Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-07-28
THE CHhMPlAIN ROUTE.
A Party Engaged In the work of survey
Ing at the Lnwnr End of the Lake.

Visions Of spendor and dreams OF vast
and crowded marts haunt the citizen of
the Champlain valley as he ponders on
the apparent possibilities of that mighty
project, the ship canal according TO the
Cnamplain Counselor which continues:
The following gentlemen are stopping at
the Champlaln House, Rouses Point: +.
=. Davis, Observation-Disclosures; o. w. Fer
suson and p. Fl. Ashmead, instrument
men; Stewart Hodges and Charles II. Ea-
ton Zone of our Champlain boys, rod men.
They come under the direction OF the deep
waterway commission appointed by Presi-
dent Mckinley pursuant to an act of
Congress passed over a year ago requiring
an examination and surveys to be made Of
tho different proposed routes from the
Great Lakes to the Atlantic by way of the
Hudson river, giving depths of q and 80
feet. The commissioners were appointed
in July, % and are: Col. Raymond. chief
engineer, United States army. president of
the commission: Alfred Noble of Chicago;
George Y. Wisner of Detroit. Col. Ray
mond Is noted In army circles. having had
In charge the great harbor works and ex
tcnsive fort1cations at Philadelphia. MIR.
Noble was connected prominently with the
construction of the locks on the Saut
Saintc Marie canal and bridges over the
ohio river at Cairo ILL.,, and over the Mis-
sissippi at Memphis; he also was consult
ing engineer on that stupendous undertake
ing. the Chicago drainage canal. by which
the Chicago river was turned backward
from Lake Michigan and made to carry
the city's sewage into the Mississippi Mr.
Noble also had the honor of membership
in the commission appointed by President
Cleveland In 1898 to report on the Near
augua canal. Mr. Wisner Is an expert on
harbor works besides being n noted by
draulc engineer; he had In charge the
| amous Galveston. Texas. harbor improve
mcnts with ms system of tetties.
( The gentlemen who are here are a part
of the party that surveyed the so-called
Mohawk route by Oneida lake. which
would connect Lake Ontario at Oswego
with the Hudson by way of the Mohawk
river at Albany. Another party Is now
surveying the other link in this Cham
plain route from Troy northward to Fort
Edward and Whitehall. They have now
covered 81 miles and are Mt Fort Miller,
/ We might also say that the route on the
American side connecting Lake Erie and
Lake Ontario has been surveyed.
Other surveys have been made over this
route. In 1855 and in 1896 the Canadian
government caused surveys to he started
at the same place on the st. Lawrence
the head Of Lake St. Francis. merely an
enlargement OF that river about fifty
miles above Montreal-but running to ST.
Johns. our governments surveys, made
in 1870, 9G and 81 connect with the Great
Chazy river near Whiteside's mill JUS,
above tho village following the river
channel of course, to the lake. In sue
ceeding articles We shall enlarge upon
points merely mentioned here and make a
few corrections.
The advantages of this route as a ship
canal have been fully set forth in maya.
zines in years past, by eminent engineers
The possibilities to Champlain may almost
compare with Duluth's. We would have O
thriving city with practically seaport IA
cillties for all manner OF shipping to say
nothing of the stimulus to our interna
carrying trade, which, in the country al
large. is twenty times greater than Oui
foreign commerce.
The survey this party is making is to b,
thorough. minute and. as we understand
it. will be finally determinate in tho choIc,
OF route for the great artificial waterway