Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-07
Circumstances THAT Operated to De.
crease I'm

cESosc Atb 1Ohn08Ss
H. W. Brush, UHited-States consul at
Clifton, Canada, writes to the State De-
partment regarding the Weiland canal:
The province of Ontario is becoming
alarmed over the seeming decadence of the
Welland canal, and strong pleas are being
made for harbor Improvements at Port Col
| borne, its Lake Eric, terminal 1t is urged
that the lack of hSrboril facilities at that
port Is largely responsible for the loss In
trafhc The harbor is in the same condi-
tlon that II was sevsnteen years ago, when
| the Welland canal was opened. The lake
vessels now require such a depth Of water
that none of the larger class attempt to en-
ter Port Colborne
The Weliand canal is twenty and three
fourths miles in length, connecting Lake
Erie and Lake Ontario by cutting through
the narrow Niagara peninsula. There is a
ran OF 326A feet In the twenty-seven miles
or canal. necessitating twenty-six locks
These locks are 270 feet in length by fortv-
hve feet in width. The canal has a depth
of fourteen feet. and when it was opened it
was supposed that provision had been made
Tor the largest lake craft. But the deep
Sault Ste. Marie canal has permitted the
construction or such immense freight car
riers that most Of the vessels which could
navigate the Welland canal have been
driven out of the carrying trade.
When the vessels became too large to
enter the Welland canal. Tightening was re-
sorted TO. inc Grand Trunk railway built
a branch line parallel with the canal
Enough of the cargo was transferred to
the railroad to enable the vessel to pass
through the canal and then the cargo was
taken on again at the other terminal. This
expedient has worked fairly well until re-
Gently; but in the meantime the lake YES
sells have been growing in size each year.
and with each increase came lower freight
rates, driving the smaller vessels out of
competition Steamers with 200 600 bushel
capacity now control the grain-carrying
trade, and these cannot enter Port Col
borne harbOr. The vessels that can enter
are growing less in number each season,
and soon even the eXpedient of Tightening
vessels Will not suffice to bring traffic to
the canal.
while the government admits the neces-
sity of a better harbor, it seems unwilling
to take Immediate steps toward providing
one. 1t is urged that this will prove of
only temporary value unless the canal is
enlarged as well; and if the canal is en-
larged so as to admit the largest lake
craft, there would still be heavy expendi-
lures required on the ST. Lawrence route,
which does not even have a 14-foot chan
mel for it's entire length, although that
depth is expected to be secured this sea-
son.
1.-The WeIland canal. UP to date, has cost
the government $24173.352. Its best year
in tonnage was 1898, when ,294, S23 tons OF
grain and merchandise passed through it
east and west Since then the decline in
grain shipments has been especially mark
ed, although the grain traffic on the lakes
increases every year. In 1893 the grain
that passed down the Welland was about
16 per cent of the grain receipts at Buffalo;
in 1898 it about per cent, or loss
of 43 per cent as compared with Buffalo.
The grain that passed down the Welland
last year was less than five years ago,
while the grain receipts at Buffalo were
nearly three times what they were ten
ago.