Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1919-11-27
EVERYBODY ALONG THE
L|NE. BOOSTING CANAL
Miami, Erie, Chicago Waterway
Would Bring Untold Ad-
vantages to This
Territory
BY Dennis Dwyer


canal, between Toledo and Cincinnati,
into a barge canal of dimensions IL
feet in depth by an average of 100
feet in width of water, at water level,
-oId-yes 5u!HIIeo 10 eIqedeo 90 o.
PEELED barges of from 1900 to 1000
tons capacity and of size sufficient for
lake Navigation, and in which is also
a provision for a like canal from the
southeastern end of Lake Michigan to
the Maumee river at Defiance, thence
through it to Lake Erie at Toledo,
which it is estimated will shorten the
distance for boats between Buffalo and
Chicago over, present route 40 miles,
of mostly stormy lake navigation, has
been acted upon favorably by con-
gress and surveys and estimates of
cos; of both routes have been ordered
by it made by a commission Of
United States engineers.
Injected into Mr.. Welty's scheme,
but without his approval, are ather
canal surveys, one Tor barge canal
to connect Lake Erie with the Ohio
river at Pittsburg, the other for a
lake canal from Sandusky through
Columbus to the Ohio river at Ports
mouth. Both the Pittsburg and Ports
mouth routes are being vigorously
pressed by their respective advocates
and much money, it is understood, is
being spent in their presentation for
public favor. 1t is certain that only
one of the three routes connecting
Lake Erie with the Ohio river will be
favored by congress, and this will be
known only when the engineers now
making the survey will make their
report. This makes it important at
this time for the friends and advo-
Gates of the Miami and Erie canal
route to present it's superior merits,
which are:
First-E is the shortest route be-
tween the lakes and the Gulf of Mex
leo, the ocean outlet for the West
Indian and South American trade.
Second-A past government sur
vey in charge of Major Chittenden,
now deceased, known to all Dayton
engineers, shows that there is ample
water supply for such canal. Ly-
man D. Cooley, an engineer of nation
al reputation on investigation, has
stated there is sufficient water for a
16-foot canal, with no physical diff
Of 60 square miles of surface draining
near the summit level of the old canal,
which can be utilized to the extent Of
more than two billion cubic feet of
water annually. Heretofore, this has
not been used for canal purposes and
am sure other resources in water
can be found if needed.
Third-The Miami and Erie canal
route is through, or touches 16 of the
greatest agricultural counties of Ohio,
yes, of the world, within which will
be found densely settled, prosperous
farming population, and a continuous
chain of cities and villages having
mills and factories in number and
capacity far greater than can be
found in any other equal section any
where.
The 16 counties referred to through
which the canal would pass, represent
about one-third of the entire popula-
tion of the state of Ohio, and no
doubt likewise of its wealth. With
this enlargement of the Miami and
Erie canal, the construction of the
Toledo and Chicago canal and the COM
pletion of the drainage canal between
Chicago and the Mississippi river, all
the Lakes and navigable rivers of the
| United States east Of the Rocky noun
tains would be connected up into one
great waterway system for freight
transportation. Such waterway sys-
tenn as is now in Germany, in France,
in Belgium and other countries OF
Europe.
Take your United States map and
see what such a network of water
ways would mean and with so little
cost of canal construction, it would
enable barges without breaking bulk
to carry the iron and copper ores OF
Lake Superior and the soft lumber Of
the upper lake regions and the Goa,
and hard lumber of the Ohio river and
it's tributaries and the cotton anc
yellow pine of the south, if need be, tc
all the mills and factories along the
grain and other farm products, ant
the finished products of the mills ane
factories could be also carried to any
inland destination or to Atlantic oceai
for foreign shipment, all at one-thirt
In case of war such waterway sys
LCiu WOuiu DC W tiic gen
eral government.
In the methods for short distance
in inland travel and transportation il
the last twenty-five years, grea
changes have taken place and ar
still going on. The introduction o
electricity as motive power for rail
roads caused the building of inter
urban electric railroads in great mum
bers, supplanting where in competi
tion the operation of trains for locs
service on steam railroads. Now tn
automobile has come into general us,
|every family able is owning on
Also auto trucks for light freight az
being used on the improved highway
and are rapidly increasing in numbe
So that the operation Of interurba
electric railways is becoming so VI
: profitable that many Of them are b.
ing scrapped, others are in the hand
Of receivers. but all on the road
ultimate extinction.
| This ia an apo of wnnCarf,,1 av,