The Washington herald., 1908-08-30

1Teight-carTying roads. the lake carriers
and the Canadian routes have become in
VOWED. gives added interest TO the prof
eCts launched nearly TWO years ago as the
natural and about the only solution OF
the freight problem IN the United States
and Canadian Northwest
In the early part Of 1907 six different
Charters were taken out for as many
railroad schemes connecting that great
Wheat-prOducing region with Hudson Bay
These projects were thrown into abey-
ence by the financial stringency Of last
year, but they are once more being talked
about, not only as possibilities. but as
probabilities The moving OF the crops
this year accentuates the need OF this
Northern outlet, as the car shortage Of a
year and a half ago did
Mr.. Hill Changes Front
One Of the six charters was obtained by
james J Hill who used 10 ridicuIe
Hudson Bay road as a venture that
would be showed Up ten months OF
The year and iced Up the other two
The Hiu charter plans 10 feed the
freight OF the Dakotas and Minnesota
into the Saskatchewan Valley and from
the Saskatchewan 10 Hudson Bay Build
ers have been al work on the southern
END Of this project
Another Of the Hudson Bay charters IS
owned by the new Canadian transcouti-
mental Iine-the Mack Keuzie-sIaun road.
OF the 40 miles needed to connect Church
ii with the railroads Of the Saskatche-
wan. the NacEenzie-Naun road has al
ready eighty built. a railroad with trains
running not Just an iron tonic for the
cows. as the funny papers have always
described roads TO Hudson Bay
Details of the Projects.
Two other projects have been galvanized
into life BY the schemes fo- Hudson
Bay route. says the Review Of Reviews
For years Canada has talked Of a deep
water canal I'D the Ottawa. from The ST
Lawrence 10 the Great Lakes. Suddenly
surveyors are set 20 work estimating the
cost Of a canal that would connect Lake
Superior with ocean rraflc- The cost. Il
may be said is estimated ar S125. l55.11o-
Then around Hudson Bay is a vast an
organized Csr-iJ0ry-keeWaJiu. about the
size Of Germany The western provinces
Of Manitoba and Saskatchewan suddenly
awaken 20 The fact that each wants an
extension OF its boundaries across Kee-
watil tor a seaport on Hudson Bay
Roughly spezkilg. Churchill. which viii
be the seaport OF tht Hudson Bay routes.
Is just leo miles from -le grain areas
Of HIS roads New York is ZJp5 miles
Churchill is $50 miles from Oregon. New
York is nearly 3c9l
says Premier Lau-ier- IN answer 70 q
request for a road from ex-P-emier
Greenway, Of Manitoba 4 agree the
time has come for the railroad 70 Hudson
Bay The statute books contain a stand
ing offer OF 12.1G0 acres OF land a mile
along the line Of this railroad and Il this
IS not sufficient encouragemeuc for pro
moters. other means must be found"
Open for Five Months
As 10 the question OF the practica biIity
OF the ChUrchiH Harbor. the writer quotes
records showing that II has always an
open season ef five months. In favora bic
seasons this Is extended 10 seven months.
The harbor Itself could not have been
better If II had been made 10 order Il
IS a direct 559-uile plain. open. desp-water
sal from the west END Of the strafts-no
shoals, no reefs. deep enough for the
deepest-draft keel that ever sailed the
sea- This-as captains Of the b5g war
ships knows true OF neither Montreal
nor New York At New York deep-draft
snips have 70 wait the tide both for ap-
proach and departure. and on the St
Lawrence ships are always taking a mud
bath on the sand bars.
Over against this advantage. let il be
EAIAF- A-14-h4E- 1ALEElllA1- summer and
winter, is subject 10 just as furious gales
IS ever bothered the iron rocks Of New
foundland- one other danger peculiar 70
Churchill must be noted Five miles out
the bay IS open ali the year round. but
as the cold becomes intense. what is
known as frost fos" lies thick as wool
On the sea obscu-ing everything
Entrance is Narrow.
The entrance between the two head
lands is not a half mile wide. against the
tremendous current Of river and ebb tide
but the depth IS UntouchabIs- Fort
Churchill is the harbor inside. magnif-
rent expa1se Of lald-locked water. with
the fur post five miles Up stream
But all railroad projects TO Hudson Bay
hinge not on Churchill harbor. but on the
straits Can they be navigator How
long are they Open2 Even II they can be
navigated by slow OCean-goers- viii they
be OF any avail for fast Atlantic route.
Hudson Straits are really a deep gorge
which the ice Of the arctic wo-ld-the les
OF prehistoric agss-has cut and gr0Oved
and torn fOrcibly cut Of the solN rock
finding egress from Fox Channel Of tbs
arctic 10 open water Of the Atlantic Into
this funnel Of rock. 40 miles long. Is
canned from the west and pounded ana
contracted the area Of an ice continent
End up this channel from the east runs
q tde-rip Ihirty-five feet high WheT
tiGe-rip and ice meet there occurs wha
the old navigators Of the Hudson Bay fUi
trade call ''the furious overfaIL'
Reports Are Incomplete
The Canadian government has sent tvyt
special expeditions Gin 1855 and $3.50 L
test the navigation Of the straits. anC
one general expedition 10 navigate tn
northern waters Cls03-04). but the question
has become so terribly political-so mucl
2 question Of East versus West-that tn
pficisl reports on the expedition are NOR,
noteworthy for what they leave unsafe
than for what they say
Tie Gordon expedition Of 1sS5 and N
Wskehan OF 1897 definitely established
these facts Hudson Bay IS open all III
year round. an open current flows throCgl
the straits winter as well as summer
but owing 10 ice drives this current o
the straits is closed 20 navigation afre
November. and not open again till June
that is. there are always five month
when the straits can be navigated, some
times six. There was also discovered
Just inside the eastern entrance to tn
straits. q splendid landlocked hsrbor. o
haven OF refUge-POrt Burwell-sheltere
from all winds but the south
Iron and steel Look bright.
The leading trade papers present hope
ful views OF the iron and steel situation
the favorable agricultural condition