Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1897-01-23
l'HE LAKES AND OCEAN
May be Connected by a System
Of Deep Waterways.
SPECIAL COMMISSIONS REPORT.
tits Entirely Feasible to Construct Canals
and Develop Channels That VIII Enable
Vessels TO Sail from the lakes to tho
n,.h

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10.--The president
Yesterday sent to tho house tho report OF
the dcop water ways commission, consist
ing of President Angel, of tho University
of Michigan: John Il. Russell andiLyman
e. Cooley, which was appointed i'll 1895
under resolution introduced by Senator
Villas, of Wisconsin, for u preliminary in
quiry rs TO tho practicability of wator
ways between tho ocean and tho great
lakes The conclusions Of tho commlS-
sion follow:
1t is entirely feasible TO construct such
canals and develop such channels as will
be adequate OF any scale OF naviSanon
that may DO desired between tho great
lakes and the soaboard, and TO conduct
through tho same domestic and foreign
commerce, and that it will be wise to pro-
vide for securing u canal of naviSable
depth of not less than twcnty-elght leee.
Starting from tho heads of Lakes Mich
igan and Superior, the most eligible route
is through tho several great lakes and
their intermediate channels and the pro-
posed Niagara ship canal Cronawanda to
Olcott) to Lake Ontario. The Canadian
seaboard may DO reached from Lake On
tario by WAY of the ST Lawrence river
and tho American seaboard may DO
reached from Lake Ontario by way OF tho
ST. Lawrence and Lake Champlain and
the Hudson river, or by way of the Oswe'
o-Oncida- Mohawk valley and the dud-
son river.
The alternative routes from Lake On
tario to the Hudson river require complete
surveys and II full development of econ
omic considerations to determine their
relative availability.
\ moderafc control of the Lowell of
Lake Erie ana Of the Ei;igara river above
TonaNvan,ia may 5c jisti...d III connection
with the Niagara ship Canal tae attrrnii-
nation in this u:a:;er torySt on = iuil eN-
ammunition Of The p.ySic.l coi.;.':'o;'<
The policy S!ioul,! cuni1:n.;''.,'' tas ust-
mate attaiu@cEt nj ;na i.r;a;. sutccaS! III
capacity, an,! all works si.etl',- DO .i''nHcd
on this basis. and jhe atia.,i execution
should conform thereto, IN 81 far as THO
works may withuG; i.teJ.luire hs progress
sively developed with lne;tct:..l dom&nGs
OF commerce.
Ii is practic,ble to develop the work i'll
sennrate sections and the several sections
in purt by degrees. each step having Its
economic justification, so that the benefits
should follow closely on expenditures
without awaiting the completion of the
system us Il whole The completion of the
entire system us quickly as proper pro-
jccts can be natured and economically eX-
ccuted Is fully justified.
The Niagara ship canal should be first
undertaken, and incidentally the broad
ening and further deepening of the inter
mediate channels of the lakes, the Same
being in the logical order of Development
and also requiring tho least timc for con-
sideration.
The commission estimates that the COM
pleto surveys and Investigations with
measurements of the outflow Of the sew
eral lakes and full investigation of col
lateral questions, will cost not less than
5000 900 and require some years of timo.