New-York tribune., 1879-02-01
Expenditures of the Engineer Corps tue several
canals the last ten wears:
DpITISH ROUTE THROUGH CANADA.
Mr. Seymour says III regard to tho British route
througl Cauada

Mr. Seymour says III regard to tho British route
through Canada:
While there is much reason FOR consratulatlon
Threatened from new IuaIieri; onr ON cslaS cana ana anu
future BY the water route through the valley o the
St Lawrence. In three or four years rom lls nae,
at the docks at Chicago, and othcr Lake ports unloading
their merchandise, or receiving their carSoes, oi
grain, provisions, etc. Wnile We have under
valued and neglected water channels, the Brit
ish Government has steadily pursued policy which
and whioh will make seaports Of our great lake cities,
with which 1t can hold direct conrnrrce by a , route
Few commercial events OF this century
equal the importance Of The completion T,cdo OF
in Ohio British vessels will appO ich near TO the centre
Of the population aud production OF our Union, which Is
now north OF Cincinnati. THIS centre, ~ Is shown ny
the reports is steadily moving westward toward
point between Chicago aud -. LOUIS Two great
cities which even Of more cOmDlerciaI
posno %9wY"rk Philadeipiia ard Bal.
of our continent remote from The great centres oI
Uonnlation and production From Chicago - the foot
Of LiIr piG ON the western borders OF this state, the
British Will have the use In common win oi5tINrS uI
the lakes through which past gram has heci
carried Tor less than = cents bushcl they
Will not have 10 trdnship or elevate iheIr gram as
Americans do who send il hy the Inc Canal or by
the railroads; they continue their voyages thronSh
Lake Ontario, the 81 Lawrence. aud the ocean to Ll-
rome, without making changes Ol cargo ana lIee rol
all charges Of storage clGvatinE eir: lB1y WI o&h &
have to pay toils t the i"GtS N U , me- o,r ,nJ
on the rNcr above nohllcsI oh we % o,n', ,r"' trr
the products that 20 through our state, mus be iran
!
waIchonsed and put into vessels In the present con
di,ion ~ the lake and Erir Canal route, the cost ol
carrying grain from Chicago 10 New-iork j. not Iss
than o5oo cents per buohe wble the cost 3i cali}u
il from tnlcago 10 Montreal, when the Weaud CaHai
and other locks niShcd. will not bo more thah
cents At Montreal Tie sNels will he nearer to Lon
board, and Will be on their way to Enropc ~ D.,
The diversion Of trade through tho Brush route l.
moi merely "A thing be feared in the future. Al ms
time before their work is done 1t is shown by reports
that every step in these eens has been ioi2wg @
ip.rt fT.r.
has made the grain carrying trade nearly four times ~
mucb as II was before that Even with the present
szr OF Inc WcIland locks vessels loaded with lumber In
Wisconsin and Michigan sometimes pass through them
10 The English market
IMPROVEMENT OF LAKE NAVIGATION.
Mr. Aouzo Richmond, formerly President Of the
BoorJ of Trade of Buffalo, has sent letter aboEt
the lake navigation, which IL annexed TO this report
shows that there Obstrutpons which limit The drat
Of vessels the lakes 10 about fourteen cen fsefi i
NOT admit OF vessels drawing moro lnf.
thirteen and one-ha feet. Mr. Richmond proves tlat
by removing these Obstructlons, Vts,els cuh St %
feet depth OF water Gt oil points between lne uppI -
lake ports and Bai.lo A. soon as an imcrfasc tse 10
gained even Of a single foot, II VIII EVe w.
the vessels going TO Buffalo over those whieh Ha1 H
through the Weand 1 tnrFs co,rY are orSr HSw wo o
sand tons, which can add more tlah Two Lunui.u Li M
1bc,r draft When twenty of water is gained these
steamer. can carry $500 tons or nearly as indGn a.
large steamships upon the ocean. They can also take ID
tow large barEes loaded with lumber, grain or proVls-
IONS and in Tins way are enabled 10 carry for less la
|
TO Bunao Tor a very small cost Years past the rates
! have ranged from 3 TO 10 cents. Our GOVernmeht
shonId M once upon this work II wishes TO save
| commerce upon the American route ..
The next inks In the long chain OF our water route
are the Erie and OswegO canals. II one loot car De
added TO their general depth Will add hity tons 10 the
load OF each boat This be done by lowering lne
bottom in some places and by raising the banks IN
otbers II will be OF advantage 10 our boats the mo
nent the work begun, for while the loads cannot Oe
incre ased until the whole Is finished yet the expense
and time OF towage will be less over each mile that
deept ned I have ordered careful surveys TO be MADE
which show the cost and advantages OF doing this'