St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-02-18
WONDERFUL CANAL SCHEME
PROPOSED REVOLUTION CT THE GREAT
LAKE TRAFFIC.
PROJECT OF BIG CAPITALISTS.
Lakes Michigan and
Connected i'm o Way
Save Seven Hundred
Lake Travel - Fifty ID
Already Guaranteed - Those
Who Are Interested.

CHICAGO. Feb. II. : A stupendous
canal project. which, If successful. will
entirely revolutionize the traffic of the
great lakes, is said to be in contempla-
tion by number of capitalists in Chi
cago, New York, Boston and London
The proposed canal is designed to I'M
inenscly facilitate the passage of vessels
from Chicago. Milwaukee, and other
Northwestern points to the East, and to
render entirely unnecessary the present
long route through the straits of Mack
inaw, Lake Huron, st. Clair river and
lake, and thence down the Detroit river
to Lake Erie. The plan, now said to be
under serious contemplation, is to con-
struct canal directly across the state
of Michigan, from the eastern shore of
Lake Michigan 10 either Detroit or To-
ledo, D. Should either of these plans
prove TO be feasible, it will result in one
of the most
GIGANTIC ENTERPRISES
OF the century. A number of capitalists
from Chicago. New York and Boston
are said to stand ready to back the
project to the extent of $50, 200, 600, and
it is also said that the English capital
lists who are interested i'll the Canadian
Pacific road have also shown a decided
disposition to render material financial
aid in perfecting this great work.
AT present those most intimately con-
nected with the scheme are unwilling 10
divulge their names, but it is stated on
reliable authority that preliminary sur
yeys of several proposed routes for this
| contemplated canal have already been
made. and the feasibility of the project
has already been vouched for by emf
! nent engineers. One of the plans under
consideration Is to tap Lake Michigan
at point near Michigan City or New
| Buffalo, and to run the canal directly
eastward to Toledo, D. Another plan.
which also has number OF influential
supporters. Is TO strike Lake Michigan
at Benton HarbOr, and thence run in a
northeasterly direction to Detroit.
/ Either of these canals would be about
$50 miles long, and when it is considered
| that it would save about 700 rifles Of
LAKE TRAVEL,
which is at present necessary to reach
Eastern points. Its inn ortancs to the
! commercial and financial world cannot
! bo OvereStimated.
Among those those to whom it is stated
| that the plans for this gigantic scheme
have been submitted, and who are said
! to have reg arded them with great favor
and promised substantial support, are
| Nathaniel 1hayer, the well known cap
| italist of Boston: John D. Rockefeller,
| of New York; Gen. Thomas Palmer, of
| Detroit; G. P. Huntington. Frank Stur-
| gis, of the New York stock exchange:
| A. SturgiS, of the c0rdage trust, apd a
number of others connected with va
rious railway enterprises in the East.
F.! The names of the prominent Chicago
ans who are favorably considering this
| project could not be learned, as matters
had not progressed Su Efficiently to war
| rant their active connection with the
! enterprise. From all that could be as
| certalned. however, the project of an
/ immense canal directly connecting
Lakes Michigan and Erie, and capable
| OF hoatlng the heaviest loaded vessels
that now sail between Chicago and the
Eastern ports, is receiving the careful
| attention Of the fnancierS of the coun-
try.
Palmer Says It's Nonsense.
DETROIT, Feb. 7.-Ex-Senator Palm
er was interviewed tonight in refer
ence to to the reported plan of digging
ship canal across the state from Lake
Michigan toLake Erie. He character
lied the report as nonsense, and said he
had no thought of being interested in
such scheme. He further claimed
that while il takes two days to make
the trip around the lakes, it would
probably take three to get through a
canal.