The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

- ' - Merce. 16 'minutes, the amount would be 75,- 268,096 tons. : "The proposed new lock, 1,350 ft. long and 8o ft. wide, will have at least one-third greater capacity than. the Poe lock under conditions of present draught and size of ships, and taking the annual capacity of the Poe lock at 50,000,000 tons, gives a total for the two locks of over 116,000,000 tons. "On completion of the new lock the navigable draught through St. Mary's river will be 21 ft. at lowest stage of- water, or 2414 ft. at present stage; an increase of 5 ft. over | present draught of 19%4 ft. This means that the average ship of today could carry over one-third more> cargo, which, added to the 116,000,000 tons, makes 'the total for two locks 155,000,000 tons, when the water surface is about 1 ft. below the normal stage of the past 35 years. _ . eee "For safe and efficient operation not more than two locks should connect _ with one canal prism 200 to 300 ft. in width, as fluctuations of the water sur- face, caused by filling or emptying the locks, interfere with operating the _ gates. "Unquestionably, a second lock will be built in connection with the Canad- jan canal whenever the construction thereof is warranted by needs of com- A third canal with two locks can be built near center line at rapids at less cost and with better approaches than along south shore adjacent~ to present canal; and its location so far from the present canals would mini-. mize. the fluctuations caused by filling or emptying locks.- As both -locks would be of the largest dimensions named, its capacity would be greater than either of the shore canals. Based On 155,000,000 tons for one canal, the three canals could annually pass more than 465,000,000 tons of freight in -ships of present average size, and to that amount can safely be added 25 per cent for the larger class of ships _ which will be in use when there is a freight movement of such _ gigantic proportions. -- "The original canal lands, together with those recently acquired, including the tract below the locks, and that parcel of 834 acres located north of the canal and deeded by the Chandler & Dunbar Co., and Island No. 5, to be purchased, will provide ample space for the new lock either north or south of the Poe lock. "The other principal factor to be considered is the quantity of water re- quired for ship canal purposes. "The American and Canadian ship canals are now using about 600 cu. ft. per second. mile square. TRE MarINE. REVIEW per second, which includes lockage, leakage and power development for operating lock machinery. The similar amount required for continuous oper- ation of six locks of the stated dimen- sions would be less than 3,000 cu. ft. The International Water- ways Commission has _ stated _ that 61,000 second feet may be taken as the ordinary low water discharge of St. Mary's river at the rapids, and that of this amount not less than 4,000 second feet should be reserved for use . of locks and the passage of logs. With the above provisions as to water sup- ply, land areas, canals and locks ample for yearly passage of 600,000,000 tons of freight, it would seem-'that the in- terests of navigation were well con- served. "T favor building the canal in the rapids first, then when the traffic war- rants, to build a new lock for the pres- ent canal south of the Poe lock." CAPT. McDOUGALL'S ARGU- : MENT. . ; Capt. Alexander McDougall presents his argument in favor of a breakwate-: as against a canal through Minnésota point, Duluth harbor, in the following language: "The proposed breakwater for the Duluth harbor entrance should extend from about Fourteenth avenue east- one mile south by southeast, which would terminate it in about 65 ft. of water, with a mean depth of about 40 ft. Such a breakwater would over- lap the ends of the present canal entry and would form a harbor nearly one By. looking at a map of the western end of Lake Superior, you will observe that the waves that come from south of east are the only ones that would roll inside of this break- water. They would have less than 20 miles sweep. Such a long distance from the end of the harbor entrance would give ample room for the largest ships that may ever be built for the lake trade in which to maneuver, and those that so desired in a storm could come under the breakwater for shelter without coming inside. This advan- tage would be very great in the fut- ure, when it may happen many times that 100 ships or more may come on before a northeast storm and find shel- ter here; or inside, as they may choose. AS: TO CENTRAL CANAL. "The action of the northeast storm through the present entrance of the canal has 'been fully, discussed, and it »is well known the commotion which is created at all docks near the present canal entrance. tral canal were cut, as suggested by If a new cen- ' the representatives of the Pittsburg Steamship Co., the same disturbance, or a greater one, would occur in that portion of the harbor near the gate, - or in the vicinity of Connor's and Rice's point, and greatly interfere with trafic through the two bridges direct- ly opposite. If such an entry were made, doubtless it would be neces- sary to protect it with a breakwater -- also, which would be a greater prob- lem than the proposed breakwater from the north shore. The question of dealing with an entry through Min- nesota point is well illustrated at the Superior canal, when each storm de- stroys the work of the previous year. Serious trouble might occur by at- tempting to cut through the middle of this frail piece of land. I consider it hazardous to cut this third entry, par- ticularly so in the face of the splendid work at the present Duluth canal. "The closing of either of the en- trances--Superior or Duluth--would close navigation at each side of the harbor, particularly at Duluth, two months earlier. The coasting boats have run down the'north shore until the first of February for the last three years, because of the deep water out- side, and the current that runs in and out of the canal entry. "When the state. of Minnesota authorized the opening of a _ canal through Minnesota point, a commis- sion that was appointed for the pur- pose of determining the location wise- ly selected the present site, and then suggested a breakwater to protect the entrance. : "Tn 1880, when the town of West Superior was started, a central canal was considered, and a commission of engineers appointed to investigate, of which the present chief of engineers, Alexander McKenzie, was chairman. After an investigation they decided the entry was in the proper place. "In 1890 Major Quinn was author- ized to make a report on the Duluth entry, when accepting the land for the United States government whereon the canal was located, and after a full in- vestigation of results of previous storms and disasters, he recommended that the canal remain where it is, and that a breakwater to cost about $1,800,- ooo, to protect the harbor from the northeast sea, at a distance of about 4,000 feet out from the piers, be placed there, oe At a later date, when Major Sears was in charge of the district, and the plan of putting in the present canal © piers was considered, he made dili- gent inquiry among the people of Du- luth and Superior and the vesselmen,