The L'Anse sentinel., 1921-06-17
Jcienflfle A,ne1csz)

igaton the great expanse Of deep water Of
Lake Erie for 219 miles. 1t passes 25 miles Of
the Welland canal, with its seven locks, and then
has 16O miles more Of deep water and open navi-
cation across Lake Ontario. 1t has 1S2 miles
from Lake Ontario to Montreal but of this dis
tance only about 20 miles are canal navigation.
At present there are 46 miles of canals. but III
the proposed Improvement, with slackwater navi-
CATION behind the dams, there would be less than
20 miles of restricted channel. Down the st.
Lawrence river TO Belle isle, distance of 1.OOS
miles, ships navigate regularly today, and the
route offers great obstacles during eight months
Of the year. From Belle isle to Liverpool there
Is, of course. the ocean crossing of 21S6 statute
miles of open navigation. Less than "A miles of
improved chacael and SOL miles of canals would
interrupt full-speed steaming from Superior, Du-
luth, Milwaukee or Chicago to England. The bar
rlers that separate the farms and cities Of the
great West and Middle West from the ocean can
be overcome by channels not long nor diff
cult TO navigate the Panama canal the Klel
canal, the Suez canal, and would cost only a
: fraction Of the expense of construction" N
The possibilities of the development of hydro.
electrical power are large. The normal mean
flow of the st. Lawrence at its outlet from Lake
Ontario Is 100000 second-feet There is between
the head OF the rapids near Ogdensburg ~ ".
and the foot of the lowest rapid at the City of
Montreal total fall of 221 feet If 40 per cent
of the power can be realized, the development
would amount 10 over TOUR mllllon horsepower.
The first 113 miles of the river from its outet
from Lake Ontario is nternational-that is, it
constitutes the boundary between the two coun-
tries. The fall in this section confined to about
forty-two miles, Is ninetytwo feet the power pos
sbities OF this section on the same basis would be
practically one and two-third million horsepower
Normally one-half Of this would be Canadian and
one-half United States. 1t would seem, therefore,
that the minimum power that may be developed
from the St Lawrence and distributed through
northern New York and New England would be
eight hundred thousand horsepower. 1t Is not
unlikely, however, that In the final bargaining be-
tween the two countries the United States may
assume some of the expense Of improvement below
the international section of the river and In return
receive more power.
In an address by Alexander T. vogesang, first
assistant secretary of the interior, before the
river and harbor congress Of 1919. read into the
Congressional Record, these statements are made
among others: The United States share OF the
St Lawrence river power would have an annual
value of about $12,OOO,O00 Much Of New Eng
land is within transmission distance OF 200
miles This power is the equivalent OF 7,15OOO0
tons of coal annually. This power would furnish
sufficient energy to supply large part of the
power now generated by fuel In this dominant In
,iustrial district. The power production will pay
the entire cost of all the project.
with the enlarged welland canal available with
the proposed dams and their great locks built
big cargo carriers of many thousands Of tons
could traverse the whole length of the st. Law
renee TO and from Lake Erie. With improved ia
cIlItics at the 500 and deeper channels through
the Lakes here and there, Duluth, Superior, MIL
waukee. Chicago. Detroit, Toledo Cleveland Buff
falo and other lake ports would have an unhan,-
pered outlet to the ocean. SO says the Middle
West
And with the mighty st. Lawrence harnessed
for power purposes and the energy distributed
through Industrial New York and New England
many problems that affect the cost Of living would
be made easier OF solution. SO say the promoters
Of the St Lawrence Tidewater project