Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1882-03-04
st NIary's Falls Canal.

Special Telegram to the Inter Ocean.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 26.-SOme time ago
the House called upon the Secretary of
War for information as to what addi-
tiOnal works are necessary on the st.
Mary's River and st. Mary's Falls Canal,
Michigan, to complete the improvement
thereof in manner to serve the inter-
ests of the commerce of the Northern
lakes. The report of Major Godfrey
Wietzel, Corps Of Engineers, the officer
in charge of the improvement in ques-
ton, has been laid before the House in
printed form, and is endorsed by General
Wright, Chief of Engineers, as full and
exhaustive reply to the House resolution.
Major WeitZel's report contains the fol-
lowing interesting points: ION the river
the improvements were resumed in 1879,
after minute and careful survey, which
developed the fact that in the American
channel there were twenty-eight shOal
places, and that the available depth In
this channel from Lake Superior to Lake
Huron was only about twelve feet. The
work has been
PROSECUTED DURING THE SUMMER SEASON
since then with all the vigOr possible
and there is now an available depth oyer
six of them or sixteen feet. This depth
will be obtained by the end of the next
season over three others with the funds
which are now available, but it requires
an additional appropriation to obtain
the same depth over the last one, East
Neebish. No estimate was made for i'm
Sowing this part of the channel, since
tBh Canadian Government were engaged
inNtra improvement of their (the east)
channel over this obstruction when the
survey was made. But the Canadians
have stopped work, after obtaining All
available depth of only ID feet 8 inches,
and have not resumed it. 1t will there
fore be necessary to obtain the available
depth of sixteen feet in our (the west)
channel through this obstruction in or
der to conform to the Improvement at
the other twenty-seven places, and in or
der to obtain the available depth of six
teen feet along one entire channel from
Lake Superior to Lake Huron the addi-
tiOnal works necessary are the following:
|. The completion of the west channel
through the East Neebish to obtain an
available depth of sixteen feet. 2. The
construction of dry dock on the coast.
3. The improvement of one of the
HAY LAKE CHANNELS,
so as to obtain an available depth of six
teen feet by that route. 4. The immedi-
ate construction of new lock on the
canal. The most economical cOmbina-
tiOn of the works which can be made,
and serve the interests of commerce full
iy. is to convert the upper chamber Of
the present old locks into dry dock; to
improve the Hay Lake channel via the
Middle Neebish, and in building new
lock north of and parallel to the present
old ones. Adopting this combination the
cost of complete and thorough i'm
prOvement of the st. Mary's River and
st. Mary's Falls Canal, in order to serve
the interests of commerce, is estimated
to be as follows: East Neebish, $4,000;
converting upper chamber of present
old locks into dry-dOck, $4,000; Hay
Lake channel, via Middle Neebish, $2,-
1892; new lock, $1,392,600; total, 49,
579,S97; deducting the amount of canal
funds in the hands of the State of Mich
igan, which will be turned over when
the dock is built, about $4,000; net
total, $3,514,S92. That is to say, that
net sum of little over $3,5OO0OO will
be required. Since this work can be
carried on by large force without in
reference by working at the canal, at
Sugar Island Rapids, Middle Neebish,
and below, the sum of $l,OOOO0O can be
profitably expended during the fiscal
year ending June 30, 1888.
man thief.