The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1888-01-07

sive improvements in the inner harbor
OF st. Louis Bay far beyond any pre-
sent needs OF commerce and apparent
ly designed only for promotion OF
speculative values in property along
the shores of that BAY. This party
contemplate and will advocate the
opening Of direct channel to the
lake from the mouth of St Louis Bay,
through the center of Minnesota Point,
and viii ask OF Congress an appropri-
alton for a surycy-a modest but sig
niticant beginning. This same party
has decided that il it is not desirable
TO proceed with the government plans
for completing It's work at the natural
entrance but that it will be enough
(tor their purposes) to make temper
airy repairs OF the temporary work.
They will be quite content with the
present channel from the natural
entrance up the bay for the year or
two they intend to wait for a new
entrance to be mule. Another party
proposes to cross the Bay of Superior
at the Minnesota end with a railway
line and convert Minnesota Point into
railway terminals with dock fronts on
the bay. If this scheme be carried
out it will result in demand Of pri-
vilege TO cross the harb4r entrance, a
privilege which should ~ter be grant
ed-the granting Of which would prac-
tieally prohibit entrance to IA harbor
like ours, which is not protected by
an outside brcakwater. The break
water, forming an outside harbor of
refuge and enabling vessels to make
the harbor in any weather, is already
needed at Superior, and the COM
mcrce of the port is large enough to
justify a demand that Congress should
provide Tor its construction. 1t is an
expensive work to undertake and it is
not to be expected the general gov
ernment will provide three break
waters for the one harbor-one at the
natural entrance, one at the canal
which Jay Cooke ana his associates
caused to be cut for Duluth, aud an
other at the canal which the st. Louis
Bay spectators would have cut for
them. II there are three entrances
the government viii neglect ore or
two or require one or two to be closed
(1he Duluth entrance does not be
long to the government. 1t belongs
1t is said, TO the city OF Duluth, which
intends to turn the stolen property over
to the govesnment If the government
Will accept it.) For the construction of
breakwater the same forces of nature
which locat,d the natural entrance
have provided an unchanging found
alton in moderate depth Of water
about three quarters of Il mile from
the hight house. Elsewhere, ut the
Duluth entrance and opposite the pro-
posed middle entrance, the bottom and
the depth Of water are unfayorable,
and at either Of these places the cost
OF an outside harbor Of refuge wonld
be double what it would cost to pro-
vide one outside the natural entrance.
The only place, then, for perfecting a
harbor entrance is at the natural
entrance, and the only change which
could wisely he mode for bene-
fit of all the harbor would lie to re-
turn strictly to natures plan by clos
ing the Duluth canal. 1t can be no
satisfaction to those who care for the
common interests involved. to believe
that 3 new canal will result, as the
Duluth canal has resulted, in disap-
pointment to those who projected it
without adequate estimate OF future
needs, or that it will damage seriously
some Of the interests it was intended
TO serve. To the friends Of Superior
we say again that nature planned and
made this harbor better than man can
plan it. To save the government
from waste Of millions and to prevent
injury to all interests involved, demand
of Congress protection for the natural
harbor, that it continue and press to
completion the construction Of perman
ent piers at the entrance, and that it
provide for the construction Of 4 break
water for the outside harbor of refuge.
Let private, corporate and speculative
interests take care Of themselves; they
can do it without government help;
the public and common interest Is
allied to the natural harbor and lis
natural entrance.