WELLAND SHIP CANAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19721, 22 August 1927, Page 7

WELLAND SHIP CANAL.

NOTABLE ENGINEERING FEAT. LAKE ONTARIO TO LAKE ERIE. REMARKABLE LOCK SYSTEM. [from our own correspondent,] VANCOUVER, July 27. The work now nearing completion on the Welland Ship Canal is one of the most important and notable engineering works undertaken in Canada. The history of the canal goes back a century, when the, original canal was 27 miles long, and required 40 wooden locks to overcome the barrier interposed by the Niagara escarpment. The immense .improvement to be brought about by the construction now in hand is shown by the fact that the locks will be reduced from 25 to eight. ' The usable length and breadth is being increased from 270 ft. and 45ft. to 800 ft. and 80ft,, while the depth of the sill will be 30ft. The Panama Canal has a highest level of 85ft. above sea level. The highest lift for any dock is slightly over 50ft., compared with 46ft. negotiated at each lock of the new Welland Canal. A flight of three-twin locks at Thorold effects a rise of practically 140 ft., and, as regards its mass coacrete, is comparable with the great Gatun locks at Panama. The route from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie is being reduced by 25 miles. The size ol the lock culverts has been calculated so that a lock chamber may be filled or emptied in about eight minutes. The time required to pass a vessel through one of the ship canal locks will be about 20 minutes, and the estimated time of passing a loaded cargo vessel through the entire canal is eight hours, as against 15 or 18 hours on the present canal. When traffic becomes congested, several vessels may be passed through at one lockage. It will be possible for the 600 ft. freight vessels now plying the Upper Lakes to pass into Lake Ontario and the Upper St. Lawrence. The previous maximum was 200 ft.