Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1895-07-23

BELOW.
two in America, men and machines are
working like mad at another, also in
America-the Chicago sanitary" ca
nal-and there is serious talk of reviv-
ing both the Nicaragua and the Panama
enterprises, while of other canal projects
there are at least round dozen here
and there in which timid capital seems
preparing to make investment.
OF the three canals lately opened only
Germany's Baltic canal is of considera-
BILE length, but both of the American
canals are great as regards probable ton
mage. One of them connects the Hud-
son river with Long Island sound at
New York, better known as the Harlem
ship canal, and the other joins Lakes
Superior and Huron at the $500" or
Sault Ste. Marie. This is Canadian
enterprise and will compete with the
American $500" canal, which it paral-
lels
OF these two the canal at New York
will pass vastly greater volume of
commerce than the Canadian ditch, but
in some respects it is not of nearly as
great importance. Like the Harlem
ditch, the Canadian canal is short, be-
ing only $500 feet across the land, and
including the dredged approaches under
water, but IS, 100 feet, or less than 81
miles. But the Canadian canal is 81 feet
deep, much deeper than the Harlem,
and besides it is the one link that has
hitherto been lacking in the chain of
possible continuous navigation under
the British flag of the great lakes from
the head of Lake Superior to the At
lantic ocean. This water route from the
heart of North America is 1854 miles
long, and is the longest fresh water route
for vessels of considerable draft on earth.
The United States has nothing to COM
pare with it, the lakes being quite in
accessible to any bottom of greater draft
than that of a canalboat that has touch
ed salt water.
The cost of the Canadian $500" canal
has been about 81, 900, 900, and this sum
is out of all proportion to its commercial
Importance, since the total of the com
merce carried through the American
$500" in Canadian bottoms in 1894 was
but about 81 per cent of the total traffic,
leaving 961a per cent to be credited TO
American boats But there were
weightier than commercial reasons for
the digging Of the new ditch. The first
of these became a fact during the Riel
rebellion, when the United States au-
thorities refused to allow Sir Garnet
Wolseley to take British troops through
the American canal around the rapids.
The trouble was got over, however, by
unloading ON the Canadian side below
the rapids, transporting men and muni-
tions around the $500" and then relad-
ing on the boats, which meanwhile had
been allowed to pass empty through the
channel The second reason became
fact three years ago during the Welland
canal excitement, when discrimination
was made against American boats pass
ing through that artificial waterway.
Uncle Sam then retaliated by different
ating against Canadian boats ut the
$780, and thus brought about cessa-
ton of hostilities for the time being.
Work on the Canadian canal was be
gun in 1889, and was practically finish
ed last November. The lock is the lar
gest in the world with one exception,
that being the lock now building for the
American canal around the 900. Thu
dimensions Of the Canadian lock are:
Length, 300 feet width. go feet; depth
over stills, 20 feet inches. The masonry
walls are / l06 feet long, and they are
30 feet thick at the bottom and at the
top In construction as well rs size this
lock is inferior to the American lock.
There are four sets of lock gates, AID
these gates are operated by electricity
generated by turbine wheels for the OPP
Grafton, of which there is plenty at hand,
of course. So far as known, this is tho
only case in which canal locks are work
ed by electricity,