Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-01-23
OUR ARTIFICIAL WA
TERWAYS.
RECOMMENDATION THAT THE
CANALS BE ENLARGED.
So That They Can be Used for Naviga-
tion and Better Accommodat
Important Paper BY Chief En-
gineer Bachtel, Ofthe Board
OF Public Works.

The following important matter is
from the annual report Of Chief Engin-
eer Bachtel, of the Board Of Public
Works, which Is now in the hands Of
the printer:
l recommend the enlargement of the
canals of the State. My reasons for the
enlargement ofthe State canals are two:
First. They should be enlarged to
such size that vessels may navigate them
and clear for ports on the Mississippi
river, its tributaries the great lakes, as
well as pass through the Erie canal to
New York City, II desired, carrying the
products Of one part of the country to
that of another. They now perform .
duty of somewhat local character, and
regulate to a certain extent the rates
Of freight. 1t will very readily be seen
how much greater would be the bene-
fits derived from a system of water
transportation that be suffiently extern
sive to embrace the above mentioned
waters.
In addition to this the cost of trans
portation by canals of such size as will
admit barges navigting the great lakes
and caryingS everal hundred tons burdt n
then, would be very greatly reduced, as
compared with the present system of
changing cargo or by transportation by
rail. II such vessels could load at ports
along such canal and discharge the
cargo at its destination in New York,
the difference in cost of transportation
would largely benefit the producer, not
for one year, but the benefit would be
enjoyed each and every year. The in
creased amount of water to meet the
IdonanHa 0f cuah oonol xuonld oroo 70
additional and greatly enlarged water
, powers for manufacturing purposes.
No person can estimate the benefit
derived from the Ohio river by the
states adjoining it-yet the Ohio river
at times becomes too low for naviga-
ton. With each enlarged canal con-
Meeting the great lakes with the Ohio
river it would De a navigable stream
which would have given depth of
water during the entire year, whose
benefit to the State would certainly be
greater than the Ohio river because 1t
. would give benefits without carrying
with it disaster by annual flood and
inundation.
Second. The military necessity Ii
/ based upon the hypothesis that at any
; time in the future war might be de.
, clared between the United States and
= England. For many years England
: has persistently followed plan of en-
8 larging her canals il Canada until she
a has constructed way through the Wei
land Canal that gives depth of four
, teen feet of water and of sufficien
width to accommodate traffic thereon
g In case ofa declaration of war by Eng
land against the United States there il
nothing to prevent her, during inten
4 tionally prolonged negotiations on he
part, previous to such act, to collec
and have on hand in her own water
ID fleet of war vessels that would sud
j. denly appear before unfortifed lax
cites, from Oswego to Duluth, an
~ bring with them all the realities of wal
- cities reduced and merchant vessel
y swept from those waters; and we, 70
10 the time, unable to help ourselves t
prevent it.
IS Our people have kept their attention
=, to sea coast defenses and navy to pre-
> vent any landing of hostile forces fror
d that quarter, while they have shu
= their eyes to the fact that we have
northern water front as well as one O
W the east-and south. During all thi
:, time England has made the best of he
D advantages, and this day holds in he
z own hand the key to the side entranc
of our houses as it were. 1t will mai
ID urally be asked what are we to do abou
~ the case? answer let US provide oul
selves with similar one to preven
the use of hers. Enlarge our canals
"a increase the size of our reservoirs tina
l. small war vessels and torpedo boat
may be kept ready for use in case G
q an emergency. A work of this magni
tude is one that should be undertake
20 by the general government rather tina
l. by the State of Ohio.
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