Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-01-13

The Georgian bay enterprise will shorten
that distance by several hundred miles
Another scheme along the same lines
Is to build a canal from Georgian bay
to Lake Ontario near Toronto This is q
shorter project but II will probably not
be undertaken II the ottawa river scheme
is adopted, although It may come later II
that canal should prove profitable and
there is room for both.
Washington a Canal Booster.
Nearly all the other canal projects which
are under consideration in this country
have to do with the Mississippi valley re-
gion. Washington first originated this
scheme. He wanted to run a canal from
the Chesapeake across to Pittsburg and
then dig another to Ashtabula.
The idea was given up because of the
great cost. He also wanted to connect the
Mississippi with the Great Lakes, a feat
which has been accomplished and which
is to be developed probably at great cost
Chicago has already built a great canal
of more than forty miles to discharge the
city's sewage into the Mississippi 1t is
planned to extend 1t to St. Louis.
Meantime a canal has been constructed
seven feet in depth from Hennepin, ILL.,, to
the Rock river, running along that stream
to the Mississippi at Rock Island. 1t Is the
most pretentous bit of canal building that
this country has seen in recent years. 1t
solves the problem of navigation from the
lakes to the Mississippi.
The other plans to connect the lakes with
the Mississippi region ALI center about
Pittsburg. The first is to build the canal
from Ashtabua, a distance Of 1870 miles.
ITS cost will run well up to s1OO,OOo0OO, but
it is urged that 1t will so reduce the cost
of manufacture of steel products in Pitts
burg as to give new life to the already
prosperous Industries there.
The second project is to connect Lake
Erie with the Ohio by a canal 3i6 miles
long from Toledo to Cincinnati. That will
not benefit Pittsburg as much as the Ash
tabula canal, but II will form another link
in opening the Great Lakes to navigation
TO the gulf and, it is argued, the entire
region will be benefited.
In the Mississippi Basin.
All the great navigable streams tributary
to the Mississippi are being improved by
deepening the channels, which really
amounts to the promotion Of canal naviga-
ton, and when the general scheme of i'm
proving these highways of commerce is
finished 1t is estimated that more than 1900
miles of inland water transportation for
freight in bulk will be added to the coun-
try's facilities.
Another canal in contemplation is a little
one across the end of Michigan's peninsula
in Lake Superior and still another that has
been suggested is across eastern Massa-
chusetts from Narragansett bay to Boston.
The lattor, however, is likely to remain in
allegiance until the Cape Cod experiment is
worked out.
Altogether, counting in the Panama
canal and the Erie canal improvements,
there is in contemplation an expenditure of
nearly a billion dollars in the proposed
canal improvements in this country and
Canada.
Busiest Canals in the World.
The busiest canals in the world are those
which now permit the passage of ships to
and from the great lakes. With the open
ing of the Panama canal 1t is regarded as
certain that demand will be made for
ship transportation from the lakes to the
gulf through either of the two projects of
canals through Ohio and the Improvement
OF the canal already in existence across
Illinois
The Cape Cod enterprise is likely to be
the first OF this development of inland and
tidewater canals, and the canal from Ash
tabula to Pittsburg is likely to be the next
Already there is a canal along the Potomac
up to Cumberland Nd, and 1t is declared
to be feasible TO cross the watershed to
Pittsburg.
with two canals direct from Lake Erie
to Pittsburg and the present open water to
the gulf by way of the Ohio river. and with
a ship canal to the Atlantic, It is declared
Pittsburg would become an inland port with
such advantages as are possessed at present
or in prospect by no city In the world.
Irrigation Projects in West.
The irrigation scheme in the west derives
its revenues for construction from the sale
Of public lands. There is scarcely a state
in the far west that is not to have one Of
these great canals.
The water OF freshets Is to be impounded
and enormous dams, some Of which, in
canons, will be more than 800 feet high, will
be constructed. Major ] w. Powell for
many years director OF the geological sur
vey was the first advocate OF the great
irrigation schemes
II was his dream, and nearly two years
ago his dream was first realized, when the
waters of the Truckee river in Nevada
were turned into the Carson river and i'm
pounded 10 supply irrigation for more than
$1,000 acres OF land that was practically
useless hitherto because OF arid conditions.
Work is going on so fast I'm the twenty
two projects under way that Il is hard to
keep up with its results. In Colorado more
than ive miles OF tunnels have been made
in the mountains near Gunnison for great
water channels. Roads, bridges and side
branches are being made in connection with
the various main bitches on which dredges
are at work and already an army Of men
IL employed I'm the broadcast scheme ever
known to enrich and reclaim arabic lands
by the use OF water
The Chinese built their great canal from
Picking to Hangkow I'm the seventh century.
France has the largest development o. ca
nal building Of any country In the world,
tho total length Of It's inland waterways
being 7.E9 miles as against 6.ai for Ger
many. $500 for the United Kingdom and
1 2i2 for Belgium.