The Portland daily press., 1871-07-06

hldren from TO 10 years Vi aso WIS |
ully received as well as those OF more gene
al character. Those having BOOKS OF money
o devote to this purpose can leave the same at
he MAYORS office. Mr.. Boothby will call upon
oart;as in the city who it is hoped will respond
IN a Citing manner TO this worthy object.
The Proposed Canal to Connect Lake |
Chnmplain with the 81. Lawrence.
We publish to- day an al ticle from the Bur-
lington, VT, Free Press, in reference to
meeting which has been held there of the Di-
reetors of theCaughnawaga Canal, the object
of which is to connect the navigation of the
ST. Lawrence river with Lake Champlain.
This in our opinion is a most important work
and one in which our city is deeply interested.
This project has beer for many years before
the public, but it is only a short time since the
East of Canada acceded to the route of the ca
Ial recommended by its projectors Our read-
ers are no doubt aware that the great bulk OF
Western produce comes to the Eastern mar
kets via the Erie canal. from Buffalo and Os
weeo, and by the various railways from Lake
Erie and the West. 1t is held by the advo-
Gates of this Caughnawaga canal that route
from the upper lakes will by its construction
be opened up much more cheaply aud more
rapidly through the st. Lawrence river than
is possible by the present OF any other possible
route to all of the Eastern States. We believe
this position is we'll taken and cannot be con
troverted. The natural impediments to the
navigation of the st. Lawrence from the upper
lakes are the Falls of Niagara and the rapids OF
the st. Lawrence The former of these has
A. A1la~n =, IL
miles, and the latter by the st. Lawrence ca
nails Al miles, that vessels can sail from the
upper lakes to Montreal without breaking
bulk. The proposed Caughnawaga canal is
80 miles in length, with only % feet lockage
from the St. Lawrence into Lake Champlain.
By the construction of this work, the propel-
Ter sailing from Duluth on Lake Superior, or
from Chicago, could sail down the st. Law
renee on to Lake Champlain and discharge
her cargo into the steam elevator or storehouse
there without breaking bulk, using only 81
miles canal, the Weland and Caughnawaga,
for the st. Lawrence canals are not used on
the downward voyages; while by the Erie
canal route there would be 1854 miles canal,
with 803 feet lockage, against 1853 feet by the
st. Lawrence route. Nor is this all. The pro-
posed canal is to be adapted to propellers OF
900 tons, and the Weland will be of the same
size, while the capacity Of the Erie canal is
only for vessels of 200 tons, aud freight can
thus be carried cheaper in the larger vessel.
Besides, propeller with cargo leaving any
| point on the upper lakes will be at Burlington
or on Lake Champlain six days earlier than it
| is possible for similar cargo to be in Albany
| These statements can be verified by any one
| who will examine the matter, and their i'm
portance to Portland cannot be overrated. We
| have not the exact distances, bit we believe
| we are about correct when we state that Port
| land is some So miles nearer Burlington o.
| Lake Champlain than any other Eastern At
| lantic port; so that when the upper lake yes
sells of the size indicated can come or to LAX
| Champlain, freights of breadstuffs and othe
| Western produce will be greatly reduced, ant
| with our railways completed connecting Port
land with Lake Champlain, an Importance
| will be given to our city as a point of expor
| not now possessed. The depot on Lake Cham
| plain for Western products ought to induc'
| the most liberal expenditure for railway con
nection with Lake Champlain, for it will rem
der necessary double track of rails for tn
traffic. Holding these views, we earnestl.
hope that the stock for the proposed canal will
be promptly taken up and the work proceeds
with. Nor should our capitalists hesitate t
aid in its prosecution. In fact, We look upol
the early construction of this canal as essen
tial to the general interests of the Unite
States, and we are surprised that in the treat
lately entered into with Great Britain, tn
United States Commissioners in insisting o.
the freedom to Americans of the st. Lawrence
did not also arrange for the construction G
this canal to connect the st. Lawrence wit
Lake Champlain, for it is evident that until
is constructed the United States vessel fror
! the upper lakes can have no direct connection
with Eastern States ports on Lake Champlain
and it is the great trade of the Eastern State
with the Western States that constitutes tn
| great bulk of our commerce. -4i t-