The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-05-07
THE MANCHESTER CANAL
Mr.. Hale Explaines Som sthinZ About
it to the Board Of Trade.

| MIR. Hale Explaines Something About
it to the Board Of Trade.
Hon. E. J. Hale, the American represen-
tative Of the Manchester Ship Canal Com
panY of Manchester, England, addressed the
board Of trade yesterday afternoon at 4
/ o'clock upon the enterprise ami its prob
able effects upon commerce. The address
/ was upon the same line as the description Of
/ the canal given a MORNING NEWS reporter
+ by Mr.. Hale and published yesterday.
Mr.. Hale was introduced by Capt. d. @.
! Purse, president OF the board of trade. Mr..
/ Hale gave an idea Of the magnitude OF the
enterprise and its importance to the COM
! merclal world. he said that there is a
/ matter Of sentiment as well as Of material
! interest in Savannah's relation to the enter
/ prise of the city Of Manchester, the center
/ of the cotton manufacturing in-
| dustry of England. The plantation Of Mrs.
1 Gen. Greene, a few miles from Savannah,
/ as was well Known, was the scene OF the
/ invention Of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney,
/ which made possible the great cotton grow
/ ing and manufacturing industry OF the
world. Further, Savannah is the port from
| which the first steamship, tie Savannah,
sailed, and that steamship carried the first
consignment OF cotton wool ever shipped
to England from this country. This is a
matter of interest, now that the great ocean
steamers carry bales Of cotton by
millions from the southern seaports Mr.
Hale suggested that it might be appropriate
that the first shipment OF cotton over the
Manchester ship canal should also be from
Savannah
The object of thu canal, Mr.. Eale said, is
to establish direct communication between
the shippers and the manufacturers with
out the intervention of the RAILWAYS and
the necessity of breaking bulk and trans
porting from Liverpool. The result will be
90 cause direct shipments TO Manchester.
He SAID it is estimated that this will result
IN saving OF 90 per cent. of the present
charges between Liverpool and Manchester
Mr.. Hale gave the folloeing table rates
now existing between Liverpool and Man
chester upon staple articles: Cotton per
ton los 81, wool per ton l6s cd, lJaf sugar
per ton lis lid, unrefined sugar per ton
Us I'd, bacon and hams per ton lbs, tea per
ton lSs "a, wheat. in sacks, per ton 9s lid,
fruit per ton lbs, petroleum per ton 14s sd,
tallow per ton lbs Cd, iron ore per ton Is lid,
timber per ton 9s sd, timed meats lis sd.
The rates were recently reduced on account
OF the prospective completion Of the canal
The number Of bales of cotton which it is
expected will use this canal as a means OF
transportation is between 2,50O,0 900 and
5000, 900, and about 100000 tons Of other
exports from this country will go through It.
Mr.. Hale said the question is not whether
this canal will DO built as that is already
assured, nor is it @ question
with the shippers of this and
other counties whether the canal
will prove profitable undertaking, The
ques ion with them simply is will 1t be to
their advantage to use it, aud his object is
simply TO call their attention to the question,
that they may have time TO consider it be-
fore the canal Is open.
1t matters little whether the shippers of
this country continue 60 deal with the houses
with which they have had long acauaint-
ance ia Liverpool. or with new houses at
Manchester, as the cotton can be consigned
to Manchester through the Liverpool buy
ers as readily as If consigned to firms at
Manchester.
Mr.. Halls address was received with close
attention by those who heard it. He gave
q MORNING NEWS reporter some interesting
facts i'll connection with the engineering
difficulties Of the enterprise. The canal runs
through thiokly populated country and
It's line is crossed by number of railways
1t was necessary in every instance to
bridge the canal for these RAILWAYS
at hight above the canal sufficient to al.
low the passage of the largest vessels,
1t being necessary in some instances to begin
the work of raising the railway tracks at O
distance of two miles from the canal This
was done at an immense expense The
greatest feat of engineering ACCOMPLISHED in
we oullulhR OF tne canal was the crossing
under a smaller canal The Bridgewater
canal intersects the ship canal. a crossing
was effected by means Of an immense cylin-
drical iron canal lock resting upon a huge
pivot in the center of the ship canal. con
Meeting with the adjoining locks OF the
Bridgewater canal on each bank Of the ship
canal. This lock is fitted with heavy, water
tight sluice gates at each end. The whole is
operated by hydraulic machinery. When
ship arrives in the ship canal at this lock the
ment of a lever swings the lock out at right
angles with It's former position, similar to
the movable section of drawbridge. The
powerful machinery is so perfect that the
strength OF child is sufficient TO operate it.
MIR. Hale will remain in Savannah few
days longer. and will 60 from here to
Charleston.
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