The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-07-13

VIEW OF COFFEE DAM AND MOLES.
nibited plans Of the proposed railway. The
plans were burned in the great fire of 1877,
and for ten years the scheme was buried
1t was resurrected by Sir Charles Upper
Mr.. Ketchum made surveys at his own ex-
pense, and applied to parliament for char
ter and a subsidy. The application was re
ferred to Chief Engineer Schrieber, and he
reported:
1. The project is one quite practicable of e1ecu-
ton.
2 The ship railway as proposed would be a
good substitute for the canal originally contem-
plated
g. The advantage in respect 30 cost as compared
with that OF a canal would be greatly in favor Of
the ship railway, the cost of half tide canal be-
ing calculated by the government engineers at
from SIS $4,000 to SS317, SO, whereas the subsidy
asked for by the company namely Of $4,000 for
twenty-five years, if capitalized at per cent,
would he equal to the sum of s., 34S,3I2 only.
While on a visit to the Canadian prov
inces recently was DESTROYS of seeing the
marine railway works for myself, and so
proceeded to the Bay Of Fundy terminus
at Port Lawrence, which in passing | may
say is famous in Acadian history as the
scene of the first permanent settlement OF
Europeans, made by the French in the
early part of 1900. There l found several
hundred men laboring upon the excava-
tons and preliminary works. Sir Benja-
min Baker estimates that steamers passing
from the St. Lawrence to St John, Y. B.,
via the straits of Canso viii save about 500
miles, and from 800 miles upward to Port
land, Boston, etc, so that in many cases
steamers should be able to make two trips
where now only one can be made. Large
II.
through the straits of Canso without wait
ing for favorable winds, and which have
in consequence to pass around Cape Bre-
ton, will save 200 miles
Such a saving is of special Importance to
vessels with perishable cargoes, such as
vegetables, fresh fish, etc, and it naturally
follows that there viii be a saving in ma
rine insurance premiums, rates from Bos-
ton to ports in the Gulf of st. Lawrence
being about double those to the Bay of
Fundy, owing to increased risk of naviga-
ton around Nova Scotia and Cape Breton;
a longer navigation season by some three
weeks. owing to saving the passage of the
Straits of Canso, and less demand for
strength. so that vessels which are adapt
ed only for inland waters win be able to
continue their course with safety from the
St. Lawrence and even the western lakes
to St. John. y. B., Portland and Boston or
vice versa, thus opening q new channel of
trade.
This marine railway company obtained
incorporation from parliament in 1882, and
the same year was granted a subsidy of
$50. 600 for twenty-five years in aid OF the
work. Nothing was done until 1885, when
an order in council was passed authorizing
entry into agreement with the company,
subject TO the approval OF parliament, and
such approval was obtained in March, 1856.
Under its terms the subsidy was 10 be
Sl7o.O year for twenty years. or such
portion of Il rs would bring the net earn
ings up To per cent. on the authorized
share and bond capital of the company.
Should the earnings exceed : per cent
one-half of such surplus Is to be paid the
government until the repayment Of the
subsidy is made. Surely this was tempt
ing enough TO any capitalist per cent.
guaranteed upon an ostensible capital OF
$500. eco, though up TO this date no one
has been able TO learn the exact or even
probable cost of the undertaking.
The novel part of the scheme, Of course,
Is not the mere lifting out of water and
moving for q short distance OF ships, but
She transporting Of them for miles at some
tolerably high speed, say ten miles per
hour, from one body of water TO another.
The possibility of such feat being success
fully accomplished has been much dis
puted, but it bids fair now to be put 10 a
practical test. Work has been progress
ing very favorably, and already the larger
portion of the excavations and gradings
has been COMPLETED The two terminal