The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-09-06

An ambitious enterprise Is under discuss
sion IN Canada for the construction OF am
other transcontlnenta railroad. On the
Pacific coast its terminus would be at Port
Simpson, near the southernmost point OF
Alaska, and Oh the Atlantic. or. rather. on
Hudson Bay at Fort Churchill. The pro.
posed road is styled the Peace River and
Hudson Bay Railway, and tho project Is not
merely u renewal OF the one mooted half
dozen years ago. since instead OF proceed
ing as in that plan, northeast from Winni-
peg to Fort Churchill or else to the mouth
of Nelson River. length Of about 700
miles. the road is to go more than
double that distance eastward from
the Pacific coast. This later enterprise is
accordingly the more audacious OF the two.
its route traversing far greater space Of
uninhabited and bleak country, with still
smaller amount Of local business to rely
upon 1t also does not rest upon the main
consideration OF the earlier scheme, which
was that OF furnishing shorter route to
Europe for the crops Of Manitoba and the
Saskatchewan region, rs well as OF northern
Minnesota aud Dakota.
AS an Offset the new road proposes short
er route from Yokohama to Liverpool across
our continent. Port Simpson, say the pro-
jectors, lying GOD miles north OF Vancouver.
has u fine harbor, where the expenses of
tonnage charged upon vessels going to VAN
couver or Seattle would not be incurred.
The distance by rail from Port Simpson to
Fort Churchill is only 1,450 miles, and the
total distance from Japan to England would
be very much shorter than by any other
route across this continent. Perhaps II this
railroad We're built, the road from Winnipeg
to Fort Churchill would follow.
1t must be obvious. however, that the
building and maintenance OF 1,45o miles OF
railway in TINT region Is not quite the same
as building and running the same length OF
limo in lower latitude. Besides. the great
problem Is that OF the navigabillty OF Hud-
son Bay and Straits. Seven years ago the
Dominion Government appropriated $4,000
for the purpose of finding out whether these
waters could be relied upon rs an outlet for
the grain products OF the Northwest. An
observation party was sent out in the
steamer Neptune. and six groups, OF three
men each, were stationed along the bay and
straits, the Neptune then returning. Tho
next year the Alert, an Arctic steamer which
had been engaged In the GREELY search
expedition, was sent to relieve these sta
tons. 10 establish new Ones and to
gather information. But sho was caught in
tho leo ut the entrance OF the straits on
juno H. got out on July 4. WAS again JAM
med and damaged. and on July had to re-
turn to st. Johns. In second attempt she
was more Fortunate and brought hack tho
observers.
n mi nj, l,,v %l,~
the Neptune aud tho Alert and the observ.
crS ut the stations wore that the average
temperature Ut the region was much lower
than had been supposed; that tho leo con.
di:!ons varied SO much from year to year
that navisators must often take tho Ice as
they found 1t and drift along In winding
courses; that ut the utmost the strait was
navigable during only four months OF tho
year, while the Alert. as has been noted.
could not even enter 1t as late as tho first
week In July. Whether under such clrcum-
stances capital eau DO found to build road
which could not have an enormously boun-
titul and lucrative local tratIlc in those re.
glons. and would depend for its through
route to Europe on such waters. is u matter
OF considerable doubt.
Hudson Bay. n great inland sea, n thou.
sand miles long by more than half that
width Is itself, rs shown by two centuries
Of experience with merchant vessels, sulll-
GENTLY navisablc. Churchill on the west
shore. has good harbor and Is therefore
preferable TO Port Nelson as terminus
even for railroad from Winnipeg, although
Port Nelson Is about fifty miles nearer,
But tho question Is as 10 whethe. the straits
could bc counted upon to remain open long
enough each summer to got out the crops.
Tho wheat growers OF Manitoba and tho al
joining regions both In the Dominion and
the United States might like to save from
800 to 1000 miles Of rail transportation to
Europe, yet would hardly like to risk having
a vessel laden with their grain blocked in
the Ice. The same difficulty would occur in
the new project OF accommodating trade
with Asia by ral!roal from Peace
River 10 Hudson Bay, Independently OF
tI" fact that tn, Canadian Paci q
already exists and l., in operation,
to say nothing OF tho American railroads.
The New bedford wlalers can take their own
time for getting in and out OF tho straits,
and the vessels OF tho Hudson Bay Com
pnny. which for generations have visited
their factories scattered OH its shores, can
take care no, to be found In tho sea later
tllnn September. But this is quito differ
ent matter from establishing a regular COM
mercial route, the use OF which would
certainly be limitod to between one-third
and one-foarth OF each year. The railroad !