kept of the number of messages or communications, but the average number is about 68,000 daily. The American Bell Telephone Company had in 1887, 353,518 instruments in use, and 128,231 miles of wire. The laying of a telephone cable is projected between London and Paris, and this mode of communication is coming more into use in almost all countries every day. 270 Supervision of Canals. Canal revenue. St. Lawrence system. Sault Ste. CHAPTER VI. CANALS AND INLAND REVENUE. 375. The collection of revenue derivable from the various canal systems is under the control of the Department of Inland Revenue, while their construction, repairs and maintenance are attended to by the Department of Railways and Canals. 376. The total revenue from all sources from the several systems amounted, in 1887, to $353,110, as compared with $364,456 in 1886, showing a decrease of $11,346, the net revenue showing a decrease of $3,340. 377. The system of inland navigation in Canada is the largest and most important in the world. The St. Lawrence system alone, in conjunction with the great lakes, extends for 2,260 miles, viz., from the Straits of Belle Isle to Port Arthur, at the head of Lake Superior; of this distance 71 miles are artificial navigation by means of canals, and 2,189 miles open navigation; from Port Arthur to Duluth, which is the principal port in that section of the United States for the produce of the Western States, is a further distance of 124 miles, making altogether 2,384 miles. When it is considered that by this means unbroken water communication is afforded from Port Arthur and Duluth to Liverpool, a total distance of 4,618 miles, the importance of this system and the necessity for its thorough maintenance will be at once understood. 378. Lake Superior and Lake Huron are connected by the St. Marie River, which is not capable of navigation, owing to the numerous rapids. This difficulty has been overcome by the construction of a canal on the United States side of the river, which is rather more than one mile in length, and has one lock 515 feet long and 80 feet wide, with a rise of about 18 feet. Provision was made during the Session of Parliament in 1887, by the voting of a sum of one million dollars, for the construction of a canal on the Canadian side, and through Canadian territory. The work will be proceeded with during the coming summer. The necessity for this work will be apparent when it is considered that this country has no means of access to the waters of Lake Superior, except through the United States. It will be seen also from the following table that the traffic through the existing canal is growing to such enormous dimensions, that one canal will soon be no longer sufficient: — COMPARATIVE STATEMENT OF THE TRAFFIC THROUGH THE SAULT STE. MARIE CANAL IN THE YEARS 1886 AND 1887. Period of navigation 379. The canal was only open for navigation for 224 through days in 1886 and for 216 days in 1887, and during that time Sault Ste. Marie Traffic through Canal. the traffic through was relatively almost as large as that through the Suez Canal, which will accommodate the largest vessels, and is open to the commerce of the whole world. 380. The following table gives the number and total the Suez tonnage of the vessels passing through the Suez Canal in the years 1882 to 1886. The figures are taken from the Statesman's Year Book 1888. TRAFFIC THROUGH THE SUEZ CANAL-1882-1886. Sault Ste. Marie and 381. If the Sault Ste. Marie Canal had been open for the Suez Can Whole year, and the traffic had maintained the same rate compared. during all that time as it did during the season of naviga al traffic Canals on rence system. tion, the tonnage passing through in 1887 would have amounted to 8,276,033 tons, which would have been more than the total tonnage through the Suez Canal in the same year. 382. In addition to this, the canals on the St. Lawrence system are the Welland, from Port Colborne on Lake Erie to Port Dalhousie on Lake Ontario, 26 miles in length by the enlarged or new line, with 26 locks, and a total rise of 326 feet; and, along the St. Lawrence, the Galops, 7 miles in length, with three locks and a rise of 15 feet; the Rapide Plat, 4 miles in length, with 2 locks and a rise of 113 feet; Farran's Point, three-quarters of a mile long, with 1 lock and a rise of 4 feet; the Cornwall, 11 miles in length, with 6 locks and a rise of 48 feet; the Beauharnois, 114 miles in length, with 9 locks and a rise of 823 feet and the Lachine Canal, 8 miles in length, with 5 locks and a rise of 45 feet. Lake above the 383. The difference in level between Lake Superior and Height of tidewater is about 600 feet. The total number of locks on Superior this system is 53, and the total height directly overcome by sea. locks is 533 feet. The greatest navigable depth is 14 feet, and that at present is only to be found in the Welland Canal, the improvements in which are now completed, and the canal will be open for a 14 feet navigation during the present season. The greatest available depth in the other Depth of canals is at present 12 feet, but all improvements are now made with a view to having a uniform depth of 14 feet throughout the systems. canals. and Canals. 384. The other canal systems of the country are as fol- Ottawa lows:-The Ottawa, which connects Montreal and the city Rideau of Ottawa, and the Rideau, which in conjunction with the Ottawa system, affords communication between Montreal and Kingston, a total distance of 246 miles. The lockage on this system (not including that of the Lachine Canal) is 509 feet, 345 rise and 164 fall, and the number of locks is 55. The Rideau Canal was originally built by the Imperial Government for military purposes. It was begun in 1826 and finished in 1834, at a cost of $3,860,000. Canal. 385. The Richelieu and Lake Champlain system, or Chambly Chambly Canal, extends from the junction of the Rivers St. Lawrence and Richelieu, 46 miles below Montreal, into Lake Champlain, a distance of 81 miles. There are 10 locks, and a rise of 79 feet. By the Lake Champlain Canal, communication is obtained with the Hudson River, and thence |