Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1921-06-02
Scientific At1e1csr)

igation on 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 l6O miles more of deep water and open navi-
cation across Lake Ontario 1t has 1872 miles
from Lake Ontario to Montreal, but of this dis
lance only about 20 miles are canal navigation.
AT present there are 46 miles of canals, but in
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 1OO3
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 9 1856 statute
miles of open navigation. Less than IA miles of
improved channel and SOL miles of canals would
interrupt fu-speed steaming from Superior, Du-
luth, Milwaukee or Chicago to England. The bar
riers that separate the farms and cities IF the
great West and Middle West from the ocean can
be overcome by channels not as long diff
cult to navigate as the Panama canal the Kle
canal, or the Suez canal, and would cost only a
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 near Ogdensburg n. Y.
and the foot Of the lowest rapid at the City Of
Montreal total fall Of 221 feet If 70 per cent
of the power can be realized, the development
would amount to four million horsepower.
The first 113 miles of the river from its outlet
from Lake Ontario Is nternatcnal-that is, 1t
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 horse power.
Normally One-haf 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 S12,0OO,0OO Much of New Eng
land is within a transmission distance of 25O
miles This power is the equivalent of 7,7500O0
tons of coal annually This power would furnish
sufficient energy to supply a 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
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
cties at the 500 and deeper channels through
the Lakes here and there, Duluth, Superior, Mil.
waukee, Chicago Detroit, Toledo, Cleveland Buf
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 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. Observation-Disclosures project