The Portland daily press., 1872-07-09
The True Trans. Continental Route.

The Ottawa Times, in discussing the prospects
of the Canadian Pacific Railway and its value
as a link in the great trans-continental chain
of communication shows that the proposed
route will be on the shortest possible line be-
tween the Pacific and the Atlantic; reducing
the distance to Europe via Quebec or Portland
to 800 miles less than by the present San Fran
cisco lines to New York. If one-half the an
ticipations of the projectors of that road are
realized, Portland must inevitably reap largely
of the benefits to accrue A tide of business
must flow over it that cannot find an outlet
through Canadian ports. Sealed up as Mon
treal and Quebec are by ice siX.months in the
year, the Canadians regard Portland as their
only outlet during the winter, and hence Sir
Hugh Allan is anxious for the success of the
Portland & Ogdensburg railroad, forming as it
will another channel through which trade may
reach the coast: Portland and Quebec being
geographically equal in their position upon the
great line. That Portland will get her share
of this business is proved by the fact that the
business of the Allan line of steamers is de-
maHding larger vessels and the fleet now in the
hands of the builders are larger than any
which ever hoated up the st. Lawrence and
they cannot make Quebec the port of entry at
all times of the year. Portland is to be their
destination eventually, and they are to be
freighted by the Portland and Ogdensburg rail
road. But to an extract from the article: The
writer is speaking of the advantage of short
sea voyage:
These considerations would of themselves be
almost sufficient to show the great benefit that
wOuu arise IN merchants in EUrOnp avallIDU
themselves of the facilities afforded by such
transcontlnental and sea route as that which
Canadian railways and steamers will furnish,
the saving III time being very considerable.
But besides these advantages there is one of
even more Importance in determining the port
on the Pacific towards which ships from China
ETC., may be expected to direct their VOYAGE.
1t is well known now that vessels crossing the
Pacific for the American coast steer direct
course for British Columbia, not so much be-
cause it stretches out toward the Eastern seas
but on account of the set of the current,
which enables them to make better time by
coming north than they could do by steering
direct for the California coast. With the mag
nificent harbors in British Columbia, no delay
would be experienced in bringing the ship into
a BERTH discharged and her cargo on the way
by the shortest railway route across the CONT
tinent to Europe to get the shortest sea route
at the Atlantic terminus, days before the ship
could have reached San Francisco, there to
transfer cargo to a much longer sea route for
all goods destined for Europe. SO great, in
deed, is the advantage we have pointed out,
that what we are now doing in the East with
our canals, and will do more effectually when
these are enlarged, will be done in the West
that is, we will obtain almost monopoly of
the carrying trade, certainly of the most valu-
able portions OF it, not only between Europe
and India, China, Japan and Australasia, but
between these latter countries and the leading
United States cities and centres of trade. 1t is
a great end to strive for; it is an effort to at
tain which every effort should be put forth.
In our condition to stand still is to be left hope
befoTe ms hut not unless we show ourselves ca
pable of understanding and fulfilling the du-
ties which the creation of that great future de-
mands.