The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-04-17
THE WATERWAYS OF CANADA.
UnriyaIed in Length and in Service
to- Commerce.

Consul General stationed at Montreal. has
sent to the State Department an exhaus-
tive report on the waterways of Canada.
He says their waterways are unrivaied
in length and in service to commerce.
From the point where the waters of
Canada mingle with those of the Attain
zic,' says Mr.. Bittinger. "to a Canadian
port at the head of Lake Superior, along
the entire course of which vessel may
sail in Canadian waters. the distance is
Z.260 statute miles From the Straits OF
Belle Isle to Montreal, the St Lawrence
River extends $50 miles, with a channel
wide enough and deep enough for ocean
steamers. From Lake Superior to Three
Rivers, on the St Lawrence, where tidal
influence ceases a few hours sail from
Montreal, there Is . dron in level to the
extent Of 500 feet; that IS, a vessel from
Montreal on its voyage to Port Arthur
has to ascend 500 feet To attain this
height, there Is a system Of locks in oper-
alton. by means of which vessels are lift
ed sol feet, leaving 40 feet to be overcome
by working against a downward stream,
which at one place near IroquOis often
neces itates the employment of tug to
help a steamer up the river
Referring to the canals between Kings
ton and Montreal. the Consul General
says.
The width Of the locks is % feet and
depth of water on the siiIs Il feet On
their course down from Kingston to Mon
treaI- several of the canals are not used.
as the rapids are run with safety. From
Kingston, the course west is through
Lake Ontario until Port DaIhousie is
reached, where the Nelland Canal is en-
tered. This splendid construction extends
z5@t miles; the total lift is 1864 feet which
IS effected by tvventy-seven locks. each
go feet by - feet, with a depth of u feet
From the end of the Weiland Canal-Port
CoIborne-there Is deep water to Sault
Canal, 394 miles. The Sault Ste. Marie
Canal extends 5957 feet; it has only one
lock. which is 200 feet by 60 feet, and low
est depth - feet inches the total rise
being IS feet Another water course runs
from Montreal to Ottawa and turns down
to Kingston. a total distance OF 245 miles.
The rivers Ottawa and Rideau are part
OF this waterway The canals on this
route are: Lachine, 81 miles; St Anne's
lock and piers, one-eighth OF mile; Car
iIlon Canal, three-fourths of a mile; GreR-
vile. 5e4 miles From Ottawa to King
Ston-l26A miseS-there are thiTty-f1ve
locks. Besides these mainline canals,
there are others on the line Of the Richie
lieu River; IN Ontario, through the Pc
terborough district. in Cape Breton, and
number of branches acting as feeders
to the Rideau and WeHand systems
The total Quantity Of freight passed
through the several divisions of the ca
nails during 1859 was as follows: Welland,
T89. I!0 tons. St Lawrence, 2.349.G93 tons;
Chambly, 362, SIS. tons; Ottawa, 80, I05 tons;
Rideau. IS. sos tons; St Peters 70.SO4 tons;
Murray, 16, 7SS tons; Trent Valley, 40 100
tons.
The Chicago Trade Report for 1899
gives K. 296 SIS as the total number of
bushels Of grain shipped from that city
for transit through Canada in iSsc. The
value Of the exports from Chicago to Can
ada by water in 1899 was S5.31s,I97
The disparity between the volume of
freight carried eastward from Lake Erie
to Montreal and that taken on the west
ward trip, the Consul General adds, is
very striking, the average ratio of the
westward freight to the eastward for the
ten years lSSe-lSs9 having been only e.5S
per cent.
The advantage of American vessels in
the carrying trade from Lake Erie to this
port is marked; they had returned car
goes westward equal to Il per cent of
those brought eastward, whereas the Ca
madam vessels had westward return car
goes to the extent of only 419 per cent
just about one-tentn Of the American.
According to the report of the Minis
Ter OF Railways and Canals which has
just been submitted to Parliament the
total ira fflc through the several canals of
the Dominion for The season Of 1893
amounted to e,225.S24 tons. a, decrease Of
392 sol tons compared with the previous
year This includes COS 664 tons pass
ing through the Sauit Ste. Marie Canal,
which is free Of toll
"Of through freight through the Wei
land Canal, Canadian vessels carried 309.-
546 tons, decrease Of 40 tons: and
United States vessels 460G72 tons. a de-
crease of 250372 tons.
The quantity Of grain passed down the
"elland and st Lawrence Canals to Mon
treai was S3S,I45 tons, decrease Of 1885,
Ls5 tons compared with the previous year.
OF this, 4S,S2S tons were trans-shipped at
OgdensDdrg. as against 1851 the Drevi-
Gus year. The further quantity of 20 "a
no =
renee canals only TO Montreal. making a
TOTAL or Sl--2l tons The rate of toll on
grain through the WelIand. giving free
passage through the St Lawrence canals
was 10 cents a ton.
on the St Lawrence canals. I.349. 1888
tons Of freight We're moved being a de-
crease of 1901 tons. Of these 60s 454 tons
were east-bOund through freight and - SO
tons We're weSt-bCund through freight
lL6l6 tons were agricultural products
3SglZ, tons were merchandise and 81 a5i
tons forest produces
AS having an interesting bearing on
the question of canal against railway
transport Of grain from the West il may
De noted that whereas grain and pease
passed down 70 Montreal through the
Weiland and St Lawrence Canals to the
extent OF 80. 40 tons a decrease of 1856
Is6 tons from the previous year. the oJIan-
uJy carried to Montreal by the way OF the
Canadian Pacific and Grand Trunk Rail-
WAYS amounted TO 2l9. 10 tons. decrease
OF Si.zZ1 tons. In addition. during the past
TWO seasons new system Of grain traf-
nc has come into operation from DeDor
Harbor, on Georgian Bay, Lake Huron
over the line OF the Canada Atlantic Rail
way to Coteau Landing at the head of
the SOuldngeS Canal thence by barge ia
Montreal In the season OF 1888. the total
freight carried ny this route to Montreal
was 263. 49, tons Of which 22S. 40S tons were
grain. In the season Of 1883 500 5T3 tons
were carried, of which go 5S1 tons were
gram, going through the Bea uhaTnois Ca
nal, the SOUlangeS not then being opened
OF the grain so carried in 1898, 50 9S3 tons
66,639 tons were wheat and 1882 tons
corn.
The decreases in canal revenue in 1883
were: " eiland. so. 6t5: s. Lawrence Sc
III: Ottawa, H,545-making together S5S-
25l- Against this there were increases.
Chambjy. 1854. other canals 81 SOL
making q total of SS235. Taking the 10
crease leaves so. ops as the decline in canal
revenue in 1893 as compared with 1898
The total expenditure charged to capt.
tai account Oh the original construction
and the enlargement Of the several canals
OF the Dominion up TO June 80 1893 was
ts-ui3, is4-Ga- i further sum of sl6-Z73. 70 IS
was expended ON the repairs, maintenance
total OF SS3.3l6.9l9-UI- The total revenue de-
rived including tolls and rentals of lands
and water powers amounted to 81, 40I.-
9l7-22
The total expenditure for the fiscal year
ended June 30, 1900. was On construction
and enlargement. 81, $50. 554-95 and d fur
Their sum # sTII. COOS for repairs renew
year Of s.. 351 164- 90. The total net revenue
collected for the fiscal year was S322, 542 So
a decrease compared with the ne revenue
of the previous year of S46, 4el.52.