Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-08-08
NEED OF THE WEST.
THE DEEP WATERWAYS PROBLEM
AN ENGROSsiNG THEME.

Proposals For Different Routes-why tho
Montreal Passage IL Unsatisfactory--In-
dia, Australia and the Argentine In tho
Great Fight For European Trade.
In the current number OF The Forum
Mr.. II. V. Smalley sets forth tho desire Of
the wheat growers and corn growers OF the
west for deop channel to the sea and the
possible methods of securing 1t.
Both Canada and the United States have
already expended enormous sums In seour-
ing an outlet by water for the products Of
the midcontincntal farms to the seabOard.
Canada has, 1t Is said, devoted no less than
$50 600, 900 to the Welland canal between
Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, to the canals
around the rapids between Kingston and
Montreal, and to her new waterway at the
Sault Ste. Marie Our own country has
put scores of millions into the improve
ment of the Mississippi and It's tributaries
and of the channels connecting the great
lakes, while New York has expended large
sums on the Erie canal. Yet the feeling
at the west Is that greater step remains
to be taken.
The ideal Of both the American and the
Canadian west is, as Mr.. Smalley says, to
reach tidewater with unbroken oargoes
from the head of Lake Superior and Lake
Michigan in the largest vessels that pass
through the locks Of the 500" and across
the st. Clair fats. Having reached the
seaboard, the grain laden vessels may be
SO constructed as to keep on to Europe, or
they may find 1t more economical to trans
fer their cargoes to the huge grain carrying
steamers specially built for ocean traffic.
What Is now demanded Is a channel to
tide water, either at New York or Mont
real, equal to the existing waterway be-
tween Duluth and Buffalo.
As to the Mississippi route, some grain
is fioated down to New Orleans in barges
and Chicago is building ship canal from
her limits to that river. but 1t Is plain
that, when grain reaches New Orleans 10
is farther away from Liverpool than when
1t started, so that this Is certainly not the
route of the future. The route by the
lakes is the natural waterway for the
northwest, and the federal government
has at great expense cleared 1t until there
is now free channel for vessels drawing
30 feet from both Chicago and Duluth to
Buffalo. AS a consequence, enormous steel
steamers and great whaleback barges have
appeared, carrying from 60, 600 100, 900
bushels Of wheat in cargo and old freight
rates have been cut in two.
But the point which now attracts atten-
ton is that these great freight carriers
must stop at Buffalo and transfer their
cargoes to the canalboats or cars. Even
in Canada, though vessels drawing IL feet
can 60 through the Welland canal, they
must transfer grain into barges at Kings
ton. But the Canadians arc dredging the
st. Lawrence canals from their present 10
feet to IA feet, and say they will have this
work done by the end Of the century. This
very fact is an additional reason for serious
study Of the deep waterways problem In
the United States, since the great shipping
port for grain on this continent must b
not Montreal but New York.
There is another reason why the subject
demands attention-namely, that our
western farmers are now finding new COM
petitors in the food markets Of Europe
India sends now, 1t is said, about 90, 000,-
600 bushels Of wheat year to England
and Australia great quantity. In 1898 the
Argentine Republic sent e5, 600, 600 bush
els across the Atlantic and last year 1t Is
estimated that about 90, 900, 900 were ready
for export. The Russian railroad through
siberia will open up another source Of sup
ply. 1t Is clear, therefore, that our farm
ers canrct afford to lose any chances pf IA
vorable competition.
The first step, according to Mr.. Smalley,
is to open q channel between Lake Erie
and Lake Ontario sufficient for big grain
carriers that now discharge ut Buffalo. In
order to secure American benefits 1t Is
urged that, In place Of erlarging the We'll
land canal, one should be constructed on
the American side along the Lockport
route, with q 30 foot channel. The esti-
mate for either project Is said to be ee3,-
600, 900. The lockage system Of the We'll
land canal Is declared In any case to be out
Of date, having too many locks for the de-
scent and too small ones. With this step
taken, probably the Dominion government
can be relied upon to enlarge It's plan for
giving IA feet of depth to the St. Lawrence
| canals. It will cost s27, 600, 600 to open a
! go foot channel from Lake Ontario to Mont
real.
But why should our grain go te Mont
realS That seaport Is icebound Tor nearly
Ave months of the year, and when reach
ing Montreal grain laden vessels have
| moved away from the great breadstuh
markets VI New England and the cities o
/
Synalley therefore suggests Is crossing Will
a big ship canal route from the st. Law
renee to the city Of New York by the wa!
Of Lake Champlain:
4 The st. Lawrence route TO Europe would b
q short one and good one for our wheat 10
seven months Of the year, but we want also
get TO New York city, and on the way ther
we want TO skirt with our cargoes the popr
| lous New England states, so that they On
take what they want Of our wheat We
, not expect that the Erie canal will ever b
made into a channel for our big lake steam
! ers. The cost would be too great for eiths
, | the state OF New York OF the United Stat
| TO undertake. The route by way OF Oswee
and the Mohawk Is practicable, but a ship G
: nal on that route would cost tl27 COO, ,0C
8 There IL q favorable route from Lake .
Francis, on the St. Lawrence, TO Lake Char
plain, known as tho Caughnawaga route.
/ canal 81 miles long, with only 20 feet OF loc
a ago, will Join the st. Lawrence above the
chino rapids with Lake Champlain. Tho G
largement Of the present canal between Whit
n Al. u..Ao tha ia