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NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



take in the State of New York. It is understood now that they 

 are preparing to build' this canal. 



When the Welland canal was opened it would accommodate 

 most of the lake vessels of that day, but since then the size of 

 lake vessels has greatly increased — the cost of running larger 

 vessels being less in proportion — so that there is now a con- 

 siderable fleet shut in between Buffalo and Port Colborne. The 

 barge canal having carried in New York, the Canadians are now 

 contemplating a radical improvement to the Welland canal, and 

 preliminary thereto are spending $2,000,000 at Port Colborne, 

 the Lake Erie end of Welland canal, in harbor improvements, 

 the intention being to deepen the harbor to accommodate boats 

 drawing 20 feet of water. 



The project is also being actively agitated to reconstruct 

 Welland canal, making it deep enough to take boats of 20 feet 

 draft. The fall from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario is 326 feet, 

 which is now made by twenty-five locks. It is proposed to re- 

 construct these, making seven or eight locks instead, each lock 

 to be 650 feet by 65 feet and 22 feet on the sills. It is estimated 

 that such an enlargement can be completed in four years at a 

 cost not exceeding about $25;000,000. 



This project is advocated by the Dominion Marine Association 

 and by the St Catherine and Thorold Boards of Trade. In case 

 the Welland canal is enlarged as proposed, the deepening of the 

 St Lawrence route to 20 feet would then be a comparatively 

 small matter. 



Recent Canal Projects in New York. 



Report of the Committee on Canals of New York. On March 8, 

 1899, Governor Roosevelt appointed Francis V. Greene, George E. 

 Green, John W. Scateherd, Thomas W. Symons, Frank S. With- 

 erbee, Edward A. Bond and John N. Partridge a committee on 

 canals to consider the whole question and to advise the State of 

 New York as to what policy should be followed with reference to 

 the canals. In the letter of appointment it is stated that the 

 opinion of a body of experts was required who should include not 

 merely high-class engineers, but men of business, who knew the 

 relative advantages and disadvantages of ship canals, barge canals 



