes. There can be no doubt of the
general advantages Of the scheme and
the important bearing it will have upon
inter. State transactions, as the compile.
ton of this work will tend greatly tc
promote facility of transportation be
tween the West and the Atlantic sea
board, and is worthy of the patronage
of the public and individuals.
BosToN BUTTER AND CHEESE MARKET
In the Boston market, on Saturday
last, butter was dull, and prices veal
and darliniup Chepsa was a1sO dnl