St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-12-24
BOOM THE GOOD WORK ON.
Mighty Undertaking for the Prosperity
of the Northwest.
OVER ONE MILLION DOLLARS.
Congress ard the New Lock Required
at the Sault Ste.
Marie.

The question of national appropria-
ton for new lock at Sault Ste. Marie
was considered yesterday by the men,
berS OF the chamber of commerce.
There is no one matter before congress,
or likely to come before that body. tn at
Is of so much Importance to the people
of the Northwest as the matter of ap-
pr0priating sufficient money to enable
the engineers in charge of the work of
building a new lock at Sault Ste. Marie
canal, and deepening the Swallows IN
the great lakes and rivers connecting
them to depth of twenty feet, to COM
plete the work at the earliest possible
date.
The Importance of the cheap water
transportation, via the great lakes, to
the people OF the Northwest, can be
best understood and appreciated when
we consider carefully the saving there
is in it. During the season of naViga-
ton just closed the superintendent of
the canal reports 1929. 1917 tons of coal
have passed through the lock. On this
there was a
SAVING IN FREIGHT
to the people of the Northwest of hot
less than S3,00U,000. as compared with
all-rall transportation from the mines.
This. too, OH basis of freight rates adj
juSted by the railroad companies to
reach as nearly as possible the cheap
water rates, which without doubt are
very much lower than they would be if
we had no water transportation. Of this
S3,000.000 saved between S200,0OO and
$780, of it is saved to the city of st.
Paul and like amount to Minneapolis.
The superintendent of the lock reports
total tonnage of 7,5l6,022 tons having
passed through during the season lust
closed, upon all of which it is fair to
suppose there was like saving. This
saving is on freight carried in vessels
drawing an average of Is feet to Is feet
| 6 inches OF water and carrying maxi
| mum tonnage of 2,206 tons.
The new lock and the improvements
| being made on the shadows connecting
| the great lakes contemplate depth of
| twenty-One feet. This would very soon
INCREASE THE SIZE
| of the vessels to an average carrying
| capacity of from 1900 to 5000 tons,
| which would work a further saving of
! from % TO 80 per cent of the present
rates of freight charged. The engineer
| in charge has asked for 81, 236. 900 for
| continuing the work of charging the
Ste. Marie falls canal, and S500.0O0 for
| Hay lake channel during the coming
| fiscal year, and these sums have been
approved by the chief engineer and Sec
Rotary of war.
These facts were carefully laid before
| the chamber, and the following resOlu-
| ton received unanimous Endorsement:
| Resolved, That our representatives in both
| houses of congress be, and they are hereby
| requested to do everything in their power to
| secure the appropriation of the full amount
| of money asked for by the engineers in
| charge of the Improvements to the set. Marie
! falls canal and the shadows connecting the
! great lakes, and to secure instructions to be
! given the engineers in charge of this work to
| push the work day and night, as far as shall
| be practicable, to the end that the work shall
| be completed at the earliest possible date.
And, further, that the secretary of this
| chamber be requested to send copy of this
| resolution to all the commercial bodies in the
| Northwest. and along the chain of lakes, re-
| guessing them to adopt it. or similar one,
| and forward it to their representatives in con-
| gress, with the request that they use their
! best influence to secure the appropriation
| asked for.
Communications were read calling at
| tention to bills before congress affecting
| st. Paul and district, and asking an ex-
| preston of opinion thereon. The bills
were referred to the executive commit
| tee for action.