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10 THE MARINE RECORD. JUNE 28, 1900 ESTABLISHED 1878. Published Bveey Thursday by THE MARINE RECORD PUBLISHING CO., Incorporated. C. E, RUSKIN, - - - - Manager. CAPT. JOHN SWAINSON, ~ - - - Editor CLEVELAND, CHICAGO, Western Reserve Building. Royal Insurance Building. SUBSCRIPTION. One Copy, one year, postage paid, - - $2.00 One Copy, one year, to foreign countries, - 2 $3.00 Invariably in advance. ADVERTISING. Rates given on application, All communications should be addressed to the Cleveland office, THE MARINE RECORD PUBLISHING CO., Western Reserve Building, Cleveland, O. Entered at Cleveland Postoffice as second-class mail matter. No attention is paid to anonymous communications, but the wishes of contributors as to the use of their names will be scrupulously regarded. CLEVELAND, O., JUNE 28, 1900. £E TSS PBR Sa eae cel ee eee CHICAGO RIVER CURRENT. The RECORD has used every means during the past decade in bringing this most important subject before those most nearly interested, and, as a further contribution to our al- _ ready extensive work along these lines, we are permitted through the courtesy of the Hon. F. Gourdeau, Deputy Min- ister of Marine and Fisheries, Ottawa, to publish an excerpt from an ‘‘ad interim report on the effect of the Chicago drainage canal on the level of the lakes,’’ as viewed from a standpoint based on hydraulics: “The science of hydraulics is pre-eminently inductive or experimental. It is very unsafe to predict a formula on any of the observed phenomena of flowing water until verified by experiment. This arises from no analytic defect in the demonstration, but because the conditions of any two cases are seldom or never exactly alike. We can compute theo- retically, within reasonable limits of accuracy, the discharge over a weir, or through a regular channel, as a canal, with given slope and dimensions. But when it comes to ganging a large river like the St. Lawrence, or any of the connecting links in the great system of our inland seas, hydraulic for- mulze lose their magic and theory and speculation have to step aside and make way for experiment. Even with mod- ern improvements in methods and instruments, discharge. measurements are not only a delicate operation, but are stil hemmed round with much uncertainty. “Much as are discharge computations surrounded, if not involved in mystery, they are simplicity itself compared to any approximate, much less exact determination in advance of the effect of the Chicago drainage channel on the levels of the Great Lakes. It is obvious to the plainest understand- ing that the surface of the Jakes must, to some extent, be lowered by the opening of the new outlet, or more properly perhaps, ancient outlet, resucitated at Chicago. The project in theory contemplates an ultimate draught on the reservoir of 10,000 cubic feet per second at the lowest stage of Lake Michigan, With the known fluctuations of the lake, this will often exceed 15,000 cubic feet per second. ‘To believe that this will not prejudicially affect the levels of all the lakes, except Lake Superior, as well as all their connecting waterways and outlet, would be equivalent to believing an absurdity. The commonest understanding has no difficulty in believing and appreciating this, the greatest intellect can- not soar much higher, comie much nearer to a solution. “The problem is complex and intricate as unique. No hydraulic formula is applicable to it, for the simple reason that no such contingency has hitherto arisen, or is likely to ever again arise. It isso beset with extraneous, disturbing elements, impossible of elimination, as to be practically in- determinate by any known hydraulic formula. Among these are storms, changes of barometric pressure, changes in rainfall, and in the percentage of the precipitation absorbed’ etc. Itis recorded that in the storm of Lake Erie of Octo” ber 14, 1893, there wasa difference of elevation of nearly twelve. feet between the western and eastern ends of the lake. That is to say, at Toledo the water fell 6 feet 8 inches below the then normal level of the lake, while at Buffalo the water rose 5 feet 3 inches, or a total difference of elevation of 11 feet 11 inches between these two places. “An idea of the complexity of the problem may be gleaned from the following assumption: Suppose that na~ ture, in her inscrutable ways, instead of inspiring her pigmy offspring with the conception of the construction of an arti- ficial channel from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River, capable of discharging at the lowest stage of lake level, not less than 10,000 cubic feet of water per second, augumenting with the increased head of pressure to a probable discharge at mean lake level to 15,000 cubic feet, and a maximum dis- charge at highest lake level of 17,000 cubic feet, had, in her own laboratory, fashioned and chiseled out a subterranean passage of equal capacity with the proposed Chicago drain- age ditch, fitting the outlet with automatic valves and sluices to regulate the outflow in sucha manner that like discharges would take place under similar heads of pressure. With present knowledge of the physics and hydraulics of the Great Lakes, it would, perchance, take a century of minute, elaborate, scientific research to determine whether one gallon of Lake Michigan’s water had escaped by other than the normal or natural process—discharge through the Straits of Mackinac into Lake Huron, and absorption into the atmosphere through evaporation. It is not improbable at the close of the century’s investigations, science would retire baffled, discomfitted in the contest with nature, the mystery still unsolved, that the loss would be still masked, eclipsed, concealed from human ken, unless disclosed by accident, while the fact remained that Lake Michigan was bled during every second of that century to the tune of 12- 000 cubic feet, with the doctors still diagnosing the patient. The discharge would aggregate to the enormous quantity of nearly forty trillions (39,446,161,250,000) cubic feet, a quan- tity too vast to be comprensible to the most trained intellect. Some tangible idea of its vastness may be presented to the mind by clothing it in the concrete form of a mass of water occupying a hollow prism or parallelepipedon, 283 miles long, 50 miles wide and 100 feet deep. “The board of engineers, in their report on this phase of of the inquiry says: ‘The abstraction of 10,000 cubic feet of water per second from Lake Michigan will lower the levels of all the lakes of the system, except Lake Superior, and reduce the navigable capacity of all harbors and shal- lows throughout the system toan extent that may be deter- mined, if at all, by actual measurement only.’ “Again they say: ‘The water levels of the Great Lakes are very delicate.’ ‘Mark the phraseology used by the board. The effect on the levels of the Great Lakes of the abstraction of 10,000 cubic feet per second from Lake Michigan, may be deter- mined, if such determination be at all possible, ‘by actual measurement only.’ Manifestly, the board entertain grave doubts of its possibility under any circumstances. But, if at all possible, it is only by pursuing the modus they recom- mend.”’ Major Willard says it is safe to estimate the mean veloci- ties of the sections at about 80 per cent. of the maximums, which would give an average of less than one mile per hour for a discharge not exceeding 310,000 cubic feet per minute, and less than one and a half miles per hour for a discharge not exceeding 310,000 cubic feet per minute, and therefore the general current of the Chicago river must be much less, The greatest velocity corresponding to the greatest dis- charge of the canal was observed at the Canal street bridge say two anda quarter miles per hour, with a mean of one and three-quarter miles per hour. Gen. Wilson, chief of engineers, endorses the report in the following language: “Under date of May 16, 1900, the Secretary of War directed that a petition of the Lake Carriers’ Association be referred to the engineer officer in charge at Chicago. The petition requested the issuing of regulations requiring the trustees of the sanitary district of Chicago to so control the flow of water through the drainage canal as to prevent its being destructive to navigation interests and injury to prop- erty. ‘While, under the laws of the conditional permit granted the sanitary district of Chicago, the Secretary of War has re- served the right to require the outlet to be closed or flow regulated, and while the interests of navigation are entitled to receive full consideration, it will appear that action on his part can properly be deferred a little longer until the effects of the further experiments are more fully demon- strated, especially as by one of the conditions of the permit the sanitary district is responsible for any damage to navi- gation or property interests resulting from their control of the discharge of the river. Major Willard will be instructed to continue his observations and keep this office promptly and properly informed.” i or or EXAcrLy as we expected, from the force that has been brought to bear, Major Willard now states relative to the current in Chicago river: ; “J have little doubt, that they could handle their boats safely even in greater currents than now exist. If I have not overestimated the pilots’ skill, and considering the im- mense benefit of the drainage canal to the citizens of Chi- cago since its opening a few months ago, I recommend that no restrictions be placed upon the legal requirements of flow into the sanitary canal, unless it should be found abso- lutely necessary to do so.” Certainly not, Major. What is the use of your West Point training if you can’t train with the puppets that de- sire to pull you. Furthermore, why do you try to dis- count your pedecessor in his engineering ability. ir oe TE men, ashore, in control of the U. S. Mercantile Marine are, toa large extent, incompetent. The Secretary of the Treasurasy, well as the very able Commissioner of Navigation, ought possibly to look into the Steamboat Inspection Service. The foregoing, may be considered, as saying either too much or too little, notwithstanding, we mean exactly as stated. Let’s examine the Steamboat Inspection Service??? ro ee THE district officer of the U. S. government at Chicago is asked to say whether their, at present, $30,000,000 invest- ment will, or will not hurt other interests ??? or ?vw—vl Tux Chicago drainage canal is injurious to the general welfare of lake navigation, to what extent??? oo? oe IRON AND STEEL PLANT. Circulation has lately been given to indefinite reports of a big iron and steel plant projected in the vicinity of Welland on the Welland canal, in Ontario, and the supposition was that capital for the enterprise had been furnished or pledged by Toronto, New York and Pittsburg interests. The first authentic information concerning the undertaking was had from P. E. Hinckley, of New York, who is vice president of the company, which has already been incorporated under the name of the Canadian Steel Co. Its capital stock is $18,000- ooo, and in addition there will be an issue of about $7,0c0,- 000 in bonds, bringing the total amount of the company’s securities up to $25,000,000, Mr. Hinckley refused to identify the financial interests behind the project, but said the first call of 25 per cent on subscriptions to the stock had been made. When the call has been honored 10 per cent of the subscriptions will be deposited with a chartered bank in Canada as evidence of good faith on the part of the company. Of the total capital stock there will be only $4,000,000 in preferred, paying 7 percent. Mr. Hinckley explained the advantages to be de- rived by an iron and steel plant on the site selected. “Ore can be transported,’’ said he, ‘‘direct from the mines to our plant by water, and there is also good water naviga- tion from the plant to the Atlantic by way of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence. The belief that we proposed to utilize electric power from Niagara Falls is wrong. There is a sufficient supply of water power at Welland, and this we will use, at about one-half the cost of steam. In addition to this, our plant will be located in the center of a natural gas field. We expect to have our first plant completed within a year, and the larger part of our capital stock will be expended in construction work. About 200 acres of land on the Nia- gara peninsula has been acquired by the company.”’ The main office of the company will be located in Tor- onto. er or AN attractive catalogue, describing and illustrating gaso- line engines for marine service, has been issued by the Roch- ester Gas Engine Company of Rochester, N. Y. The com- pany has developed a complete system of propulsion for pleasure craft, and is building single and double cylinder engines on the two cycle principle. Testimonals are present- ed from many prominent users of launches in which Roch- ester engines have been placed.