Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-06-09
(Jcierrklfle Abs7eucstz)

igation on the great expanse of deep water OF
Lake Erie for 219 miles. 1t passes % miles Of
the Welland canal, with its seven locks, and then
has $50 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 in
the proposed Improvement, with slack-water navi
cation behind the dams, there would be less than
~ miles of restricted channel Down the st.
Lawrence river to Belle isle, a distance of 1908
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 channel and SOL miles of canals would
interrupt fulspeed steaming from Superior, Du.
luth, Milwaukee Chicago to England. The Sar.
riers that separate the farms and cities Of 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 Kiel
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 secondfeet. 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 20 per cent
of the power can be realized the development
would amount TO over 1Our million horsepower
The first 113 miles of the river from its outlet
from Lake Ontario is internationa-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
sbilites OF this section on the same basis would be
practically and two-third million horse power
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. vogelsang 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 annual
value of about $12,0000O0. Much of New Eng
land is within a transmission distance of 25(
miles. This power is the equivalent of 7,750,00C
tons of coal annually. This power would furnish
sufficient energy to supply large part of the
power 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
cilities 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 distributes
through industrial New York sand New England
many problems that affect the cost of living woult
be made easier of solution So say the promoters
of the ST. Lawrence-Tidewater project.