Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1872-01-26
Canal Routes.

.Nr. EdiIoT.-Snce the agitation Of the wei
land Canal enlargement and the construction Oh
the Csughn.waga Canal has been re-openea'
many new projects have been stsrted,-from dii-
ferent motives, in some. and in come prooaoiy
without any motive st all. Most Of them, wnile
protesting to be in the interest cheap transpor-
tstion, are in reality adverse, and only seek 10
divert attention from the only feasible line, and
sending the public after ,haKdoTs One lie the
Niagara Ship Canal on the New York side, to
be built and owned by the United States Govern
ment. provided the State of New York will per-
NIT it. One other ia the Lake Huron, Simcoe,
Trout River and Quinte Day route. The dis
tsnce from Trenton at the mouth OF the Trout
River to Chester Bay en- Lake Huron is 80
miles. following the water line. The amount Of
iockaee on this route will be $50 feet, as follows
From Quin,e Bsy to the head Of Balsam Lake,
the rise is $50 .eet, the distance l66 - miles,
the route hard and rocky, nayigsale for Hat
bostt, drawing four feet of water for short spaces
Of four or Eve miles between rapids in wet sea
Sons The summit j. between Balssm and
simcoe Lakes, which are l6 IL miles apart.
The waters Of BALKAN Lake run through chain
Of small lakes, Otonabur River, Rice Lake and
Trout River, and empty into Quinte Bay 10
miles west Of Kingston. The waters Of Lake
Sim,oe run through the Severn River aud empty
into Lake Huron, at Gloster Bay. Lake Huron
is 2i3 feet lower THIN Balssm Lake, And then
! the summit between Lakes Bs.sam and Simooe,
is to be overcome, and water found to oil the
canal on the summit.
To those who really desire canal, this iss
vital question. To those who DO not. it isno
question ct ALL and would be no argument
agairs. building the csnsl and trusting Provi-
dence for the water to fll it, provided. the aid
asked Of the advocates should be limited 10
what is called " moral " support thst il, TO
words Of eucoursg cement so long az the deasion
can be kept up.
Unquestionsbly, = dry canal csp be bull: here
for from 100000 to s5O,O0O,0Oo. s'y
dry meau dry between Lakes sim'oe and
Balssu. o. this line oflittle lakes AMI streams,
the government of Canada West expended good
deal Of money in making eLutes snd dsms. 70
facilitate the getting out Of lumber.
In opening route for steam propellers Of
large capacity between the west and east, nstu-
raj channels should be used, 50 far as possible,
and lockage avoided. Every dollar expended in
the construction Of Artificial channels snd locks,
must be provided FOR by tolls. and the interest
on it added to the cost Of transportation. The
coat Of rnaintsinance Of canal depends upon
its locks and length when the route is rugged
sud steep. in high water locks and entertainments
are more likely to be washed out, than in level
country, where the canal If fed from large lakes
and streams. The Welland Canal is filed from
Lake Erie, and the Caughnawsga will be from
Lake Chsmplan, and neither Of these will be
subject to destruction by freshsts. Again, the
route over the highlands, if it we're possible to
get water, would be undoubtedly closed by ice At
least a month each yesr longer tasu tie NellAnd
rouTe.
Att future time, It is proposed to shoT the
merits Of Lakes Huron, NipissDg. sui Ottawa
River route
There is one fact which is worthy Of the pAr-
ticular attention OF geologsts- The whole Of
North America, drained to the north and north
east. has its streams cut BY rock dykes, which
constitute dams, and thus form succession Of
lakes while that drained to the south, into the
Gull Of Mexico, has scarcely lake at all In
the construction Of caual7, these dykes must be
cut. as there are rapids below them too strong
for boa,. to ascend sgaiust the current
LEvi UNDERWOOD.