great savings. If the haul is a long haul, as it is on the Great Lakes, water transportation costs about one-third of rail transportation. The Great Lakes waterway has been demonstrated to be a success. Now, what is the St. Lawrence project? There is a barrier between Lake Ontario and the sea, and the St. Lawrence project means the removal of that barrier. The Welland Canal, now nearing completion, will remove the barrier at Niagara Falls. From Lake Ontario to Montreal is a distance of 182 miles., Between Lake Ontario and Gallop Island, a distance of 68 miles, there is now a channel more than 30 feet deep, with a minimum width of 500 feet. Therefore, there is only a distance of 114 miles involved in the improvement. But in this 114 miles there is now at different points about 68 miles of navigable water, leaving about 46 miles constituting the barrier now existing. This consists of rapids at various points, around which the Canadian Government has built canals with locks permitting the passage of boats 260 feet in length with a 15-foot draft. The problem of the removal of this barrier has been the subject of investigation by the International Joint Commission, consisting of six members, three appointed by the United States and three by the Do minion of Canada. The investigation was made pursuant to action taken by Congress in 1920, and agreed to by Canada. Engineers of the United States and Canadian governments were assigned to assist the Commission in the preparation of engineering plans for the improvement of the river. The Commission spent nearly two years investigating the subject. Hearings were held throughout the United States and Canada, and on January 16, last, it filed with the Secretary of State its report, which has been transmitted to Congress. In this report the Commission unanimously recommends the opening of the St. Lawrence River, preferably upon the plan recommended by the engineers assigned them, and that the United States and Canada enter into a treaty for the improvement. The estimated cost of the completed improvement is $252,000,000, to be borne by the two countries, which sum includes the creation of incidental water power to the extent of 1,450,000 horsepower, one-half of which will belong to the United States. This, then, is the St. Lawrence project, a project admitting oceangoing vessels into the Great Lakes, creating 1,150,000 horsepower, onehalf of which will belong to the United States, available for the industries of New England and New York, all at a cost of about $250,000,000. AUTOMOBILES AT RAILROAD CROSSINGS. Inspectors of the Pennsylvania Railroad recently made a check of 30,378 automobile drivers at highway crossings in the States of Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. A summary of these checks shows that ninety-seven per cent drove over the railroad tracks in a careful manner, but three per cent failed to exercise the ordinary precautions necessary for the protection of life. The following forms of careless driving were noted: Failing to look in either direction for train; disregarding the stop signal of crossing watchmen; driving under crossing gates in front of trains while gates were being lowered; running on crossings before stopping, not having car under control; stalling on the tracks; stopping cars on crossings and turning around on the tracks; paying no attention to the locomotive warning whistles; racing automobiles across the tracks to beat trains. At one crossing during a period of 17 hours, 73 cars bearing license tags from five different states were checked up that averaged 37 miles per hour when running across the railroad tracks and in two instances they were making almost a mile a minute. At another crossing 19 new and inexperienced drivers were observed; 15 tried to "beat" other automobiles across the railroad tracks and one car was driven 25 miles per hour in the dark without lights. It was not possible to tell how many cars had defective brakes, but 4 accidents at crossings due to this cause actually occurred on the Pennsylvania System during June and July. J. T. GARRETT, Pres. R. P. GARRETT, V.-Pres. MISSOURI BRIDGE AND IRON CO. MANUFACTURERS and BUILDERS of STEEL BRIDGES, BUILDINGS and OTHER STRUCTURAL STEEL WORK. We Carry a Large Stock of Steel in Our Yard for Orders Where Quick Delivery is Required. 1000-1001 Fullerton Bldg. Contracting Office ST. LOUIS, MO. We make your concrete, brick or stone surfaces absolutely water-tight and water-proof. The Ferro-Tite method insures long-livity and permanent satisfaction under Guarantee. Ferro-Tite is an iron material, manufactured and applied by us as waterproofing on subways, basements, scale pits, power houses, concrete tanks, reservoirs, tunnels, etc., under contract. Let us handle your waterproofing problems. Literature on request. Contract Waterproofing Co. 2042 RAILWAY EXCHANGE BLDG., ST. LOUIS There are more than 10,000,000 automobiles in the United States. Three per cent represents 300,000. This number of carelessly driven machines distributed on the streets and highways constitutes a serious menace to the safety of all the people and an unwarranted reflection upon the careful drivers who make up ninety-seven per cent of the total. With these facts in mind and because approximately seven thousand deaths and injuries occur annually at grade crossings in the United States, the American Railway Association is urging the American people to CROSS CROSSINGS CAUTIOUSLY. APPLICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP-ENGINEERS' CLUB. Member VERNON BAKER, Graduate Washington University, 1895. Now Chief Engineer, Russell Engineering Co. Sponsors: Geo. B. Evans, H. C. Wehnert. ROBERT W. HUNT JOHN J. CONE D. W. MCNAUGHER ROBERT W. HUNT & CO., ENGINEERS INSPECTION OF RAILWAY AND STRUCTURAL MATERIALS CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL TESTS St. Louis Office and Laboratories, 1403 Syndicate Trust Bldg. Associate Member-CHAS. R. GILLESPIE (age 42), St. Louis Manual Training School. Now with Div. Sewers & Paving, Board of Public Service. Sponsors: E. E. Wall, W. W. Horner. Junior Member-ERWIN E. BLOSS (age 22), Graduate of Washington University, 1922. Now Junior Civil Engr., Div. Sewers & Paving, Board of Public Service. Sponsors: W. W. Horner, Guy Brown. THE ENGINEERS' TABLE. Mrs. Brown: "I hear the vicar thinks your daughter has a real genius for reciting, Mrs. Smith." Mrs. Smith: "Yes, all she wants, he says to me, is a course in electrocution, just to finish her off like." London Opinion. Summer madness must have struck the editor of the A. S. M. E. News. The August number is in evidence. Rarely have we seen so thoroughly frivolous and delightful a literary production emanating SERVICE-PLUS TH HAT PLUS stands for courtesy, attention to ¶ With a most complete plant, covering 12,000 Britt Printing & Publishing Co. Olive 4822-4823 S. W. Cor. Walnut-Ninth Central 3006 |