The Columbus journal., 1893-11-22
SHORT OCEAN Rours.


a Row Ians PrepsssA Eren lnissra
Havse. EsglasS. - LaheaAse.
Some time ago syndicate Of Eng
liSh capitalists sent . corps Of en-
gineers 70 explore the Labradoe
coast for the purpose of reporting
upon the feasibility Of adopting Tor .
line of steamships the shortest pas
saGe between this country and Great
Britain. Tho tenor Of the report wss
such that . company is being formed
to carry out the project The desire
Of the company is not only to make
an appreciable reduction in the time
of passage between America and
Europe. but also the connection Of q
far-off. but interesting. country with
the railroad systems of the United
States and Canada
After careful study the engineers
selected Port Marnham. which is Sit
uated not moro than forty miles
north of the straits of Belle Isle, @
being not only the most easterly har-
Dor upon the American continent.
but forming at the same time an un-
equaled terminus for an ocean COM
merce on the Cne hand and railroad
traffic on the other. Outside of its
favorable position as the connecting
link between Europe and the great
West the surrounding country is
rich in natural advantages which are
expected to contribute to the success
Of the steamship line.
The whole of the north shore of
the St Lawrence is characterized. Is
in Battle Harbor. by m immense fish
ing industry (under the supervision
of the marine department. of Cana.
da). supporting large feet of fast
sailing sch0oners, which in the
spring of the year are engaged in
the sealing industry.
The country through which the
proposed railroad is situated is char
acterized not only BY these many
commercial advantages, but it has .
most delightful climate from June to
September. 1t is worthy of notice
that the snowfall along the route and
in Labrador is only one half of the
yearly volume falling in the neigh
bOrhOod of Quebec; besides it is of
extraordinary dryness; hence the
value of this climate both in summer
and winter may safely be assumed
for invalids seeking pure, dry air.
Striking across Southern Labrador
the expedition found that the coun-
try. which has hitherto had q bad
reputation as being inaccessible for
economical railroad building was
not only practically level for almost
the entire distance. but was also
admirably adapted for railroad con-
struction-sO cheap. in fact, that the
entire railroad would cost little moro
than the existing lines over the roll
ing prairies of the Northwest
The whole of the route selected
for the proposed railroad is exceed
ingly picturesque and passes in the
vicinity of numerous lakes. says the
Railroad Gazette. many of which are
of large area. but of no great depth.
1t has taken, of course, a geological
age to form them. for their existence
is due not to an upheaval or depres-
sion of the formation, but simply to
the long and continued atmospheric
corrosiOn. which has created some of
the prettiest lakes that human eye
has ever seen.
The whole of the route is timbered
with fir and spruce and little juni-
per. The minerals found arc peculiar
to laurentian formation. such as
plumbagO. mica. iron and asbestos.
Titaniferous ores exist in large guam
titles. but the other minerals have
not been exhaustively reported upon
The eastern terminus of the steam
ship line will be Milford Haven,
which has often been spoken of as
port of destination for transatlantic
passenger traffic