The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-08-01
Two Way Ship Canal
Between Lake superior
And Lake Michigan

NhlcaSo, aug, l.-(B by the ASSo
ciatcd Prcss).-A two-way ship canal
between Lakes Superior and Michi-
gan, deep enough for ocean steamers,
could be built at reasonable cost
and would divert to this route and to
Chicago at least Is per cent of the
tonnage which now goes through
Sault Ste. Marie, according to ID.
Chase DcniSon, Il Chicago cnginecr.
After surveying thr territory
through which it was proposed to
build such a cam, Mr.. Denison SAID
that the best place for the cutoff
route would be from point near Au
Train, Mich, on L.l-2 Superior to
he hcadwaters of tn bl.; rorth of
Escanaba, Mich, on Lake Michigan.
1t was pointed out thlt any ship
canal from Lake Nj hig south to
the Gulf of Mexico would require
more water than Lake NJ higln could
at present supply. As n example
the engineer showed that he Panama
canal would be useless without the
artificial lake which keel, tn canal
full of water. And Lake Michigan
he said, is shrinking Silc" the gov
surface of the lake has hrcn lowered
several inches. Half Il century ago
the lake was said to be Sigh ly less
than 620 feet above the surface of the
4 4 =. 80 l..
little more than 6lS fee: above the
Atlantic. According to Nj. Denison
the greater part of this shrinkage has
taken place during the last Is years.
THE water necessary for the Gulf
canal could be obtained from Lake
Superior" the engineer said. Lake
Superior is now nearly twenty-one
feet higher than Lake Michigan, but
the bottom of Lake Superior goes
down many hundred of feet below the
surface of the Atlantic. In many
places it is not certain that the bot
tom has been reached even at four or
five thousand feet, while Lake Mich.
igan is comparatively shallow even
in its deepest places. The many
smaller lakes in territory surround
ing Lake Superior are one to 500
feet above its surfade. They re
reivc much water but have no surface
river outlets. 1t is Mr. Dcnison's be-
lief these lakes have underground
outlets into Lake Superior.
The supply of water from Lake Su-
rrrior and the smaller lakes that are
Ibore and surrounding it will be prac-
tically ineXhaustible, but only as long
as the large tracts of forests are al
lowed to stand. The future genera
tions, it was stated, will suffer in
every way if this selfish generation
is allowed to rob the earth of one Of
its most valuable resources"
Mr.. Dcnison said this excessive
water supply gives Lake Superior
much more than it needs, and in Ger
tain seasons the oversupply goes
down through Sault Ste. Marie into
Lake Huron in large quantities. Gan
of this water should come down the
2lfoot incline into Lake Michigan
and would do so were it not for a
solid rimrock or basin edge which
holds it back" he continued. "Ihls
rImrock starts on this surface at a
point Il short distance west cf Mar
quctte and continues east to Saul
Ste. Marie. A low place in the rim
rock at Au Train makes this point
the most desirable spot to begin the
canal"
The engineers observations showed
that there are few shallow benches
around Lake Superior except in BAYS,
channels and small river mouths
Nincty-five percent of the shore is
deep water one hundred to five hun
drcd feet from land, and consequent
lE does not give good footing for
brrakwaters much further out.
AT the proposed starting point the
soil is light and sand for slightly
more than two miles south from Lake
Superior, averaging ten to fifty feet
'''NI VIC ltNcl Ol the lake, Unc re-
port shows. The next three miles
are of rimrock, fifty to seventy-five
feet above the lake level. and covered
with light, sandy soil. South of the
rImrock the land slopes down for
distance of more than mile to about
four miles of low, swampy land from
which a small river runs to head
waters of the Escanaba bay.
"ThiS Lake Superior and Michigan
canal would not cost more than $10,-
100000 as no expensive dam would
be necessary" Mr. Denison said
"This 'rimrock' and locks would form
the dam. The extra water at the
locks could be used for electric gen
Grating and this, together with the
tolls on boats and freight going
through the 'lockS,' both ways would
easily pay the canal cost and oper-
ating expenses in ten years"
The engineer proposed that the
work be done in the summer and es-
tlm1ipI that ~ ynnll tol-o t,uo -,