The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1921-06-25

there is nothing in the plan or scope OF the en-
terprise which goes beyond well established en-
cheering precedent or calls for CONSTRUCTORS
that are experimental. and regarding whose uf
innate cost there is any serious doups; tnaI tne
opening Of this great waterway by canal, eanaF
lied river, and deepened channel, thereby en-
abling deep-sea ship to load at Duluth and noe
break open her matches until she reached HAM
burg London or Marseilies. is as certain OF peins
taken 10 hand it Is that the sun VIII rise dany'
So it asks: why not today?'
The project Is an international one. Canada.
at its own expense (about s50OOO.Ooo) Is recon-
structing the Weland canal between Lakes Erie
and Ontario, In order to give ocean-golns SHIPS
access to Lake Erie. Thanks to the enterprise Oh
Canada, the problem broadly reduces Itself 70
submerging certain rapids lying in the mterna-
tional waters Of the St. Lawrence river between
Lake Ontario and st. Regis, and then deanng !"
a similar way with that stretch OF the river e.-
tending from st. Regis to Montreal Inc esti-
mated cost Of the International river Improvement
is s6O.0oOOoO and Of the Canadian river $4,000
600. The establishment Of power plant sites
would entail additional expense.
An argument brought forward for the project
ia that 1t saves distance. From Duluth through
the Detroit river by deepdraft vessel the distance
is 693 miles.
Following is an extract from an official state
ment read into the Congressional Record by Rep
u.
with only two barriers removed even the
rraseot depth Of channels and harbors Of q feet
VIII enable large numbers Of ocean vessels to
steam directly to the ports Of the Great Lakes.
The two barriers are the St Lawrence river rapids
and tho Niagara Falls. The barrier OF the Niagara
Falls is already being overcome hy the Canadlahs
IN the reconstructed Welland canal The diner-
ence Of lake level will be overcome oy seven ioeas
In the new Welland canal In distance OF 70
,,,fes These lock chambers will be LOCO feet
long. 50 feet wide and will have lock sills sunk
70 depth Of 80 feet that will permit the passage
a. vessels Of q feet draft when the channels are
dredged to 80 feet From the Welland canal to
tho foot Of Lake Ontario there are 16o miles OF
srrairht sailing and then open navigation In the
v,de S. Lawrence river. Out Of the total OF 1S2
,,i1ex to Montreal there are 10 miles Of improved
cn.nnels. with at present 46 miles Of canal With
thse urotect with dams and six locks OF $40 feet
), length. SO feet in breadth, and possible depth
- - feet with slack water. midstream navigation
vould reduce the total canal and lock navigation
to 90 miles or less.
arn. rrooosal u TO build dams across the river
,-,.e lock. Is the dams. Vessels navigating the
river Win not pass through narrow canals around
~ r.nids as they do now In the present 14fooe
r,.reaiar canals bat VIII san ma1esticaily down
tna center Of the stream In slack water produced
h the dams and pass from level to level through
the locks
snrc,,oh the Lakes to Superior or Duluth and has
lo.ded : cargo Of western grain and is sailing
for Liverpool. the frst leg Of the journey the
,eneth Of Lake Superior, will be 3S3 miles OF open
raviaation. Then comes the St. Mary river, %
niles long. This II all open navigation. except $
miles, which b Improved river cnannei ana
$3.50 1 miles win one lockage. Past this re
sr,cted channel the vessel will have 20 miles o.
free sailing through the deep water OF Lake
Hnron. II win then pass - miles OF open nayfga
tion and Is miles Of restricted channel In the st
Clair river, 1391 miles Of open and 80 miles Q
restricted navigation IN Lake 81. Cialr. ana =
Lilo. a. omen and miles of improved navigation
=, tho Detroit river Again. It viii have free nav