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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12 ONTARIO TODAY Ships wait in Lake Ontario for clearance By Tom Morrison I Ithough it has been generally recognized that the full potential of the St. Law- rence Seaway will not be realized until the five single locks on the Welland Canal are twinned, it took the alarums and crises that occurred in the Welland over the first three. months of Seaway operation to forcibly de- monstrate how vital is this 27 mile Lake Ontario -- Lake Erie link in the 2,300 mile inland waterways system. Up until the end of July chaotic con- ditions were encountered the canal, brought about mainly by the inexperience of officers and men on salties not accus- tomed to canal conditions. Many of the vessels got into trouble because they lacked the pulley type winches geared to Canadian locks. Propeller blades on some ships, ideal for ocean sailing, were not too responsive in the canal. Proper adjustmeht of ballast was another problem. The salties were bang- ing into lock-fenders and snapping lock gate cables. / MOST LUDICROUS SHOW was that of the East Adriatic Company's 28,000 tonner Asia, which sailed briskly into Port Weller only to discover that six feet of her bridge would have to be hacked off to allow the vessel to get through the first lock. Now, with the hulabaloo over canal de- lays and mishaps only a memory. and a calm appraisal possible, it seems fairly cer- tain there should be little, if any recurrence of this year's difficulties in the Welland Canal in the 1960 navigation season. For one thing, it's not expected that there'll be the pile-up of shipping eager to be first into various ports in the completed Seaway's initial season. : Then too there's likely to be a reduction in the number of salties plying the water- way next year. Many of them voyaged in- land this year for the first time merely to show the flag. Those that do return are bound to be more experienced in canal passage, further reducing the incidence of delays through unfamiliarity with opera- tional precedure. in EXPECT TO PLAY A BIG part in keeping traffic moving smoothly next year is the off-season project announced by the Depart- ment of Transport through which 7,000 feet of tie-up walls will be constructed. These are to be 'installed above Lock 1, below Locks 2 and 3, and above and below the guard gate. The tie-up stations will permit ships to move immediately into locks as soon as Up the present, vessels have had to stay out in they can be accommodated. to the lakes awaiting a signal. Downbound ships have been tying up at Port Colborne awaiting notification that the locks at Thorold, 12 miles away, has been cleared. Besides the installation of tie-up walls, the Department of Transport has the pat- tern of maintenance work on the canal under review; is studying the possibility of improving hydraulic operations for more efficient locking techniques; and is expected to draw up new regulations covering ship- ping equipment required for negotiating the inland waterway. ALL THIS DOES NOT MEAN that the idea of twinning the Welland Canal locks has heen abandoned. An engineering study of the twinning project is under way. It's not expected, however, that twinning will be required for possibly from seven to 10 years. The project could come earlier if shipping tonnage growth exceeds expecta- tions. Work which will commence at the end of the present navigation season will cost $7,500,000. Twinning the locks would cost an estimated $150,000,000. The current work program had also put at rest conjecture that a new Lake Ontario- Lake Erie canal might be built between Jordan Harbour on Lake Ontario and Port Maitland on Lake Erie. Talk has also died down of an all-American canal cutting through from Lake Ontario to the mouth of the Niagara River. FIRST YEAR OPERATIONS on the Seaway will show a considerable increase in ship- ping. Figures issued at the end of August CONT. ON PAGE 17 HEES LOOKS AT SEAWAY Transport Minister'Hees said this: "The most ser- ious holdups' were on the. Welland Canal ... Not everything can be charged to inexperience. ,/We have this plans for next year which recognized in our call for the construction of 'tie-up walls at certain loca- tions on the Welland Canal which will provide for re- duction of transit time through the canal. The 1m- mediate effect expected next year in an increase of 25 per cent in potential capacity at an estimated expenditure of approxima- tely $7,500,000. This will enable us to realize the maximum capacity of the Welland Canal as it now stands." PAGE FIFTEEN COUGHS recier Colds Should you contract a cold, be it ever so trivial, resort at once to Robert's Syrup. Pleasant to take. Your nearest dealer has it. DR. THOMAS' | ECLECTRIC OIL gives instant relief. Relied on by four genera. tionsofCanadianmothers, Penetrates fast to relieve pain and congestion. Apply it warm--rub it In. Nothing like it for ast relief! At drug counters everywhere. TRY This coin is worth QUEEN VICTORIA 5c COIN PROVINCE OF CANADA 1858 "LARGE DATE" A COLLECTOR'S ITEM i 10.00 S¢ CANADA'S LEADING , CIGAR 7818 CRETE »