The Ordway new era., 1921-06-03
Gcienf5f,e A,nertcs1)

igation 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 Lake Ontario. 1t has 1872 miles
from Lake Ontario to Montreal, but of this dis
lance only about 20 miles canal navigation.
AT present there 46 miles of canals, but i'll
the proposed Improvement with slack-water nav-
cation behind the dams, there would be less than
~ miles of restricted channel Down the st.
Lawrence river to Belle isle, distance of 10O3
miles, ships navigate regularly today, and the
route offers no 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 IA miles OF
improved channel and SOL miles of canals would
interrupt fulspeed steaInng from Superior Du
luth, Milwaukee or Chicago to England. The bar
rers that separate the farms and cities Of the
great West and Middle West from the ocean can
be overcome by channels not as long nor as diff
cult to navigate the Panama canal the Kiel
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 Lake
Ontario is 100000 second-feet. There is between
the head of the rapids Ogdensburg N. "
and the foot of the lowest rapid at the City of
Montreal total fall of 221 feet. If 20 per cent
of the power be realized, the development
would amount to four million horsepower.
The first 113 miles of the river from its outlet
from Lake Ontario is international-that is. it
constitutes the boundary between the two coun-
tries. The fall in this section, confined to about
fortytwo miles, is ninety-two feet; the power pos
sibties OF this section the same basis would be
practically one and two-third million horsepower.
Normally one-half of this would be Canadian and
onehalf 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 he
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. Vogelsang first
assistant secretary of the interior. before the
river and harbor congress of 1919, read into the
Congressional Record these statements are made
d, among others: The United States share of the
st. Lawrence river power would have an annual
value Of about $12.0O0O00. Much of New Eng
land is within transmission distance of $50
miles. This power is the equivalent of 7.750O0O
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
dustrial district. The power production will pay,
the entire cost Of all the project. W
With the enlarged Weand 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
cties at the 500 and deeper channels through
the Lakes here and there Duluth. Superior, Mil
waukee. Chicago, Detroit, Toledo. Cleveland. But
falo and other lake ports. would have an unham-
pered outlet to the ocean. So says the Middle
West.
And with the mighty st. Lawrence harnesssd
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 soluton. 30 eay the promotors
Of Tie st Lawrences Tidewater sprc3ect