The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-01-08


comes matter for intercontinental
consideration. Mr.. Gould is reported
TO have doubted the commercial
expediency of this railway along
the oackbones of the two American
continents. He believed that as an en-
gineerIng feat it was entirely possible,
but he was rather doubtful about
the securing of an amount Of traffic
which would make these roads pay. The
South American nations who are inter-
ested in the scheme confessed that they
GId not consider the matter of traffic as
one OF so much consequence as the politi-
cal effect of the building OF the road
They thought that il would absolutely
bind the United States and the South
American republics together. There
might be period OF good many years
before the road would pay, but they said
that 1t was road built for the future
rather than for today. Mr.. Blaine
has always been an enthusiastic sup
porter of the idea. believing that 1t
would be wisdom on the part of the
government to give the project sufficient
suoventlon to assure the completion of It.
He argued that the Pacific railroad was a
cheap investment for the government,
Notwithstanding the enormous obligations
Tor which the government Is responsible.
There is n strong political element. how
ever. which will oppose any proposition to
involve the government financially in this
enterprise on the ground that it is unwise
Tor the government of the United States to
become the partner of any country iii such
commercial development as private capital
would undertake if there were promises OF
profit.
A curious thing has been discovered by
a company in New York city in some re-
cent corresp ondence which 1t has had with
persons ali over the United States. In this
correspondence the question was asked
whether Chicago or New York would be
the largest city ir the twentieth century.
The replies indicated that everywhere ex-
cepting on the Atlantic sea coast north of
Baltimore the opinion prevails that Chi
cago is to become, and speedily, the
American metropolis. population of
as many as 100000 IS pre-
dlcted Tor Chicago and its suburbs
before the first half of the next century
has passed. 1t is generally believed that
Chicago will become shipping port quite
as large as New York, since these letters
Indicate that the probabilities are that a
ship canal will connect Chicago with deep
water on the Mississippi, and also an
other ship canal will cut across
the lower peninsula of Michigan,
perhaps in the near future. Senator
Hill. OF New York, believes that before
twenty-five years have passed, perhaps
nllIlu Il icSS Unit, sup III tOu-
meet the waters of Lake Erie with deep
water on the Hudson. capable OF floating
a steamer. If that is done, ii will be pos
sible to ship direct from Chicago to the
Europeon continent without taking adj
vantage of the Canadian waterways. The
importance ofthiS project was suggested
to Mr. Hill when he was governor OF New
York. and it was one of the few CONNER
Cial projects which interested him quite
as much as did partisan politics. More
over, Mr.. Hill believed that the construc-
ton of this ship canal would be necessary
If New York was 10 maintain It's CONNER
cial supremacy.
Andrew IL. Green, who is the executor
of Gov. Tllden's estate, believes that Chi
cago may pass New York if the seaboard
city does not take into consolidation with
If that should be done, Mr.. Green believes
it impossible for any American city 10
pass New York in the race tor wealth and
population. If that consolidation should
take place next year it would give the
municipality a population of about
100000.
Eastern engineers and capitalists are
giving much discussion to proposition to
dam the Housatonic river in Connecticut,
so that the great water power 1t fur
nishes may no longer go to waste. The
project would require an expenditure
of more than $l,000,000. and some diff
cult engineering problems would have
to be solved. Two of the greatest water
power plants in the United States
now exist in New England. one at Lowell
and the other at Holyoke, Mass, This
proposed dam would furnish the largest
water power within easy reach of New
York, and make the manufacturing
establishments put up i'll the vicin-
ity practically within New York
suburbs. But a greater dam than this,
and one which is bsing discussed
by engineers in this country and in Eu-
rope with great interest is that which the
city of New York proposes to build i'll the
Croton water shed. 1t will be the largest
piece of masonry in the world. 1t will
rival some of the structures built in Egypt
AMI in Italy in ancient times. Its founda-
ton goes seventy feet below the surface
of the earth. 1t will be nearly two-thrds
of a mile in length. 1t will cost probably
Sc, 900 900. but when completed it will fur
nlsh New York with reservoir containing
thousands of billions of gallons of water,
and sufficient amount To provide all the
supply that may be needed for 100 years.
Electricians are talking u great deal
about the development OF the trolley svs-
TEN of street railways. J. J. Carly. who
is a leading electrician in New York,
says that the public does not seem to
understand now great ttlt revoIut ION
may be within the next ten years. The
trolley system, extending first from the
heart OF a city 10 one of the suburban
towns, and then still further extended.
will ultimately. he thinks, bring the
rural districts within fifty miles OF the
greater cities SO near that they will be-
come practically suburbs. This will, in
his opinion, solve that problem which
has attracted the attention of economists
and which - involved in the tendency
OF the American people 10 congregate in
cities. The trolley system. all eectri-
clans believe, will be nightly extended
within the next ten years. 1t will as
completely thread along the highways
as the telegraph lines now are strung
overhead throughout the country. The
enormous differences in cost between
maintaining the trolley and any other
motive power for frequent and rapid
transit has been demonstrated TO the sat
isfaction of capitalists so that il Is
probable before the close of the century
hundreds of millions of dollars will be
invested in new enterprises of this sort
Electricians say. however. that there are
some very important problems to be solved
before the trolley can become free from
perils in the greater cities. The danger of
personal accident Is not so great as Is tha.
which follows the use of the earth circuit
for the return of the electric current.
t.. JAY EDwARps.