Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1892-10-06
Bay by ship canal as it would take for

NV p"ho Vc5Sel W sail around by the
long route. The difference in time
would be very trifing. The following
extract from London Engineering fol
Feb. /, 1884, discussing the effect OF
navigation in a confined waterway, gives
scientific confirmation to our statement:
IL Is a universally recognized fact that
vessels steer better, are more easily
propelled, and are altogether more man
ageable when moving through a capa.
cious waterway. The vessel in motion
mas to be forced through the water, and
the particles are pressed one against the
other and in confined spaces against the
bottom and the sides. Thus a great
friction Is kept up, which reacts against
the null, deadens her speed, and at the
same time prevents an equitable flow of
water to her rudder, and, in the case of
screw, to the propeller also, and as a
consequence the vessel becomes I'M
manageable.
When craft going at even moderate
speed smells the bottom, as the term
ls-she probably ends in running ashore
athWart the navigation"
Fast Time Impossible.
In the Welland Canal the speed is one
mile per hour and the same in the North
Holland ship canal to the port of Am
sterdam. In the Suez canal, the most
important canal in the world, the time
TO pass through 100 miles is fifty hours.
or rate OF two miles per hour with
about fifteen miles of this distance
through open lakes. The speed by reg
ulation Is limited to five miles, but at
this speed vessels run aground.
Then again there is the relative cost
roi lttyav u l. L
sidered, with the odds far in favor of the
former. The Welland canal which is
only twenty six and three quarter
miles; cost the government, in round
numbers, S24, 200. A ship canal
from the Georgian Bay to Lake Ontario
would cost at the very least double this
sum, and the water on the meter stills is
only fourteen feet deep. To increase
this depth to twenty feet would cost al
most as much more. Compare with this
the cost of ship railway, which is fixed
by Mr.. Corthell at S15,459, 319.O9. A
ship railway can bring vessel easily
at the rate of ten miles an hour, or from
end to end Of the ship railway in about
seven hours. Mr. Corthell has compiled
very interesting statistical table,
which was given in his address before
the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers
IN 1891. The sailing distance from Chi
cage to Montreal by the Ontario Ship
hallway is l,001 miles as against the
distance by the Welland canal 1853
miles, saving of 1852 miles. The sail
ing time from Chicago to Montreal by
the Welland canal is 1858 hours, via
the Ontario Ship railway SO. Ii hours, or
a saving OF thirty-three hours. The
estimated cost per ton over the ship
railway is three and four tenth miles
per ton per mile. This includes the
cost OF operation Of the ship railway
and per cent. on the cost of construc-
ton. The cost per mile from Chicago
to Liverpool by the Ontario Ship Rail-
way Is estimated at 1913, by the We'll
land canal 1897, by rail to
Montreal 1925; by rail to New York
S6.74. The distance by the Ontario
Ship Railway, 4,22G miles, and time
3IS.47 hours; by the Welland canal, A.
4SS miles, and time 1861 hours; by
rail TO New York, 1853 miles, and 337 80
hours; by Montreal, 1902 miles, and
32o.32 hours. All the considerations Of
cost OF construction, cost of operation
and speed show in favor of the Ontario
Ship Railway project, as compared with
ship canal or with any proposed route.
1t remains now but to give a descrip-
ton of the principle upon which the
road is to be constructed and the method
of transit.
The Old Canoe Portage.
The principle of q ship railway is no
new one. 1t was practiced from time
lmmemorial. The cane portage is a
ship railway in embryo. Larger yes
sells have been hauled at various times
overland. -Four hundred years before
Christ the Athenians transported their
galleys over the lsthmus of Corinth.
Charles XII. of Sweden in 1913 trans
ported some vessels fourteen miles by
rolling machines at the siege of Fred
erickshall. Large ships are hauled out
of the water every day by means OF
marine railways. Now this is how the
Ontario Ship Railway is to be built, as
described by Mr.. Corthell himself: At
each end OF. the railway basin will be
excavated to admit the vessels to the
lifting dock, which will be constructed
of steel plates with substantial bulk
heads in each direction, and will
be about four hundred and fifty
feet long, seventy-five feet wide,
and from twelve to fifteen
feet deep, and capable of raising
vessels from six to seven thousand tons
weight. One of the objections that are
continually urged against lifting loaded
vessels is the fact that they would bring
upon the carriage or car unequal
weights. One of the special designs of
the dock is an appliance for equalizing
the weight of the vessel and stributing
1t perfectly over the whole area of the
carriage which Transports it. The dis
tribution Of weight is effected by sys-
TEN of hydraulic rams or presses. The
rams are situated on deck placed
about six feet below the upper deck or
pontoon. They are arranged so that
there will be the same area of pressure
on every cross line. These cross lines
are spaced six feet seven inches apart,
and the number in each line corre-
spends to its position under the
vessel; those under the midship sec
ton of the vessel having seven rams;
those nearer the bow or stern five
and then three rams; while under the
bow and stern the whole supporting
area is concentrated in one ram. These
rams are also arranged in seven longi-
tudinal lines, one, composed OF the most
powerful rams, under the keel and one
on each side under the bottom, bilges
and sides OF the vessel. These rams,
1870 to 1850 in number are all connected