Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-22
New Lock at the 500.

The new lock at the SOP will give the
canals a total capacity OF 125,GD,eco tons
per year. which Will undoubtedly be needed
by the time it is completed The total ca
pacity of the two American and the one
Canadian lock is about 15,ODo,OVo tons a
year. allowing twenty minutes for the pas
sage Of vessel. That means about 25u0O
vessels year. the number last year being
over eighteen thousand. The new lock will
increase the capacity to at least forty. if
not fifty thousand vessels a year, aud If
the previous rate Of Increase keeps up that
number of vessels will certainly be floating
on the lakes before the middle o. the next
decade.
The new lock will be 1850 feet long
80 feet wide and a feet deep. and Will ac-
cjmmodate two vessels go feet long at one
time. There are four vessels afoat and
eight under construction co. feet in length.
The engineers in their report say: The
amount of freight carried through St
Marys river during the navigation season
Of 1913 was A. 30. $50 tons. valued at Si16.-
800. 4S4, exclusive of local traffic of about
10000 tons. Statistics OF trafflc through
Detroit river Indicate that JJ.JOSUO0 tons
of freight passed during the season Of 1903
1t is believed that to attribute to the i'm
provement in channels the difference IN
freight rates of 1900 1.1S mills per mile
tom and 1898 (OSJ mill per mile tom would
NOT rXaggerate the effect OF such improve
neutS especially In view OF the great In
crease in size and tonnage of lake vessels
due to the greater draught. The carrying
capacity of freight steamers has increased
from 100 to 1900 tons in lpH To 1-,OOo
and 1900 tons in 1905.
Government Appropriations
The records of the government Treasury
show that the national government expend-
ed $40 100000 in the Improvement of rivers
lakes and harbors from the year 1920 to the
close of 1895, which IS only $50 900, coo more
than the value of the cargoes that passed
through Detroit river during the last year.
During the same period Holland expended
81 800. 900 OUo. and France expended more
than a billion, while England has expended
500 100000 on the harbor of Liverpool
alone
From 1870 to 1906 the government of the
United States spent SIS 5ll, 3S9.56 upon the
great lakes above Niagara river, which is
an average of a little more than 100000 d
year
The saving in the freight charges on Lake
Superior commerce alone during the year
1905 exceeded by one million dollars the
entire amount expended all the harbors
and upon all the channels above Niagara
Falls. The saving for the year 1906 exceeded
by S13,OS0On0 the appropriations that have
been made by Congress for the improve
ment of navigation on the great lakes
from the beginning of the government.
These expenditures have secured a chan
mel twenty feet deep from Duluth and Chi
cagu to Buffalo and Niagara Falls. On what
is know the Ltmekiln Crossing at the
foot of Detroit river there is now a clear
depth of from 10 to 81 feet OF water, and
when the present contracts are completed
there will be minimum depth of ~ feet
the entire distance from Buffalo to Duluth
and Chicago. The vessel men. however are
clambering for a twenty-ve-foot channel in
| order that the and coal steamers may
be enlarged to carry eighteen and twenty
| thousand tons OF freight instead of twelve
| and thirteen thousand tons, at present
and they will appeal to Congress at the ap-
/ prolChin session for an appropri ,tion
| The engineer officers do not indnrse the
application because it would cost 81 6tsJ 900
| to make a twenty-five foot channel In St
! Marys river; also 1l.571 COO in Detroit
| river; s.. 10000 on St Clair flats. and a half
million more at other points, making total
cost of s26.OOO0Oo for twenty-five foot