E & F N Spon London & New York“INK-PHOTO.” SPRAGUE & CO. LONDON.
NEWTON CUTTING ON THE BIRMINGHAM CANAL
(TAME VALLEY).
WATERWAYS
AND
WATER TRANSPORT
IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES:
WITH A DESCRIPTION OF THE PANAMA, SUEZ,
MANCHESTER, NICARAGUAN, AND
OTHER CANALS.
BY
J. STEPHEN JEANS, M.R.I., F.S.S.,
AUTHOR OF ‘ENGLAND’S SUPREMACY’; ‘RAILWAY PROBLEMS,’ ETC.
E. & F. N. SPON, 125, STRAND, LONDON.
NEW YORK: 12, CORTLANDT STREET.
1890.
It would probably be difficult to name any subject that is of moreimportance to the material interests of a country than adequate meansof transport. Without such means, nations possessed of the mostabundant natural resources in many other respects would be likely todecay. With ample facilities of transport, however, the most limitednatural resources may be made to go a long way, and nations that arenot possessed of great natural endowments may even rise to a high placein the economy of human industry.
Transportation facilities naturally divide themselves into the twocategories of facilities by land and facilities by water. The formercategory embraces highways and railroads; the latter includes thenavigation of seas, lakes, rivers, and canals.
It is the purpose of this volume to deal with water transport only,and more particularly that part of water transport which is carried onby means of artificial waterways. Railway transport, therefore, willonly be incidentally referred to. Nor do we propose to expatiate to anyextent upon the navigation of seas and lakes, which is a matter quiteapart from canal and river navigation, and is usually carried on undervery different conditions.
Canals are usually ranged under one or other of three great categories,namely:—
1. For purposes of navigation.
2. For irrigation, and
3. For domestic water supply.
Under the first heading there are many different descriptions ofwaterways, the more important being—
a. Canals intended for the purpose of connecting oceans or seas,such as those of Suez, Panama, the North Sea, and Nicaragua.
b. Canals for the purpose of bringing the sea to an inland town,such as those of Manchester and St. Petersburg.[iv]
c. Canals designed to connect and complete communication betweendifferent rivers or lakes, like the Grand Canal of China, the ErieCanal, and the Welland Canal.
d. Canals constructed for the purpose of enabling the obstructionscaused by falls or cataracts on natural waterways to be overcome byartificial means.
As water transport by the most efficient and most economical meanspracticable is the raison d’être of