New-York tribune., 1896-01-13
ToRpEpo-HoATs THROUGH THE CANALS

s,,tryr FOR THE DEFENCE or LAKE CITIES
AID TO nE ASKED FROM CoNGRESs.
puo,lo Ian ie- In an interview here today O.
II Raymond who for many years has made study
Of canal and transportation problems o"'"h'i
PROPOSITION looking - IN" use oi the Eric '""' 80
a war measure which presents features not before
oors,der.d I'm respect 10 this great waterway. lie
said: . o., .,
THE papers have been Al!cd with doi'fnI accounts
s,o,lng the perfectly unprotected condition OF all
In. lake ports OF the United states. These nr" "h-
fortunately. too true the proposition Oh n'" ~
defend the lake ports OF the Great lak"' from me
attacks of British gunboats In case "l WI "'''
Great Britain IL one not easily solved "h'" .o'-
siaere1 in the High, Of building fortiacationS. The
latest ton Is the construction OF large WORKS
O., ,b entrance TO the st Lawrence River from
I,kc Outari, Such Il proposition could not oi
course be undertaken in times OF peac" without ne
ing considered in the light OF menace u |a'"l'
or Great Britain. while the Government might
have the full power 70 erect such fortihcatlons' II
a,,d q, anv case simply result in the building on
IN. opposlte side of the river corresponding wofKs
by the British Government
..rhe idea Of these American fortincatons was to
nrev.nt the passage OF British gunboais into Lake
ontario and thence into Lake Ere ana so OH NY
the lakes As stated. the erection OF corresponding
works on the Canadian shore would make IL pos
su,,e tn batter down the American works and leave
FREQ massage for gunhOats. This, then. ~ hari'y
a solution OF the problem. In these unes "i CON
s,rction o. enormous gunboats 10y all nations 'h''e
IS 9TH left at all times the fear thht the iarR'S'
eunhoat may be utterly destroyed by the swift 1T
lie torpodo-boais II is proposed therefore, 20 use
the Erie Canal to make IT possible at the com
n.ncemeuf of hostilties. and sooner than gunnoa's
could get into Lake Ontario. to move a swarm oI
torpedo-boats into Lake ontario VIA pSw'so an"
into Lake Erie and the upper lakes via Buffalo
'While this may seem a rather formiabl" under
,t..f .taa ont a npW
ing II VIII be possible for the General Government
with very slight outlay at the time 10 render the
Erie Canal and the Oswego Canal fully hVa'aple
for the rapid concentration at Oswego ana huila'o
of a fleet OF iorpedo-boats capable OF practlca"V
preventing British gunb)ats from troubling any oi
the lake ports The State OF Ncw-lork al the last
election voted the OF 100000 10 improve our
canals With this work completed which under the
able management Of State Engineer Adams Will be
accomplished within about two years the canals
will have depth OF eight feet three inches through
their entire length and will have locks capable
OF taking boats II feet 10 inches wide and 22G feet
long While this Improvement means enormously
10 the commerce OF the canals IT is possible by
dertaking additional Improvement at the time
the man improvement Is being carried on. to make
the canals available for the passage OF torpedo
boats ns proposed. How this may be done and how
cheaply will be easily understood.
''Our canal s and will be amply wide enough TO
enable boats having a beam OF thrty-nve feet to
meet In the canals but Of course they cannot pass
through the locks. II Ia not proposed to make the
locks as wide as the canals could accommodate
but simply Increase the width about five feet or
little more. thus making the width the same as
the Delaware and Rarian Canal locks through
which the torpedoboa Gushing has just passed
TIE Erie Canal locks double locks. but II Is
proposed widen but tier OF locks which vii!
make the expense comparatively Eight. Were this
work done side OF the locks would take boats
having the present beam. or about eighteen feet