The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-09-25
DEEPER WATERWAYS
THE CRY OFF PEOPLE WHO LIVE
ALONG THE GREAT LAKES.
Convention at Cleveland for the
PURPOSE of Considering Ways and
Means-scope Of the Addresses.

| CLEyELAND. o., Sept 24.-The dele
| gates to the first annual convention OF
| the Deep Waterways Association, which
assembled here this afternoon for a three
days session, constitute representative
body THE American Congress. the Do
minion Parliament, big cities on both sides
of thel international boundary. great uni
| versitiss and scientific associations. boards
OF trades and organizations of engineers
and vessel owners-all forces in the COM
merce and civilization OF the American
ccntfngnt-are represented. There are
amongi THE delegates men prominent in the
scientific, educational, commercial finan-
cial ard Industrial world--and all are in
spired by a common purpose, to break the
letters; which have heretofore bound the
commerce of the great lakes by opening
deep, waterway TO the sea. The conven-
ton may not be able to provide the means
for making the great national improve
ment, but it will discuss the ways and
endeav5r to select the best.
The convention assembled at p. m. in
Army and Navy Hall. There were pres
ent at the opening session about two hum
dred delegates ard three hundred visitors,
who had been attracted to Cleveland by
u.
dent OF the New York Dock Commission.
address of welcome was delivered
by MAJOR A1cKisson, the responses being
by President z. V. Smalley. of the St.
Paul Chamber Of Commerce, and James
Fisher NJ p, of Winnipeg. Manitoba. Ex-
ecutive Secretary Flower also made an
address.
The evening session was opened with the
annual: address of the International pres
dent, G.. A. Rowland. NJ p, of Toronto,
his subject being international Comfy
and Cooperation number of papers
James Fisher. OF Winnipeg, spoke on
Volume and Value of Commerce Tribu-
tary ID an Enlarged Waterway" The
speaker began by showing the enormous
traffic which has developed in recent years
on thei lakes and rivers tributary to them.
and thfe marvellous export trade which mas
land seas. LET the twenty-foot channels
of the lakes" he said. ''be extended from
the fo@t of Lake Erie to the Atlantic and
commerce will receive an impetus that will
prVgress of the past And It will result in
q great development Of the rich Northwest
on both sides of the line 1 care not In
tario. whether It be by the Welland and
nel through the State. Of New York. the
result in either case VIII be the same.
Give us the twenty-foot depth to the At
lantic and we will see the huge cargoes or
-four to seven thousand, tons tnat VIII De
fioated on the completed channels or the
lake route from the far West to Buffalo,
carried along in the. same grade shipS
without break of bulk to the ocean. per-
haps. across the Atlantic. to be unioaded
at Liverpool or Glasgow -
Denisoa B. Smith, of the Toledo Produce
Exchange spoke on the necessities and
advantages Of a ship canal to the ocean
gage the commercial mind of the West.
One is the deepening twenty feet or the
connections between the lakes, thus In
creasing the depth and the capacity OF the
carries and decreasing the cost of trans
portation. The other Is the project OF a
ship canal between the lakes and the sea
of the and thus f s5saa yord
with DUR surplus food and manufactured
products. In the last two or three decades
there has been a decided awakening to the
study of the transportation problem In a
broader degree than has characterized pup-
lie attention at any previous period In
history" After citing the growing interest
manifested in canals in all directions, and
the necessity for cheaper freight rates, Mr..
Smith demonstrated the urgent necessity
of oeerer water and larger freight vessels.
Smith said: 1.-The maximum capacity on
lake vessels twenty years ago was oooO0
bushels of wheat or 500 tons, While the
present maximum cargo is more than 10000
But this cargo OF 1900 tons can be cons.oer-
ably and profitably increased by the same
vessels Wnen our lake cOnnectionS anu uai-
Dor department has increased TO permit a
draught of twenty feet, which IS
contemplated by the present harbor inn
provement law. This depth of water Will
increase the cargoes of the steamers TO
four thousand tons. Mr.. Smith showed by
figures that those countries which are
obliged to buy grain are buying the bulk of
it from Russia, Argentina, India, Australia
and other countries. Then he continued:
II appeal to these statements as grand
summary of necessities for cheaper access
to the consumers of the world. These ad-
Verse conditions will continue to augment,
and must be met by such decrease in saa
cost of reaching the consumers as will dis
courage production abroad while IL expands
the area of our own grain fields.
Other papers were by G. r. Van Hise, of
the University of Wisconsin, on THE De-
yelopment of Our Iron and Mineral Re-
sources" by Hon. Martin Pattison. of SUI
perior, Wis, en- Domestic Iron Mining;"
by Arthur J. Moxam, of Cleveland on
Iron and Steel Manufacturing" by George
Tunnel of Albert Lee, Mimi, on Domestic
Shipbuilding;" by z. ID. Smalley, of ST.
Paul on Lake Seaboard and Seaboard
Cities;'' by Charles Francis. Davenport, Ia.
On Comparative Study Of Modern Ship
Canals"
1t was the purpose to have a general dis
cussion of these papers tonight, but owing
|, to the time occupied by the delivery Of the
presidents address. 1T was decided TO post
zone the. discussion until TOMORROW morn
| ing. Mr.. z. V. Smalley, of ST. Paul. anc
CONGRESSMAN Towne of Duluth addressed
| the convention briefly, after which 1t ad-
| iourned