The Washington herald., 1919-02-04
OCEAN SHIpWAY
PLAN INDORSED
Late Maj. Frank S. Bond
Advocated Scheme
Years Ago.

II Maj. Frank s. Bond were now
alive he would undoubtedly read with
pleasure the report that Congress Is
prepared to authorize the International
Joint committee representing the
United States and Canada to investT-
gate and report upon the feasibility
or constructing an ocean shipway
which will connect the Grsat Lakes
and the Atlantic.
Maj. Bond after his service in the
Union army became associated with
an important railroad whose Eastern
terminal was and now is at or near
the western end of Lake Superior.
He was esteemed one of the brilliant
group OF railway operators and man
ayers who came to the front after
the civil war and whose developing
work Is now reflected in the construc-
ton and operation of the railroads
whose Western terminals are upon the
Pacific.
Competent railway operator as Maj
Bond was, he was broad-minded
enough to believe that an adequate
canal system would not impair the
earning power of railroads but would
tend to increase it. Nor on the other
hand would there be a necessity OF
competition on the part of the rail-
roads with the canal, but instead CO.
operation.
Advocated Ship Canal.
Maj Bond was occupied in his
spare time in giving study to
plan whereby Lake Michigan could
be connected by ship canal with
Lake Erie. His study Justified him
IN advocating the construction of a
true ship canal across the lower end
of the State of Michigan, saying
that il this were done much of the
roundabout passage by way of Lake
Huron. Lake Michigan. and the
Mackinaw straights could be elimi-
mated
There would be traffic enough. he
said. through Lake Superior and
Lake Huron by way of the 500 to
ustain profitable commerce on the
upper lakes. But he believed that
II true ship canal. so built as al
most to parallel the Michigan Cen
trail Railroad, were constructed the
result would be increased commerce
from the Far West to the sea ana
TO the Eastern ports with incidental
development upon a large scale OF
Toledo.
Shortly before Maj Bonds death.
when speaking of this project, he
said that he had been unable to
awaken any public interest in this
plan and yet he was sure that the
day would come when a canal cap
able of bearing Ocean-going vessels
would connect the Great Lakes, es-
pecially Lake Erie and Lake Michi-
gan with the natural water ways
by which approach to the Atlantic
could be secured.
Would Use ST. Lawrence.
In his opinion the st. Lawrence
River would be in fact used for this
commerce and he also believed that
ultimately a true ship canal would
be constructed, stretching from Os-
wego at the eastern end Of Lake
Ontario. to tide water upon the
hudson at a point Near or at Albany
or Troy. Therefore ocean-going ves-
sells that made use of the true ship
canal across lower Michigan could
proceed on their way from Chicago
and Milwaukee direct to Europe
either by way of the Hudson or the
st. Lawrence as long as the open
season lasted.
The action Of the Rivers and Har-
bors Committee of the House of
Representatives in including in the
general bill an amendment which
authorizes the investigation by the
international joint committee OF the
United States and Canada of a plan
for an ocean shipway connecting
the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Is
almost the first evidence that the
seed which was sown by Maj. Bond
thirty years ago has now been slim
ulated to what may be perfect
81
few years there may have been es-
tablished an ocean shipway which
will make the Great Lakes and the
Atlantic parts of one great deep
water system connected by artificial
straits. which ship canals would in
fact be.
should this plan be adopted. even
though the welIand Canal be util-
lied for this purpose, ii may prove
to be but the preliminary step for
the construction of the ship canal
across lower Michigan which Mai.
Bond so earnestly recommended.
Connection of Lakes.
Furthermore. discussion may lead to
drawing pubic attention to the prof.
ect which has been earnestly aqvo-
Gated in Western Now York of build
ing a true ship canal around the city
OF Buffalo on .he south, connecting
Lake Erie with Lake Ontario At a
point a little east OF the place where
the Niagara River eUptics into Lake
Ontario.
Congress, or at least tho Rivers and
HarbOrs Committee, appears to real
ize how strongly public sentiment is
setting toward the commercial utiliza-
ton Of our great IIyer natural high
ways and also toward the construc-
tion of canals whereby considerable
bodies of water can be connected to
commercial advantage.
The War Department at Washing
ton is now seeking authority, accom-
panied BY an adequate appropriation,
for the purpose of so perfectins the
Mississippi River that floods may be
under control st. Louis has been
furnishing an excellent example to
the country of tho manner in which
the natural waterways. such as the
Mississippi. can be utilized as great
commerce bearers.
This Is done not in real competition
with the railroads, but in cooperation
with them, since the railroads bring
commodities that are placed upon the
harges at ST. Louis for the purpose
of carrying these commodities to New
Orleans. The concrete people have
already begun to establish an exten-
sive system of barge communication