GEORGIAN BAY CANAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 707, 5 January 1910, Page 7

GEORGIAN BAY CANAL.

■'■'.•Many , ; indioatitins ! go:.to'shop':- that;.a start' in the.construotion'pf'the Qe.orgian'.. BayL.'Canal—'Ctuiada's'next; groat, -national: ~tasK) ' ''as:.Sir.'W,'JUurier haa.'dfsoribediiti W-canndt.boVniuch longer, delayed,"' '■' .says, the.-'.-'.'Maitphoster. ; Quardifiii."' .'," "'Last sprinE''the:'iOttawa'; ; Qpv(!rnnient,resolved thatia3:Boaiii:as..thoir. finaucos:' 1 permitted, theLscheme^oujd. : bo. putr.in.band..:Sew.] people ■realise what.;an:onorindus, l underr, taking-, thifl'.canal-.will .bo.'/;-.Bir-. 1 .-!Bobert : mind; beluiidvtbis i'--.^-S^i"i ■'.'ln'thoflrst placeit iwills be the longest ■ ship canalrin-'tlie world.;: Its total: length \yill,,,be.' MO: milos.;: Tbe/.-Syez : Canal..,is i nea'rly; ; 'loo-:iniloii: long,. ofv.which.;.2s,.;is. througl) jshftllow •■ lntes; of thb ::■■ banals. ; ;th'o Papama"route is&l miles: long arid. Hhe'iNicaraguan 170.,8ii1e5,;..()f .-which • 121 , 'miles,i3.froB.- navigation.through the; Ban : r Jiiaii:i:Biver aud. ,I,alco";'Nicaragua;; The "cost , :: of'; constructing :the'. .Georgian, Baji" CajialTis^e'stiujatcd i: at: .£20,000,000. 'i'ho'expenditure' iri.the building o{.-the. Mandhestor.igliip:- ; Canal ■.was,v:rQugli)}- 1 ■j!15,qoo;ooo;Wwv ;/;■.,;;.;::;;;, : -<u<,-t ' '!Extqnding from' .the ;.Atlantic,. Ocean, info thove'ry'heart;o£ ■the;.Korth Ameri-, can: continent th«o\is a : i}atttral.' waterway,' over ;; 1000 miles'long, consisting: 01 ■the■■■ ; brotoh' chain: of'.hugp-inland-seas in., the; foUo.iving' r orderfelj'rom '..eastj; to, -Invest-;-LaliQ:Ontario,'- talto and' LakeVSupprior.' ;lalto Michigan,does iip't-fdrm'-paKt'ofi'thpclwini but.is'rathuv 'a ssoutherii' arm; of Lake .Huron.,.:.::,- • • ■ '!,Unfprtu'nately ;this'. natural: waterway.; doe's liotruhVdivect:td: the sea,.but-takes. d vhuge :-bend', toV the 'South- around ; the Oiitarlo: ; ;peiiinsula..: vlf:.a . vuler : ; be;riaid ttovosa/the imap,: /however;: from , Duluth, or Port Arthur,"at'.the.head of. the : lakes,. td ; Mon'tfearon''tlid St...Lawrence, if.will 'be "■■ founds - that: Ipxcept .for ■„ the,. four : -:3&/>r\t ifreara'ndv'Gw.rgian: Bay.- on Lake Huron; : thb:.lino;drawn: rdugWoast ywest would pass -dver.kwatev...fce..whqle,oi ; .tlie ; distance.'' In' other'. words, the.; proposed xarial'wonld provide:, a water,, .route vol. 'alinost geometrical; "straightnesS from. the heart-of'-the' grain' .country" to .'Montreal, the most important:of:the! ganadian;ocean. ports;/' , ~' .1:', ,. '' i '--''.'; : " ■■■'.■•■i' , .!-' "',:. ■.':■•';'■:■:-.■-■ v 1; ' i'lfrom- a'^volumindus iropprt;ijust.pubT lishecl'by VHie".- Pttawii ':• Government .we canal-will .not .to. ;a.-ship. licnnnVVin' the /sense, iof .'tho > Manchester Shin-Canal. VNor, on :tho other hand,:will ifbo:a barge conditions vof naviKatipn.'on- the: Great-Lakes have' developed a ; special steamer;.! These /'boats/: are" limited ; to-. 20 ■ ieet: draught, las' oven -the- largest-: lakp-har-1 hours are :up't. much; deeper/ than;: this. Their -maximum:.length scarcely exceeds ■eOOffci-.'arid 'the /maximum -tonnage is roughly, : 12,000; ■:: Thoso vossels ; .urdh quite unfitted for' ocean passages.' Tho engines are ■- in , the ; :stern-and not' in^tbo centre, , 'as in ocean-goins .crafti while ..the ,bow is reserved for thh;yrheeUliouse:■andvoili-. cers'-qunrters;: Thus the whole.'midships section is/one : , immohse,:.box,. 500fft long, COit. wide, , ftiidV2sft.- deep.-. The-deck is practically one': big hatch,: so that. ; o-.boat .lying;along- a :wharf ready ;to unload:resomWes'a box .with; tbo | lid off.' : ■ ■'■ ■'■ "lt.is.orilynyhpn/the:canal is regarded froni.' aii-'ongincering point of/viewithat the-'rcal : difficulties become nfipnrent. Oi' thoiW miles frdih Montreal 'to Georgian Bajv only 28' would bo actual excavation, and the-remaiaini; : 452 miles follow . the course , ' of/soroe'riYci , ; or lake., /But the total -.difference : of level is no less than : op7it.— i sßoft:-. fronr Montreal,' to. summit lovoi: Rtidj- then a drop'frbni summit level to Georgian Bay of ■■'-.98ft.—necessitating ilio construction; of 27.: or 28 locks,/with' • lifts varying from fiv.o to fifty foot. The 'hiRK-ostksinslo lift/wriuld be fifty:.feet, ,b\d there would bo.sovcrnl others of from to'■ 85ft." '.'" ;, '■'• - ! . ' "■'■'-. ■/ :