The sun., 1900-07-07
TO TAKE BIG SHIPS INLAND.
DEEP WATERWAYS COMMISSION RE.
PORTS ITS FINDINGS.

Lake Erie. Lake Ontario and the MOHAWK
Valley the Route enty -one-Foot Canal
Preferred to Thirty Foot One for Irsf-
nc Purposes-war Problems Considered.
WASHINGTON, July 8.-The report OF the
Deep Waterways Commission, consisting OF
Major Charles W. Rayn ond. Alfred Noble ana
George W. Wisner. was made public by the
Secretary OF War to-day. This board was ap-
pointed In 1907 to investigate and report on
available routes for deep water communication
between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic sea-
board. The report is volumnous and treats
exhaustively Of all the routes suggested. lts
conclusions are as follows
1T appears from the investi cations OF the
board that the most favorable route for 80
foot waterway from the Lakes to the sea Is from
Lake Erie TO Lake Ontario via La Sale and
Lewiston and from Lake Ontario TO the Hud-
son River via Oswego and the Mohawk Valley;
and that the same route Is practi cally as favor
able as any for the 2l-foot waterway. This
route Is entirely In our own country and has
longer season Of navi CATION than the more
northerly line. The problen OF is defence Is
OF course much simpler than IL would be were
q part Of 1t in foreign country and it is avail:
able as line OF communication for ships OF
war. In the following comparison Of the 2i-foot
and s9-foot waterways this route will alone be
The estimated cost Of the 2l-foot waterway
on the low level plan is 5000. .s5s, CO., the esti-
2sI. 500, to which should be added about 50 o07.-
500 for the necessary deepening Of the harbors
at Duluth and Chicago. making the total cost
snd Ihs eSS q sor Ss
2i-foot waterway and s2.sao.s sos for the 20 foot
waterway.
2l-foot waterway when the single lift locks are
dup Heated Is estimated at So COS OU0 net tons, and
that OF the 30-l foot waterways at 36 10000 net
tons, the uafhc on the smaller waterway being
greater than that on the larger, owing TO the
difference In time expended In lockaSe II
should. however be remarked that with me
smaller locks properly troportioned Tor }sS
capacity OF the larger waterway would be some.
what increased. The average speed on the
2l-foot waterway is 1907 miles per hour. On
he 90-foot waterway II Is 10 miles per hour.
In the Sefoot waterway Navigation
would be ireer and Tor smaller vessels little
more rapid than In the 2i-foot waterway. and
there would be less danger Of delay from acci-
dents and crowdins. Tho time required for
vessel No. to make single trip from Duluth
TO New York on the 30.foot waterway rs SIX
on the 2l-foot waterway would require two
hours longer vessel No is OF nineteen feet
draaYghtl .,o-,,. c,r,,., ,o,, ,.,.. %,
large traffic volumes there seems 10 be little
choice between them In respect OF their influence
on railway rates.
IN tne very lmprODdple event OF war WIN
Great Britain every large ship Of war possessed
by this country would pe required on tho high
SEQ. Such vessels would be unnecessary on
the Lakes, since the greatest depth OF the Cana.
dian is only fourteen feet For purposes Of
naval defence the 2l-foot waterway appears
TO offer ample facilities.
The, 2o-foot waterway would enable the
shipbuildeTs OF the lakes 10 construct seagoing
vessels OF the largest size both for commercial
and naval purposes. With the 2i-toot water
way this industry must be restricted to the con-
struction OF vessels Of not too great dimensions
to pass the locks. II the width Of the locks were
made greater than is necessary for the carrying
trade ships OF larger size would be foated from
the Lake shpyards 10 the seaboard when light
This would increase the cost of the canal and
diminish It's traffic capacity.
As result Of this nvestig gation II appears that
the 2i-foot waterway promises a much greater
return OF value relative TO its cost than the
s0-foot waterway. The main advantages OF
the S0-foot waterway are that II would furnish
the lowest cost OF trans port proper to foreign
markets and permit the construction OF the
largest sea9oing vessels on the Lakes"