Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-08-18

Holland ship canal to the port Of AM
sterdam. In the Suez canal, the most
important canal In the world. tho 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
of ship railway and a canal to be con-
sidered, with tho 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, $24,O0O,O0O. A ship canal
from the Georgian Bay to Lake Ontario
would cost at the very least double this
sum, md 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 Sis, 459, 31S.09. 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 complied
very interesting statistical table,
which was given in his address before
the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers
in 1891. The sailing distance from Chi
cago to Montreal by the Ontario Ship
Railway Is l,001 miles as against the
distance by the Welland canal 1853
miles, saving OF 262 miles. The sail
ing time from Chicago to Montreal by
the Welland canal Is 1858 hours, via
the Ontario Ship railway 90. IA hours, or
saving or thirty-three hours. The
estimated cost per ton over the ship
railway Is three and fourteenth miles
per ton per mile. This includes the
cost OF operation Of the ship railway
and per cent. on the cost OF constIuc-
ton. The cost per mile from Chicago
to Liverpool by the Ontario Ship Rail-
way Is estimated at $3.48, by the We'll
land canal 1897, by rail 10
Montreal So. rs; by rail to New York
$6.74. The distance by the Ontario
Ship Railway, 1926 miles, and time
313.47 hours; by the Welland canal. A.
488 miles, and time 1861 hours; by
rail to New York, 1853 miles, and 337 .33
hours; by Montreal, 4,062 miles. and
1913. 80 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
a 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
immemorial. 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 Isthmus OF Corinth.
Charles MI. of Sweden in 171S trans
ported come vessels fourteen miles by
rolling machines at the siege of Fred
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 equallzing
the weight of the vessel and distributing
it perfectly over the whole area of the
carriage which transports 1t. The dis
tribution OF weight is effected by sys-
tenn of hydraulic rams or presses. The
rams are situated on a 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 $50 in number, are all connected.
The, grades. as ascertained from all
available data, will be 33 feet per mile
as a maximum, although on the larger
part Of the route the grades will be IL
feet and IA feet per mile. The summit
to be surmounted is go feet above the
mean level of Lake Ontario.
The streets, public roads, and rail-
roads to be crossed can all be easily
provided for. The material to be moved
Is entirely earth, no rock being found
on the route. The harbor improvements
at the termini will not be expensive.
Starvation Prices Tor Sewing Girls.
A garment called blouse is, / un-
derstand. much affected at present