Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-25
THE WORLDS CANALS
Give Evidence That the Lake Erie
Water Course Would Pay.
RAILROADS. CANNOT Do THE WORK
The Advantages of European Water Chan.
.nels Plainly Shown.
FIGURES TELL THE WHOLE SECRET
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH,

the Holstein, was undertaken with the pre-
tense of accommodating so great an aggre-
gate of tonnage of freight as is now annu-
ally transported by rail between the several
Lake Erie ports and the Pittsburg, Shenango
and Mahoning furnace district.
Many of them were constructed to benefit
commerce merely by shortening the dis
tance, or the sailing time of vessels, or to
avoid the dangers existing at some seasons
in navigating around cerain capes or penin-
sulas, of which we have types in this coun-
try in the projected Cape Cod, the Delaware
and Chesapeake and the Florida Ship
Canal.
The Ship Canals of Europe.
A few ship canals have been undertaken
in Europe for the benefit of single cities
while number more of these are in progress
or contemplated. Not one of them. however,
possess the advantages claimed for the pro-
jected Lake Erie and Ohio River canal, viz.
A connection of two distinct and previously
separated systems of navigation, and the
Lake Erie Canal does this, it may be paren-
thetically added, where two such great sys-
TENS approach each other at the nearest
point, the same point also where the inter-
change of traffic between them is many
times greater than anywhere else along our
rivers and lake coast lines.
So overwhelming is the call for grand
water connection in this region that it forces
the conviction that where the inducements
only half as great as they are-any of the
European Governments-even those which
own and control the railroads; would con-
struct it, if similar conditions existed in
their own territories
The Stories of the Canals.
In this connection statement in regard
to some of the larger European canals may
be interesting. The Languedoc Canal
(Canal du MidD France, extends from
Bordeaux on the Bay of Biscay to Cette on
the Mediterranean Sea; length, 140 miles;
summit, 610 feet above the sea; depth, 6 feet
Z inches; 1l9 locks; cost, S7,2OO,0OO. This
canal passes boats OF about 300 tons capacity,
whereas the Lake Erie and Ohio River
Canal as projected would have a capacity
for steamers carrying from 1900 to 1000 tons
and for barges of almost unlimited capacity.
The lockage on the Languedoc is 461 feet
in excess and the number of its locks al
most "a times as great as those proposed for
the Lake Erie and Ohio Canal, yet notwith-
standing the physical drawbacks Of excessive
lockage and comparatively small size, 1t
does a great business in active competition
with railroads. Its present capacity is
about that Of the Erie Canal of New York,
bu. it is now proposed to expend $13O,0OO,-
900 upon an enlargement and lowering its
summit by great cut 1853 feet deep, but
even then it would still have 135 feet more
lockage than the Lake Erie and Ohio Canal.
One Of the chief arguments for the proposed
enlargement is the saving 1t would afford for
sea-going vessels of the 700 miles extra in
passing around Spain via Gibraltar.
Famous Scotch Water Course.
The Caledonian Canal, crossing the High
lands of Scotland, between Inverness Firth
and Lochiel: Length, 60 miles, So of
which are through a chain of lakes. Summit
100 feet above sea, % locks, 170x40 feet;
available depth, II feet; cost, $4,000, 000
On the Lake Erie and Ohio Canal, there
will he so locks, size 315x45 feet; total lock-
age, 759 feet; depth, Is feet; available Tor
IA feet.
North Holland Canal, Zuyder Zee to
50 miles; double tide locks at
each end; 237x51 and S2x1S15 feet each;
depth, 20 feet, but canal only so feet wide
on the bottom, just halt the bottom width of
the Lake Erie and Ohio Canal as proposed.
The Holland canal was finished in 1926 at
cost of s5, OO0, 900.
Through Sweden to the Sea.
Gotta Canal, crossing Sweden North Sea
to Stockholm Summit 800 feet above sea-
total lockage 600 feet Length 300 miles, of
which by far the greater part is through a
series OF small lakes. In all there are rs
locks-or 26 more locks than on the pro-
the total lift is less on the Gota). Depth of
canal 10 feet-bottom width 46 feet. Five
years ago 10, 900 vessels per annum were
passed through this canal, as per statement
of R. E. Peary in his paper on ship canals,
August, 1889, Trans-American Society of
Civil Engineers. On the Lake Erie and
Ohio Canal the least navigable period, or
season of coolest or longest winters will be
IA DAYS. so that % vessels each way daily
would amount to about 10, 900 vessels for the
season.
1t would be quite modest to assume the
average cargo in such a canal at 1000 tons
our ordinary coalboats on the Ohio carry
| 900 tons of coaI-which would make 10,-
BOO, 900 tons per annum. The ultimate
of such a canal, even with single |
locks is not less than %, 900 tons. But that |
such numbers of vessels will pass through |
rs locks on the Swedish canal in order to |
save sailing around the country, is con-
Vincing evidence of the practical utility Of
the work.
Tide Locks In Holland.
Amsterdam CanaI-Crossing Holland to |
The North Sea, tide locks 390x60 feet and |
227x40 feet, length 15L miles, bottom width |
of canal 8S13 feet, depth % feet. 1t was
mostly dredged work, great portion of |
which was removed for 4 cents per cubic |
yard, q, 900, 900 cubic yards in all excavated.
Total cost of work, $15, 900, 900. Amsterdam |
was driven to this work by the rivalry of |
Rotterdam and Antwerp in taking its BUSH |
1ess, and that the canal proved great sue
less we may judge from the statement that |
700 vessels large and small were passed |
through its large double locks; many vessels |
we're possibly locked together on this holi-
Law occasion. The work was commenced in |
1868 and completed in 1876. 1t is crossed |
,y two railways and one road on swing |
bridges.
ST. Petersburg Canal-Length, Is miles; |
iepth % feet; 5000 cubic yards of material
,xcavated in making this grand approach |
rom .Cronstadt to the capital or 90 000, 900 |
cubic yards more than is required in the ex-
,ayation of the entire Lake Erie and Ohio |
,anal between Pittsburg and Couneaut mar
DOR, distance of 126 miles. This Russian
,anal was built during the years 1873 to
1884
Clients Short Cut to the Sea.
Gheuy Teruenzen Canal-21 miles long;
to save 105 miles distance lost |
" the river Scheldt from Ghent to the sea.
Il was a very ancient work, but enlarged in
1927 to its present depth of 20 feet, with bot
ON width of 56 feet.
There are many canals in Europe besides
hose here given. In France alone there are
more than 60 distinct lines of canals, afford
ng navigable length OF {, 900 miles, besides
53 rivers which have been made navigable
,y means of locks and dams. with an aggre-