The Saint Paul globe., 1900-06-11
HARNEssINE our INLAND SEA.


HARVESTING OUR INLAND SEA.
The old saying about distance lending
enchantment finds many an ample verifi-
cation in the experience OF every man.
We often travel to see wonders which
pale into insignifcance in COMPARISON
with those at our very door. AS man
seeks the unattainab.e. so the greater the
apparent difficulty of attainment the
greater is the desire for achievement. It
is this which leads so many away from
the paths of sober endeavor, and lends
life most Of its Sest to the really inquIr-
ing or ambitious mind.
Wnen the reading public was made ac-
quainted In a general way with the won,
derful achievement of Harvesting the
Falls of Niagara there was naturally
deal Of wonder and pride expressed over
the undertaking. All such vast achieve
ments arc still capable of arresttng the
popular attention. an undertaking which
has been becoming more and more DIFF,
ficuIt of recent years. But in the pro-
portion as the results Of a given great
achievement are far off or near at hand
is the popular imagination more or less
excited by the contemplation Of them.
For il stance, here in our own immedl,
ate neighborhood there is in opera ton the
greatest hydaulic development ever at
tempted in the United States: but which
of us know anything whatever about its
| tremendous significance? The ConsoHdat.
ed Lake Superior company has at the
| present moment such an undertaking in
progress in the construction of a power
| canal at the 800" and the possibilities
| of its development are equal to, if not
greater than, those at Niagara Falls A
water power canal half a mile in length
is now in operation on the Canadian sidh
of the canal, while one a mile and a hall
in length is under construction on the
American side
recent number OF the Scientific
American contains an account of this
grea- undertaking which fairly shows its
marvellous nature. 1t will, when COM
pleted. supply row of mills upon. the
| banks of the canal more than a mile In
length and will give each fall of water
of eighteen feet and OF ample quantity.
The actual physical energy to be dc.
veloped through it will amount to fully
| $4,000 horse power The power house
within which this power will be trans.
formed into electric energy viii be near
| 1,4O0 feet in length, 100 feet in width and
will rise rs feet above the water level.
The technical description of this Won
derful work would possess but little inter-
est to the general reader But a clear
idea of It's enormous magnitude may be
gathered from the statement that there
| will be required for It's construction
25o,0OO linear feet of piles, 160,00o linear
feet of 12-ineh logs, 10000 cubic yards of
concrete, 5000 tons Of structural steel, and
! 10000 yards Of stone masonry The esti-
mated cost of the building will be in the
neigAborhood Of S5O6, 900, and it is ex-
| pected that the equipment will require
about $750.00O additional The mean out,
flow of Lake Superior. which has an area
of about 10000 square miles, Is, through
the rapids Of Sault Ste Marie, about SC, 900
cubic feet per secoud, the year around.
Ths quantity of material to be moved
will amount to over 100000 cubic yards
of rock and considerably over 2,OOO 600
| cubic yards of other material
The attention of the reader to this
wonderful undertaking has been chiefly
arrested, if at all. only through the
| statements which have appeared from
time to time in the press that the car
riers on Lake Superior have been aroused
as to the possible effect upon the water
level of the lake caused by reducing the
| water flow through the canal and lessen
| ing the volume of the lakes, thus possibly
/ injuriously affecting he great navigating
| interests involved. Expert opinions diff
fer on the great questions thus raised,
| and 1t Is contended that if the govern
mear ship canal were lowered even one
inch around the rapids at The 500 1t