The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-01-26
SHIP CANALS OF THE WORLD.
Extent to which They Aid Conn
merce shown.


From the Philadelphia Ledger.
Great Canals of the World" is the
title of a study prepared by the Treas
ury Bureau of Statistics for publica-
ton in the forthcoming volume of the
Monthly Summary of Commerce and
Finance. 1t shows the commerce, cost
and dimensions of the great canals of
the world especially those connecting
great bodies of water and which may
be properly termed ship canals.
Ship canals connecting great bodies
of water, and of sufficient dimensions
to accommodate the great modern YES
sells plying upon such waters, are of
comparatively recent production and
few in number. The one great exam
pie of works of this character which
has been a sufficient length of time in
existence and operation to supply sat
isfactory data as to cost OF mainte
nance and operation and practical
value to the commerce of the world is
the SueZ canal and for this the avail
able statistics begin with the year
1870, while its new and enlarged di-
mansions only date from the year 1896.
For the Sault Ste. Marie canal, con-
ron, statistics date from 1855, though
for the canal in its present form they
cover but about four year. Statistics
of the Welland canal date from 1867,
but for the canal in it's present en-
larged form cover only two years of
operation. The other great ship canals
of the world are of much more recent
construction, and data regarding their
operation, therefore, cover a compare
lively brief term, and, in some cases,
are scarcely at present available in de-
tail.
The artificial waterways which may
properly be termed ship canals are nine
in number. viz:
First. The Suez canal, begun in 1859
and completed in 1869.
Second. The Constadt and ST. Pc
tersburg canal, begun in 1877 and COM
pleted in 1890.
Third. The Corinth canal, begun in
1884 and completed in 1898.
Fourth. The Manchester ship canal,
completed in 1894.
Fifth. The Kaiser Wilhelm canal,
connecting the Baltic and North seas
completed in 1895.
Sixth. The Elbe and Trave canal
connecting the North sea and Baltic,
opened in 1900.
Seventh. The Welland canal. con-
Meeting Lake Erie with Lake Ontario
Eighth and Ninth. The two canals,
United States and Canadian, respec-
lively, connecting Lake Superior with
Lake Huron.
The description which is given of
each of these great waterways shows
that the length of the Suez canal is
about 80 miles; the cost, 500, 000, 900;
the present depth, 81 feet, width at
bottom, 10S feet, and at the surface,
420 feet. and that the number of YES
sells passing through it has grown
from 486 in 1870 to 1. 494 in 1876. 2.026 in
1880, 1889 in 1890 and 3441 in 1900. The
tolls charged are about 81 per net reg
istered ton.
The Cronstadt and st. Petersburg
canal, which gives a passage way for
great vessels to st. Petersburg, is 16
miles long, including the deepening OF
the bay channel. 20h feet in depth,
and the total cost estimated at &c.,
900, 900.
The Corinth canal, which connects
the Gulf of Corinth with the Gulf OF
Aegina, is 4 miles in length, 26A feet
in depth, 70 feet wide at the bottom.
cost about $5,0OO.O00. and reduces the
sailing distance about IFS miles. The
average tolls charged are 1S cents per
ton and 20 cents per passenger.
The Manchester ship canal, which
connects Manchester, England, with
the Mersey river and Liverpool. was
opened in 1894. It's length is S5k miles.
depth &c feet width at bottom 800 feet
and at the surface 175 feet, and cost
SIS, 0000 900. The commerce on the canal
shows a growth from S79. 204 tons, In
1895, to 1892 800 tons, in 1900.
The Kaiser Wilhelm canal. which
connects the Baltic and North Sea
through Germany, is 81 miles in length.
29ls feet I'm depth. 70 feet wide at the
bottom. 100 feet wide at the surface and
cost $40, 900, 900. The number OF vessels
passing through IL has increased from
10, $50, in 1897. to 20 095, IN 1900, OF which
number 1915 were sailing vessels. The
tonnage in 1897 was 1S4s. 459, and i'm
1900, 4.2S2. 094 tons. An additional canal
connecting the same bodies OF water by
way Of the Elbe and Trave rivers was
opened ia 1900 It's length IA II miles,
depth about 10 feet. width ~ feet aud
coft 50. 900.
The great North Holland canal. which
connects Amsterdam with the sea. cut
in 1915 but deepened I'D later date,
has now Il depth ~ 20 feet, "a width ~
i25 feet az the surface. The Caledonian