The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-04-10
THE CAuaHNAwAaA CANAL.
Memorial to tho President of tho United
States-The Benefits to be Derived from its
Construction.

A Memorial to tho President of tho United
States-The Benefits to be Derived from its
Construction.
The proposed Caughnawaga ship canal
has been before the public for some time
and every effort has been made to secure
its construction. That 1t would be of an
immense benefit to the New England states
there can be no sort Of doubt. The ques-
ton of cheap transportation is one of vital
interest to the country and there can be no
more certain way of securing the carrying
of grain from the western country to the
sea board for small freight than by the
proposed canal. The proposed ship canal
(from the ST. Lawrence to lake Cbamplain)
is but 29a miles long, with less than 25 feet
of lockage, and II can be built for SO 5O0,-
600, and upon its completion vessels
of 900 tons burden can load at Chicago,
or other ports on the western lakes,
each with 10000 bushels of wheat,
and land the same, without breaking
bulk, within $50 miles of Boston, having
passed through less than sixty miles of tax
ed canal navigation, and at reduction of
nearly if not quite fifty per cent. Of the
freightage from the present rates. A mem
orial to the president of the United States
ha, been prepared asking that the natural
deep-water route of transportation, from
the northwest to the seaboard, by the way
of the great lakes the st. Lawrence river,
and Lake Champlain, be improved and
completed by the construction Of the ship
canal from the St. Lawrence TO Lake
| Oh implain, known as the Caughnawaga
canal. Copies Of the memorial have been
sent to the various cities for signatures
| The manufacturers union of Burlington,
seem to be taking a lively interest in
| the matter. The American board of trans
portation and commerce urged at its last
meeting in Chicago, that immediate action
be taken in the matter. The memorial says
further:
Your memorialsts, in support of their
views, beg leave to call attention to the
elaborate report of the able select commit
tee OF the UDited States senate on transpor-
tation routes TO the seaboard, made in
April, 1874, and to its conclusive testimony
to the feasibility, cheapness and value of
this route. In that report the committee
expressed their confident belief, that
"upon the completion Of the Welland and
St. Lawrence canals Che enlargement OF
which is now in progress) and the con.
struction of the Caughnawaga canal, wheat
and corn can be transported from ports on
Lakes Superior aud Michigan to Burlng-
ton, Vt, for twelve cents husEel;" and
that "tbe saving in the cost of Transports.
ton of the quantity of grain received by
the New England states alone, from the
west, in 1872, would have amounted, il
the Caughnawaga canal had been in opera
ton, to over six mill ons of dollars &C, 1862.
1874 00) being a saving of about twice the
entire cost of the Caughnawaga canal
estimated at abour 5000 900, in single
year" The committee further expressed
the hope that the future trade relations be
tween the United States and the Dominion
of Canada, may he go adjusted thai
the construction of this work may be found
to be in the interest of both countries
aud that the state of New York. will re
cogniZe the expediency Of continuing this
line by way of the Champlain canal ant
the Hudson river to the city of New York
or in the event of that state declining tC
enter upon the work, "that the United
States government will give the subjec
that attention to which lis manifest meIitl
eptitle IT."
Your memorialsts also respectfully cal
the attention of our government TO til,
fact that the American board of transporta
ton and commerce, US It's recent conven
ton at Chicago, representing numerous
boards Of trade, and other municipal an6
commercial organizations In nineteen states
unanimously endorsed these declarations
OF the senate committee on transportation
declared the construction of the Caughna
waga ship canal to be ''of vital Importance
to New York, New England, and to thu
entire country" and resolved in favor o
"the appointment of a joint commission OF
the part Of the United States government
and that of the Dominion of Canada, t,
arrange and recommend terms for the mu
tual free use of the canals and inlant
waters of the two COUNTRIES by the citizen
thereof"