Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-02-12

2.--Available water supply from an
abundant source.
Dimensions of canal necessary to
meet all requirements as freight car
rying competitor.
9.-Cost, compared with the benz fts
derived.
5.-Local conditions governing best
route.
While commercial demand must gov
crn the advisablity of the construction
of canal, as in the Improvement Of
any public carrier, the parent consider
alton is the necessity for an available
water supply, which is the paramount
feature in determining the practicable
| ity of such an undertaking.
One Of the most important questions
In determining the advisability of a
modern inland waterway across our
| state connecting the lakes with the
| Ohio river, is that of the possible and
|
construction.
The fact that the construction of a
ship canal in its broadcast sense, has
been found physical impossibility,
has been wrongfully used as an argu-
ment in opposing any enlargement Of
| our canals whatever. Some have even
| gone so far as to assume that since the
enlargement of our canals to size ad-
mltting ships, the only Interior pur-
pose worthy of consideration, is nm i'm
possibility, any further improvement
and even the maintenance of our pres
ent small canals, is unwise, and that
they should therefore he at once aban-
doned and disposed of and their right
of way diverted to other uses.
THE SIZE OF CANALS.
The determination of the proper size
OF canals across Ohio mus. be govern
ed by two most important considera-
tions, even IL the possibilities for larger
dimensions were unlimited:
a. The size which would insure the
least cost in the transportation of
freight.
CO. The most available size of ca
nal that will best subserve the naviga-
tion of it's boats on both the lakes and
the improved rivers.
1t is fact we'll known in theory and
in practice, that the speed of vessels
navigating an inland waterway ,wheth-
er a canal for ships or one for Darges,
must of necessity be limited during
time of transit. This would make the
operation of n ship canal across our
State implacticablc, with its distance
of some 250 miles, and about 400 feet
of lockagc to overcome between the
lake and river. The first cost of n
vessel, the interest on its Investment,
its insurance and costly operation,
would put the shipments of freight
by such slow transit out of the qucs-
ton for ships of expensive construc-
ton, in competition with other car
riagc.
In poiut Of fact, "rhc great Sucz ca
nal is twcnty-seven (27) feet deep, and
the ships passing through it draw so
much water that there is seldom over
two feet of water under their keels,
even limiting the best speed that can
be made to four and onc-half miles an
hour"
And so with our own Sault Ste. Ma
ric Improvement, where an inland ca
nal is made to shorten distance-in
passing through this chanel, great
vessels are limited to their lowest
speed, and even then there is at times
danger to the vessels themselves.
In determining upon the best size for
the enlargement of the Erie canal of
New York from Buffalo to Albany, for
cheapness in transportation of freight,
the most exhaustive inquiries were
made by the ablest engineers In this
country, which resulted in the conclu-
sion that canal of nine feet depth
would meet all demands and require
mcnts.
| STEEL BARGES.
In paper recently presented to the
International Deep Waterway assocla
4 tion, in discussion To determine upon
the proper size for the New York ca
nails, its author, who is OF acknowl-
edged ability to judge of the question,
maintained, "rhat if fleets of steel
barges can be built and insured to run
ON both the canal and the lakes, the
COST of transportation by them would
DO less than by II ship canal"
He even goes SO far as to say that
II the Erie canal were enlarged to IS
feet depth the actual cost of transport
ing one bushel of grain from Chicago
10 New York by steamers carrying
5000 net tons, would be six cents,whilc
| 10 tin .npnt ,,.a,e, .IanpnnaH IN ninn