The Sault Canal

The new lock of the Sault canal is at last opened to commerce, and the largest vessels saüing the lakes eau now pass through it. Although the canal was constructed much larger than was contemplated by lts first projectors in 1837, so rapidly did the cemmerce develop and expand tliat a dozen years had hardly elapsed before it became apparent that an increase in the capacity of the canal was needed. It was ascertained that the members of Coagress would do nothing toward improving the canal while it rernained the property of the State. Mr. Burt, who had been at Washington in thu interest of the canal, returned to Detroit and laid the situation of affairs before the Board of J-raue. As a means of securing the sought for end, that body took action in favor of the transfer of the canal to the United States. Acting on the showing prese.nted, the Legislatura passed a joint resolution Maren 27, 1869, authorizing the transfer of the canal to ihe United States. Although Congress did not take possebsiün of the canal until the spring of the present year, appropriations were made lor the improvement. On September 20, Gen. O. M. Poe completed .a survey and made a report to the Secretary of War, in which all the claims which had been made regarding the importance of the improvement were sus tained, and the construction of a new lock advocated. From the preliminary survey up to the present time the local charge of the work has been in th hands of Mr. Alfred Noble, assistant engineer, to whom much credit is due for the admirable manner in which the work has been done. Gen. Godfrey Weitzel succeeded Gen. Poe May 1, 1873, since which time lie has been not only nominally at the head of the work, but has taken a deep and permanent interest in the enterprise, and from the flrst showed his determination to make this the greatest and most complete terprise ot me age. The first contract in the improvement was let October 20, 1870, to Messrs. Baker, Williams & Bangs, and the first work done soon after that date. Eight subsequent contracts were let to the folio wing contractors: Baker & Williams, Boyle & Roach, C. C. Barker & Son, H. Van Vleck, and C. S. Barker. The first stone in the walls of the new lock was laiü July 25, 1876, with appropriate ceremonies, consisting of anaddress by Gen. Weitzel, oration by H. P. Davock and remarks by Geo. W. Brown and H. W. Seymour. The president of the day was Peter B. Barbeau, with numerous vice-presidents. The new lock is 515 feet long, eighty feet wide in the chamber and sixty feet at the gates. From the bottom of the lock to the top of the coping is thirty-nine feet inches. There will be sixteen feet of water over the mitre Bill. It will require 9,888,000 gallons of water to fill the lock, which is the largest in the country, if not in the world. To showthe increase of business since the canal was started, it may bestated that during the year 1855, 4,643J tons passed down the canal, wliile the amount passing through the canal during the fiscal year ending June 30 1881, was as follows: Coal, 195, 048 tons; copper, 21,189 tons; barrels of flour, 525.060; bushels of grain, 3,901,332; iron ore, 653,518 tons; manufactured iron, 53,935 tons; lumber, 41,357,000 feet; barrels of salt, 58,517; miscellaneous, 97,306 tons; total freight, 1,258,468: passengers, 19,971. Tokt Hurox, Micli., Sept. 11, 1881. To the American People: Wft have U-niglit returned froin the burnt district of Ilurou and Sanilac couutie?. We have seen the burned, disiigured and writhing bodies of msn, womeu and children; rough board coffins containing the dead followed to the grave by a few blinded despairingf relatives; crowds of half starved people at some of the stations asking bread for their famüy and neighbors. "We heard of more than 200 ictims already buried and more charred and bloated bodies daily discovered. Already more than 1,500 families are found to be utterly destitute and houaeless. They huddle in barns, in school houses, in their neighbor's hous.es, scorched, blinded, hopeïess. Some still wander half-crazed around the ruins of their habitations, vainly eeking their dead. Some in speechless agony are wringing their hands and refuse to be comforted. More than 10,000 peopl who, only oae week ago, occupieé happy, comfortable homes, are to day hóuseless, homeless suffertrs. They are hungry and almost naked when louud, and in snob great numbers and so vrïdely scattered that our best effortand greatest resources fail to supply their immediate wants. Without speedy aid many will perish and many more will suffer and become exiles. Our people will do their utmost for their relief.but all our resources would fail to meet their necessities. We appeal to the charity and generosity of the American people. Send help without delay. E.C. CARLETON, Mayor of Port Haron and Chairman of the Relief Couimittee. WM. HA-BISUFP, JOHN t. ÖAN-OEN, CHAS. A. VVAül). O AR D. CONGER, CHAS. R. PKCK. PETER B. SANBORN. The proposals for the suppression of the slave trade in Egypt recent) submitted to Lord Granville by tas AntiSlavery Society were simple in their character anü practically amounted to the plaiu suggesfion tb at no person born after a certain date should be a slave. Colonel Gordon often said that the chief difficuliy in the way of putting an end to the slave was not in securing the Knedive's sanetion to a satisfactory law, but the certainty that such a 1 1 w woukl be followed by a completely contradictory one. Thu3 Colonel Gordon says that he had an order, signed by the Khedive, to put to death all slave dealers or persons takiug sla ves; another which calis slavetaking robbery and murder; a third decreeing that this crime is to be punished tvith five months' to flve years' imprisonment; and a fourth saying that the sale and purchase of slaves is legal in Egypt. Lord Graaville speaks in high terms of the character of the present Khedive, and of nis deaire to suppress the slave trafflc.