Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-25
FROM LAKE ERIE TO THE OHIO
Work Begun on the Survey for a Grsa,
Ship Canal.
Engineer Roberts Estimates the Cost
ut $2S,ooo,oOO, the Distance to BE
Covered Being Over $50 Miles.

1t Is proposed to build a ship canal from
Lake Erie to the Ohio river. Three routes
proposed are from Erie, Pa, to Pittsburg,
from Cleveland to Marietta, Ohio, and from
Toledo. Ohio. to Cincinnati. Most of the
agitation concerns the first named route,
for the ship canal idea originated In Pitts
burg. Congress has taken a hand, and, be-
sides. the leading members of the Pittsburg
chamber Of commerce are getting things In
shape to carry out this gigantic undertake
ing with private capital
The chamber has appointed provisional
committee, which includes, with others, the
following gentlemen Of national reputation:
Chris L. Magee. the republican leader
and owner of the Pittsburg Times; ex-Gov.
A. B. Fleming of West Virginia, III. c.
Prick and B. F. Jones, the iron and steel
manufacturer and ex-chairman Of the re-
publican national committee.
Five hundred dollars has been appro-
priated to pay the expenses Of a trip over
the route. to be made by a party Of engi-
neers and members of the chamber. The
party, which has started. will gather mate
rial upon which contractors may base esti-
mates Of the cost of the canal The public
Of Pennsylvania, Ohio. West Virginia and
Maryland are to be Informed by the Pitts
Facts are to be gathered showing the al
legged superiority of water over rail trans
portaticn of raw materials
To Avoid Mistakes.
John e. Shaw, who originated the idea
of building and operating the canal with
private capital is in constant correspond
ence with the officials Of the Manchester.
England, ship canal. and they have just for
warded mich interesting data. State Sem
atcr William Finn, a wealthy contractor
and Magec's political lieutenant. recently
returned from Europe with Magee and
other friends. While In England they made
close inspection of the Manchester enter
prise, and it is proposed to avoid the mis-
takes made In the organization Of the COM
pany and in construction.
Col. 7. p. Roberts. a leading engineer.
figures the cost of the canal not in excess
of SIS, 0O0, OO0-the distance being about one
hundred miles-and he places its capacity
at nearly sixteen million tons per annum.
dodblc the present tonnage Of the railroads
covering the same territory. 1t Is alleged
that the railroad people will offer no oppo-
sition, because of the expectation of in
creased traffic resulting from a great In
crease in population. New industries would
be established. and the railroads would con-
tinue to handle the luxuries, perishable
freight and passengers.
To Feed the Canal.
The proposed napal at its highest point
between Erie and Beaver (the Ohio river
to be utilized from the latter point to Pitts
burg) runs through a swamp twenty-one
miles. long. The ground there is like a
great sponge. saturated all the time, and
there is claimel to be more water In sight
than Is had for the Manchester canal Col
Roberts claims that French creek, which
can be turned into the proposed canal
pours out twice as much water as the Kis-
Ii. u <xl NJ
combined. The three streams empty into
the Allegheny river. They drain 5000
square miles, while French creek draws
from territory of only LOO square miles.
Even If the water supply was not sufficient.
the Allegheny river could be tapped at
Tideoute, which Is only sixteen miles dis
tant and eighty feet above the highest level
Of the canal. In the proposed Hennepin
canal from Chicago to the Mississippi river
water is to b. carried for a distance of
thirty-seven miles.
The state legislative commission recon-
mended the route which Col Roberts has in
mind, and spent $4,000 I'm making the sur
veys- Prof. Wright of Oberlin, Ohio, Col
lege, and a geological expert, favors the
canal with termini at Erie and Beaver. but
the summit at Warren, where II will be
lower, although adding about twenty miles
to the length OF tn, canal.
The river and harbor appropriation act OF
this year requires the Secretary Of War to
appoint a board of army engineers to make
a survey of the different routes proposed
and report to the next session OF Congress
as to the practicability of the project and
its cost.