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

~ needed through the increased area of outlet. present low water level of the lake one foot would practically. ——— THE ‘MARINE RECORD. ee SABLA TERE OCTOBER 1g, 1899, TO CONSTRUCT A DAM AT NIAGARA. A paper was read before the Cleveland Chamber of Com- merce on Tuesday night, by George Y. Wisner, Esq., of Detroit, member of the United States Deep Waterways Com- mission, on the subject of ‘‘Lake Levels.”” The paper deals with a question which is attracting general attention through- out the country. Mr. Wisner stated that the facts as set forth were the result of the investigations of the commission of which he isa member. He advocated, principally, the construction of an enormous dam at Niagara Falls, for the purpose of controlling the depth and levels of Lake Erie and St. Clair and Detroit rivers. He explained, however, that the question was an international one, and that in order to bring about the results desired it would require action on the part of this and the Canadian Governments. Mr. Wisner’s paper was in part as follows : ‘‘A general idea of the climatic and physical conditions of the drainage basin of the Great Lakes, which are the cause of the annual and periodical fluctuations of the water sur- faces, is essential toa correct understanding of the effects which these charges of lake levels have upon the connected waterways, and the amount which the extreme fluctuations may be modified without injury to the vested rights of prop- erty holders. “The clearing up of forests and converting of the land into tile-drained farms have greatly modified the volume of flow, and the time required for the run-off from watershed to reach the lake reservoirs. . “In the original condition of the lake region, the water which was months in working its way through swamps and obstructed water courses, under improved conditions, may not be as many days in reaching the lakes, a condition tend- ing to increase the rapidity of a rise from any given rainfall. “The regulation of the level of any lake ‘mplies that the surface must be maintained at or near some fixed stage, to accomplish which the discharge must be so controlled that it will be at all times approximately equal to the difference between the supply of water to the lake and the evaporation from the lake surface. It has been shown, however, that the evaporation from the surfaces of Lakes Huron and Mich- igan is at times largely in excess of the supply, and there- fore it is practically impossible to regulate the levels of those lakes. If actual supply is a negative quantity the level must fall even without any discharge at outlet. It has been found _from recent investigation that the fluctuations of those lakes may be decreased, however, about 25 per cent. by backwater from Lakes St. Clair and Erie, by the regulation of the lat- ter lake, without interfering with the volume of storage nec- essary for the maintenance of the proper volume of flow throught the connecting waterways during dry periods. “Recent examinations have shown that the bed of the St. Clair river in the rapids just below the outlet of Lake Huron has deepened from erosion about eighteen feet since 1886, and that the level of Lakes Michigan and Huron has been permanently lowered about one foot by the lower slope To raise the restore the limit of the low stage existing previous to 1898. “From a careful study of the levels of Lakes Huron, St. Clair, and Erie, and of the slopes of the connecting rivers for different volumes of flow, it appears that for any given amount that the low water stage of Lake Erie may be raised, that for Lake St. Clair will be raised two-thirds as much, and the low stage for Lake Huron one-third of the increase of elevation given to Lake Erie. In other words, if the level of Lake Erie should be raised three feet, the three feet fall now existing in the Detroit river would be wiped out, and the level of Lake St. Clair would rise until the necessary slope was established to produce the same volume of flow as previous to making the improvement. “‘The storage capacity of Lake Superior amounts to 28,000 cubic feet per second annually, for each foot in depth on the lake surface, and in connection with Lakes Huron and Michigan, forms a reservoir system absolutely essential for an adequate continous volume of flow through the St. Mary’s, St. Clair, and Detroit rivers. Since the time of the greatest discharge into Lake Huron is that when a large supply is necessary for the maintenance of the level of Lakes Huron and Michigan, it isapparent that any modification of the range of levels of Lake Superior would be an injury to the entire waterway system, and, therefore, the natural con- ditions on that lake should be maintained. “The average annual supply of water to Lake Erie (not including loss from evaporation) amounts to a volume about 28 feet deep over its entire area, and, since the annual eva- poration does not exceed 2.6 feet in depth on the lake, it is evident that a sufficient positive inflow always exists to al- low the levels to be maintained at a fixed stage without ma- terially affecting the volume of discharge from the lake. “The change of outflow which would be produced by regu- lation would accelerate the discharge during the first six months each year, by an amount equivalent to the annual storage of the lake, and diminish the outflow a similar a‘nount during the last half of each year. This modification will not affect the total annual discharge of Niagara river, and will amount to an increase of only 5 percent. of the annual discharge during the first half of each year, and a decrease of a similar amount during the last half. This mod- ification will produce no measurable change in the levels of Lake Ontario. “It may be safely stated that a proper regulation of the level of ake Erie will produce no injurious effect on the waterways of Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence river, and that such an improvement will increase the depth at low water on Lake St. Clair two feet, and on Lakes Huron and Michi- gan about one foot. The question to be decided is, there- fore, can the level of Lake Erie be controlled at an elevation near its high water stage, and thus improve the low water depths about three feet, and insure a constant depth of chan- nel for the entire season of navigation. ‘ “Observations have recently been made from which, in connection with the record of the water levels of the lake, the discharge of Niagara river has been computed for every month of each year since 1865, and the actual supply to the lake for each month for the same period. ‘‘When the lake is at its highest stage, the outflow is prac- tically equal to the maximum supply, and, if such maximum inflow should continue constant for any length of time, a practical state of regulation would exist, that is, with inflow and dischage equal the stage must necessarily remain con- stant. If, therefore, such works be placed in the foot of the lake that when the supply commences to decrease the out- flow will be correspondingly diminished, the level of the lake will remain constant except as affected by winds. In order to obtain such control of the lake level, it will be nec- essary to construct a fixed dam in connection with a system of sluice gates, such that when the gates are closed the low water discharge will pass over the crest of the dam, and, when the gates are all open, the maximum supply to the lake will pass through the works. For all intermediate volumes of supply, it is evident that the proper control would be obtained by closing the requisite number of gates. ‘The stage of the lake at which the level should be con- trolled is a matter of international consideration, and must have the approval of the Canadian governiment before the works can be constructed. While under existing condi- tions the elevation at which the level would have to be con- trolled is that of the high water stage of the lake, the regula- tion can be effected at any lower stage deemed advisable by simply increasing the cross-section of the gorge at the head of the Niagara river sufficiently to produce a corresponding lowering of the water below the works for the maximum outflow, similar to that which has occurred at the outlet of Lake Huron, where the natural deepening of the channel has permanently lowered the lake level about one foot, The natural conditions at the outlet of the lake are such that any necessary enlargement can be made at reasonable cost, and the stage at which the level of the lake should be controlled fixed at any elevation deemed desirable by the United States and Canada. If the adopted stage for regula- tion be lower than the ordinary high water of the lake, no damage to property rights could arise, and the usual low water depth during the latter part of the season of naviga- tion, when the heaviest traffic on the lake occurs, would be improved about 3 feet. ‘The benefits to be derived from the increased depth of harbors and channels of Lake Erie and through the Detroit and St. Clair rivers will be many times the amount that the regulating works will cost. A channel 600 feet wide through the waterway from Lake Huron to Lake Erie will soon be an absolute necessity to safely accommodate the rapidly increasing commerce of the lakes. The difference in the amount of money needed to construct such a channel under the existing conditions, or with the level of Lake Erie regu- lated, would be more than sufficient to build the controlling works at the foot of the lake. The improvement obtained would be permanent, which cannot be said of the results obtained by present methods, by which the enlarging and deepening of any section of the river channels produce a lowering of the water levels. SOCIETY OF NAVAL ARCHITECTS AND MARINE | ENGINEERS. The seventh general meeting of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers will take place in New York City, at 10:00 a, m. Thursday, Nov. 16, 1899. Through — the courtesy of the president and the managers of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the meetings will be held in the auditorium of No. 12 West 31st street, the sessions continuing through Thursday and Friday, — November 16th and 17th. The list of papers to be read at this meeting are as follows: 1. Coaling Vessels at Sea, by Spencer Miller, Esq., asso- ciate. 2. Causes for the Adoption of Water-tube Boilers in the : U. S. Navy, by Engineer-in-Chief Geo. W. Melville, U.S. — N., vice president. 3. Suggestions as to Improved Appliances for Launching Ship’s Boats, by John Hyslop, Esq. 4. The Electric Plants of the Battleships Kearsarge and Kentucky, by Naval Constructor J. J. Woodward, U.S. N., member. 5. The Increasing Complications in Warships, and How Simpler Arrangements might be Adopted, by George W, Dickie, Esq., member of council. 6. Beam Formulz Applied to a Vertically Stiffened Bulk- head, with Some Results, by H. F. Norton, Esq., member. — 7. Notes on Sheathing the U. S. S. Chesapeake, by Naval Constructor Lloyd Bankson, U. S. N., member. 8. System of Work ina Great Lake Shipyard, by W. I. Babcock, Esq., member. g. Overhead Cranes, Staging and Riveter Carrying Ap- pliances in the Shipyard, by James Dickie, Esq., member. 10. Designs for the Denver Class Sheathed Protected Cruisers, by Chief Constructor Philip Hichborn, U.S. N., vice president. 11. Novelties in Ship Fittings, by Assistant Naval Con- structor R. M. Watt, U. S. N., member. 12. Progressive Speed Trials of the U. S. S. Manning, by Prof. C. H. Peabody, member of council, 13. Tactical Considerations Involved in Torpedo-Boat Design, by Lieut. A. P. Niblack, U.S. N., associate. 14. On the Action of the Rudder, with Special Reference to the motion of the Ship while the Helm is being put Over, by Prof. Wm. F. Durand, member of council. —— DO" EASTERN FREIGHTS. Messrs. Funch, Edye & Co., New York, report the Kas- tern freight market as follows : Since our last report the excitementin the British freight market has culminated under certainty of an early war in South Africa, and owners’ demands for their tonnage have undergone a further advance in consequence. Prompt grain boats have been enabled to secure slightly better figures, both for large tonnage to picked port and vessels suitable for Cork f. o., the former advancing from Range to 3s. 434d., the latter to 3s. 1044d., only two boa's being placed at 4s. by the aid of Danish options. For later commitments own- ers are generally withholding their tonnage from the market, and although, in view of our large maize crop, prospects are favorable to active chartering for later months loading, very few trades could be closed on thataccount. Time char- terers, and stress of necessity, have been compelled to accept tonnage at considerable increased figures; but this business has been restricted to special trades for which charterers were committed, the freight current here for gen- eral business by no means warranted such advance. ‘The Atlantic cotton ports in some cases have sought relief from former charters by rechartering at considerable pecuniary sacrifice; the Gulf ports appear to be doing somewhat better, by reason of the advance established in grain freights, under which charterers could be worked off thence without heavy losses. The demand for timber from the Gulf is light, and the same may be said in respect to general trades. Sail tonnage remains in the same firm position as of late, and we have absolutely nothing of importance to state. Business has naturally been confined to a few charterers, as reported below, the differenee in views as between own- ers and shippers being too great to be easily overcome. eer ANOTHER craft to go into the southern lumber trade is the lake steamer George R. Farwell, which has been sold to the J. C. Miner Cypress Lumber Co., in Florida. If she can be made to hold together around Hatteras she will make money in the trade at the present going rates.—The Day, New Lon- don, Conn. ’ a pie