The Detroit River Railway Bridge

Erom the Toronto Globe. It ia timo we had heard tho last of any jealousy concerning the freest possible intercourse between the people of Canada and those of the United States. Wher two countries stand in such close geo graphical afSnity sound policy wou] surely dictate the removal of every im pediment that may prevent the most un restricted conmiunication between them Yet on reading tho coniments of the New York 'Tribune upon the report of th American engineers appointed to exam ine into the question of construoting railway bridge over the Detroit Eiver, one can but be struck with the narrow and ovidently prejudiced tone in which tho subject is approached. both bv tho engineers and the journalist. The Canadian railways traversing the southwestern península are not less use ful to the American than to our own peo pie. The Canada Southern and Great Western are, to all intents and purposes, links in the American railway system. To place any difiïculty in the way of either the freight or passenger traffie between the Niágara and Detroit rivers is quite as injurious to American interests as to ours. It is admitted that during the winter soason the delays in crossing the river opposite Detroit are most annoying. In summer tho trip across is ordinarily accomplished by the ferry stoainer in seventeen minutes, but it has in winter been known to tako flvo hours, and in a very large number of cases has occupied two hours, owing to the obstructions oaused by the ioe. An attompt was made to construct a tunnel under the river, but after twelvo inonths had elapsed the work was relinquished, owing to unexpeoted engineering diffieulties by which the cost of the undertaking would have been enorinously enhanced. Under these circumstancea the Great Western, of Canada, and the Michigan Central, two coai panies interested in the tunnel, proposed to build a bridge, whilst another bridge is also contemplated, and, in fact, in progress, under the auspices of tho Canada Southern, at Stony Island, about fifteen miles below Detroit. In their report the American engineers I seek to belittle the commercial valuo of the services theso bridges ronder, by comparing tho froights of the railway companies in question with those of the vessels passing up and down tho river. " During the eight months of navigation," they say, "27,000 vessels pass through tho channel, and of this number more than 20,000 have masts. The amount of freight carriod by them is 9,000,000 tons annually." On the other 1 hand, tho whole traffic of the Great i tern in ono year at this point is said to ' be only 838,310 tons, or less than ] tenth tho tonnaeo passins bv tho water route. And, asit ieonly in winter that any actual difticulty in crossing exists, it is asked to yield its interests to about ono thirtietli of that aniount. But this is really bcgging the question. In regulating the traffic of our streets wo do not stop to iiiquire whether the loaded wagon has a gíeater amount of wealth aboard than the light buoy. It is quite possible the occupant of the lattur uiay havo business on hand that overweighs in value the worth of its ponderous rival of the road. ïho real point is, however, not whether 9,000,000 tons of freight aro to bc sacrificed to 83S.0Ü10 tons, but whether the latter cannot be accommodated without undue loss or injury to the fortner. Imagine the consequeuces of irom two to uve hours" delay in a through journey to the active, bustling, money-making crowd that are oontinualy passing east and west by this very route. A rapid passage, and their arrival with certain rogularity at their ilestination, is ti aecessity with a larga proportíon of these travelers The rn. mark in a grcat degree, holda good witt regard to freights. Mercbarfdise for warded by railroad must, as a rule be as" sumed to be of dosoription tho promnr and panctual dolivery of which is of tho very Jast importance. On tho other haud' the voyage taken ly tho vessel paeá through tuo chanael is long and tedioiTs and the trifling delay arising frOm the opening of a pivot bridge would bc in significant in proportion to tho time oc eupied in tho whole trip. It would in tact, inflict the smallest conceivablo los, on the shipping freights, whilst it would prove an incalculable benefit to the rail road traffic of both kinds. A bridge should be built that would not obstruct navigation at all, but as tho banks of the rivor aro not more t'han thirty feet iiigh, the grades would be very hoavy, and the total cost of the work enormous, probably not less than nine millions of dollars. The most prac ticeable and cheapest soheme appears to be a pivot bridge, to be swung open to admit the passage of vessels, and only to be closed when trains wero actuallv cross ing. This would pjobably cost not more than $2,500,000. Against such a proTo al, howevor, the American engineers sot themselves resolutely; aiid the Trthune joins heartily in their condemnatíon of the plan. We como back, howevor, to the main issue. Will the navigation be seriouslv impeded by a pivot bridge ? So far as the information before us goes the answor would seom to be in the negative. It can hardly be urged seriously that tho navigation of the Detroit channel will be curtailed, or its costs sonsibly inoreased by tho brief delay one vessel in a dozen expenences on her arrival at the bridge To allege that such a structure would " restrict competition " and cause " rates to riso at once " is a little far-fetched fc are more inclined to think that the oppo sition arises from that rather narro wl minded prejudice against Canadian enterprise and that ill-groundod dislike of Canadian compotition whioh characterizes some of our American neighbors. Tho Tribune is, it must be recollected, the advocate of a Japanese polícy of exclusión all that relate to commercial intercourso betweon the two countries, and the in. dorsement it gives to the report of the American engimers smacks of the sanie spirit.