Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1914-08-26
EDITOR MATTSON ON
Gotta CANAL TRIP
In Graphic Description Pictures the
Beautiful Swedish Canal
Scenery.

At 1901 o'clock on Saturday, June
20 7 boarded the steamer Motala
Strora FOR trip on the Gotta canal to
the interior Of Sweden. The canal
steamers are moored at the Lila
Bomu1en quay, Gothenburg, and judg
ing from the numerous vessels and
baFges IN evidence there, the traffic
must be large on this inland water
way The word @eauaI" to most peo-
pie suggests a narrow artificial wa
terway, with slow going boats and
barges for the conveyance of goods.
But the Gotta canal is quite different
in character, as it is a water course
OF rivers and lakes united by artificial
water courses that pass thru level
stretches of country or scale water
falls and elevations of ground by
means of locks and dams, traversing
scenes of purest northern beauty.
with castles, mansions, villages and
cities, rich in historical associations,
along the way. Generally speaking
the Gotta canal extends clear across
the Swedish peninsula from Cattegas
to the Baltic, or from Gotheuburg to
Stockholm, altho the section between
Lake Vanern and Gothenburg is also
known as the Trollhatte canal. The
whole waterway is 232 miles N
length, it's greatest height 300 feet
above sea level, and there are rs
locks. Before the Panama canal was
built, it was IN fact the worlds great
est work in canal construction. Many
difficult engineering problems had to
be overcome in building it. When we
consider that such work was resolv-
ed upon and carried out at time
when the country was exhausted by
war and adversities hundred years
ago, the undertaking becomes even
more marvellous. Much knowledge
gained In constructing this canal has
been found of inestimable value In
building canals in other parts of the
world. 1t might even be said that
the Gotta canal issthe forerunner OF
the Panama.
After leaving tne Little Bomnies
quay" we steam up the broad Gotta
river. with a view on the left OF the
ruins of an ancient fortress called
Bohus fastning, built in 1908 by the
Norwegian king Haakan Magnusson.
Many beautiful farms and country
places dot the hills and valley thru
which the river flows. Many steam
ers and barges loaded with logs and
lumber, from the forests of Warm
land are met and at one point there Is
a large paper and pulp mill. We
reach the TroLlhattan falls In the al
ternoon.
The falls of Trollhattan are ceIe-
brated all over the world on account
of the immense volume of water thai
plunges DOWN to a total depth of lit
feet. There are succession of falls
rapids and seething eataracts lying II
a deep gorge of some 1900 yards II
length. The mass of water is estI
mated to represent a force of 22O,OOt
horsepower, only $4,000 horsepowe1
being as yet utilized In the new gov
ernment electric power station am
which supplies power for numeroa:
mills. factories and industrial enter
prises located there and also power
and light for the city of Gotenbure
and a number of other Swedish
towns. An important industrial com
raunfty has grown up here IN a few
wears, the town of Trollhattau claim
ing now a population of 10000
AT TrolIhattan the steamer has Il
Be lifted ITO feet by means of an in
terastfng series of locks, a process
which requires about two hours. Mos
of the passengers therefore disem
harked and walked the road lead1n;
mast the series of falls, rejoin1ng tn
steamer when it again arrives IN tn
river above the falls. At Akersss
below the falls, begin the eleven neT
locks constructed by Nils Ericsson /
1a36-41, each being hewn in tn
rock and are separated from eac
other by double winged gates III
aid locks. opened in 1900, are sti
used, but by small vessels only. Thi
Nils Ericsson was the elder brother Q
John Ericsson, the engineer, who bull
the Monitor and thereby IN no snla
measure helped to save the UnIor
The scenery is grandly picturesque
The road we followed took us to
high hill from which a most impres
sfve view is obtained of the town wit
It's numerous mills and factories an
rhe madly rushing waters in the rive
below. At King Oscars bridge, bull
Il 1889, and from other points Z
vantage we also had good views Q
severaI of the seething cataract
Tbis is surely an interesting poln
where we would have liked to tarr
longer, but our steamer had clitnbe
tbe last lock and was whistling for
to get on board. Tourists by tf
thousands visit the place every yea
We now proceed up the river and /;