IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1- ill|28 l||||2.5 1^ 1^ |||2.2 ^ 1^ ^ ii& IIM ^ .. II =^= •kiUt- 1.8 — L25. 1.4 1.6 < 6" - ► Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (7161 872-4503 CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Cana(^:an Institute fo K signifie "A SUIVRE", la symboie V signifie "FIN". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed st different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre fiimte A dee taux de rMuction diff^rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est film^i i partir de Tangle supirieur gauche, de gauche i droite, et de haut en bas. en prenant le nombre d'images n^cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mithode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 )7 Tbe (nontrciil, OtUwji \Jii eeorgi^D B^iy N^vig^itioD. SUPPLE/^EIiTARY REPORT 'BY- T. C. CUrkc. EsSm A-Inst.C.E., ^ Am. Soc. G.E., 6onsuitin$ tii%m^r. OTTAWA : Printed by Paynter & Abbott, 48 Rideau Street 1898. « 1- ^ Tbe OloDtrejil, Ott^wji \T)i 6eor?ijLi) Bxy SUPPLE/^EHTARY REPORT 'BY- T. C. Cliirkc. EsSm iA-lnst-CE., l\. Am. Soc. C.E. GoDSultiDf li)%m9T. OTTAWA : Printed by Paynter & Abbott, 48 Rideau Street. 1898. s McLeoi Stewart, Esq., Montreal, Ottawa &- Georgian Bay Canal Co.^ Ottawa^ Canada. Dear Sik :— I have the honour to submit the following Report.bringing down to the present date the matters treated upon in my Report of i860. ... ui- . Great changes have taken place smce that Report demonstrated the feasibility ot improving the Ottawa and French Rivers into one of the greatest channels of commerce. What was then only a scientific discussion has now become a matter of great importance to two nations. , . , , ^ r , u ^w • Including together the present exports from the basin of the Great Lakes, both m the United States and Canada, there is enoi-gh traffic in sight to warrant a large expen- diture in opening a new route, if the conditions are such that the cost of transportation between the Lakes and the Ocean can be diminished. Canada alone does not at pre- sent furnish enough traffic. The Ottawa route must be treated as an mternational one. Two remarkable changes have taken place during the last ten years, which have each resulted in greatly lessening the cost of water transportation ; one, upon the Lakes, and the other between the North Atlantic ports of the United States. ^ , , ^ „ The construction of the locks at the outlet of Lake Superior has developed a traffic vast in sizo, and differing from all others in the world, in that it enables vessels to get full cargoes in both directions during the whole season of open navigation. The U S. lake ports will all be deepened to 20 feet very soon. Steamers now carry cargoes of 6,000 tons of grain and iron ore eastward to South Chicago Cleve- land and Buffalo, and take back cargoes of coal to upper Lake ports. It is a well-known axiom that the larger the vessel the cheaper it can handle freight. These 6,000 ton steamers have carried grain from Chicago to Buffalo for \i^^ c.s. per bushel, which is less than one half of one mill per ton-mile. Hence there has arisen a popular demand or ship canals of 20 or even 25 feet deep, from the Lakes to the Ocean. Even if such canals were built and could be used free of tolls, no such economy of transportation by larae steamers could take place as in the open lakes. j ■, . c The rate of speed of thirteen miles an hour would be reduced to five, as m the Suez Canal. Canal traffic would not give full cargoes in both ditections, and more detention in port would be necessary than at Cleveland or Duluth where whole ^a^goes of 6,000 tons of coal or ore have been handled by machinery m less than ore d.y The large steamer is a very expensive machine, and if she were not ab e to make a« many trips per season as she now does, much of her economy would be lost ll does not nosv seem possible, except at a prohibitory cost, to deepen the Ottawa navigation to 20 feet, and fortunately it is not necessary. , .• u The second change, which has resulted in lessening the cost of transportation be- tween Atlantic ports, suggests the true method of improving the Ottawa. Some "en years sinci all coal was carried between the shipping ports of Phi adelphia and New York to other Atlantic ports, chiefly those of New England, in single collier steamers, at a cost of $1.50 to $1.75 per ton. a »^ .2 f»o^ ^f Now it is carried in tows of three or four large barges drawing from 16 to 18 fee of water towed by a single powerful tug boat. This tug does not wait in port for coal to belo^d d or unloaded, but each tug has many barges, and she picks up her tow of ul or empty barges without detenhon, as a locomotive does cars. In this way many trips °e made per season. The distance between Philadelphia and Boston and return ,s about 800 miles, and coal is nc v carried for an average of 75 cents per ton.which is nme- ^^"''k°^%"c" non.V of'tnsportation has increased the coal traffic to some twenty-five millions of tons annually, which is as great as the tonnage annually passing through the Setroit Ri°er The use of these tows of barges is fast increasing upon the Upper ^^'^'aU these facts have been clearl; set forth by Maj. T. W. Symo.s U.S. Engineer Corns n his admirable and exhaustive report to the U.S. Congress m 1897. He shows fhat f the Erie Canal were deepened to , i feet and grain were carried in ows of barges tnat II tiic E>iit vva t KTow VnrW inr ndini? reason of 1500 tons capacity, it could be carried from Chicago to New York, including reason able transhipment charges at Buffalo from large steamers mto canal boats (or less than steamers of io feet draft could carry it through the Erie Canal .f that could po.^s,l)l) he deepened to over 20 feet, and steamers run continuously from Chicago to New York. In both cases tolls are not taken into account. The estimated cost of the ii ft. canal is 50 million dollars and of the ao it. 400 millions. The great value of the Ottawa navigation is this : Out of the 975 miles between Chicago and Montreal 591 niiles is an inland or perfectly protected navigation, leaving but ^84 miles of open lake. In open lake a speed of 4^^ m\k^ an hour can be made by tows of barges. In the protected portion an average speed ot ten miles an hour can l)e made. The cost of insurance by this route would be much less than by any o:her. By the Welland and St. Lawrence route, there are 991 miles of open lake naviga- tion and but 297 of inland or protected navigation. The depth of the Welland and St. Lawrence canals would limic the draft of barges to 13^ ft. whicli is too shallow lor na- vigation in lakes such as Erie, subject to sudden violent storms. The rates of insur- ance would be greater, and the longer time required, owing to greater length, and slower movement through the unprotected parts, would more than make u]) for the 22 days of longer open navigation by the Welland route. I recommend that the scale of the 0;'--a navigation be fixed as follows :— Locks 300 ft. long X 45 ft. wide x 14 ft. deep, capable of passing steel barges 380 ft. long, 43 ft. beam and carrying 3100 tons net on 131^ ft. draft of water. The excavated channels should be fifteen feet deep and have five times the area of the vessel, with sufficient !Oom for two vessels to pass each other, which would give a width of 160 ft. on the bottom and 170 ft. at low water level. The cost of carrying grain from one of the Lake ports, say Chicago, to Montreal by the Ottawa route, would be as follows :— CAPACITV. A tow would consist of three steel barges, each 280 x 42 \ 20 feet, moulded depth, carrying on 13^ feet draft, 3,100 net tons. These would he towed by a powcrtul tug steamer 'capable of towing the barges at the rate cf four and one-half miles per hour m open lake, and ten miles per hour through the sheltered lakes and rivers of the Ottawa navigation. The tug steamer would be capable of carrying a cargo of 1.200 tons, making a total capacity of 10,500 tons. TIME. Open Lake — Chicago to a point near the mouth of St. Mary's River— 380 miles at 4$ miles per hour Inland Lakes ar.d Rivers— St. Mary's River to French River, 160 miles Ottawa navigation 401 5G1 " at 10 56 I foul's Canals 29.3 miles at 2 .p Lockages 1 14 minutes per foot 11/2 X 4 = 6 X 682 ft. for each vessel 6omin. ' ' " 72.2 hours. 10. hours. 68. 2 hours. Total 206 . 5 hours 206.5 X 2 = 413 hours. In port 91 hours. 504 hours, or 21 days round trip. The open season of navigation on this route, is limited by the Npissing and gives an open season of 213 days, or ten round trips. lo^^ing of Lake ] COS!'. \ 'S. rs ke ' tug ■ 4 barges (i tiira) at $75.ooo |r 25,000 jOO.OOO $425,000 interest and depreciation at 5 per cent . Insurance on hulls, 1 per cent " on cargo Goinn East 10 X 10,500 105,000 Tons. •' West »/} 35.000 •• 140,000 Tons at $20. $2,800,000 at a5c. per 100 F^xpenses of tug— full snhsistenre, wages and small repairs, $100 per day for 213 days 4 barges at $7.50 per day— 30 x 213 Profits 10 per cent $21,250 8.500 7,000 21,300 6,390 6,440 which divided ' • bushel. Il is abs' elevator facii lention. Witl. built by the d - should not exceed i. $70,880 Tons gives as the cost about 50c. per ton, or t >4 cts. per 1 to the success of this project that there should be ample >it of Montreal, so that ocean steamers should suffer no de- ir of the capacity of one million bushels as lately has been Railway at Buffalo, the whole cost of elevating and storage snou.u mn c.ccu u. .-rs of a cent, making the total cost per bushel two and one quarter cents, which k^ tar uelow the cost by any existing route, or than can be obtained on the Wellaiid and St. I^awrence route when the canals are compkted. This txtreniely low cost is based on the assi"-,|4ion of full cargoes going East, and one third full going West. The larger the amount of business done, the more nearly will this be realized, and the financial success of the scheme would be enhanced, :f the Ottawa navi'-aiion could be extended upon the same scale, through Lake Champlain to New York, the feasibility of whi^h the U. S. Deep Water Ways Commission are now, it is believed, investigating. By this route the distance from Chicago to New York, would be about 1353 mile?, of which 380 miles would be open lakes, 847 m^les inland navi- gation, and 126 miles of canals. By similar calculations to those above given, eight trips could be made in an open season of 235 days, and the cost would be 2 cts. per bushel, to which should be added the present elevator and other charges at the port of N.Y., which are very high, aniount- ing to 1"^ cts. per bushel, or a total of 3^ cents per bushel. Maj. Symons estimates that when the Erie canal is deepened to nine feet and the locks lengthened, wheat can be carried from Chicgo to N. Y., for 5.67 cts., to which add N. Y , terminal charge. 1.50 ct.^., a total ot 5 17 cts. ; showing the superiority of the Ottawa routi. The cost of interest, maintena.ice and repairs, lock tending, electric lighting, etc on the Ottawa route, would be boriic by moderate tolls, and leases of water power, des cribed hereafter. As compared with the estimated cost of the Ottawa navigation in i860, there will be an increase of quantities and a diminution of cost in item prices. The increase of the size of the locks from 250 x 45 x 12 to 300 x 45 x 14. will in- crease quantities. Also the enlargement of the prism of the excavated canal from 146 x II to 160 x 15, will increase quantities. , t u- 11 ' The locks at Grenville and Carillon will have to be enlarged. '1 he Lachine locks will also have to be lengthened unless it is decided not to use the present crowded Larhine Canal, and iitiprove one of the branches of the Ottawa north of the Island oJ Montreal. Another increase of cost is due to the fact that Lake Nipissing cannol now be raised by damming its outlets, as was proposed in i860. The country around the summit lakes is now well settled and has many cultivated farms. The town of North Bay, which would have to be moved nack to prevent over- flow, has some 2500 nhabitants. Thirty miles of the Canadian Pacific Railway would have to be moved or raised. The level of Lake Nipissing must still be maintained from French River to the Mattawan, 57 miles. This means lowering the level of Trout and Turtle I-akes to coin- cide with that of Nipissing, which can be done. This is the only way in which suffi- cient water for ckages can be obtained. The total lockage will oe reduc 1 from 715 to 68i feet. The amount of excavation will be increased, but it is believed that the extr.'. cost of this will not exceed what would have to be paid for damages if Lake Nipissing were raised. The plan of i860, which raised existing levels by dams on the French and Matawan Rivers and on the Ottawa as lar east as Chats Lake, can still be followed, as the shores are steep and rocky, and but little land will be overflowed. There are .. few places where sites of locks and dams may hive to be changed, but not at an increased cost. In i860 the whole Upper Ottawa was a wilderness. All materials and supplies above Deep River mjst then have been transported partly by teams and partly in batteaux towed by horses, or poled by men. Now, the Canadian Pacific Railway can deliver materials, supplies and men all along the route, and at far less cost. Several locks of low lift can now be concentrated into one, as in accordance with the best modern practice. This will reduce cost. I am in favour of locating the locks so ihat a duplicate lock can be built hereafter alongside of the one first to be built. I now advise constructing the locks of concrete (made from the stone near by) and Portland cement. The lock walls can be protected by waling pieces of steei and oak, thus saving much costly cut stone masonry. The most important item of economy comes from the fact that the cost of the rock excavation, which is the largest item of cost, can be greatly reduced by the improve- ments which have been made during the past few years in the use of power drills, high explosives, and better kinds of machinery for handling materials. The air compressors and other machinery can in many cases be driven by electric power derived from the river. The latest price paid for rock excavation on the Chicago Drainage Canal war 9c. per cubic yard, while the average price estimated for the Ottawa improve .lents in 1800 was generally from $1 .50 to $2.00 per yard. I am not now prepared to revise the figures of cost |made in i860, as thih cannot be done without further examinations and surveys, which will ti.ke several months to properly carry ouv. There are several very important ecomonies in construction that can now be made available, which could not in i86o. It is proper to point out that the most important change in the situation since i860 has come from the development of electrical transmission of power. The dams which were designed by me in i860 were then, and are now. absolutely necessary to give suffi- cient depth foi navigation. These dams will also be the means of developing and con- trolling water p 'wer (or electric appliances. I can state unreservedly that I know of no other place in any manufacturing country, Niagara Falls not excepted, where there is such an amount of water power as this scheme can make available, both for manufacturing purposes and possibly for mov- ing vessels rapidly through the locks. It is proposed to construct 20 dams on the Ottawa witb an average of 20 feet fall each. The low water discharge of the Ottawa never falls below 1,500,000 cubic feet per minute, of which one third should be allowed to run over the crests of the dams to P e I^M i prevent decay, leaving 1,000,000 cubic feet per mimile to run throunh flun.ej tnd do effeclive work. By ihe usual formula Dams cu. ft. per min. hll. 50 X 1,000,000 X 62>4 ibs. X 20 we have 566,360 horae power. 44,000. Adding that available on the Maltawan and French Riveiii there will probably be, at a minimum, not less than 700,000 horse power. The average discharge ot the weirs would give riot less than four times this amount. All this can be made available, by the comparatively small expenditure necessary for flumes and the toundations of penstocks and turbines. The cost of the installation of electric plant would vary greatly with the situation. All of which is respectful New York, Feh. 16, i8i;8. jiitimitttd by (Sgd.) THOMAS C. CLARKE. Consulting Engineer Montieal, Ottawa & C;eorgian Kay Navij^ation. Member Institution of Civil Engineers, and of the American Society of Civil Engineers.