The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-10
THE DEMANDS OF coMMERcE
Two Canals Projected which May
Cost HaIf Billion


Cost Half Billion
The rapid strides of the United States
toward greatness within the past quarter
of century are no better exempliaed
than in its projects for remedying the de-
fects of natures from a commercial point
of view.
In the early history Of the country mer-
chants were content to take conditions as
they found them. adapting their vessels
to suit their harbors. and when the har-
bors proved too small to accommodate
their ships seeks Others more >,ommodi-
Gus. Now the merchant builds his ships
according to the demands of trade and
! adapts the harbor to suit the ship. The
same Is true of the great rivers. Where
the frontiersman formerly fioated his fat
boat with hides and up-rfver products to
New Orleans the Fiyerman of today de-
mands six, eight. ten, fifteen. and even
thirty feet of water. according TO the To-
eaiity. These ever-increasing demands for
the improvement Of rivers ana harhors
nave grown enormously within the past
four or five years. beginning 5tmUitane-
ously with Americas taking the lead in
! the commerce of the world. Within a re-
cent period projects have been seriously
recommended to Congress by Government
engineers and commissions for the i'm
provement of our waterways and the con-
! struction of canals involving the enor-
nous outlay of nearly three-quarters of a
billion OF dollars and so accustomed have
the American people become to the expen-
diture OF great sums Of money that the
recommendations have attracted merely a
passing notice
Leading in these plans Is that for the
! Nicaragua Canal, for which commission
which has spent several years and si,0e0,-
0oe in money in investigating the matter,
! reports that 500. 546, eco VIII be necessary.
4, II Is reasonable to presume that as no
work OF this character is ever completed
within the original cost, the canal. il ever
! constructed. will cost half as much more
| than estimated.
! or even more Importance to domestic
| commerce and welfare is the deep water
/ way project. which provides for route by
| the lakes, rivers, and canals for ocean
! going steamers to pass through the coun-
j try TO the furthest extremity of the Great
| Lakes. Combined with it is the plan to
deepen the Chicago drainage canals out
let through the Illinois River the Upper
Mississippi, etc. so as to admit ocean
going steamers or lake steamers from
! Chicago 10 the Gulf of Mexico.
! Should all these plans be finally con-
| summated Il will be possible to load a
! steamer at Chicago with dressed beef.
/ send It through the canals and rivers to
! the Gulf, cross the Isthmus of D2rieD IN
/ tia Nicaragua Canal and land its cargo
in San Francisco IN much less time and
at great deal less expense than The
same amount OF freight could be shipped
/ across the country by train All these
projects commend themselves to the Cen
/ trail States, for the combination means
1 the creation Of a seaboard In the interior
] Of the country II ocean going steamers
/ could be loaded at Chicago docks and find
/ a free passage to the Atlantic u would
! not be long before all the grain and other
! products OF the great West. not needing
Z express transportation. would be needing
/ at Chicago for Europe and New York.
/ Boston. Philadelphia, and Baltimore guf-
/ fer accordingly.
/ II is proposed TO expend 10000. 600 in
/ improving the channel connecting Lakes
Superior and Huron Galveston having
{ been ruined by tidal wave, asks 50 co.,
| 0o0 or S4.eG9, coo to restore her iiarDor.
/ The entrance to the Mississippi is uEsat-
! isfactery. the several millions spent IN
| the South Pass having produced no visible
I result except 10 justify the original con-
/ teution that it was the Southwest Pass
which should be improved and not the
| South Pass. -Ail the cities having har-
| bors, including those on the Great Lakes
/ wait money for improvements. To cap the
climax recommendation was sent to
| Congress Saturday asking for $25. e90. 00G
! for the improvement Of the lower part CT
| the Arkansas River Besides such prapo-
sitions the 1880. eco asked by New York
, for the improvement OF BgtteTmilk Chan
| mel, the million or two for the destruc-
| ton of Diamond Reef the S6e0 COB for
Spring Garden Channel, Baltimore. ard
the 81 800, coo for Erie HarboT. near Buff
| fslo dwiHdIe into insignifieance-