The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-10-17
When the New Canadian Line
Is Completed, It Will Threat
en- Supremacy of the East
Seaports.
GRAIN MOVEMENTS TO
MOVE TO WESTWARD
Investigation Being Made by
The Dominion Government
As to Open Navigation Into
Hudson Bay.
american News Service)

american News Service)
Ottawa, Ont, Oct. 16.-To effect q
saving Of half thousand miles in the
grain route from Winnipeg to Liver
pool, work upon the railway that is
to connect Winnipeg with Fort
Churchill, on the west side OF Hudson
Bay, will be rushed to completion as
rapidly as possible.
The new highway, once established,
cannot but fail to threaten the COM
mercial supremacy OF Montreal and
the important maritime ports of st.
Johns. N. B., and Halifax. N. S., in
asmuch as the immense production
of the western wheat fields has here
tofore moved Britainward through the
Quebec metropolis in summer, and
in winter.
It is confidently expected that at
the forthcoming session OF the Dom1n-
ion Parliament it will! be revealed
that the government expedition, head
ed by Captain Bernier in command of
the steamer Arctic. which is now re-
turning to Quebec from Northern wat
ers, has concluded the exhaustive in
vestigation into open navigation in
and out of Hudson Bay that was I'M
dertaken by the Dominion steamship
Diana, in 1897, and by the Neptune, in
1904 and 1905.
Have Free Passage.
Il IN now known that for five months
in the year a free passage is to be had
from the Atlantic to Fort Churchill.
Hudson Bay Is commonly associated
with the Polar regions. yet no part OF
1t comes within the Arctic circle. It's
northern extremity is in about the
same latitude as the Highlands of
Scotland and Moose Factory. on its
southern shore, is farther south than
London.
The mean temperature of the water
Of the bay maintains an average for
the year several degrees higher than
that of Lake Superior and in the opin-
ion Of an authority. the bay is to be
regarded as a vast basin of compare
lively warm water. which doubtless
has a mitigating influence upon the
winter of the surrounding country.
Covering an area of more than half
million miles, it is six times the ag-
gregate size Of the Great Lakes sepa-
rating Canada and the United States.
and more than half that Of the Medi-
terranean.
A. p. Low. F. r. G. S., director of
the Dominion Geological Survey, in a
report to the government, has stated
that the period Of safe navigation for
ordinary steel steamships through
Hudson Strait, passage of five hun
dred miles in length, from Cape Child
leigh, on the Atlantic, to Cape VOL
stenholme. on the bay. and across
Hudson Bay to the port of Churchill.
may be taken to extend from July 20
at the close.
to November 1. increased. without APP
preciable risk, by one week at the be-
ginning of the season and two weeks
i Have an Advantage.
Navigation conditions in the Hud-
son Strait. the most hazardous por-
ton of the proposed route, are known
to be superior to those prevailing in
the Belle Isle Strait. which divides
Newfoundland and Labrador and
en- route from Montreal to Europe.
Both the bay and strait have been
found to be remarkably free from
rocks and shoals. The group of ISL
ands near the east side of the bay is
surrounded by deep water, and wide
channel leads up to the center of
James Bay.
The main body is entirely without
shoals, reefs or islands, and the depth
is practically uniform over most of
the bay, no great irregularities being
anywhere presented. The water ave.
RACES about twenty fathoms deep
throughout.
From 1870. when King Charles
granted to the Company Of Gentlemen
Adventures the country watered by
the rivers flowing into Hudson Bay,
until 1870, when Canada obtained by
purchase surrender of the exclusive
rights Of the company on this cont
nent. the bay was, with the exception
of the years when France disputed its
possession prior to the Treaty of
ships Of the company and those it per-
mitted to enter upon its waters.
Only Two Were Lost.
In the course Of century and
three-quarters. $50 vessels, ranging
from 70-gun ships to lotion pinnaces.
crossed the ocean and passed through
Hudson Strait and sailed the bay in
the service of the company. OF this
number but two were lost, which is
considered marvellous record when
1t is remembered that all the craft
were sailors, and most of them small
and of rude construction, and that the
hay and strait afforded none OF the
modern accessories to navigation in
the way Of coast aids
The Canadian Northern Railway al.
ready accomplishes one-half of the
distance from Winnipeg to Churchill
and but $50 miles remain to be con.
structed when the new highway will