Canals

The recent revival of interest in water transporta tion has resulted in a number of new projects all over the country. Work was begun in several middle western states, notably Illinois, to complete a water way available for large boats from the Great Lakes to the Gulf via the Mississippi River. In this project the Chicago Drainage Canal, which as the name indi cates was originally built for drainage, is a factor.

The Chicago River formerly emptied into Lake Michigan, polluting Chicago's drinking water, but by the expenditure of $63,000,000 it was made to flow in the other direction, and the water is carried into the Mississippi via the Des Plaines and Illinois rivers by means of the drainage canal, completed in 1900.

Thus Lake Michigan now has an outlet into the Gulf of Mexico. This canal, one of the greatest of all municipal achievements, has had a far-reaching effect on both the health and commerce of Chicago.

The outstanding

feature of water transportation in Canada is the St. Lawrence system of rivers and lakes stretching from the Strait of Belleisle to the head of Lake Superior. Three important links in this system are one of the Sault Sainte Marie canals con necting lakes Superior and Huron, the Welland Canal, connecting Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, and the four St. Lawrence canals, built to facilitate navigation around the rapids of the St. Lawrence River above Montreal. (See Great Lakes; Welland Canal.) The Rideau-Ottawa canal system was designed to provide safe water communication between Kingston and the lower St. Lawrence by way of Ottawa and the Ottawa River. Originally built chiefly for military purposes, it formed a " back door" between the two great rivers. The Ottawa River canals num ber four. The Rideau Canal, formed by canalizing the Rideau and Cataraqui rivers and making use of the Rideau Lakes, was opened in 1833. It has four locks.

The Trent River has been improved from the Bay of Quinte to Lake Simcoe. Two great hydraulic lift locks have been constructed. One of them is the largest in the world. It can lift a vessel of 800 tons' capacity 65 feet vertically. The Trent Canal im provements were made as a part of Canada's project for a navigable waterway more than 200 miles in length, connecting the rivers and lakes across • the narrowest part of lower Ontario between Georgian Bay in Lake Huron and the Bay of Quinte in Lake Ontario, and thus avoiding the long route down through the Detroit River, Lake Erie, and the Wel land Canal.