The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-10-02
CANADA WAVES srrrrn CANALS
rae rre.e.t ones neei.res - be Behi-a the
Are and Not Ccr,perehis to Gers.

The Pre,e-t 0nes ne.s,rea - be Behi.d the
Are ard Not ce,psrehIe TO Ours.
II has long been the fashion for American
writer's to point to the moro nearly complete
canal system which the Canadians have built
between the sea and the great lakes as an In
centive for our Government to do as much for
rendering our commerce Independent Of Ca
madam waters and safe, in time Of war with
England. Hero. In report by President
George L. Marks to the Board Of Trade Of
Port Arthur. on the Canadian side OF Lake SUI
perior. Is some comment on the two canal sys-
tens as those Canadians view them:
This Board has always advocated the
building OF the ST. Mary's Falls Canal and the
enlargement or reconstruction Of tho locks
and canals OF tho st. Lawrence system. when
the contract for the st. Mary's Falls locks was
let attention was drawn to the fact that the
Canadian Government was building a canal
which, when completed would be far behind
tho American one across the river. The Gov.
eminent has quite recently come to the same
conclusion. and It has been decided to increase
the capacity Of the Canadian canal to that Of
the new American one. Our American cousins
have all agreed that il is an absolute necessity
to make all harlor. river lake and canal i'm
proyyemen's with y view Of loading q s;eamer
at Duluth to ~ feet dranght tor Buffalo. A
great many OF them advocate a canal OF equal
capacity from Buffalo to tho sea. and It must
nnd Rs tnte%
river improvements. we likewise. by using
their improyemen,s, can loud 4 vessel to a
~ he canals which the Government OF Cana
dn saw ut in its wisdom to design from Port
Colborne to the sea. will when completed, 10
as far tehind the age as the old Mellnnd or
the old st Lawrence canals are to day Thedi-
mansions Of the Canadian locks are 27'ix
conveniently a vessel vii h n length OF 225 feet.
AZ feet heam, and drawing Ia feet Of water:
or, in the case OF steamers. one which has a
2.UUO tons, or say. $4,000 bushels OF wheat.
With dranght Of 70 feet lake steamers can
be i!uilt to carry easily 5000 tons, or 100000
srs' the,r Iennth not being limited. are icing
bull. which carry nearly twice as much as any
Canadian steamer
It is a we'll known fact that neither the cost
OF construction OF steamers nor their running
expenses increase in the same proportion as
their capacity and 5000. ton boats oan certain.
ly carry freight ut n greater profit or at n lowor
rate than those OF less than bali thGr eaIaeity
with two civilized peoples. such as tho Cana
dams and Americans. the Governments OF the
two countries could comet to some amicaba
ing OF such. channel from Lake su;
pcrior to tide water as could be used
equally and advantaGeously by the people OF
both nations. or what use would either pro-
u week the locks won III be rendered useless
and the river channels connecting the great
lakes obstructed by the sinking Of shirs or
blocking them in some other way. The canal
Canada. During 1S9,. from statistics col
iected by the general superintendent OF the St
Marys Fa lis Canal the average cost OF trans.
porting the, cargoes which went through it
was one mill and three-tenths per ton per milo
"a rate that no railway Oh earth. SO far built
or projected. could compete with.