The Butte inter mountain., 1902-01-18

|
canai. which gives passage way fo
great vessels to st. Petersburg. ia 1,
miles long, including the deepeninr q
the bay channel, 20 1-2 feet in depth. ant
the total cost estimated at $40 900 oOO
| The Coronith canal, which connects the
Gulf of Corinth with the Gulf OF Aegina
is four miles In length. 26 IA feet in
depth, ~ feet wide at the bottom, cost
about $5000,000. and reduces the sailing
distance about 175 miles. The average
tolls charged are 1Sc per ton and zoe per
| passenger.
4 The Manchester ship canal, which con-
meets Manchester, England, with the
II Mersey river and Liverpool, was opened
in 1894. Its length is 35h miles, depth 2e
| feet. width at bottom 100 feet and at the
| surface 175 feet, and 1t cost SIS, 1000, ,OOO
| The commerce on the canal shows a
| growth from 879,204 tons in 1896 to !, ,492,-
800 tons In 1900.
Connects Baltic and North Sea.
The Kaiser Wilhelm canal, which con-
meets the Baltic and North seas through
Germany, is CT miles in length, 291s feet
In depth. 70 feet wide at the bottom, 1870
feet wide at the surface. and cost about
$40, 100000. The number of vessels pass
Ing through 1t has increased from 1880
In 1897 to 29,095 in 1900, of which number
1916 were sailing vessels.
The tonnage In 1897 was 1,484 45S, and In
1900. 4.2S2,094 tons. An additional canal
connecting the same bodies of water by
way of the Elbe and Trave rivers was
opened In 1900. Its length IL Al miles,
depth about 10 feet width 72 feet and IL
cost $4,000 000
The great North Holland canal. which
connects Amsterdam with the sea, cut in
1915, but deepened at q later date hsv
now depth of 70 feet, q width OF 125 feet
at the surface. The Caledonian canal.
which connects the Atlantic and North
Sea through the north OF Scotland, Is II
feet In depth, 80 feet In width at the bot
tom, $50 miles long, cost $1,000, 600, and
is at its highest point "a feet above sea
level
The canal du Midi. cut through Francs
from Toulouse on the Garonne to Cette
on the Mediterranean, distance of $50
miles, is 6R feet deep, go feet wide and
600 feet above sea level at its highest
point, and has ia locks; total cost,
SO, 500, 900.
Great Lake Connection.
In America the canals connecting the
great lakes are the principal ship canals
and are three In number-the Welland
canal, originally constructed in 1888, and
enlarged In 1871 and 1900; the Sault Ste.
Marie, or st. Mary's river canal, opened
in 1856. and enlarged in 1897; and the
Canadian canal at st. Mary's river. OPEN
ed In 1895. The American and Canadian
canals al St. Mary's Falls are practically
Identical In location and dimensions. and
are used interchangeably by vessels en-
gagged in commerce, as convenience may
dictate.
The depth of the canals at the St
Mary's river is sufficient to accommo-
date vessels drawing 90 feet OF water.
The American canal was originally con-
structed by the state of Michigan, but
subsequently taken charge of by the
United States and enlarged at a cost of
$2.l5O,000. The cost of the Welland canal
was about $50, 900. 900. largely due to the
fact that 25 locks are required in sur
mounting the rise of 327 feet in the dis
tance of q miles.
Decrease in Business.
The number of vessels passing through
the Weland canal has decreased from
6425 in 1873, to 2202 in 1899. The marked
contrast between the business of the ST.
Mary's Falls and Welland canals Is
largely due to the fact that the freights
originating in the Lake Superior district
are chiefly discharged at Lake Erie ports,
and those destined for the Lake Superior
region are chiefly produced in the section
contiguous to Lake Erie. the Lake SUI
perior freights being chiefly iron, copper
anu grain, and the Lake Erie freights for
Lake Superior coal and manufactures.
The business of the st. Marys Falls
canals by far surpasses in volume that of
any other canal of the world the freight
tonnage of the American and Canadian
canals combined being in 1901 "a, ,626, ,976
registered tons, while the net tonnage OF
the Suez canal in 1900 was 9878,152 tons,
and that of the Kaiser Wilhelm canal,
4 ,2S2 ,094 TONS III.