The "St. Clair Flats" between lakes Erie and Huron might have been regarded as a sixth obstruction, had not the general government so far improved them as to secure the completion of the whole work at an early period. Indeed, large amounts of work have already been done, and sums of money expended on all, or most of the obstructions for the very purpose contemplated by this memorial, to-wit: "To secure uninterrupted water comunication between the valley of the Mississippi and the Atlantic seaboard at New York city. PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL OBSTRUCTIONS. 1st. From the Mississippi river by the way of the Wisconsin and Fox rivers to Lake Michigan. This route has been so thoroughly examined and surveyed, and more especially within the last few years, by the engineers of the general government, that a minute and detailed description will be entirely unnecessary. From the earliest explorations of the Western country it has ever been recognized and used as a "public national highway." It was through this route that the early French missionaries and "voyageurs" discovered and explored the upper Mississippi valley. Along this route from Quebec and Montreal, to the head waters of the Mississippi river, thence north and west to the "Red river of the North," the Sascatchawan and the Rocky Mountains, they established military and trading posts and missionary stations. In the year 1813, a British army, more than two thousand strong, (including Indians), came through on this route, and captured the military post at Prairie Du Chien, there holding military control and possession of the whole Mississippi valley as far south as St. Louis until after the battle of New Orleans. It is reasonable to presume that had that event proven disastrous to the American arms, the history and destiny of the entire Mississippi valley, from the Alleghenies to the Rocky Mountains, would have been materially different from what they are to-day. Even in the present development of railroad and other facilities, steamers of three hundred tons burthen frequently pass and repass in flush stages of water, and make profitable rips between lake Michigan and the Mississippi river. One of those steamers has a most remarkable history. It was built at Pittsburgh, came down the Ohio, and up the Mississippi, thence trough this route to Green Bay. Was there engaged in the lake trade for several years. In 1862 it came back, was converted into a government gunboat, and became one of the most powerful and efficient vessels in the naval actions on the lower Mississippi, which resulted in driving the rebels out of the valley and opening the river to the Gulf. The late surveys of the general government most abundantly demonstrate, that for a comparatively small outlay, (less than five million dollars) it can be made available for boats of the heaviest draft used on the Upper Mississippi, passing through the entire distance from river to lake, with as much facility and at as great a rate of speed as to St. Paul or St. Louis. This estimate includes the construction of a canal up the valley of the Wisconsin 90 miles long. Distance through from lake to river, 280 miles long. 2d. The obstruction from Lake Erie down into Lake Ontario.This is the most serious and important obstruction on the entire route from the Mississippi river to New York City; when removed the most serious obstacle has been taken out of the way. Between the upper lakes and Lake Ontario, several routes are mentioned, all of which have some advantage and many friends. It is safe, however, to affirm that the cheapest as well as the best route under all circumstances will be selected, especially if the work is done by private capital, which is very likely to be the case. By careful and elaborate surveys, made by competent engineers, a ship canal equal in capacity to the St. Mary's canal at the outlet of Lake Superior, can be constructed not far from the Welland canal for six million dollars. That is probably far less than the cost at any other point, with the additional advantage of having all the lockage in a very short space and yet not so crowded as to embarrass the rapid passage of a large number of vessels. The Welland canal has a capacity only for vessels of about 300 tons-about the same as the Erie canal. 3d. The Rapids of the St. Lawrence.--The improvements on these rapids have so far progressed under the supervision and patronage of the Canadian government, that loaded vessels, of nine feet draft, can pass over them with safety. All steam vessels from lake Ontario to Montreal take this route. The channel can be deepened to thirteen feet by the expenditure of seven hundred and twenty thousand dollars. The canals around these rapids at present have nine feet of water, with locks forty-five feet wide and two hundred feet long. These need to be enlarged to thirteen feet in depth, and the locks to three hundred feet long and seventy-five feet wide. This can be done at a cost of $1,028,000. These are official data from actual surveys. The work can be done during the suspension of navigation. 4th. From the St. Lawrence at Montreal up into Lake Champlain. Distance twenty-eight miles, over a nearly level country. The elevation of lake Champlain above the St. Lawrence is 24 feet, hence, requiring only two locks, of 12 feet lift each. With double locks this work will cost $2,500,000. Its completion will give a free and uninterrupted passage for the largest steamers from the upper lakes to the head of lake Champlain and lake George. 5th. From the head of lake Champlain or lake George, to deep water on the Hudson.--On this part of the route the State of New York has already a canal sixty miles long, built expressly for the purpose of securing the trade of the West descending the St. Lawrence; but it is entirely inadequate for that purpose, having a capacity for boats of ninety tons only. The head of lake Champlain or of lake George has an elevation of fifty feet above deep tide water on the Hudson. Summit level between it and the Hudson, one hundred feet; distance therefrom six miles. The whole expense of this part of the work will be about $6,000,000. Instead of following the line of the Champlain canal it is proposed to use the Hudson river by means of locks and dams. Five dams will be all that will be necessary. This will probably be the cheapest and best route. RECAPITULATION. Route by the way of the Wisconsin and Fox rivers $3,500,000 Between lakes Erie and Ontario Improving rapids of St. Lawrence to thirteen feet... Enlarging the locks and deepening the canals around the rapids of the St. Lawrence.... St. Lawrence and Champlain Canal.... Total...... ........ 6,000,000 720,000 1,028,000 2,500,000 6,000,000 $19,748,000 A careful and practical survey of the whole route, as a single and entire enterprise, will probably very much reduce these estimates. It is safe, however, to say that the whole cost of the entire work will not exceed $20,000,000. These estimates may appear large, but they are indeed small and insignificant when compared with the immense magnitude and importance of the work. THE EXPEDIENCY AT THE PRESENT TIME OF MAKING AN EFFORT TO SECURE THE OPENING-UP AND COMPLETION OF THIS GREAT CONTINENTAL THOROUGHFARE. This proposition involves the inquiry, whether the requisite amount of capital can be secured? This will depend entirely upon that other proposition, as to whether the investment will return a dividend and how much?" In other words, "will it pay?" This, like all similar enterprises, will depend upon the amount of business it will command over all competition. It will be safe to assume that every vessel taking on a cargo of Western produce destined for an Eastern or European market will discharge it only at the most extreme point of the navigable route. Hence if that navigation extends to tide-water at New York City, that will be the port of discharge, if that be the destination of the cargo. Now the amount of Western produce moving eastwardly over the lakes at the present time, very much exceeds six million of tons annually, with more than three million tons of return merchandise. An average charge or toll of fifty cents per ton for the entire distance from the Mississippi to the Atlantic seaboard will yield a revenue to the company of $4,500,000 on business already existing on the lakes. This will be about one mill per ton per mile for the entire length of the several improvements, or one and one half cents per bushel on wheat and other freights reduced to wheat measurement; about one-half the present elevator and other charges at the single port of Buffalo. BUSINESS NOW EXISTING, AND WHICH WILL BE CREATED BETWEEN THE LAKES AND THE MISSISSIPPI BY THE OPENING OF THAT PART OF THE ROUTE. It is estimated by good judges, men engaged in the coal and lumber business, that should that part of the route between the Mississippi and the lakes be opened, there would at once be created a market annually in the Mississippi valley, for one million tons of anthracite, and five hundred thousand tons of Pittsburgh coal. This trade does not now, and never can exist, unless there be water transportation, because of the high rates that must be charged by the railroads. Eetween five hundred and one thousand million feet of pine lumber are annually brought through from lake Michigan to the Mississippi valley. The average cost of its transportation hither (by rail) is from eight to ten dollars per thousand feet. With this water route opened by the way of the Wisconsin and Fox rivers, as contemplated, this lumber can be brought from the mills situated along the shores of lake Michigan and Huron, in barges without reshipment, and distributed at the railroad and other business points on the Mississippi, as far south as St. Louis, for six dollars per thousand feet, or three dollars per ton, or at the rate of about one and one-half mills per ton per mile. This will be a saving of about three dollars and fifty cents per thousand. The effect will be to divert a very large portion of this trade through this route. It will be safe to assume that at least 500,000,000 feet, or 1,000,000 tons, will be thus diverted, especially when it is taken into consideration that it can be thus brought through, not only much cheaper, but also in far less time. This trade will increase at the rate of twenty-five per cent per annum. There is also shipped from the upper Mississippi valley 70,000,000 bushels of wheat per annum, or 2,000,000 tons. the greater cheapness of water transportation, a moiety at least of this product will be diverted into this channel, and the whole reduced to water rates. Vast amounts of other agricultural products, from From the greatness and facility of transportation, will also be diverted into this channel. Now if a toll of fifty cents per ton be charged on this freight, (which would be equal to about two mills per ton per mile), through from the lakes to the Mississippi, it would yield an income on this new business alone of $1,750,000. These two items, therefore, would give an annual revenue to the company of $5,750,000 on the busialready existing on the lakes, or necessarily created by the opening up of the Wisconsin route. If these estimates approximate to the correct standard, then it is evident that the above rates of toll may be reduced very nearly, if not quite, one-half, and still give a dividend of ten per cent per annum, over and above all expenses, on the capital stock invested. HOW THE NECESSARY AMOUNT OF CAPITAL CAN BE RAISED. The friends of the Wisconsin and Fox river route hope and confidently expect that the general government will complete the work on that route which it so auspiciously commenced; if it does not, the only thing necessary will be to convince capitalists that it will yield a liberal income over all expenses, to secure all the funds necessary for the work, especially when constituting a portion of the whole enterprise. NEW YORK MUST OPEN THE ROUTE FROM LAKE CHAMPLAIN DOWN THE HUDSON, OR LOSE THE WESTERN TRADE. This alternative will be found to be an imperative necessity, from the consideration of two facts: With the route completed to Montreal, wheat (and of course other merchandise) can be shipped from and to the upper lakes, to Liverpool, from five to ten cents a bushel cheaper than by the way of the Erie Canal and New York City. This would inevitably carry the foreign commercial trade in the same direction. The report of the Senate Committee of the legislature of that State, above referred to, make, (in substance) the following statement: "With this route. completed to Montreal, shipments can then be made to Europe from ten to fifteen cents per bushel cheaper than by the way of the Erie canal and New York City." The lower St. Lawrence has been im proved so that sea-going vessels of twenty feet draft, (and conse quently of more than three thousand tons burthen) can reach Montreal at all seasons of navigation. Light-houses, buoys, and other means of protection have been placed along the river and Gulf of St. Lawrence, so as to render navigation on that route quite as safe as by the other. |