The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-10-07
Sew Road 10 Europe.
vAS,ToBA 40 t1IrRcmnL BARBoR' HUDSON
BAY.
rNcw York Tribune.I

MANITOBA 40 t1IuRCImILL bARBoH' hODSoN
BAY.
New York Tribune.
eo,ninny has been formed In Cauada
go -oncn What il called In their pros
neAt,is n new route from Europe 10 the lit
terior az North America. They propose TO
bniId a railroad from Churchill harbor,
an the western shore OF Hudson bay, TO
the wheat-fclds OF Manitoba, and TO estal-
liisb a line Of steamers from Churchill
barbor 20 Liverpool. The scheme looks
well on paper. and has some features OF III
,ferest. though its present feasibility rs n
business enterprise may well be questioned.
Peopie who have studied geography from
mans instead Of globes will, no boubt, he
surprised ia be told that the distance by
water from Liverpool TO the western
shore OF Hudson bay, at the mouth OF the
Churchill river, n point in the heart OF
,the continent. is III miles shorter than
that from Liverpool 10 New York, ana
Sixty-four miles shorter than that from
Liverpool TO Montreal. This fact, III
connection with the rapid settlement
OF the fertile wheat region OF the North
west, is n challenge TO commercial en-
fcTprise To seek new waterway 10
E,,rope for the increasing grain product
,of Manitoba and Dakota. The harbor on
fhe Churchill j. said TO be deep enough
TO accommodate the largest steamships,
and the only difficulty in navigating llud-
son strait and Hudson bay mo bay, proper
IL speaking. but great inland sea- arises
from lee. If Is not supposed the route
could be kent open for more than three or
four months in the year, but the projectors
imagine that II would be profitable, even
with such limited season for iis annual
operations.
From Liverpool the steamer Of the pro
posed route. after clearing the north coast
81 Ireland, would steer q straight course 10
Cape Farewell, at the southern extremity
of Greenland. and thence would proceed
due westward across David Strait to Reso-
luton island. at the entrance 10 Hudson
Strait. This latter strait, leading to llud-
son bay, isfrOm forty-iiye to l00miles wide,
and IL navigation ISnot dangerous. When
Hudson liay were reached there would be
plain sailing across it to Churchill harbor.
The distance from Churchill 70 point
on the Canadian Pacific railroad, which
would be- li'c southern terminus OF the
protected dine, is about $50 miles. The
country is wilderness formOSt OF the way,
and j. Of doubtful value for future settle
mcnt. but the construction Of railroad
through il. following The valleys of the
Churchill and Nelson rivers, would not be
a very difficult undertaking.
The whole scheme looks QuiXotic, but
il may only anticipate the future by few
decades. When population becomes dense
in this country and Canada, and the reserves
OF arabic wild land are exhausted, coming
may find that the enormous
territory OF British America is not all n
frozen Wilderness. Parts Of it may prove
as favorable for human habitatiOn as Fin
land and Norway, and the numerous allu-
vial valleys may support hardy pOpula-
ton. When that day comes the surplus
grain product Of the Northwest will he Of
such vast dimensions that route to Liver
pool which saves the whole distance from
Winnipeg TO Montreal may be found prac-
ticablc and profitable.