Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-08-02
THE DEEP WATERWAYS PROBLEM.
A Proposal Of Great Canal Route to New
York by Way Of Lake Champlain.


York by Way Of Lake Champaign.
In the current number of the Forum
Mr. f. V. Smalley sets forth the desire of
the wheat growers and corn growers OF
the West for deep channel to the sea,
and the possible methods OF securing It,.
Both Canada and the United States
have already expended enormous sums in
securing an outlet by wafer for the prod
ucts of the midcontinental farms to the
seaboard Canada has, 1t is said, devoted
no les5than $50, 900, 900 to the Welland
Canal between Lake Erie and Lake On
tario, to the canals around the rapids be-
tween Kingston and Montreal, and to her
new waterway at the Sault Ste. Marie.
Our own country has put scores of mil
lions into the improvement of the Missis-
sippi and its tributaries, and of the chan.
nels 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 tide water with unbroken cargoes
from the head of Lake Superior and
Lake Michigan in the largest YES
sells that pass through the locks
of the 800" and across the St. Clair
flats. Having reached the seaboard. the
grain-laden vessels may be so construc-
ted as to keep ON to Europe, or they may
find it more economical to transfer their
cargoes to the huge grain carrying steam
ers specially built for ocean traffic What
L., Id Il, 81, b.
water, either at New York or Montreal,
equal to the existing waterway between
Duluth and Buffalo
As to the Mississippi route some grain
Is floated 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,
it Is further away from Liverpool than
when 1t started, so that this is certainly
not the route OF the future. The route
by the lakes is thesnatural waterway for
the Northwest ands the Federal govern
ment has at great expense cleared it until
there is now free channel for vessels
drawing twenty feet from both Chicago
and Duluth to Buffalo. AS consequence,
enormous steel steamers and great whale
c1Ch Doi SSOo hhNO hppCnICu, hIiylhB lEOill
60, 900 to 100, 900 bushels of wheat in q
cargo, and old freight rates have been
cut in two.
But the point which now attracts at
tention Is that these great freight carriers
must stop at Buffalo and transfer their
oargoes to the canal boats or cars. Even
n Canada though vessels drawing twelve
feet can go through the Welland canal,
they must transfer grain into barges at
Kingston. But the Canadians are dredg-
ing the st. Lawrence canals from their
present ten feet to fourteen feet, and say
they will have this work done by the end
of the century This very fact is an ad-
ditional reason for serious study of the
deep waterways problem in the United
states, since the great shipping port for
grain on this continent must be not Mon
treal but New YORK
There Is another reason why the subject
demands attention, namely, that our Yves
tern farmers are now finding new compel
itors in the food markets of Europe In
dia sends now, 1t is said about so, 900, 900
bushels of wheat year to England, and
Australia great quantity. In 1898 the
republic sent $4,000, 600 bush
els across the Atlantic and last year 1t is
estimated that about 80, 600, 600 were
ready for export. The Russian railroad
through Siberia will open up another
source of supply. 1t Is clear, Therefore,
that our farmers cannot afford to lose any
chances of favorable competition
The first step, according to Mr.. Smalley,
Is to open a channel between Lake Erie
and Lake Ontario sufficient for big grain
carriers that now discharge at Buffalo.
In order to secure American benefits IL ia
urged that, In place of charging the
Welland canal, one should be constructed
on the American side, q long the Lock port
route with twenty-foot channel 1he
estimate for either project is said to be
1913, 900, 600. The lockage system of the
Welland canal is declared in any case to be
out of date, having too many locks for the
descent and too small ones With this
step taken, probably the Dominion gov
eminent can be relied upon to enlarge its
plan for giving fourteen feet of depth to
The st. Lawrence canals. 1t will cost
s!7, 600, 600 to open twenty-foot channel
from Lake Ontario to Montreal.
But why should our grain go to Mon.
treal? That seaport is icebound for nearly
five months of the year. and when reach
ing Montreal grain-laden vessels have
moved away from the great breadstuff
markets of New England and the cities of
New York and Philadelphia. What Mr..
Smalley therefore suggests is crossing with
big ship canal route from the st. Law
ence to the city of New York by the way
of Lake Champlain:
The st. Lawrence route to Europe
would be short one and good one for
our wheat for seven months of the year.
but We want also to get to New York CITY.
and ON the way there We want to skirt
with our cargoes the ipopulous New Eng
land States. so that they can taEa IN -.