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 THE CHIGNECTO SHIP RAILWAY, 
 
 -T3E- 
 
 SUBSTIXUXE FOR THE BAIE VERTE CANAL. 
 
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 Brief Review — HiBtorical 
 and Political. 
 
 Col. Morse, K. E., Cliief of 
 Royal Engineers, 
 
 Cue hundred yearn ago. 
 
 I H 
 
 The Battleground between 
 French and Kngli8h. 
 
 A Highway for Defenee in 
 Time of War. 
 
 \ 
 
 R. C, Minnettc, P.L.S, 
 
 ,, %uci3 Hall, C. E, 
 
 The first proposal tor a canal to oonnoot the waters of the Oulf of St. Lawrence witli the 
 Bay of Fumly was made during the French regime by the Ahhe de la Loutre, the enterprising 
 leader of the French colotusts of Acadie. 
 
 In 1783 (yolonel Robert Morse, Chief of the Royal Engineers, was ordered by Sir Guy 
 Carleton, Commander-in-chief of His Britannic Majesty's forces in North America, to make 
 a report on the " state of the defences, witli observations leading to the further growtli and 
 " .security of the colony of Nova Scotia," which then included Xew Brunswick and a part of 
 the State of Maine. In this report Colonel Morse suggested " the idea of opening a water 
 " communication between the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Bay of Fund\'," which, lie said, 
 " would be attended with good ettects," and he spoke of " the many and great advantage^ 
 " which would result to the country from such a communication,'' 
 
 In this respect all the engineers who liave studied the project from that date have been in 
 perfect accord with Colonel Morse, who, however, looked upon such a communication mostly 
 from a military and naval point of view. He regarded the Canal as a means of naval defence, 
 whereby war vessels could pass from sea to sea for the purpose of attack or defence without 
 running the gauntlet of *a hostile iieet on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia. 
 
 This isthnjus of Chignecto is historic ground. Two-and-a-half centuries ago Fort Law- 
 rence was the hcadcjuarters of Chevalit-r de la Valli&re, the Seigneur of Chignecto and Governor 
 of Acadie. From his day until tlu' fall of Quebec the country within sight was almost 
 continually the theatre of stirring action. The French regarded the possession of the Isthnnis 
 of Chig'.iecto of strategic importance as a half-way station between Port Royal and Louisburg, 
 Cape Breton, on the one hand, and Quebec on the other. 
 
 The English fovight and struggled for its possession, as it afforded the Frendi a base of 
 ()] K-rations from which the English settlements could be harassed. The tide of combat rolled 
 around it intermittently for 150 years. It has been captured and recaptured in the French 
 and Indian wars, and during the American revolution a small army of volunteers from the 
 neighbouring republi-.' beseiged Fort Cumberland. 
 
 The heiglits of Fort Cumberland have fre(iuently beheld fleets of war-ships flying the 
 Lilies of France, and the White Cross of St. (4^'orge. It ranks with Louisburg and old Port 
 Royal in historic interest and importance, and was rightly considered one of the keys of 
 
 Canada. 
 
 Should there be war between Great Britain and any European power there is no doubt 
 that a highway ibr vessels of war, such as gun boats and torpedo boats, would be of the greatest 
 possible advantage to Great Britain and Canada in the defence of the Maritime Provinces. 
 
 In 1822 the Government of New Brunswick instructed Mr. Robert C. Minnettc, Provincial 
 Land Surveyor, to make the first actual survey of a camd, which he accomplished in that year. 
 
 In 1825 Sir Howard Douglas, Governor of New Brunswick, employed Mr. Francis Hall, 
 
 /. ^ . V 
 
■p 
 
 Tli<iiiin» Telfor ., ('. K., 
 Koiinder of the Institu- 
 tion of Civil KnKiiitHTs. 
 
 Cttpt. rriiwlty, K. K. 
 
 Brief Ueview of Kiiilwuv. 
 
 First Kailway (i"er the 
 Istlimiis. 
 
 MoDCton to Shediuc. 
 
 St. John to ShtHliac. 
 
 Piotou to Truro. 
 
 Other Lines lietween Gulf 
 and ]iav. 
 
 iCxtracl froui the St. John 
 Telegraph. 
 
 Bulky articles not curried 
 h_v rail with economy. 
 
 ('anal History restumed. 
 John Page, ('. E. 
 
 THE OHIftNT.CTO SITTP RAH. WAY, 
 
 Civil Engineci-. to rt'iiort on thf construction of a canal on the line of Mr. Minnettc's survey. 
 In iHi'ii .Mr. Tlioiii.i.-* Tcltbnl, tlic nioHt eminent Enj^lish engineer of the day, was consulted 
 ii,-i to tlif feuHilnlity of .\Ir. llaH's |ilans. lie reported that " if thiH canal were completed, 
 "' ivadv acce.xs would tlicrcl>_v lie opened, not v>nl,v with (Jnohec and .Montreal, but also with 
 •* tile Upper lakes to a lioundle.xs e.xtt'Ut." 
 
 In 1S4;5, ('apt. II. (>. Crawh'v, ot the Uinal Knj;incers, was employed at the joint e.\pense 
 of C'anada, New Hrunswick, and Prince Kdward Island to report on previous schemes. He 
 said: " Ft is unnecessarv for me to dwell upon the importance of an uiulertaking which seems 
 " to be generally admitted.'" 
 
 After this date public attention was directed to Railways and it was proposed to utilize 
 the Steamship Lines now established on cither side of the Tsthmus by transhipping freiglu 
 over a Line of Railway to be built between the Rend of I'ctitcodiac on the Ray of Fundy, and 
 Shediac on the <tidf of St. Lawrence. 
 
 In 1858, a Oom])any was formed and a contract made with Messrs. Peto, Brassey, Betts 
 and Jackson, and work coniiueuced on this Line of Railway from Moncton to Point du Chene, 
 a disUmce of 18 miles. It was, however, taken out of the hands of that firm in 1866 and 
 completed by the (lovernmcnt of Xew Brimfevvick in 185H. This was the first line constructed 
 by the (Jovcrnmcnt of that Province. Cargoes from the (iulf ports were transhipped at Point 
 du Chene, carried over the Isthmus and again put into steamers on the Bay of Fundy. In 
 18t)0, this line was extended to St. John, Xew Brunswick, a total distance of 108 miles, and 
 freight from the Gidf Ports and I'rince Edward Island was then transhipped from steamers to 
 the railway and from the railway to the steamshijt lines jilying between St. John, N. B., and 
 Portland and Boston. 
 
 A line from Pictou to Truro, a distance of 55 miles, was afterwards completed across 
 another part of the Istlinuis by the Government of Nova Scotia. 
 
 Subsequently a r lie of Railway from Sack\ ille to Cape Tormentine, and branches from 
 the Intercolonial Railwjiy to Buctouclie, Richibucto, Chatham, Caraquet, Dalhousie, N. B., 
 have all been eompleted, showing the great importance attached to the trade flowing from the 
 Gulf of St. Lawrence towards St. John and the United States. 
 
 " The busiiu'ss done on these lines affords evidence of the large volume of traffic seeking 
 " transit between the Gulf and Bay, or between the Gidf and the Eastern States of the 
 '' Repiiblie." 
 
 " Where there is so large a niilway traffic it needs no argument to show that there must 
 " be an enormous water bourne traffic when once the Short Cut across the Isthmus of Chignecto 
 " is possible." 
 
 Notwithstanding these railway facilities there are many bulky articles of commerce 
 which cannot, with econonjy and convenience, be carried any great distance by rail, and when 
 there is a necessity and expense of transhipment and rchandling, the railway carriage becomes 
 sometimes too expensive to leave any profit. Such is the case with lumber, coal, gypsum, 
 plaster, building stone, potatoes, deals, fish,<.1c., &C. 
 
 In18(i9a Company was incorporated by the Legislature of Nova Scotia to build the 
 canal, as a private work, and the interest in it was accordingly revived. 
 
 In 1809 the late John Page, C. E., Chief Engineer Public Works, was called upon to 
 report upon all previous surveys of t) ; Bale Verte Canal, which at this date had again becoiuf 
 a live question, and furtlier surveys were ordered by the Jjomiuion Goveraraeut. lu 1871 u 
 
 A. 
 
 Traffil 
 
G. F. B»ill«rg<, C. E. 
 
 Sir Ciuimir Ozowdki, 
 
 Co»t of Canal. 
 
 Kstimntp rcvisod h\ Mr. 
 John Page. 
 
 Mr. Page <leplnres a Canal 
 unumally ditticiilt of I'on- 
 Ntruction. 
 
 Tides of the Bay of Fundy. 
 
 iSaxby's Preiiiition, 
 
 Tides of Baie Verte. 
 
 Royal Commission of 1S71. 
 Sir Hngh Allan, Chairman. 
 
 Traffic expectations. 
 
 TirK srBSTrTUTK K()r{ TIIK I5AIK VKHTK CAXAL. 
 
 8 
 
 mont thorougli survey was made of t!.t' whole Istlimus by Mr. <•. F. Iiiiillarj.(C, Asuistaiit (!Iiiet' 
 Engineer of riil)Iic Works. 
 
 Til 1H72 Sir Casiniir (izcwski and tlie late Mr. Sanniel Keefer, ('. K., surveyed and 
 reconiniended a line of Canal appro.xiniately on the route ot the jiresei't Ship llailway. 
 
 Samuel Keefer, V. K., observed that in the eoniparatively isolated eondition of the I'rov- 
 inees before Confederation the neeessity for this short line ot eomniunieatit)n was not felt: 
 but now that they form one united Dominion, bound together by ties, jiolitieal and eommercial, 
 tlie trade growing up between tliem must tent! year by year to give greater importance to the 
 proposed shorter and safer line of navigation. 
 
 The estinuited eost of this line of canal by tiiese engineers was l?;"),;}! 7,00(1, but .\ir. I 'age, 
 on examination of the estinuite, alleged that tliere had been undervaluations and omissions, 
 and he added to it 25 per cent, for undervalue plaeed on works, $1,829,250, and for omissions 
 $4.')0,()00, nuiking the probable actual cost of work, according to Mr. Page, $7,100,000. 
 
 Nfr. I'age declared " that the construction ot a navigable channel between the May of 
 " Fundy and the (Julf of St. Lawrence, on any line that can be selected, will be an uu<lertakiug 
 " attended with unusual ditticulty, not oidy from the nature of the work to be done, but from 
 " the great ditt'erenee in the elevation of the respective tides." 
 
 The range of the tides in the liay of Kuiuly has always been exaggerated in school books 
 and gazetteers. The most careful observations taken by .\Ir. Baillarge, C. K., in 1870, rc- 
 sidted in establishing the range of tides to be :{8 feet at Xeap and 48 feet at Springtides. Tlu' 
 greatest tide ever known occurred on the .")th October, 18(i!i, at new moon. The range was 
 then tifty-seveii feet, si.x inches, ft is well known as the Sa.xby tide, .set called from a predic- 
 tion made nearly a year before it happened, by Lieut. S. M. Saxby, R. N., whieli appeared in 
 the London 7''///(> in l)ecendier, 18(i8. The following reasons for the prediction were given 
 in his own words; "At 7 a. m., October .jth, the moon will be at that [lart of her orbit 
 " nearest the earth. Tier attraction will therefore be at the maximum force. At noon of 
 " same day the moon will be on the earth's cipnifor, which never occurs without nntrked 
 " atmospheric disturl)ance, and at 2 p. m. same day lines drawn from the earth's centre would 
 " cut the moon and sun in the same arc of right ascension. The moon's attraction and 
 "•the sun's attraction will therefore 1k' in the same direction. In other words the new moon 
 " will be on the earth's e({uator and nothing mori' threatening can occur without miracle." 
 This prediction was verified by very high tides and terrible storm on the Ray of F^indy. 
 
 The extreme range of tides in IJaie Verte was observed to be 10 feet 8 inches: tin- 
 ordinary range being only o feet 7 inches. Thus while the fluctuations above and below the 
 mean sea level were only 2 feet 9 inches at Haie Verte, they were at the same time 10 feet 
 above and below mean st>a level on the Hay of F'undy at Xeap tides, and 24 feet at Spring 
 tides. 
 
 A Royal Commission comi)Osed of the most representative commercial men of Canada, 
 selected from the different jtrovinces, was appointed by the (Tovernment in 1871 to investigate 
 the whole canal sysrem of Canada, with the late Sir Hugh Allan as Chairma'i. The Male V^erte 
 Canal after full cntpiiry and examination, was placed by them in the first rank of all the canals 
 of the Dominion. The following is extracted from the report of tlie Canal C'ommission : " The 
 " growth of Tntercolouial trade depends on cheap transit, since the merclumdise passing 
 " between the Maritime Provinces and Ontario »h(sI br of a ft'/M-^ c/trtracto', requiring large 
 " vessels and rapid dispatch to be really profitable. When a propellor can go direct with a 
 
"J" "IP 
 
 THE CIIIGNECTO PHI? RAFLWAV, 
 
 Cargoei. 
 
 Reduction of Coal FrciglitK. 
 
 Saving of Tinu'. 
 
 Ixiril DiifteriiiV Speech 
 from the Tliroiie. 
 
 His language. 
 
 QoTeruuieiit I'letlged to 
 Canal. 
 
 Kojiil ComiiiiKiion, lion. 
 John Young, Chniniiiiu. 
 
 Pn-judiced Kcporl. 
 
 "ca'-j^'o oft!oal,<)r(ithi'r prodiuf of the Kiirttcrn I'rovincoH, to Kinj,'ston aiul Toronto, and tlioro 
 " get a ri'turn (Voijjlit of Honr, Imrlov. and otluT Wi'rttfin jirodnco, Iiitcroolonial trade will 
 " have entered on a new era. 
 
 "When Nova Scotia coal of the IteHt dciscriittion can he snj)i)lic<l altnndantly an<l clicaplv 
 " to weHtern ports, a j;rcat iniimlse will nccesHarilv \)v ifivcn to the tniiiKt'crof the trade ot the 
 " St. liawrence and Lakes to screw steamers, a transfer already taking place, as we have 
 " previously siiown. 
 
 " With the canals enlarged, coal freights would he reduced to the niininiuiu point — a lake 
 " projiellor would always hring hack from the lower ports a cargo of coal, rather than come 
 " cnii)ty — -just as the Knglish tind)er ships have lieen aceustonu'd to hring the same article 
 " instead of liallast. 
 
 " Insejiarahly connected with the growth of Inti'rcolonial trade is the construction of the 
 " Haic \'erte ("anal across the Isthmus, connecting the I'rovinces of Nova Scotia and New 
 " Brunswick. The advantages that must accrue, not merely to the Dominion as a whole, hut 
 " to the eommcree of the Maritime Provinces, are so clearly pointed out l)y the Hoards of 
 "Trade of all the leading cities of Canada, and hy men interested in the developnu'ut of our 
 "commercial inten-sts, not simply the merehiints of St. .lohn and other places in the locality 
 "of the proposed ('anal, hut merchants of Hamilton, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and (Juehec, 
 *' that it is su'pertluous for the Commissioners to do more than hriefly refer to a few salient 
 '• features of the seiieme. 
 
 *'A steamer hulen with tlour for St. .lohn, N. B., now goes down the (lulf as far as 
 " Shediac, where the cargo is transported hy rail to its destinatioi;. The total distance hy 
 " water from Shediac through the (Jut of Causo and around the coast of Nova Scotia to the 
 '• Bay of Fundy as far as the commercial capital of New Brunswick is ahout HOO miles, and 
 " the conse(|Uenec is that there is little or no direct communication hetween the Bay of Fundy 
 " ports and those of the River St. Lawrenci'. By a Canal through the Isthnms the distance 
 "from Shediac to St. John will not he nuich more than one hinitirtd miles." 
 
 Accordingly the (roverninent of the day <U'cided to proceed with the construction of the 
 eaiuil. His Kxcellency Lord Dutferin, at the oiiening of the sessioTi of 187;:}, in liis speech 
 from the throne, \ised the following language : 
 
 " I am glad to inform you that jilans and spccitications for the enlargement of the Wel- 
 •* land, and the construction of the Baie Verte Canal, have lieen completed, and that the works 
 "can MOW he put under contract. The surveys for thi' St. Lawrence Canals will,! am assured, 
 " he linished in time to commence tin- works at the heginning of next year. This will insure 
 " the completion of all these great works at the same [leriod." 
 
 Ill accordance with the promise thus given, one million dollars was placetl in the esti- 
 mates for the construction of the Buie V'erte Canal, which, according to the late Mr. Page's 
 estimate of the line surveyed hy Messrs. (j/owski and Keefer, was to cost $7,100,000. 
 
 In 1X7."), under a ciiange ot (lovernmeiit, another ronimission was appointed, with the 
 late J loll, .lohn Young as chairman. The report made hy this Commission was nnfavorahle. 
 Indeed, it is said the Commission was purposely appointed to defeat the project and save the 
 new Coveriinient tJie necessity of making tJie outlay already pledged hy rarliament. 
 
 The Hon. .Joseph Lawrence, one of the Commissioners, protested against the verdict of 
 tile majority, and ahly defended the commercial prospects of the canal in a separate report. 
 It was afterwards discovered that an error had hceii made in their computation of the 
 
' \ ■ 
 
 .\' 
 
 siteecli 
 
 the osti- 
 r. I'iigeV 
 
 viTilict ol 
 rciKirt. 
 loll of tlu' 
 
 MiHtnke in Diiitanee. 
 
 I''iii't\iimtf rcHiilt I'oi' till- 
 Duiiiiiiioii. 
 
 A Shi)) Knilway. 
 
 The National Policy. 
 
 Proposal to Governnienl. 
 
 AnniiHi .Sul).si(lv. 
 
 ( Jreat saving to thi' country. 
 
 Ht'liort of Mr. Sihriebcr, 
 
 I'roject practiaible. 
 
 Ship Railway a good sub- 
 stitute for the Canal. 
 
 Cireat advantage in respect 
 of cost. 
 
 THK SUBSTITUTE FOR THE FIAIE VERTK CANAL. 6 
 
 (listjvnce to bo Btived by the Short (^it. Tho ComniisHioutirH liad represented the dintance 
 Hiived from Montreal to St. John uh only 22r) niileH, whereas it is aetnally .'iOO miles, making 
 an error in flieir ciilciiIatioiiH of 27r) niilen. Their opinion was, that the small distance to he 
 saved would not warrant the expenditure. The prejudice produced in some (luarter.^i hy the 
 misrepre.senlation of distance (and hence the erroneous conclusions of the report) endures to 
 this day. The h)llowing admissions were however made : 
 
 '• The evidenej- taken, and the observations which the Commissioners have had the oppor- 
 "tunity of makiiiff, have impressed them deeply with tlie vast resources of New nrunswick, 
 " Xova Scotia and l'riii(;c Kdward Island, and the large increase which may l)e reasonably 
 "looked for in their trade and cnnimerce."' 
 
 It was, however, most fortunate for the Dominion that the verdict of tliis Commission, 
 incorrect as it was, delayed for a while the public expectation. It gave time for a /««' idea to 
 be develo[)ed which was happily destined to prevent the country trom falling into a most irre- 
 trievable error of judgment and from an exfienditure counted liy millions of dollars, — </ Ueittr 
 Hindi III' i-iit)niiiiiifi'iiliiiii liitwt'cii till hiiii svas way imssihlr. 
 
 \\\ 1S7'') the author of this paper stdimitted his opinion to the public through the Press 
 that a SuiP K.\ii.\v.\v would not only fulfil all the re(|uirement8, but in numy respects would 
 be preferable to a canal ; that there was no engineering difiieulty either in the construction or 
 operation of such a line; and that vessels in full cargo could be transjiorted over the Isthmus 
 in perfect safety and at small expense. That the transport would take less time, and the 
 luaintenaiKH', repairs anil operating would be no greater than by canal. This bold suggestion 
 arrested all further discussions of a canal, and for six years there was no further move made 
 tending to solve the jirobleni of tlie Isthmian Transit. The Dominion (lovernraent had 
 entered upon a policy of fostering its own manufactures and relying upon its own productions 
 for its prosperity. The result soon showed itself in a marked increase in the raising of cotil 
 and lumber, which was followed by a corresponding increase in the coasting trade and 
 commercial marine of the Maritime Provinces. 
 
 At length, in 1881, the author carried out> at his own exjiense, a survey and location for 
 a Ship Railway, an<l having found a good line, submitted a proposal to the Hon. Sir Charles 
 Tupper, Minister of Railways and Canals, offering to form a company to carry out the work, 
 provided the (Tovernment would subsidize the work, for about one-third the cost of a canal. 
 
 The proposed siilisidy took the form of an anmuil i-ontribution by the (Jovernment to the 
 ('ompany of !!?1.')0,000 per annum for twenty-live years, which, if capitalized at tour per cent., 
 would be equal to the sum of jf2,;}43,;512. 
 
 The jiroposal, therefore, if adopted, would save to the country the cost of the Canal, to 
 which it was pledged, as before stated, estimated at $7,100,000, less the sum of :S2,84H,812, the 
 capitalized value of the subsidy, or a saving of no less than lS4,7o6,688. 
 
 lion. Sir Charles Tupper, Minister of Railways and Canals, referred the whole (|uestion 
 to the Chief Engineer of his Department, and Mr. Collingwood Schricber reported as follows: 
 
 1. " That the project is quite practicable of execution." 
 
 2. " That the Ship Railway as }tropo8ed would be a good substitute for the Canal originally 
 " contemplated. 
 
 3. " That the advantage in respect of cost as compared with that of a Canal would be 
 " greatly in favour of the Ship Railway, the cost of a half tide canal being calculated by the 
 " Government Engineers at from ;$5,fi50.000 to IS8, 21 7,849; whereas the subsidy asked for by 
 
 1 
 i 
 
TlIK (JUIGNKCTO SITTP RAILWAY, 
 
 l{('port "if tlif ('oiiiiiilBsii)ii 
 i(f 1H71, i|iicite<l liy Ml'. 
 Hc'liriclMT. 
 
 ItiNtiuice wivuil ')(I0 iiiiU's. 
 
 KrciKlitH would ln' ri-iliic'i'tl 
 
 •J") |11T crlll. 
 
 The Itiiif N'lTif Canal iw 
 rmicli a pari of llio < 'aiiii- 
 iliuii Canal as tliu Sanll 
 .SI. Maiii". 
 
 Canadian in desiKn and 
 National in ri'KiiltH, 
 
 Kdicililc fviilonrc. 
 
 Words (if Iwtnty vcars agn 
 
 liKiea.sfd trade siiiOf 1H7I. 
 
 Proposal accepted. 
 Company formed. 
 
 Hoard of Trade (il>lllinns. 
 
 Ship Railway will develop 
 resources. 
 
 " the roiii|iaii_v, nanH'ly, $150,000 for 25 your» if capitiili/.tMl at 4 per cent, would he oqtial to 
 " till' siiiii of !»'J.;!4:{,;n2 only." 
 
 "Till- ("oininiHsioiu'rw in tlii-ir Ruport on pago 51 Htutc : "Tin- diHtanii' troni Sliediuc to 
 •* St. .lolin l>y the pri'm;nt routo, via the (Jut of CauHO, to \w iWO niilcH. TIiIh diHtance would 
 " 111' ivdiu'od 1 _,• tlio ((MiMtruction of the Haic \'crte (/anal to about 100 inileH, and Iri-i^lits 
 •' would, in their opinion, he dindninhed h.y 25 per cent, jfreath henefittinj; the ('t)al trade and 
 " fisheries, and in<'reasin<; the volume of tfeneral hiiKineHH." 
 
 They state further (paj;*' 5."1) : "This canal cannot he considered apart from the canals 
 " of tlie St. Lawrence Ciinal as a Canadian camil,as Sanlt St. Marii' is the natural comiuenee- 
 " iiiciit of the improvements of the iidand navi^ition of the Nonunion, ho tiie work through 
 •' the Istlimus of Chiuiiecto is the inevitahle conelusion necessary to give unity and eompletw- 
 " ness to the whole systeni. It is Canadian in design and must j»rove natiomd in its results." 
 
 On page 7!l tiu> Commissioners say : " The evidence suhmitted points out with remarkahic 
 " forceand unanimity the nc<'essity of openinga Highway foi commerce hetween tiie (Jult of St- 
 " iiawreiiee and the head waters of the Hay of Fundy through the Isthmus of (!higneeto 
 " dividing them." 
 
 The aimve statements arc now twenty years old ami the tonnage ot the ports adjacent to 
 the Isthmian Transit has more than doubled itself siiu^' thos»' wonls were written. 
 
 The Chief Engineer further said, that " Assuming tliat the importance of a Ship lligh- 
 " way over the Isthmus was, at the time of the Commissioners Report so great as tiier«'in 
 •' stated, it must lie inucii greater now considering the large increase since that date in the 
 " tradi' of the country att'eeted hy the proposed work." 
 
 The proposal of the author was accepted hy tlie (Jovernment, approved hy Parliament, 
 and a Company incorporated to carry out the un<iertaking. The provisional Directors were : 
 Mr. Thonuis C. Iveefer. C. M. (t., the founder of the Canadian Society of Engineers; Mr. 
 Edwin Clark, the I'miiuMit engineer and inventor of the Hydraulic Ship Lift; Mr. C. U. Coker, 
 Lloyds Surveyor of Shipping; Mr. R. C. Eunt, the well-known Steamhoat Manager; and the 
 author. 
 
 The Hoaril of Trade of St. John, New Brunswick, passed the following rcsohitions on 
 the 20th Octol.er, 1S88: 
 
 " Whnrns, Means of (jommunication between the waters of the Bay of Fundy and the 
 "Gulf of St. Eawreiice, whereliy products of the several Provinces bordering thereon may l^e 
 " interciiaiiged witiiout eneonntering the dangerous mivigation of the Atlantic Coast of Xova 
 " Scotia, whereby steamers and sailing vessels, adapted as well for inlaiul as for ocean luiviga- 
 "tion, may lie safely conveyed across the Isthmus of C'lugnecto without the cost and delay of 
 " transhipnu'Ut or breaking bulk, and whereby the sailing distance hetween this port and all 
 " ports north and west ot said Isthmus may he reduced about 600 miles, would materially 
 " increase the volume of traile and ])enefit the shipping interests of this port and other ports 
 "in the May of Fundy, and (4ulfof St. Lawrence; and 
 
 " \V/ieira.s, By means ot a Ship Railway across the Isthmus, the objects aforesaid may be 
 " accomplished, and thus stimulate the development of the agricultural, mining, lumbering 
 " and fishing resources of the district contiguous to the aforesaid parts; and 
 
 " Whciros, A company has been formed for the construction and operation of a Ship 
 " Railway, with commodious Bocks and Hydraulic Liftw for raising and transporting over its 
 "line laden vessels of 1,000 tons register; therefore 
 
 Th. 
 
 ■J'Ik 
 
! t'(Hi»l to 
 
 luidiiic to 
 ice WDiiltl 
 1 {W\jih\<* 
 Inidi' ami 
 
 ;he oaiuilrt 
 jiuiiieiice- 
 k tliroiigli 
 
 roillpli'fw- 
 
 rc'siiltH."' 
 •iiiarkabU' 
 
 Jnlf ot'St. 
 (Miiffiicrlo 
 
 idjiU'i'iit to 
 
 'hip Ilitrli- 
 as therein 
 ihite in the 
 
 'arlianient, 
 jtorn were : 
 neers; Mr. 
 . U. (%)ker, 
 ■r; and the 
 
 olntions on 
 
 fly and the 
 eon may Ue 
 iist of Xova 
 ean naviga- 
 nd dehiy of 
 port and all 
 1 materially 
 other ports 
 
 said may be 
 ;, lumberii\g 
 
 n of a Ship 
 ting (jver its 
 
 ^ 
 
 KiiWIitatu irnilt!. 
 
 Till' Kiinrd of Trndi^ ap- 
 proTCH Nliip Knilwny. 
 
 Contract iniid)' for 8lui> 
 Knilwnv. 
 
 SiibMidy iimdci ri-pnynlilc to 
 Oovcrntnenl, 
 
 Mr. Mt!i({g8 (i/U'rw in carry 
 out till! Ship Kailway. 
 
 Plans iipprort'd. 
 Line locatt^d, 
 
 (■(iiiipany (irgaiii/cd. 
 The i{r)ard ni Uiructorti. 
 
 Thi' P^ngineers. 
 The ('ontrnct. 
 
 \V()rk hegnn on Ship Rail- 
 way. 
 
 Thi- siib-fonlracls lor the 
 various works. 
 
 THK S['BHTITUTK K(>|{ TMK IJAIK VKUTK CANAL. 7 
 
 " liis,dn<l, That thiH Board in of opinion tliat tin- iiiKU-rtukiiig of said ((.inpiniy would 
 "greatly facilitate trade and eomnieree between flie Kastern and Westmi I'rovin.'i's ; and 
 further 
 
 " MW/vv/, Tiiat this Board eordially approves the pn.Jeet for huilding ih.' said Ship 
 "Railway, believing that this is a movement whi<h will rominend itsrll to all dnHHes, and 
 "prove l(. I»e of great eoiiveMience and l.cnftlt to our Hade and •■oinmeree generallv." 
 
 In Maich, iJSHti, a formal oontrad was entered inlo liy the Company with ihr < iovtinmeul 
 wiiieh made a change in tin- animal payments ol the subsidy, but redured the limc ov.t whi.li 
 it extended from 2") years to 20 years. The eompany was not to eall upon thr ( Jov.riiiiient 
 for any portion of the subsidy except what might be re(|uired to make up the net earnings of 
 7 per cent, on the authorized capita! of i!S.-,,-)()<),0()(), and the company agreed to pay over to 
 the (lovcrnnieiit one-half the snrplcs profit beyond the 7 per cent, until the whole ot the sub- 
 sidy which may then have been paiil to the Company shall have been rei.aid t.. the (lovern- 
 nient. 
 
 After various niLsuceessfiil attempts by the author to get parties to undertake this novel and 
 dilHeult work, and find the money, at lust, in the early part of the year 1888, Mr. .b)lin (\. .NFeiggs, 
 the einineiit eontractor of South American fame, oH'ered thnnigli the author to form a coinpanv in 
 liondon to curry out the undertaking, provided an e.\tensioii of time could he made to the contract 
 already emered into with the Government. 
 
 Applicjition was accordingly made and the exteiLsion of time granted by the Domini.)n (iovern- 
 nient and I'arliameiit in the .spring of 1888. 
 
 The plans were prepared and submitted to the Chief Engineers of the Department of Uailwavs 
 and Canals, and formal approval given by the Governor General in Council, in Mav, 188?. 
 
 The line of railway and docks were tl . ,. finally located under th(> instrutitions if the author by 
 Mr. J. 8. Arm.strong, Mom. Can. Soc. C. E., and tenders invited for the gniding, miisonrv, and the 
 various works. 
 
 The Company was re-organized in London, the preliminary stock subscribed, and Directors 
 appointed. 
 
 The Board consiste of Mr. Thoma,s Wood, President; Col. Paget Mosley, V ire- President • 
 Mr. A. I). Provand, M. P., Mr. W. H. Campbell, Mr. A. R. Robert.sou, and Uv. Arthur Serena, 
 Directors. 
 
 Sir John Fowler, Sir B. Baker, and H. G. C. Ketiihum were appointed Kngineors. 
 A contra(!t was then entered into between the Company and Messrs. .John G. Meiggs <t Son 
 for the execution of the work, and subse(piently jttJoO.OOO of the capital was raised in London by 
 subscription ; 4:300,000 being in preferred shares and £350,000 in First Mortgage Bonds. 
 
 Under this contract, work was commeiiced by the Company in October, 188H. 
 Messrs. Meiggs i*t Son contracted with Messrs. Dawson, Symnies iV I'ssher, of 
 Xiagara Falls, for the earthwork and masonry, for the line ot railway and docks, the 
 dredging of the enlrance channels, and the platelaying and ballasting; also for the erection 
 of the moles at Tidnish. With Messrs. Easton & Anderson for the supply of the hydraulic 
 lift machinery, its erection and working. With Messrs. Rhodes, Curry A: Co., of Amherst, 
 for Ituildings containing the pumping machinery. They also supplied the heavy pine .sleepers 
 for account of Messrs. l)a\v.son & Co. Messrs. Cammcll \' Co., of Slieftield, supiilied the steel 
 rails, which are 110 lbs. to the yard of toughened steel. Messns. Ilandyside it C'o., ot Derby, 
 supplied the ship cradles, which are made entirely of steel. Messrs. .lames Harris & Co., of 
 
TIIK CIIKJNKCTO Sliri' KAIFiWAV, 
 
 The rnf(iiie('riiiK atnll. 
 
 Tlu- I,nnd. 
 
 Tliv utopjiiigi'. 
 
 ( „xi tn date. 
 
 l->tiniii(i' to finiHli wiirkn. 
 
 Progrem miirtr. 
 
 Present state of works. 
 
 Knlling Stock nearly com- 
 plete. 
 
 Size of vessel. 
 
 Space for six ve»sel» in the 
 Baains. 
 
 Ht. .rohii. t'oi'{i„.tf(l for tlu' (Tiullf wlit'ols, and tlic ("aiiii(liiiii l.o.uiiiotivf iiiid Kn)?iii<' (Jo., 
 of KiiijjHtoii, iirt' hiiildinjf tlu' lit-avy '"nk lix'oiiiolivcH. 
 
 Tlio eiiKiiiecriiiji; stufl', mulcr Mi'hhi-m. Kowlor, Itakor Si Kctcluitii, fonHiMtetl of Mr. F. F. S. 
 KolH«;y, rewtlcnt eiiKinw-r; Mr. J. H. ArnihtroiiK, priiifipul as-sistaiit ; Mr. M. Fit/.iiuniricc, aMsiHtanl 
 engineer; Mr. 8. .1. SyiiiomU, ins|R'ctor, and otIierH, on Iwlialf of the ('om|miiy: Mr. (Scorjrc 
 Bucluinaii, ciinincor, and Mr. Artlmr W. Itatcson, agent, for tlie Chief Contractors: Mr. .1. M. 
 Denison, and Mr. (i. F. .May, cngineerH for the Hydraulic Works: and Mr. I'. .1. O'lloiirke, 
 enginwr for the Suh-Contractors. 
 
 'riieiand rtM(uiriMl for ihc line of railway and docks was proHontod as a gift i'V the 
 .Municipality of the Comity of Cnndierlaiid, Nova Scotia. 
 
 The works were itniseciitcd vigoronsly trom the date of coninicnceniciil lo the end of 
 .Inly, IHiM, when they were unfortunately stopped becansc of the inipossiliility of Hoalinir the 
 renniiniig honds whii-h the coinimiiy had in hand (viz., t:{5(>,()(l<)) in tlie present critical state 
 of the money market. 
 
 I'ptothe time of suspension, the cnf;ineer's eertiticates for work done and nnitcrial> 
 furnished l»y the contractor. anionnfed to i:ti7<t,Hf»4 6ii<.,paid in casli.lionds and shares, and the 
 enjrineering and ailministrati(»n expenses of the Coinjiany anionnted to alxnit (.■.!(», OdO in 
 addition. 
 
 From a carefnl estinnite made of tlie cost to finish tlie works, to e(|iiip with rolliiiir 
 stock, to provide interest on capital, to tinanee the remainiiiir ilelieiitiiics, and to provide for 
 tiirther eiigineeriiiff ami administrative expciisert, it is cahiilaled that ;ftl,.'>()0,(l(Ht will fully 
 cover all this expense. 
 
 The whole works may lie said to he threc-tourlhs done, and it wonhl take ImiI one 
 summer season's work to entirely finish the Ship Hallway and Uockslit lor openiiiic to the 
 pnldic. 
 
 The princi|ial excavation yet to he dt)ne is that for the eiilraiiee channels at each end of 
 the line, which have heen t'ommeiiced ami are considi'raldy ad\aiiced, hut cannot he entirely 
 finished until the hydraulic machinery for liftinj; the vesst-ls is «'reeted. 
 
 .\11 the hydraulic machinery has heen manufactured and delivered. .\11 the rails, slceji- 
 ers, and permanent way materials have been delivered. The whole of the line of railway has 
 heen graded with the exception of ahout a mile of hrokeii work. Twelve miles of track have 
 hi'cn laid, and the greater part of tlii" liottom has heen hallasted with hrokeii stone. The 
 costly work remaining to he done is the masonry and gate of the hasiii at the Hay of Fiindy 
 end of the line, and the masonry of tlu' two lifting docks. The; huildiiigs containing the 
 hydraulic pumping machinery have heen nearly finished and the machinery in them erccteil. 
 The ships' cradles, manufactured of steel, and the locomotives, are nearly ready for de- 
 livery. The moles prote<'ting the Hasin on Xorthumherland Straits, have heen entirely 
 tinisheil and accepted. The firm of Kastoii & Anderson, who undertook the sup|ily and erec- 
 tion of hydraulic machinery, as well as the traversers for shunting vessels, has agreed for a 
 specified sum to work and maintuin this machinery in good order for one year from the date 
 of the opening of the line, the Company being required to provide the coal. 
 
 The si/e of vessel provided for is 1,000 tons register ; the maximum length would he 2!5.') 
 feet, breadth f)() feet, draught 1;') feet, with a displacement of 2,000 tons. Accommodation 
 space tor six vessels of this size has been provided in the Basins at each terminus of the Sliiji 
 Hallway. This is the only instance in the history of Cana<la win-re a wet dock and harbor 
 basins and dredged entrance channels luivt been prctvided at the expense of a private com- 
 
1 
 
 piio 
 
 Co.. 
 
 l'\ F. S. 
 
 / IIMs'lHtnllt 
 
 '. (jforgf 
 Ir. .1. ». 
 )'Kourke, 
 
 ft l.v lllf 
 
 lit' I'llll nl' 
 
 uitiii.i: tilt' 
 
 lical stiitf 
 
 miiti'rinls 
 f», ami tlif 
 ;5(»,0(I0 ill 
 
 til roliiii.i: 
 
 iroviili' tor 
 
 will I'lillv 
 
 i- but oiu' 
 lilllC to tlir 
 
 acli ciiil III' 
 111' mtiri'lv 
 
 rails, sliH'))- 
 railwav Iuih 
 trark have 
 one. TIk' 
 I- of Fmidv 
 tainiuji' tlir 
 cm t'l'i'c'tt'il. 
 ady for <lt'- 
 en entirclv 
 ly anil frcf- 
 grooil I'oi' a 
 1)111 till' (late 
 
 ■oiiM 111' 2:5;') 
 )imnoilatioii 
 iof till' Ship 
 and liarhor 
 )ri\ati' i(nn- 
 
 llvclniiilir l.iriH. 
 
 The ( iriilinm. 
 
 Till' niacliim'i-y. 
 
 The l,iiic ilw'll'. 
 
 Tlie Craill«H. 
 
 Mode uldiu'rHtion. 
 
 'rt 
 
 rc 
 
 THK SlTHSTFTl'TK K(»K THK MAIK VKUTE CANAL. fl 
 
 [.any. Tlu- cont to the Comimiiy of thoHu ontraiirt" charmelH, doek khIi-h, hi-u wrIIh, haHins and 
 niolfH'vvill 1)1', when HniHhed, uhout one million dollarH, exchiHive of the hydraulic liftn. 
 
 The followinif extrnet from Sir iJenjamiu Ikker'n description of the Chi^-nceto Ship 
 Maihvay, as pulilinhed in the Niiuimttk Cnitiinf Mmfazihr for March, IH!H, cannot he improved 
 iijioii. and it in, therefore, emhodied in this [mjKT : 
 
 "Till' liydraiilic lifts, when raiMMJ, form u part of tlii»main railway ns regards line and level; 
 and when lowered with the cradle the depth of water over the keel-hloeks on tlie latter m that 
 rc(|iiisife for floatinjj: the vessijl on tlu' blocks. Walls of niassive masonry, ."jti feet in liei(rht from 
 foundation to ipiay-level, surround the hyih-aulie lifts. The latter each consist of twenty hydraulic 
 raniB of 26 inelies diameter and 40 feet stroke, enclosed in 2«-inch diameter ijylinders provided with 
 stiiHin>r-|,„x,>M at the up|)er ends, and with inlet pipes i'or the admission of water at a test pressure 
 .if I, .{()(( Ills. piT square inch. f)n the top of each ram is a cross-head, trom which han>,' two lifting' 
 links, connected at the lower ends with the frridiron upon whiiih the ship and cradle rest when heiiifj 
 lifted. The gridiron, 2;{.") feet in length and 60 feet in width, consists of a very stiff combination of 
 longitudinal and cross girders made of steel and Hrmly riveted together. When lifted to the level 
 of the railway the ends of the cross girders arc siij)ported on the quay walls by iron ehoek-bloeks 
 worked hy hydraulic power, so that the gridiron then in effect constitutes a solid part, as l)efbre said, 
 <if the main lim'. Hydraulic pumping machinery is provided of sufficient power to raise a vessel 
 weighing 2,()()() tons, or, including the gridiron and cradle, a total weight of ■'},,')()() tons, the required 
 height of forty feet in twenty minutes. Hydnuilic power is also provided fur cai)stan.s and wiiiclies 
 r.ir iiiaiKcuvriiig the ve.ssels, and air-eomprosscrs are furnished for clearing the piju's and eyliiKler. 
 ipiickly of water— a precaution specially neeer^sary in a northern climate. Special arrangements a 
 made in the engine-house to enable the engineinan to ensure the equable and sinuiltaneous motion of 
 the ti'ii lifting rams on each side of the deck, so that no straining of the gridiron may occur, 
 
 " A double line of railway of the ordinary 4 feet 8A inches gauge is laid along the top of the 
 gridiron, upon which the ship-cradles are run. These cradle.s are provided in sectional lengths of 
 75 feet and 57 feet to acconunodate vessels of ranging dimensions. For a ship of 2,000 tons dead 
 weight three sections would be used. The cradles, like the gridirons, are formed of a rigid combi- 
 nation of steel girders carrying keel-block.s and sliding bilge-blocks of the usual lifting-dock type. 
 Ivich 75 feet .section of cradle is supj • rted on sixty-four solid wheels of three feet diameter, having 
 double bearings and four spiral springs of exceptional strength. Unlike ordinary ship cradles, 
 therefore, a considerable amount of elasticity is provided in the present case. It need hardlv he 
 remarked that many interesting problems have had to be worked out in connection with these cradles 
 which it is im|>ossible to refer to here. 
 
 "The order of procedure in raising a vessel and transporting it seventeen miles across this 
 isthmus to the sea on the other side would be as follows : A vessel coming up the Jky of Fundy on 
 the flood tide would pass through the gate entrance into the dix-k and wait its turn to be lifted. If 
 the vessel were a ' trader' on this route, its dimensions would have been recorded, and the keel and 
 bilge blocks would have lieen got ready on the cradle, telegraphic notice having been received of the 
 probable arrival of the ship. If she were a 'tramp,' a ship's cari)enter would have to go on board 
 and take some leading measurements for the arrangement of the blocking on the cradle. The 
 blocking being arranged, the cradle and gridiron would he lowered by the hydraulic nuns into the 
 water and the ve.»isel would Ix,' hauled over it by capstans and winches in the usual way. The grid- 
 iron would then be slowly raised until the ves.sel rested on the keel-blocks throughout her whole 
 length, after which the sliding bilge-blocks would be jjiilled tight against the ship's bilge by chains 
 attached to the blocks and carried up Xn the quay on either side. Lifting would then proceeil until 
 
in 
 
 THE OHIGXECTO SHIP RAFLWAY 
 
 i 
 
 The BIfX'kiiig oC llii' \f»sel. 
 
 Till' lif.'ivy pcnniiiuMi! w;iy. 
 
 Ml-. (■i.illiill'> l>ii 
 
 No (|ueKlioii ati t<i commer- 
 cial SUCl-CSil. 
 
 V 
 
 tlu! rails on the gridiron attained the same level as those on the main line of railway, when, as before 
 explained, the ends of the girders would be securely blocked. The ship and cradle would then be 
 hauled ott the gridiron on to the railway by powerful hydraidic winches, and after a final adjust- 
 ment of the blocking, the vessel would be taken in hand by two of the giant locomotives already 
 referretl to, and be transported across the istlinnis on to the hydraulic lift on the other side, where 
 the converse operations would be effected to enable the vessel to resume her ocean voyage. 
 
 " Various plans have been proposed from time to time for the quick and cfflcient blocking of the 
 curved surface of a ship's hull to the flat top of the cradle. Hinge«l bilge-blocks, hydraulic rams, 
 elastic bags filled with air or water, and many other contrivances have been suggested, but the 
 present universal practice in docking or in launching a ship is to use simple wooden keel and bilge 
 blocks. In docking a vessel, nearly the whole of the weight comes on the keel bloi-ks, and the 
 bilge-blocks are few in number and extend only for about the middle third of the .ship's length. 
 In laiuiching a vessel, the weight is tran.sferred from the keel-blocks on to the launching-ways on 
 each side of the .same by means of a eou])le of narrow cradles or bilge-logs, of hard wo(k1 packed 
 up lo the hull of the vessel by soft woo<l filling. These cradles carry the ships down the too often 
 im|)erfectly bedded inclined launching-ways at a sjK'cd of some twelve miles an hour. .Vs the 
 vessel is leaving the launching-ways her stern is waterbornc whilst the bow is pressing hard on the 
 shore, but yet it is the rarest thing for any mishap to occur to a vessel even under this singularly 
 rough treatment. The best way of blocking a ship on a railway cradle will be quickly determined 
 after a few weeks' e.\'|>erience, but at Chigneeto the method adopted in the first instance will 
 certainly !» the well-tried one of tindier keel and bilge blocks. 
 
 " Nothing (lalls for special notice as regards the line of railway. It is, as before stated, a double 
 line of ordinary guage, but the space between the two lines is five feet wider than usual. \'ery 
 strong steel rails, weighing 110 lbs. per yard, and exceptionally large sleeper.s, spaced very closely 
 together, give the re(juire<l support on tiie ballast to the heavily laden ship cradle. Near the 
 Amherst end a long and deep moss or bog had to be crossed, and, as the floating system adopted by 
 8tephens(tn for the original Manchester and Liverjwol Railway across Chat Moss would obviously 
 be inappropriate for the heavy loads. of a ship railway, there was no alternate but to form a solid 
 rock embankment across the bog, and this has now been successfully completed. On other parts of 
 the line there is a heavy rock cutting and a river bridge, but beyond these matters there are no 
 works of importance on the line." 
 
 During the construction of tlic railway .Mr. K. \.. ("(ntlicll. ('. K.. a distinguished Ameri- 
 can iMigincer of Chicago, |iaid a visit to the Shiji Uailway foi- the imrposc of ascertaining its 
 merits and to examine into the facilities which Canada could provide for the carrying trade of 
 the AVest, and, in a letter published in the Toronto Gloltf, he reports as follows respecting the 
 Ship Railway : 
 
 ''The entire work, in all its general features, as well as in its details, has been very cure- 
 " fully studied out, and the material has been properly arranged and well put together for all 
 '' of the mechanical work. I also made careful iiKpiiries and obtained reliable data in regard 
 " to the coniniercial features of tliis project. There is no (picstion, in my opinion, about the 
 •' entire success of this work from a conmiercial and financial point of view. There is a large 
 " coiiunerce now existing which will certiiinly .seek this slntrter and more economical route. 
 " The opening of a line of communication for ships across the isthmus will develoi) new com- 
 " merce, and I <lo not hesitate to predict, in view of all that F heard and saw in regard to the 
 " cf)ininercial features, that within three years t'ruin tin- opening of the line for Inisiness it will 
 "liavi' all it can handle. A (-ompany allied to the Ship Uailway Company bus been formed 
 
 Ports 
 
 of 
 
 Ex|ii.. 
 
/ 
 
 as before 
 1 then be 
 il adjiist- 
 s already 
 h, where 
 
 ing of the 
 ilic rams, 
 il, but the 
 and bilge 
 s, and the 
 j's length, 
 w-wavs on 
 (h1 packed 
 3 too often 
 '. As the 
 ard on the 
 singularly 
 leterniined 
 itanee will 
 
 il, a tlouble 
 lal. Very 
 ery closely 
 Near the 
 adopted by 
 1 obviously 
 orm a solid 
 lier parts of 
 here are no 
 
 led Aniori- 
 rtaininji; its 
 ng trade ot 
 pectiiig the 
 
 I very carc- 
 ther for all 
 a in regard 
 , uliout the 
 •e is a large 
 nieal route, 
 ip new com- 
 jgard to the 
 4iiesrt it will 
 iceii formed 
 
 Mr. ('ortliell again Hpeiiks, 
 
 Necessity for larger ems on 
 railwayB. 
 
 A Ship Railway the logical 
 result. 
 
 Present tonnage adjacent to 
 the Ship Railway. 
 
 Ports not within the sphere 
 of traffic. 
 
 Expected tonnage. 
 
 THE SlTBSTITnTE FOll THE BAIE VERTE (^ANAL. n 
 
 " in England for the purpose of building for this m^w route several side-wheel steamboats 
 " adapted to the trade between Prince Edward [slaiid and the N^ew Brunswick and Maine 
 "coast, wiiieh, T have no doubt, will have all the business they ean attend to." 
 
 Mr. ("orthell also in a paper read before this Society in February, 1890, referring to the 
 (niignecto Ship Rtiilway, repeated that, " There is no doubt in his mind of the entire suocess 
 " in the construction, operation tind economy of this railway. There is nothing novel in the 
 " method only in the combination of methods. Vessels are at present raised out of the water 
 " eontinuiblly, whether loa<U>d or unloaded, on hydraulic lifts either by Marine Railways or 
 " by Floating Docks. 
 
 " The increasing size of rolling stock, both motive power and freight cars, on ordinary 
 " niilroads, has proven the great itdvantage in carrying greater and greater loads at one time- 
 " A tew years ago 10-ton (uirs were the rule in this country. Now .SO tons are becoming more 
 " and more numerous. Cars for still larger loads for special i>urpo8es are becoming more and 
 " more common, and tlu' locomotives have increased in weight and power from .SO and 40 tons 
 " to 90 and 100 tons, and the cost of transportation has been reduced from 2,i cents to .V cent 
 " per ton mile. 
 
 " \ Ship Railway is tlie logical result of the continual improvements in railroad methods 
 " from the time of the first railrotid to the present If it is possible to raise vessels and trans- 
 " port them over-land with safety and economy, why should they be 'compelled to make great 
 " detours costing time and money '! 
 
 " If the immense business between the St. Lawrence and the coast of N^ew Brunswick 
 " and New England can save 500 to 700 miles by operating a railway 17 miles long across the 
 " Chignecto Isthmus, why should it contimie to take this long and dangerous voyage around 
 " Nova Scotia ?" 
 
 According to the official returns from the Report on Trade and Navigation for tlie year 
 ending SOth June, 1890, the tonmige arriving and <leparting at the various ports contiguous 
 to the Ship Railway was as follows : — 
 
 
 Vetaels. 
 
 Tomi. 
 
 (Tulf of St. Lawrence, 
 
 28,787 
 
 6,422,970 
 
 Prince Edward Island, 
 
 8,798 
 
 l,:i(i2,8t)l 
 
 Bay of Fundy, 
 
 SS,S4.') 
 7(l,92i"i 
 
 8,855, !»:{2 
 
 Grand Tottil, 
 
 11,(141,709 
 
 The rate of increase for several years has been half a million tons per aimum according 
 to official Blue Books. 
 
 This tonnage does not ini'lude any port west of Quebec or on the Atlantic coast of the 
 Peninsula of Nova Scotia. Although the Ports of Portland and Boston might come within 
 the sphere of trafHt', they, like Montreal, Toronto, and ports west of Quebec, arc omitted in 
 the above table. 
 
 The Company's estinutte of traffic is based on only seven per cent, of the tonnage of the 
 Gulf and Bay, or 800,000 tons. Should the Ship Railway draw this moderate proportion 
 of the toimage it is estimated that there would be a revenue nearly sufficient to pay a divi- 
 dend of seven per ceitt. on the capital of the Company without calling on the Government 
 for any portion of the guarantee, as appears by the following figures ; — 
 
12 
 
 Estimates of Traffic. 
 
 THE CHIGNECTO SHIP RAILWAY, 
 
 800,000 tons freight at an average of 50 cents per ton, $400,000 00 
 
 800,000 tons vessels' hulls at an average of 12J cents per ton, 100,000 0(1 
 
 Estimated Receipts, I|i!o0(),0(t0 00 
 Working expenses and administration as per estimate of Sir 
 
 B. Baker, being 30 per cent, of the receipts, 150,000 0(1 
 
 Net Revenue, *;{r)0,000 00 
 
 Another estimate. 
 
 Setting apart the subsidy to provide interest on tlie bonds for 20 years, a traffic of only 
 320,000 tons at the afiove rates, would proviile 7 per cent, on the preferred share capital, and 
 7 per cent, on the ordinary share «'apital, thus : 
 
 320,000 tons at the average rate of 50 cents per ton, *1()0,()00 00 
 
 320,000 tons vessels' hulls at the average rate of 12J cents y)er ton, 40,000 00 
 
 Receipts, «i200,000~00 
 
 Working expenses, 30 per cent., (iO,000 00 
 
 Net lievenue, «!140,000 00 
 
 7 per cent, on $1,500,000, preferred shares, 
 7 per cent, on $500,000, ordinary shares. 
 Total dividend. 
 
 $105,000 00 
 35,000 00 
 
 $140,000 00 
 
 Ti 
 
 Working RxpenBeii. 
 
 Fuel clieap. 
 
 The working expenses of the Ship Railway, as compared with a railway of the ordinary 
 type, should be very small indeed. The line is perfectly straight. ( )ne-half of it is absolutely 
 level. The other half has gradients not exceeding 10 feet to the mile. The works are solidly 
 built, the rails heavy : the sleepers of unusual size; the ballast, broken rock; it is believed 
 the cost of nuiinteuance of way will be reduced to a miiiiniuni. It may be considered a 
 freight line, without the usual terminal expenses. The freigiit. that is the vessel with its 
 cargo, loads and unloads itself automatically on and off the railway. The speed will be slow, 
 not exceeding ten miles an hour. Fuel is cheap in the coal producing county of Cumber- 
 land, Nova Scotia. Besides the cost of lifting vessels to the level of tlu' railway and de- 
 positing them afterwards into the sea, which is very small, the })riii('ipal cost will l)e the loco- 
 motive power, which on ordinary railways bears tlie proi)ortion of about 17A per cent, to the 
 gross earnings. It is believed therefore that the estimate of 30 per cent, for working 
 expenses is full. The estimate of working expenses was based on the usual cost of main- 
 tenance and repairs on a double track railway for the whole year. Without any especial 
 effort to economi/.e, the Ship Railway might be worked for $50,000 ])er aninini, which would, 
 of course, permit of the same profits with very much less toiuiagi-. A regular daily Hue of 
 A line of steamers in con- !*tt'tinicrs between St. John and Charlottetown over the line of Ship Railway would contri- 
 nexioii with Ship Rail- J)\ite largely to the business expected. The Chignecto Steamship (\)mpany has been formed 
 ""•^' in London, with a capital of jtHO,000, for this purpose; the untoward financial crisis so far 
 
 lias jiievented this object from being consummated, but it is steadily kept in view. 
 
 The tolls to be charged on the Ship Railway must be sanctioned by the Governor Oeneral 
 The tollH. 5„ Council before being levied and collected bv the (_^ompanv. 
 
 The estimated average rate of fifty cents per ton is therefore only suggested as the prol)- 
 able rate that the Government would be inclined to sanction for the freight carried, tor it is, 
 
 Average rate on cargo. 
 
/ 
 
 Hnving on freight. 
 
 Charges on hnlls. 
 
 Time sayed. 
 
 Sift'lv of vessels. 
 
 Mo slniin equul to tin 
 Wiivcs of llu' sea. 
 
 THE SUBSTITUTK FOR TlfE BAIP: VERTK CANAL. 
 
 18 
 
 in fad, very similiir to tin- charj^es prevalent on the Welland Canal, which have been levied 
 l»y the (government itself. The proposed rates, which, althongh they amount in the average 
 to half a dollar a ton, will searcely l)e felt when levied on the buahel or barrel by the shipper, 
 who is accnstonied to the high freights levied by the foreign steam lines running through the 
 Straits of Canso to Boston. At this rate one dollar will be saved on all freight going round 
 to St. Jolin by water, and more than that by rail. The freight from St. John to Bale Verte 
 being !S2.r)0 per ton, wliile that to the head of the Bay of Fundy is one dollar per ton, there is 
 ii ditterenie of !ifl..50 per ton, and deducting 5(1 eents per ton tor the transport across the 
 iKtlimus, there is one dollar saved in the freight, not to count the saving of time and insur- 
 ance. The saving, over and above railway carriage, would be ?2 a ton from North Shore 
 ]iorts t(» St. .lohn, X. B. 
 
 Tlic cliiirges on freigiit cargoi-s would be at the same rate, no matter by wha^^ description 
 of vessel earricd, but the rates on tiie liull would prol)ablybe re(juired to be on u sliding scale 
 according to the si/c of the vessel, the highest rate being on the smallest vessel, because a 
 small-sized vessel would occupy the railway as long as a large sized one, and the revenue 
 otherwise obtainalile from small vessels would not bring a proHt to the Company. The esti- 
 mated proposed average rate of 121 cents jier ton would be a fair rate to charge on hulls as 
 compared with that on Canals where the cost of towage is considered; the latter being done 
 on the Siiip Railway by locomotives and on the C'anals by steam tug-boats. 
 
 Respe(!ting the time to be saved and the safety of vessels on the Ship li^iilway, no less 
 thiin twenty-four prominent firms of shipowners in London and Liverpool, having experience 
 of the (tottst of Nova Scotiti, have certified that a saving of ten days would generally be made 
 by sailing vessels clearing from ports on the CtuU", and making for St. .Tohn, Portland and 
 Boston, by using the Ship Railway, and so avoiding the weathering of Cape North and Cape 
 Cansd. as by jiresent route. Tlicy have t'ertified also that loaded vessels would not be injured 
 on tile Railway, if supported on a cradle such as is used on all marine slips. 
 
 The most prominent naval architects of the day, Sir E. J. Reed, the late Sir William 
 J'earce, Sir Nathaniel Barnaby, and Mr. William John, all certify to there being no danger to 
 the ship nor cargo during transportation fi'om sea to sea. 
 
 Mr. Biiidon B. Stoney, the authority on '' strains," says, "A ship resembles a tubular 
 structure, more or less reefjuigular in section, underneath which the points of support are 
 continually moving, so that when the waves are high and far apart the deck and bottom of the 
 vessel are altermitely extended and compressed, in the same way that the flanges ot a con- 
 tinuous girder are, near the points of inflection, when traversed by a passing train." No such 
 strain as this is possible on the Ship Railway. 
 
 There is reason to bi'lieve. therefore, that the ship Railway, when completed, will 
 be an undoubted success in every way, and become the pioneer of many works of like 
 character. 
 
 In conclusion, the autiior would allude to the assiduous care and attention bestowed 
 on this work by his colleagues. Sir .Fohn Fowler and Sir Benjamin Baker, the engineers who 
 designed and carrii'd to a successful completion the equally tiovel enterprise of the Forth 
 Bridge. Without their powerful aid and co-operation the work could hardly have reached 
 its |U'eseiit advanced state of progress. Should it be the success we anticipate, Mr. Meiggs 
 also, who undertook to raise the capital in England, as well as to contract for the execution 
 ot all the work>. will he entitled to a principal shaiv of the credit which should attach to 
 tlu' inauguration of a new and economii- system of transportiitiou for the benefit alike of 
 Canada and the whoK' world. 
 
1