1854.] 



CHANGES IN THE LEVEL OF THE LAKES. 



43 



515,003, showing an increase in the mileage of 305 miles, or 4.16 per 

 cent., and in the receipts of £1,329, G87, or 15. Gl per cent. 



The total receipts on 5811 miles of railway in England and Wales for 

 the h.alf-year ending December, 1853, .araonnted to i;8, 402. 214, and for 

 the corresponding period of 1852, to £7,289-180, showing an increase 

 of £1,113,0-35; on 996 miles in Scotland to £971,742, and for the 

 corresponding period of 18-52 on 978 miles to £854,867 ; showing an 

 increase of 28 miles,in th-i receipts of £116,876 ; and on 834 miles in 

 Ireland, the receipts amounted to £470,733, and for the corresponding 

 pei-iod in 1852, on 708 miles to £370,956, showing an increase in the 

 mileage of 126 miles, and in the receipts of £99,777. 



It appears also fi-om the returns, that the mileage run by the trains 

 on 5,588 miles in England and Wales, was by 522,142 passenger trains, 

 15,249,202 miles; and by 263,380 goods tr.ains, 13,386,966 miles; 

 on 823 34 miles of railway in Scotland, the mileage mn by 56,000 pas- 

 senger trains, was 1,694,244 miles, and by 43,306 goods trains, 1,548, 

 253 miles; and on 826 1-2 miles of railway in Ireland ,the mileage run 

 by 43,016 passenger trains was 1,321,296 miles, and by 5,614 goods 

 trains, 333,751, miles. From this it would appear that the average 

 distance run by trains conveying the passengers in England and Wales 

 was 29-2 miles, in Scotland 25-3 miles, and in Ireland 30-7 miles. 

 The average distance run by goods trains in England and Wales appears 

 to be 50-8 miles, in Scotland 35-9 miles, and in Ireland 56-4 miles. 



The receipts per mile per passenger train amounted in England and 

 Wales to 5-323., in Scotland to 4-79s., and in Ireland to 4-79s. The 

 receipts per mile for goods trains amounted in England and Wales to 

 6-43s., in Scotland to 7-31s., and in Ii-eland to 9-24s. per mile 

 per train. 



very liberal appropriation of funds for the publication of the Reports in 

 the Canadian Journal, and we hope to furnish our readers w-ith a sup- 

 plementary number containing these documents in October. 



Statistics of Bi-ilisli America, 





TCREITORY. 



POPtJLATION. 



EXPOET3,1853 IMP0ETS,1S53 



REVEXUE. 





Square Miles. 

 400,000 

 28,000 

 19,000 

 2,000 

 37,000 



Inhabitants 



1,842,264 



200,000 



300,000 



75,000 



100,000 



£. £ 

 6,570,000 S.2nft.(U2 



£. 



1,053,028 



180,000 



1-25.000 



35,345 



84,323 



New Brunswick, ... 

 Kova Scotia, 

 Prince Ed. Island, . 

 Newfoundland, .... 



796,335 

 970,780 

 24-2,675 

 965,772 



1,110,600 

 1,194.175* 

 298,543 

 795,737* 



TotAl 









£1.476.694 















Toronto Harbour* 



We understand it is the intention of the Harbour Commissioners to 

 strengthen the peninsular boundary of the Bay at the narrows near the 

 Hotel. Although the breach through which the water of the Lake 

 flowed with a considerable current during the autumn of last year has 

 been closed so effectually that it is now difficult to discover traces of its 

 former existence, yet the present beach affords very doubtful se- 

 curity against future inroads. The narrowest part of the sand beach 

 which occupies the late opening is about seventy-four yards broad, and 

 nowhere exposes an altitude exceeding three feet above the present 

 level of the waters of the Lake. There can be no doubt that stability 

 is not a property of the sand beach at the narrows, nor is it probable 

 that a firm barrier will be made until the waters of the Lake have as- 

 sumed their minimum level, which they exceed at the present moment 

 by more than two feet, that is to say the level of Lake Ontario is now 

 about 2 feet 3 inches above the minimum level on the 25tli Oct. 1849, 

 or 2 feet 5 inches below the maximum level of Juno 1st., 1853. The 

 Harbour Commissioners do not contemplate constructing any extensive 

 works at the narrows ; wc believe that they -will at present confine 

 their operations to throwing up a sand beach a few yards broad and a 

 few foot high. The effect of throwing up this artificial bm-rier will bo 

 to assist and expedite the natural process by which the integrity of the 

 peninsula has hitherto been maintained, We forbear olfering any 

 opinions on the subject of Toronto Harbour at present, in consequence 

 of the approaching publication of the Premium Reports on its Improve- 

 ment and Preservation. The Harbour Commissioners have made a 



Tlie Proviucial Slioiv. 



This great Agricultural Exhibition will be held at London, on tno 

 26th, 27th, 28th, and 20th September. The most sanguine expecta- 

 tions are entertained of its success. Every facility has been offered 

 bj' public bodies to increase the attractions which enliven, and remove 

 the restrictions which impair, the progress of this great national Fes- 

 tiv.al. The Great Western Railway Company -will forward all articles 

 of exhibition from Hamilton to Loudon free of charge. 



CTiaiigcs i3i tlie Level of tlic Lakcs^ 



Considerable anxiety exists among mercantile men at Buffalo, 

 respecting the supply of Water to the Erie Canal. Grave doubts are 

 felt whether the present feeders have the capacity to afford the neces- 

 sary supply during a period of low water in Lake Erie. A memorial 

 on this subject has recently been addressed to the Legislature of the 

 State of New York, in which several ominous facts are pointed out. 

 It appears that if Lake Erie should subside to the minimum level of 

 1820, which year was taken as the zero of comparison by Dr. 

 Houghton and other geologists, the depth of water on the mitre sill at 

 Black Rock Guardlock, would be less than five feet, through which 

 all the water for the supply of a canal 150 miles long would have to 

 flow. The average depth of water on the sill is about eight feet. In 

 an elaborate paper on the periodical rise and fall of the Lakes, by 

 Major Lachlan, Montreal, published iu the July number of this 

 Journal, we find the subjoined notices of the minimum and maximum 

 periods of level in Lake Erie ; — 



MINIMUM PEEIODS. 



1st Min. 1795 

 2nd „ 1810 



1820 zero. 



1832 



1846 (2 feet above 1820) 



3rd 

 4th 

 5th 

 6th 



MAXIMUM TEEIODS. 



1st Max. 



1790 



2nd „ 



1801 



3rd „ 



1815 



4th „ 



1827 



5th „ 



1838 



6th „ 



1853 very high. 



In July, 1840, nine feet ten inches of water were recorded on the 

 mitre sill at Black Rock ; whereas, during the present year, there has 

 been a short period when a depth of only five feet ten inches was to bo 



found a difference of four feet, and sufficiently important to cause 



the groundmg of boats in the gore through the mountain ridge at 

 Lockport. The memorialists ask " how shall navigation proceed in 

 this canal, when the Lake shall fall nine inches or a foot more, as it 

 must, to attain the level of 1830." It appears, too, that the Welland 

 Canal has suffered from the rapid falling of the waters of Lake Erie. 

 If they should continue to subside, and thiis impede tlie navigation of 

 that noble link bctv,-een Erie and Ontario, we fear the prospects of the 

 "lateral cut" will tlimiuish with the receding waters, and the atten- 

 tion of the Board of Works be drawn to the enlargement of feeders, 

 rather than to additional drains. 



The New York memorialists arc filled witli gloomy anticipations in 

 consequence of Lake Erie's decline. "From the above state of facts, 

 we are drawn to the conclusion that there is imminent dangerthat with 

 our present canal, and the probable level of the lake, our navigation 

 will bo partially or wholly obstructed. That for this impending evil 

 there is but one remedy, and that this remedy should be applied 

 forthwith ; it is the immediate enlargement of the canal from Black 



