New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-17

{. .A l. .otor tbrongb the Suez Canal IN year, one
bens n get some idea of the magnitude of the lake
carrying trade. At various times these facts nave
been presented to Congress in the hope that
tions would be made to deepen some oil the haEoors
and to widen some Of the channels that connect the
,.hes In varous places between Buffalo and Duluth
the shps have 10 70 through channels so narrow mat
only the most sksu pilots with the clearest eyes ana
the seadiest nerves, allowed at the wheel ii Coh
gross had been more liberal In the Appropriations i'r
this part Of the country, there IS little DOUBT puu s
the carving trade would be nearly double WHAT
II Is The improvements that have been made nave
come slowly and after the hardest kind of work to get
aid from the Government. For what mas oeeh uone
so far the shippers are thankful, but more must DC
done IN the direction of dredging and eXcavaung oelore
The lake men will be satisfied that the lakes are sppre
ciated at their proper value
The 500 lock is one of the largest works OF the
kind ever built Between the big gates thero Is sp'o
Of 500 feet From wall 10 wall on each SIDE 'iH us
lance Is eighty feet At the gates the lock Is 'lAy
feet wide The present lock has depth oil water Vi
dfeen feet three inches When 1t was hrst o'lt ''io
lock was much smaller than It is now. Inc con'tan,
and rand growth of business on the lakes compeeu
the extension Of the lock It's present proportions ms
uas done in l56l Now it will hold from three u iour
lake steamers The average lake steamer Is not Iuon
over 200 feet long, because oil the many '"o' ",N
usdon turns that the steamers forced to take 70
get through some OF the channels. longer O'a'
would soon be aground. For the same reason the Oo"
are made narrow, and on account oil the numerous
shallow places In the channels do not as general
thing draw more than thirteen feet Of water. Large
as the nresent lock is, It was found some years ago
~ he entirely 100 small 10 keep pare with the rapu
increase In the lake traffic. An loe1 Oh "'e
amount Of shipping on the lakes can DC niu
from the figures at the Office Of the engineers here IN
regard 10 the delay OF last summer when one OF inc
KEYS was broken Then the lock was closed TOT
three DAYS At that time there were in Lake superior
above the lock l53 ships waiting to come down. ana
nearly the same number were in the river below walt
inc IN 20 ND II was estimated at that time that the
vape Of the shipping above the lock was S3OOOO'OOO'
while the estimated value Of the cargoes carried was
s1OOOOOOO The delay caused loss OF over Sl'ooo'-
900 to the owners Of goods and TO the steamship COM
panies.
After much hard fighting Congress finally listened
10 the appeal of the steamship and provided for
the construction Of lock, which Is building Hght
alongside the present one. The new lock VIII oo9'
oLout ~ 100000 before II is completed Work upon
II was begun four five years ago, but congress
has not made appropriations fast enough to keep the
work OF construction going on rapidly as 1t might
When il Is completed this Will be large as any locA
IN the world. Since the work begun the Canaulal
Government has started one similar SCALE anu
the two locks will be completed about inc
same time The Canadian lock is on the
opposite side Of the river from here. The Canadians
hope that when they have their lock the YANKEES
will lose much Of the business. Most Of the smPs
that ply the lakes are owned by United states COM
panes, and there will be but small loss Wheh inc
Canadians have their own lock. AT the outset
was intended 10 build the new lock only 7Oo lee'
long but the work had not been begun long before
IL was that a larger structure ought TO be bp'
10 keep pace with the growth Of shipping. Theh II
Was decided 10 make the new lock LOO feet long,
Al the gates II will be 30 feet wide, and oet"eeh
the walls inside of the lock there viii be spdoc
NJ 100 feet. The lock viii hold from ten TO hiVech
vessels. Hughes Brothers Bangs, firm OF oSrf
cuse contractors. are doing the stOnework. IL wiz
take three years for the firm 10 do this work. Inc
contract calls for the completion OF their part Oh IL
by November L. 1903. The amount Of money tua'
this firm will be paid for doing It's share OF tho
construction Is ~ .2O5 500. This was the lowest
among a large number Of bids made by some OF the
e.tkuOwn contractors In the country. IL Is esu
mated that II will take $4,000 barrels OF Portland
cement 900 barrels OF natural cement, 10000 CUBIC
vards Of stone $1,000 cubic yards Of backing ana
10000 cubic yards OF earth filing. The stone Tor
the face Of the lock is Quarred Keliys Island IN
lake Erie and from there II is carried 10 the 500
nv boat, distance Of 400 miles.
only n short distance beIow tho lock stand u'e