St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-03-31
SUPERIOR TO ST. PAUL.
How the Distance Can Be Covered
by Canal.

by Canal.
A very important report was laid be-
fore the chamber of commerce yester-
day, in relation to the suggested Lake
Superior-Twin Cities canal. Gen. G.
g. Andrews was chairman of the COM
mittee making the report. the other
members of which were H. S. Fair
child, w. A. Somers and E. J. Hodg-
son. The report reads:
On the I'd day of December last this cham
Der adopted resolutions requesting the Min
nesota senators and our representative in
congress 10 use their efforts for all appropria-
ton for thorough survey TO determine what
if any, practicable line for canal, with
capacity Tor barges and vessels that could
navigate the lakes, exists 10 unite Lake
Superior with the Mississippi river at the
Twin Cities. AS reasons for such survey
the following facts may be stated:
In 1875 the legislature Of Minnesota ap-
propriated $1,000 for survey for canal to
connect Lake Superior with the St. CroiX
river, and Messrs. l.. X. Stannard, of Taylors
Falls, and 4. r. Davis of Saltwater. as COM
missioners, the same year, with their assist
routes. Their report was transmitted to the
legislature by Gov. c. X. Davis and was
printed. Their report did not determine
which route was the most practicable, but
gives Ll6 impression LDdb oSNSTdi
routes are practicable. If canal between
Lake Superior and the ST. Croix should prove
practicable il is supposed that the latter river
to its mouth and the Mississippi thence 10 the
Twin Cities would be improved TO the same
capacity as the canal. canal thus uniting
our greatest lake system with our greatest
river system would be emphatically ma
tional Improvement, and ought 10 be under
taken by congress rather than by any sepa-
rate state.
r. A. IS.
portation of hard coal by railroad from Buff
falo to Chicago was Sl.7S per ton, and from
Chicago to st. Paul and Minneapolis, $50 per
ton; total, S42s. BY water the rate from But
falo to Duluth was 40 cents per ton; dockage
at Duluth, 50 cents per ton. and from Duluth
to st. Paul and Minneapolis, by railway Q50
miles,. Sl.50: total, $40. Were there
through water route to the two cities men
toned, they would save SI,00l000 year in
freight charges on the single item OF coal.
The NJ iami canal from Toledo to Cincin-
natl is, with lis feeders, 2S2 miles long, and,
like m8ly other canals in our country, has
proved OF immense benefit in regulating and
cheapening transportation. One OF its Incl
dental benefits is that the water power fur
nished by It's locks has developed manu-
featuring industry in employing capital of
of over $50 100000 Ohio has Lightweight
coun ties, yet the twenty-seven counties
by the canal comprise more than half the
wealth of the state. 1t is sometimes sug-
likely to oppose this canal project, but such
view is very short-sighted, because the in
creased manufacturing and industrial devel-
opment which the canal would produce
would vastly increase railroad earnings. SO,
also, it is sometimes said that the
lake cities, Duluth and Superior,
would be jealous of such canal.
That also is absurd. The great city of Liver.
pool does not object to the canals which ex-
lend from her harbor to the interior cities.
On the contrary, those canals have greatly
increased her trade and wealth. Witness for
example, the celebrated LiI erpool and Leeds
canal which has made the latter interior city
phenomenon Of manufactures, and which.
by the way, has an elevation above the har-
Dor Of Liverpool of 433 feet or about as much
as can be expected on the canal proposed
These and many other facts and reasons
Justify this community i'll demanding the
aforementioned survey; and it is desirable
that our senators ana representatives in con-
gress be impressed with the deep interest felt
here in the subject.
The chamber resolved to furnish a
copy of the report to Senators Davis
and Washburn and Representative
Castle.