New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1892-04-06
FAvORS "a CANAL
To Connect the Great Lakes with ST.
Paul.

-
st. Paul, MINI. Special, Telegram.
At the chamber of commerce meeting
yesterday morning report was received
tromthecommittee on Mississippi river rela-
tive to the proposed canal between Lake SUI.
perior and the Mississippi at the Twin
Cities. The committee consists of C. G..
Andrews, III. s. Fairchild, w. A. Somers,
David Day and E. ]. Hodgson. The report
read as follows:
On the I'd day Of December last this chamber
adopted resolutions requesting the Minnesota
senators ard our representative in congress to
use their efforts for an appropriation for q
thoronsh survey to determine what, II any.
for barges and vessels that could navigate the
lakes, exists to Unite Lake Superior with the
Mississippi river at the Twin Cities. AS reasons
for such a survey the following facts may be
stated:
III 1875 the legislature OF Minnesota appro-
priated 81, 900 for q survey for q canal to con-
meet Lake Superior with the st. Croix river, and
Messrs. i. *. Stannard OF Taylors Falls and
r. r. Davis OF Saltwater. as commissioners, the
same year, with their assistants, made q partial
survey OF several routes. Their report was
transmitted to the legislature by Gov. c. K.
Davis and was printed. Their report did not
determine which route as the most practical
BILE, but gives the impression that several routes
are practicable. II q canal between Lake SUI
perior and the st. Croix should prove practical
BILE it is supposed that the latter river to Its
mouth and the Mississippi thence to the Twin
Cities would be improved to the same capacity
as the canal. canal thus uniting our greatest
lake system with our grea test river system would
be emphatically q national Improvement. and
ought to be undertaken by congress rather than
by any separa te state.
During the season Of 1891 the rate OF trans.
| portation of hard coal by railroad from Buffalo
TO Chicago was 81. 70 per ton, and from Chicago
to Sc. Paul and Minneapolis, 50. so per ton; to-
| tai. $4.28. BY water the rate from Buffalo to
Duluth was 40 cents per ton: dockage at Du-
luth, SO cents per ton, and from Duluth to St.
Paul L. and Minneapolis ne BY railway $50 miles),
A THROUGH WATER ROUTE
| to the two cities mentioned. they would save a
million dollars q year in freight charges on the
] single item OF coal.
| The Miami canal from Toledo to CINCINNATI
| is, with its feeders, 282 miles long, and. like
many other canals in our country, has proved
ofimmense benefit in regulating and cheapen-
4 lug transportation. One of Fits incidental bene-
i fits is that the water power furnished by its
has
has eighty eight counties, yet the twenty-seyen
counties crossed by the canal comprise more
| than half the wealth of the state. 1t is some
/ times suggested TINT railroad companies would
/ be likely to oppose this canal protect, but such
/ a view is very short-sighted, because the in
creased manufacturing and industrial develop
l ment 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 extend
| from her harbor to the interior cities. On the
contrary these canals have greatly increased
! her trade and wealth. Witness, for example,
1 the celebrated Liverpool and Leeds canal which
has made the latter interior city phenomenon
1 anelevation above the harbor Of Liverpool of
! 4s3 feet or about as much as can be expected
! on the canal proposed. These and many other
facts and reasons justify this community in de-
manding the above mentioned survey; and it is
! desirable that our senator's and representatives
i'll congress be impressed with the deep interest
I felt here i'll the subject.
Resolved. That the president communicate q
copy of the foregoing to Senators Davis and
! Washburn and Representative Castle as express
| sive OF the views of this chamber.
| The report was adopted with the request
from the chamber that the newspapers pubs
| lish it in full.