The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-09-18
4 TRANscONTiNENTAL WATERWAY.
How to Go from Ocean to Ocean in a
BOat-NO Detroit Tunnel

special Correspondence
DETROIT. Sept. i3.-ls it possible Ia
keep ones feet wet from the Atlantic TO
the Pacific. OF course one can put them
ia tub Of water and travel overland BIZ
rail, bat there is really "a continuous line
Of water from New York % the outlet Of
the Columbia river on the Pacific Here it
is Pass up the Erie canal % Bafalo.
thence along the shore Of Lake Ere %
the mouth Of Chautauqul creek. thence
% the source OF the creek. here is a
peculiar spring. It's waters empty into
Lake Erie through the creek on one side
and into tie Allegheny on the other.
follow down the Allegheny % the Ohio.
thence 20 the Mississippi thence up the
Missouri The source # the Missouri is
the most marvellous water fountain on
the globe. Here is vast overflow OF
springs covering several square niles.
perhaps Ten or fifteen square miles The
land Is a mass Of soft mud and water Of
great depths which practically exclude
man ia this spring area rise the Yellow
stone, Missouri and Wind rivers. which
ultimately Unite and make their way 90
the Gulf of Mexico Here rise
forty branches OF the Snake river.
which form the head waters OF
the Columbia and make their way
% the Pacific ocean Here. also.
rises the Green river which uuites with
the Colorado and that with the ella
river and empty in,o the gulf Of Lower
California. Hence II viii be- seen that
one can start from New York city and
follow water course either 20 Yauc0u-
yer, sound or 20 the CULTS Of California
AID Mexico Instead of taking his route
all the way one can 60 20 Chicago by
lake. thence By canal and the LIMOS
river to the Mississippi.
Every scheme 20 bridge and tunnel the
Detroit river has signally failed south Of
Sarnia. Detroit is the most important
point Of railway invasion Of Canada. Dur.
ing the winter season transfers OF trains
by boat often require six hours 20 make 4
passage Of onc-half mile. Owing 70 the |
vast amount Of traffic az this point a syn. I
dictate Of loan and trust companies men |
Of New York recently determined 10 tun-
mel the river and reap a harvest of gold. |
was sent 70 investigate the subject and |
report. Ny report put al end to the |
ject
The Detroit river IS % miles long. At
the Michigan Central railway, the site Of /
the proposed tunnel, 1t is 1,S)0 feet wide, I
a. feet deep, 10 feet down through the
clay to bed rock, banks % feet high and
current p miles per hour. 1900 vessels.
with masts from 60 to 100 feet high an.
lually pass this point, the owners Of
which successfully oppose all bridge
schemes. The Michigan Cen.rals fer.
rage at this point amounts to 100000
IONS Of freight and 6J0,0 passengers
annually. Besides this there is an an
lual ferriage by small boats II ordinary
rafEic Of 100000 passengers. The first
unnel attempted here was begun by q
OF railways during 1872, but
after one years work was abandoned and
/ bridge scheme talked Of for while.
The reason for abandoning the tunnel
scheme was that after carrying it for
!, 300 feet an immense body Of quicksand
vas encountered which even modern
cience and its ammonia freezing process
5 afraid 70 penetrate. Every bridge
cheme has been defeated or abandoned
kept a possible winter structure A
russ or suspension structure at this
'oint could MT / g built for less than ten
Millions, but portable winter bridge
would 70. cost ore than 100000.
w. Il. B.