The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1907-09-14

Many thousands " years ago the
Great Lakes are supposed 10 have dis
charged their waters through the
French river. Lake Nlpisslng and the
MsttaHa. Ottawa and ST. Lawrence
rivers into the Atlantic This Is the
very roufe that Champlain followed
when be reached the inland seas and
gazed over fhesT vast expanse.
Over this route for centuries passed
all the traffic between the Canada Of
the early days and the western out
posts 81 the Hudson's Bay company
ard this Is I'd b. the route Cf the
Georgian Bay canal. which Canada
now proposes to build and which viii
Be By far tire shortest waterway be-
tween the lakes and the ocean.
The project has been IN the air for
years. but not till now has II taken
definite shape. Many questions have
been involved and among them the
form the canal should take. Should it
be a 14-foot canal for canalb0ats Of
large size. OF a z0-foot ship canal Or
s0-foot ocean steamer proposition. 50
that great ocean freighters might load
at lake ports and unload ia Europe?
All the questions have now been an
swered. For two years the Georgian
Bay Canal Commission of Canada has
been studying every phase of the en-.
terpriss and It Is now preparing the
plans for the building Of the canal
II is 10 be a ship canal, providing a
continuous and easily navlgable water
way. with a minimum depth Of q feet
from Georgian Bay TO tdewater. The
cost Is estimated al about s1O5.000,O00
The fact is. there is very little canal
to build. Some long stretches In the
rivers must be canalized at large ex-
penses and about thirty miles Of rocky
barrier and a few mud and sawdust
banks must be removed, but the whole
cost of connecting the lake ports with
the ocean viii scarcely exceed the ap-
/ preparation OF New York state for the
improvement Of the Erie canal
Sir Wnfrid Laurier IS reported as
saying that as soon as the first install
ment Of money is provided he will
have the work begun at once.
This viii be the nearest approach 10
an air line water route between the
lakes and the Atlantic for which nat
ure has provided facilities It win
make a water channel between the
500 canal and Montreal $50 miles
shorter than by way OF the Welland
canal, the line Of least resistance be
tween the lakes and the ocean.
\ Not dallor viii have to be spent
on the route from the 500 canal, the
great gateway into Lake Superior. to
the mouth Of the French river, on the
shore Of Georgian bay. The route will
hug the Canadian coast. passing
through the North Channel, landlock
ed because the long island OF Great
Manitoulin is a bulwark against the
waves Of Lake Huron. Thus a deer
and protected channel from one tC
ffteen miles vide Is provided from the
500 to the French river, a distance Of
$50 miles.
This river drains the waters OF Lake
Nipissing to Georgian Bay. the Lake
forming the summit level 70 fee
above the bay. AT low water Ii,
( French river carries some 10000 cubl,
feet Of water a second out Of LAX,
Niplsslng and there win be 46 miles o
canaiization on this river. with thre'
short rock cuts through the rapids.
East OF the lake is the divide, which
Is only about two miles wide and
few feet above Nipissing. Then the de
scent begins through two small lake
and the Mattawa river. which drop
$50 feet into the broad bosom Of thl
stately Ottawa. This river. obstructe'
by some stretches Of rapids and bank
OF sawdust. Is otherwise broad AM
deep and win carry the lake feet q
the St. Lawrence a little above Mont
real
Producers and shippers Ia states o
the union bordering the lakes nav
taken a great interest in this projec
because It promises to give them Ii
shortest and cheapest water route L
the Atlantic. Not a few western raj
road men are also In hearty sympath
With the enterprise.
J.J. Hi Of the Great Northern raf
road said a while ago that tn
Georgian Bay canal would be the mos
popular enterprise that the Canada
government would have to carry Oh
IA many years. When It Is complete,
he said, We shall see the grain bus
ness from north of ST. Louis and d
far west as grain grows ID the Platt
valley taking this route to the sea.
Only 81 miles Of actual canal woul
have to be dug. and for the remalnde
Of the distance existing water char
neis could be used. with conzlderabl
dredging here and there. He said tina
the distance from Chicago or Dulut
to Montreal by this route would De
lite shorter than the lake routes no
IN use between these ports and gu
falo.