Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-17
PLEASED WITH QUAY.
The Canal Commission Glad the Prof.
ect Is Before Congress.
A MEETING HELD In PITTSBURG.
Col. I, P. Roberts Chosen Delegate to the
Waterways Convention.
IMPORTANT PLANS TO BIZ CONSIDERED

The Canal Commission met Yesterday and
appointed Colonel Thomas P. Roberts 10
represent it at the deep waterway conven-
tion, which conyenes at Detroit to-day.
The Colonel left for the Lake City last even
ing. 1t was q lonely little crowd that gath
cred at the meeting but quorum was present
Engineer Goodwin. of Sharpsville, is dead,
and Captain John A. Wood is sick in New
Orleans. Secretary Eben Brewer, of Erie,
ex-Congressman W. S. Shallenberger, of
Rochester, and Colonel Roberts attended to
the business. Resolutions of respect in
honor of Mr. Goodwin were adopted some
time ago. This was the first meeting held
since his death.
Colonel. Roberts said they had several un-
important matters to dispose of, but the
main thing was appointing a delegate
10 the Detroit convention. The three
Commissioners were pleased that the canal
scheme had finally been brought to the
attention of the Senate through Senator
Quay's bill.
The Route Should Be Designated.
Colonel Roberts had read THE DISPATCH
accounts. and they stated that the proposed
with the Ohio river without naming the
points. He hoped that the surveyed route
was outlined in the bill. so that the Gov
ernment engineers wouldn't nave 10 chase
all over the country to locate it. The river
men did not prepare the measure, and it is
supposed that Senator Quay wrote the bill
himself Mr.. QUAY is in close touch with
the river people, and is very much interest
ed in the ship canal
The waterway convention at Detroit
will be very important. Inland navigators
from many places are expected. Colonel
Roberts attended the meeting recently held
at Evansville, and he Wa, surprised to see
such large crowd Of rirermen on hand,
who took an active part in the discussions.
In speaking of the Detroit meeting,
Colonel Roberts said: Nearly every vessel
that passes through the Detroit and st.
Clair rivers from Lake Erie to Lake Huron
has its keel scraped on account of shallow
water. The boats must either take a small
cargo for this obstruction, or they are built
for light draught. The object of the meet
ing is TO discuss means OF deepening this
channel
Improvements Already Made.
''The Government has already spent sew
eral million. dredging the Detroit river and
st Lawrence flats The water originally
was IA feet deep, but it was made 16. The
lake navigators want depth of u feet, and
they ought TO have it. People have no idea
of the eSteEt of the internal COM
mcrce on the lakes 1t is larger
than the Atlantic coast-wise t1ade.
No wonder it makes me tired when
L see men turning up their noses at canals
They don't know what they are talking
about Why, 10000 vessels annually pass
hp Loft ORC
scheme outlined is to connect the lakes
with the Mississippi and Ohio rivers and
the Atlantic Ocean. People should re-
member there are only two canal projects
before the country at present, one to run
from Chicago across Illinois to the Missis-
sippi, known as the Hennepin, and the
Erie waterway from Pittsburg
Another thing that lake navigators want,
and the time is coming when it will he |
done, Is an outlet to the ocean through New
York. This subject also will be discussed
at the meeting. We now reach salt water
through the st. Lawrence river, but it be-
longs to the Canadians and in the event of
war would be useless.
Plan FavorabIy Considered
Besides the ST. Lawrence doesn't clear
up until late in the spring and too much
time is lost The New York people are
talking of a number of projects, but one
that meets with considerable favor is to
build a canal around Niagara Falls and
run boats down to Oswego, where
they would strike the Erie Canal
going across the State / have !
looked over the ground little, and, while |
this plan avoids distractions in one place, |
it raises them in others Men who under |
stand the Importance of our internal COM |
merce realize that such connection with |
the ocean should be made. The traffic in a |
short time would pay the expense of con-
struction' |
The Colonel said the whaleback boat is |
designed to carry large cargoes with light |
draught The lake nren are doing all they |
can TO get around shallow places, but after |
all plenty of water solves the problem and |
is the cheapest.