The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-06-21
The GREAT LAKES,
Marvels of Engineer
ing Successes
Described.
POSSIBILITIES OF THE FUTURE.
John Berkenbine's Lecture
Before the Washburn En-
cheering Society.
POSSIBILITIES OF THE FUTURE.

The annual commencement lecture at
Worcester Polytechnic Institute vas
delivered before the Washburn Engi-
neering Society, last night by John
Birkenbne, president of Franklin In
stitute of Philadelphia, and civil en-
gineer of national reputation.
The lecture was given in one of the
lecture rooms of the engineering lab
ratory and was attended by delega-
lions of Worcester Division, n. A. s.,
E., of the Tech faculty, alumni and stu
dents.
The lecturer chose for his subjec.
THE Great Lakes" and in an intense
ly interesting lecture, rehearsed the ell
gineering successes along the great
waterway and entered into detail in
the mining industries. He said in part:
At present much of the traffic Of the
Great Lakes does not reach Lake on
tario, and while recognizing the impor-
lance of its transportation and the pro-
gress of the cities adjacent to its
shores, immediate attention may be
concentrated principally on Lake Su-
perior, Michigan and Erie.
A visitor to the Great Lakes who
traverses the territory contiguous to
them must be impressed by the num-
erous evidences of engineering skill in
all branches. The civil engineer shows
his work in harbor Improvements, ca
nails and locks, docks, drainage sys-
TENS and water powers, water supples
for cities and towns which develop so
rapidly that those on the Great Lakes
have increased their population Over
500 per cent in 80 years. The architcc-
tural engineer has his record in CALI
and massive buildings sustained on
treacherous ground by novel founda-
ton methods.
The network of tracks, the bridges
viaducts and tunnels connected with
the great transportation systems
which find terminii at the lake cites
evidence the work of the railroad en-
gineer. The immense fleet Of 5000 yes
sells, representing an aggregate Of L.
SOC, 900 TONS, which float at elevations
from 573 to 602 feet above the ocean
level, indicate what has been done by
the marine engineer. installations Tor
light and power plants connected with
towns, cities, industries and transpor-
tation and also the application OF elec-
trio light and power in mines. demon
strate that the electrical engineer. TOO,
has been active on the Great Lakes.
But the greatest development of the
conversion of hydraulic into electrical
energy and its application to electro
metallurgy and electro-chemistrY IS at
Niagara. mi,
A pumping engine delivers 60,O0O,OOO
gallons of water in "a hours. hosting
engines with drums 90 feet and more
in diameter lift cages loaded with tons
of ore at speeds reaching 40 miles per
hour.
The extent of the mining operations
NAV be guaged from the fact that
within 43 years 134,OOO,000 gross tons of
iron ore and nearly the same amount
Of rock containing copper have been
mined and some Of the workings have
reached a depth of nearly one mile
from the surface.
If all the copper productions IN MI
chigan in 1897 were drawn into lO-gauge
telephone wire, it would be sufficient
to encircle the globe 60 times. The to-
tai dividends paid by Michigan copper
mines up to the close of 1897 was $40
OO0. O00 During the business depression
millions of tons Of iron ore have been
mined in the Lake Superior region,
shipped by railroads from 10 to 30 miles
to ore docks, transferred to vessels and
carried from 800 to 1000 miles, unloaded
and delivered on cars at lower lake
ports at from 81 to SO per ton.
The capital invested in Lake superior
iron ore taken exclusively is over $2oO,-
600, 600 The shipments of coal from
Lake Erie ports to Lake Superior has
aggregated 3,775, 900 net tons in one
year. A new steamer of the whaleback
pattern brought into Cleveland $40
tons of iron ore on q draught of liz
feet. Another will be able to load 1900
tons on the same draught.
Prior to the opening of 500 canal, the
lake Superior fleet was made UP of y
steamers with a total registered ton
mage of 1900 tons. In 1898 the traffic
through the St. Mary's ship canal in
nearly 100000 900 ton miles, and the
average cost Of carrying freight was
10 mills per ton mile.
The Chicago drainage canal, primar-
lily designed to discharge the sewerage
of Chicago through Illinois and Missis-
sippi rivers and furnish water power, is
intended by its projectors to ultimate
ly connect the lakes with the Gulf of
Mexico for purposes of navigation.
This canal, with depths of from % to
26 feet. has a greater area of gross sec
ton than either of the SueZ, Man
chester or North sea canals. The canal
is built between Chicago and LOckport.
"a miles of which, y or "A miles, is
through rock.
If we pass through Lake Huron we
meet great lumber and salt Industries,
and at its outlet st. Claire river is the
noted railroad tunnel, costing $1,000. 600,
a metal tube 10 feet 10 inches in diam
eter, 6025 feet long and with approaches
on the opposite shores aggregating 560S
feet in length. At Detroit it is claimed
more traffic passes than at any other
point in the world.
One of the boldest engineering prof.
ects associated with the great lakes is
the proposal to deepen and widen the
summit level of the Welland canal. dis
pensing with the % locks and substi-
tuting two pneumatic locks Of 100 feet
and 155 feet lift leading 10 the Mag
ara rivel below the whirlpool rapids
Similar works on the St. Lawrence
river are expected to give deep water
navigation for the larges. T'asseis be-
tween the st. Lawrence at Montreal
and Lake Erie, so that cargoes in bulk
may pass from Duluth into the Allan
tic and vice versa.
Of the thousands who annually stand