Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-12

has undertaken exceeds the work at Pan
ana. More earth and rock must be eXca-
waited more masonry used, and more dams
built. The cost per unit is not snearly so
high as at Panama, because the work Will
be done i'll the temperate zone, where labor,
tools and materials are abundant and rea-
sonably cheap
In the completely of the engineering
questions involved the Erie is hardly second
to the Panama canal; for, while the canali-
cation of the Mohawk river is a very differ
| ent problem from the control and utilization
OF the Chagres river they are both engi-
neering projects Of the very first magnitude.
1.-THE building of the Panama canal under
conditions akin to the proposed enlargement
of the Erie barge canal would be a simpler.
cheaper and easier work than that which
New York has undertaken.
1T is believed that these new and enlarg-
ed canals will be of benefit to New York in
enabling her to retain and increase her
commercial supremacy, largely through
their controlling influence on freight rates
and the prevention and differential diScrjmi-
ne ton against the port of New York, which
is now and has for years been the rule.
They will also benefit the entire region
or the Great Lakes, and this benefit will
extend far into the interior of the great
northwest and influence transporta ton
rates through the country
pom the Great Lakes many millions Of
1relght are transported every year at ex-
ceedlnsly low rates-far lower than are pos
ton The canals that New York has under
taken to build will practically extend this
cheap system of water Transportation to the
seaport OF New York and other ports In the
together
Canals in England.
England is country that depends largely
upon canal navigation. although it has a
network of railways which is closer, prob
nt her in,
are 1907 miles of canals in Great Britain.
the vast proportion being in England. These
canals carry considerably over 10000 600
tons a year
The most important of them is the Man.
chester ship canal, which was hailed as a
great engineering feat when it was opened
IN 1874. Its magnitude a business enter
prise may be appreciated from the fact that
the capital of the company which owns 1t is
ST 10000. and that it's revenue Is a quarter
or the entire revenue of all the canals In
Great Britain. although its length is only
thirty-five and half miles.
The most important canal work under
taken by Germany In recent years was the
across the Schleswig- Holstein neck from
kiel to the Elbe. This canal was opened in
June, 1895, and its purpose is primarily
strategic. 1t facilitates the trnsference Of
lishments on the Baltic, Kiel, to the chief
German North sea base, Wilhelmshaven.
The canal is sixtyone miles long and over
700 feet broad. 1t cost about $50 900 600 but
1t has been splendid success. Over 80 600
SHIPS pass through 1t every year. Germany
has about 5000 miles of other canals
The whole of Europe Is closely cut I'D with
canals, nearly all the navigable rivers be-
Ing thus connected Many years ago. be-
fore this system of canalization was as com
plete as 1t Is today, a Scotchman named
MacGregor wrote book which had great
vogue In England. entitled "a Thousand
Miles In Rob Roy Canoe"
All Over Europe.
He had the pluck to cross the English
channel in his frail craft, and then he en-
tered one Of the canals Of Holland Dur
ing the course of one summer he travelled
over a thousand miles on the canals and
rivers of Europe. but principally on the can
ais He went through Holland Belgium,
France, Germany, Austria, Hungary and
part of Russia. and he never once had to
leave his waterways and take to the train
In order to reach the points he desired.
Nowadays the system of canals is much
improved. and practically every town of i'm
portance on the continent is linked up with
the vast network of waterways.
Yet the nations of Europe are not salts
fed. and most of them have great schemes