The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-09-10
A wHALEBAcK IN THE sAULT.


rent is no obstacle to the largest vessels.
To circumvent these rapids was the
problem for engineers. The big bend of
the strait is toward the north, that is
toward the Canadian side, making tho
cross cut short on the American side,
but in running the boundary the large
island of ST. Joseph, at the lower end Of
the strait, was given to Canada.
In 1910 congress provided for the pre-
liminary survey. In 1859 a grant Of
75O, 900 acres of land was made to Mich.
igan, out Of the proceeds of which no
canal construction was to be paid TO-, as
it was all in the one state. In 1858 work
on the canal was begun, and though
more than half of it had to be cut through
solid rock it was completed May 10,
1856, and vessels locked through it sue
cessfully. The canal is ~ miles long,
the width of the lock is 80 feet and
its length 515 feet. The commerce
grew so rapidly that the work was
surrendered to the general government
in 1881, and new lock begun, which
will be 800 feet long and 100 feet wide,
with depth of twenty-one feet water
over the inter sill.s
It is surprise to learn that one-eighth
of the water commerce Of the United
States passes through this canal. It's
tonnage far exceeds that Of the Suez
canal, and last May 1 ,72S vessels passed
through it, or more than two for every
hour Of the day and night. When COM
pleted the new lock will have cost about
Sc, 000, 900, and the canal will then be the
greatest ship canal in the world. Though
the lake shipping has grown to such pro-
portions, it is still in its infancy, so to
speak, as the ideal freight route from
the new northwest is through the lakes
to Buffalo and thence by rail to New
York.
In the season an all water route from
Duluth to Montreal and the Atlantic, as
also to Lake Ontario, necessarily lies
through the Welland canal, which cir
cumvents the falls of Niagara, and lies
wholly in Canada. Hence the present
contention. Canada promises to have
also her own canal around the Sault
Sainte Marie, but has not named the
time when it is to be completed. At the
recent conference the Canadian repre-
sentatives proposed an exchange Of privi-
leges between the two countries in the
Welland and st. Lawrence canals and
the Sault canal, but as the American
representatives complained of unjust
determinations against American ship
ping in other respects they declined to
consider the proposition.
Science declares, and experience has SO.
far confirmed it, that the route which
includes the longest water transport and
the shortest rail transport is the success
full one in the end. With their own
canal around the Sault Sainte Mary the
Canadians would have this ideal route
from their far northwest to the Atlantic,
and on return their rail route would
begin at Port Edward, on Lake Sups-
rior, and run thence to British Colum-
bia and the Pacific. To the ordinary
eye not versed in diplomacy, howeves
it looks odd that the mere accident o.
a national boundary between two PEI.
pies so similar should demand two routes
when but one is really necessary.
It cannot be doubted that in numero;-s
cases of cataleptic trancet the apparent
lifeless patient has been acquainted win
all the arrangements being made for hi
interment. Several instances are re-
corded in which, although the body pre-
sented every appearance Of death, tho
patient was conscious of everything go
ing on around him, but absolutely I'M
able to raise limb or in any way COM
municate with those near his bcd.-
1850 rI>'>