The New York herald., 1871-03-18
TIE PATH TO TEE SEA
The Canadian Commission Splash
ing About in the Canals.
What They VIII Recommend Synopsis Of Their
Report-ihe ST. Lawrence Canals TO be Deep
ened = Probability That Government
Will Seriously Delay Its Action
Hope Left for New York.
OTTAWA. Canada, March IL, 1871.

OTTAWA, Canada, March IL, lS7l.
In the NEW YORK HERALD OF January 25 was pub
iished an account OF the meeting OF the dominion
Board OF Trade and the recommendations OF that
body on the important question of canal extension.
Az you are already aware canal commission was
appointed Dy the government 10 inquire into the
canal system OF Canada as 1t exists at present and
TO report the changes desirable IN that system,
the better 10 accommodate the rapidly increasing
volume OF Western trade That body was consid-
erably above the average OF Canadian commissions,
ITS members being men OF experience In commerce
and OF position in the country. The chairman was
Mr.. Hugh Allan, proprietor OF the Alan's line OF
steamships President OF the Montreal Teie
graph Company and President Of the Merchants
Bank. He is man Of decision ana enterprise,
although arrogant and harsh, and the rest Of the
Commission bore about the same relation to him as
the round ciphers IN a long do to the single
ngure that precedes them. This Commission held
three sessions and have prepared their report which
ls In type and will shortly be land before Parliament
am enabled, however, to give summary OF its
contents IN
THE HERALp IN ADVANCE, AS USUAL
The conclusions arrived at by the Commission have
been correctly anticipated in these columns, but 1t
WIN do no harm 10 repeat them with such brief com.
ments as may be necessary. l shall, therefore, first
describe the canal system OF Canada-connecting
which river is the natural outlet for the teeming
West and whose every wave appeals to the North.
ern States for the unity OF America.
The canal at Sault Ste. Marie about which such
an excitement was created at the time Of the
passage OF the Red River expedition, connects
Lakes Michigan and Superior with Lake Huron.
II passes through American territory, and is the
largest and deepest canal In America. The Cana
dian Commissioners regard with some soIcitude
ihe fact that the
INNER DOOR TO THE WEST
should be exclusively controlled by the United
States, and recommend the building OF Canadian
canal al the Sault, to enable vessels to pass
from lake 10 ocean through exclusively Canadian
canals. This meets with much opposition espe-
cialy from people at all prepossessed in favor OF
ihe United States, and who denounce as useless ex-
pendture the construction OF another canal within
stones throw OF one which will amply sufflce Tor
the ccommodation OF seven times the trarlc now
passing that point.
No notice is taken OF the cutting OF canal through
The ST. Clair fats. Such canal was commenced
year ago. but your authorities have interlered and
the question has yet to be settled to whether our
canal Is not In your territory. Should the American
view be correct the results will be quite as serious
as those apprehended by the Commissioners from
the possession by the United States OF the canal at
Sault Ste. Marie
A vessel from Chicago having entered Lake
Huron has before her four routes to the sea-two
completed, two projected. The former are the ST.
Lawrence canal and the Erie canal, the latter the
Georgian Bay canal and the
- - OTTAWA SHIP CANAL.
The Georgian Bay canal would run from the
Georgian Bay an inlet Of Lake Huron, by way Of
Lake simcoe 10 Lake Ontario. near Toronto On
The map this seems to possess grea, aa.
vantage over the roundabout Weland and Erie
route. But the cost of construction is so enhanced
by the deep cut to supply water at the summit level
On the ridge near Lake Simcoe and the lockaoe
being much greater than on the Welland route this
canal meets With no favor In the Commission nor
indeed with the public, the ambitious people of
foronto who want the terminus or everything from
Jacobs ladder to the Tehuantepec canal, at their
village
The Ottawa ship canal is another pretty project
ON THE MAP,
and II will doubtless, In the more remote future be
adopted. 1t would run along the French river to
lake Nipissng, thence by way OF the Matteawan
river into the Ottawa and down that stream to Mon.
treal. This route is short and direct one but
the expense or constructing II through an
unsettled country the 154 feet OF additional lock.
age initiate against it and tell in favor OF the Wei
land route Under another system more favorable
70 enterprises OF nature so gigantic as the neces.
piS iOl dlcu E pTSSsluR we SUdlI nave ana nee0
this eana-tne short cut from Chicago to Liverpool
The two existing lines now remaining are the
Erie Canal and the St Lawrence route, by way Of
the Weland Canal with New York and Montreal as
the debouchng points. The TIVE lines were COM
pared In my letter published in the NEW YORK
HERALD Of January 25 and an elaborate
>-,' array OF sTATIsTics Presented.
These need not be reproduced in their entirety.
6ufice It to say that the st. Lawrence route was
shoxl to have opened earlier and to have con-
tnued navigable later than the Erie Canal the d!..
ference in time being twelve days year; that the
81. Lawrence route was shorter to tidewater, and
thence shorter to Europe: that ~ miles Of canal
navigation and feet OF lockage the Erie Canal so far
exceeded the st. Lawrence canals that 1t was
slower and more costly. The Commissioners, as
anticipated by the HERALD, have decided upon re-
commending the enlargement OF the existing canals
: The present canals were built some thirty years
ago, and adapted only to the limited wants OF that
palezoic age The Lachine Canal, the short canals
at Cornwall, Williamsburg and Beauharnois and the
In this distance there are 637 feet o locKaGe
come by 81 locks. The Lachne locks are 200 by 40,
w sn aSease Of the
sills, may be considered the average gauge OF the
canals between Kingston aud Montreal The
wELLAND CANAL
as 27 locks three Of which OF large dimensions
The others are $50 by 27, and nave depth OF loA
feet OF late years the grain carrying trade OF the
West has been gradually transferred from
large '.upper lake" craft, with
pacitv OF 2s, 900 or 10000 bushels. Sucn
8els cannot pass through the Welland locks. Buf.
falo alone owns some sixty steam vessels OF which
only iour can be accommodated on the Welland
Indeed If one-th Of the vessels Oh the upper lakes
be considered small enough TO traverse the Welland
Canal liberal estimate Is being made, and the pro-
portion Il yearly decreasing; Already the differ
compared with tnat 10 Kingston. But the Welland
Canal once passed the navigation OF the river is
again barred al Kingston, where vessels must trans
ship cargo. which must again be handled at Mon
freal. In view OF these difficulties the Commission
ers recommend the reconstruction OF the canals
throughout, 20 as TO admit vessels or 800 tons, or
b. 600 bushels capacity with locks 200 feet long and
twelve feet the sils IL Is hoped that the raffc
now attracted by Buffalo Will be diverted by way Of
the Welland Canal TO Oswego or, II is rondiy hoped