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

igation on the great expanse Of deep water OF
Lake Erie for 219 miles. 1t passes % miles Oh
the Welland canal, with its seven locks, ana tnen
has 16O miles more Of deep water and open ha'F
CATION across Lake Ontario. 1t has ~ mneS
from Lake Ontario to Montreal, but OF this as
lance only about 20 miles are canal Navigation.
At present there are 46 miles OF canals, Dur Ii
the proposed improvement. with slack-water naVi-
CATION behind the DAMS there would be less tnan
20 miles of restricted channel Down the sI
Lawrence river to Belle isle, q distance OF LVVo
miles, ships navigate regularly today, ana tne
route offers great obstacles during eight months
Of the year. From Belle isle to Liverpool there
is Of course the ocean crossing OF 2,1So stature
miles Of open navigation. Less than "a miles OF
improved channel and sol miles Of canals would
interrupt full-speed steaming from Superior, Du-
luth, Milwaukee Chicago to England. Inc par
riers that separate the farms and cities u the
great West and Middle West from the ocean can
be overcome by channels not as long nor as dnt
cult to navigate as the Panama canal, the Mel
canal. or the Suez canal and would cost only
fraction of the expense Of construction"
The possibilities of the development OF hydro
electrical power are large. The normal mean
flow of the ST. Lawrence at its outlet from LaKs
Ontario is $4,000 secondfeet- There is between
the head Of the rapids near Ogdensburg, N T.
and the foot Of the lowest rapid at the City OF
Montreal a total fall of 221 feet. 20 per cent
would amount to over four million horsepower
The first 113 miles Of the river from its oufiet
from Lake Ontario is international-that Is, II
constitutes the boundary between the two coun-
tries. The fall in this section, confined to aoout
forty-two miles, is ninety-two feet; the power pos
sbities OF this section the same basis would De
practically one and two-third million horsepower
Normally one-han Of this would be Canadian and
ene-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 Wouio pe
eight hundred thousand horsepower IL Is nos
unl,ke1v however that In the final bargaining De
tween the two countries the United States may
assume some of the expense OF Improvement oeio"
the International section OF the siser anu IA As'
receive more power.
II an address by Alexander T. vogelsang, first
= .ss;xSant secretary Of the interior, before ene
river and harbor congress Of 1918, read into tins
Congressional Record. these statements are maze
among others: The United States share or the
ST Lawrence river power would nave an annua
value Of about S12e0o,000. Much OF New Eng
,ond is within a transmission distance OF ID
r,,1as This power is the equivalent OF 7,750,o0(
toms Of coal annually. This power would FURNISH
su,ffcient energy to supply large part OF tn'
,owar now generated by fuel In this dominant in
austriaI district The power production VIII pay
the entire cost Of all the project
with the enlarged welland canal available. Wit
tho proposed dams and their great locks DULL
big cargo carriers Of many thousands OF tom
couId traverse the whole length OF the St Law
rence to and from Lake Erie. With improved "a
c;I,ties at the 500 and deeper channels throug
tho Lakes here and there, Duluth. Superior, NIL
YANKEE Chicago Detroit, Toledo, Cleveland bul
falo and other lake ports. would have an unham
pered outlet to the ocean. So says the Middi
West.
And with the mighty st. Lawrence harnesse
for mower purposes and the energy distribute
through Industrial New York and New Engian
many problems that affect the cost OF living "oul
be made easier OF solution. So say the promoter
a. tho ST Lawrence Tidewatar project .