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A FEW HISTORICAL FACTS AND THE CANALS--Continued Iroquois, 15 miles. With the present prevailing stage of water the least depth is 19 feet. By the old Lake George route the distance from Point Detour to Point Iroquois is 75 miles, and the depth, 15 feet. The present Hay lake channel was opened in 1894 and shortened the route from Detour to the Soo, 10 miles. The new route, known as the Neebish channel, was opened in 1908. This route leads to the westward of Neebish island and the plan is to use this channel for down bound boats and the present channel for up bound boats. Both channels will be the same from the canal down to Hay lake. They then branch off, one going on each side of Neebish island, and coming together again in Mud Lake. The new west channel will not shorten the route from Detour to the Soo. The St. Joseph channel branches off from the Hay lake channel at the foot of Sugar island, just below the dike. This channel leads into the North channel. The navigation of the St. Mary's river is governed by a strict set of rules and regulations. The St. Mary's falls have a drop of 20 feet and are overcome by the locks at the canal. These rapids are about a half mile wide and three-fourths of a mile long. THE ST. CLAIR RIVER Length, Fort Gratiot to old ship canal, 40 miles. The current in the rapids at Fort Gratiot is 5 miles an hour. The current entering the canal is about 14% miles an hour; abreast of Port Huron, St. Clair and Marine City the current averages 2 miles an hour. DETROIT RIVER Length, Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie, 28 miles. The current at the Limekiln Crossing averages about 2%4 miles an hour while for the balance of the river the average current is about 1144 miles an hour. NIAGARA RIVER Length, Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, 33 miles. Current at Buffalo, 4 to 7 miles an hour; current in whirlpool rapids, 30 miles an hour. The lower portion of the river, from Lake Ontario to Lewiston (7 miles) is from 30 to 70 feet deep. 280,000 cubic feet of water enters Niagara river from Lake Erie every second. The fall in Niagara river from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario is 326 feet. ST. LAWRENCE RIVER Length, from Lake Ontario to the Straits of Belle Isle, nearly 1,200 miles. There are many dangerous rapids in the St. Lawrence, all overcome by Canadian canals. From Lake Ontario to Quebec the drop is 249 feet. A boat passing through the St. Lawrence river, from Lake Ontario to the sea, would go through six canals with a total length of 45 miles. There are 21 locks in these canals and the total lift is 207% feet. These canals are all between Lake Ontario and Montreal. From Montreal eastward to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, there is a channel for deep draft ocean going vessels. From Lake Ontario to Montreal the draft water is limited to 14 feet. Tidewater is reached about midway between Montreal and Quebec. Spring tide rises 1814 feet at Quebec. Salt water becomes noticeable about 30 miles below Quebec. NIAGARA FALLS Height of American falls, 167 feet; height of Horseshoe falls, 158 feet; contour line of American falls, 1,060 feet; contour line of Horseshoe falls, 3,010 feet; average depth of river between the falls and rapids, 180 feet. The Horseshoe falls wears back about 4% feet each year, in the center of the channel, and about 2 feet each year on the sides. The recession of the American falls is very slight. 15,- 000,000 cubic feet of water passes over both falls per minute. THE SOO CANALS The first canal was built on the Canadian side of the river by the North West Fur Company in 1798. The lock was 38 feet long, 8 feet 9 inches wide, with a lift of 9 feet. A tow path was made along the shore for oxen to pull the canoes and small boats through the upper part of the rapids. This lock was destroyed in 1814 by United States troops from Mackinac island. The first ship canal, known as the State canal, was built on the American side of the river in 1855. There were two tandem locks each with a lift of 9 feet. These locks were 350 feet long, 70 feet wide, with a depth of 11% feet. These locks were destroyed by excavations for the present Poe lock. The McArthur Lock--which replaces and takes in the Weitzel Lock, is the newest. of the Locks on The Great Lakes. This Lock was finished and turned over to the Government by the Contractor July 11, 1943. The length of this Lock is 800 feet, the width 80 feet with a depth of 31 feet (between inner gates). This Lock fills with water in 10 minutes, and empties in 8 minutes. The Weitzel lock--the present old lock--was built in 1881, by the United States. The length of this lock is 515 feet, width 60 feet at the 491 si PS a a i RS a Na ad a ae ui Oe POT IED Sa Lp ORR 1 NONE ESE EN CEC NW SESE MEI