New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-01-30
DprDGfNG THE DETROIT RIVER.

across the Detroit River between Detroit ana
Windsor. The Michigan Central road and the
Great Western Railway of Canada, which con-
meet at this point by means of ferry, desired
TO bridge the strait in order to avoid the great
delay to which they are subjected in Winter
Nv floating ice. How serious this obstruction
sometimes becomes is illustrated by table OF
the trips of their ferry steamer in January
1878. when the crossing, which in Summer
takes about II minutes, consumed on
ono occasion nearly five hours, ana
on 80 occasions more than two hours.
GOTTEN" SAYS the President Of the Michigan
Central road, Gas many as from 700 to 1,ooo cars
"were waiting in our yards to be moved
"across" The construction OF a tunnel was
begun by the railroads in the Winter OF 1917
but it was abandoned the following year, not
on account of any serious engineering uiin-
Guilty, but because of the cost. 1--WE now be-
"lieve" said the chairman Of the Great West
ern Railway at meeting of the stockholders
in April. 1873, " that by making the proper ap-
" plication we shall be able to get the bridge
"oyer that river by smaller expense than
{" tho tunnel, and get it more expeditiousiy
dome At the same time the Canada South
ern Railroad wishes to build bridge at Stony
Island. fifteen miles below Detroit, where, by
bridging, embankment, and piers, 1t has
already taken possession of half the water
way without authority of the United States
The Board of Engineers, consisting Of Gems.
Warren, Comstock, and Weizel, Col. Merrill,
and Can't. Livermore, met at Detroit and gave
a patient hearing to all the parties in interest
besides making minute inquiry into the
traffic both by rail and by water which would
be affected by the proposed bridges. IL APP
pears that during the eight months of nayiga-
ton $1,000 vessels pass through this channel,
and of this number more than 2OVo nave
masts. The amount of freight carried by them
| is 9O01Oo0 TONS Ii is difficult to estimate the
| business of the Canada Southern road, for IL
has only recently been opened. The Great
| Western Railway transferred at Detroit
during the year ending April 10, 1873
8S8,3lO tons, or less than One-tenth OF
the amount which passed the same point by
the water route. But as it is only in the
Winter that the railway needs bridge tho
ferrage and handling during two-thirds OF
the year costing no more than the mantle
| nance of a bridge. interest on the capital, &c,
would cost, it follows that The disproportion
between the conflicting parties is still greater
| than it appears at first. In short, as the re-
port SAYS, 100000 tons of freight Is asked
"to yield its interests for the benefit OF one
"tlirticth of that amount Three kinds of
bridges were proposed and carefully consld-
cred I. A bridge giving a clear Roadway OF
$50 feet and clear spans of 400 feet. This
would cost about $4,000, 900, and would involve
long and difficult approaches, with steep
grades, as the banks of the river are not more
than 80 feet high. 1t would not be a serious
obstruction to navigation, though the Board
| regards it as much too expensive to build ana
to operate. 2. A bridge with two pivot draws.
This is the plan advocated by the railway
companies, and the cost is fixed at about
50, 100000. The Board is emphatic in the con-
demnation of any such structure ut any point
,I.o -:.,or and shows that tic dalithv ""''
detention to vessels would be enormous. g. y
bridge continuous during Winter, but so con-
structed that two portions, each 4OO feet long
can be floated away on casson rpiers during
the season of navigation This would cost about
| 100000 but as the plan would involve the
continuance of the ferry system eight months
in the year, it would be too expensive in
operation, besides interfering more or less
| with navigation. On the whole, the Board re-
ports that the only unObjectiOnable method of
crossing the river is by tunnel, and thinks
that "a tunnel at Detroit or Stony Island is
"by no means impracticable, at a cost not so
"great as to debar its construction"
The country will receive this sensible and
able report with entire satisfaction. East and
West are equally interested not only in keep
ing the existing routes of water cOmmunca-
| ton unimpaired. but in enlarging them to
| their utmost capacity. All the vast lake
traffic between Chicago and Buffalo must pass
through the narrow channel which connects
Lake Huron with Lake Erie, and the freedom
of this route is the only thing which keeps
| the freight charges Of the railroads within
| any bounds at all. What influence the water
route has upon the railway tolls is shown by
the fact that in 1877 the rates by the Blue
Line, which were 22i cents in Summer from
Chicago to Buffalo. rose to IS cents as
soon AZ navigation closed. 1t is not
enough, however that the water route should
have sufficient capacity for all the
freight that offers. 1t is cheap not merely
because the actual cost of carriage is so small,
but because there is practically no limit to
competition, and consequently no possibility
of combination to put up prices. As soon,
| however. as you restrict the capacity of any
part Of the route, by narrowing or otherwise
obstructing the channel. you restrict cOmpe-
| titiOn, and rates rise at once. Congress an.
nually apprOpriates over a million of dollars
for the improvement of this water route, and
has applied half million to the construction
of an artificial channel through the Saint Clair
| Elato oiona Tho pronnsal IF tho railway