The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1852-09-23
From the st. Louis Evening News.
STEAMER BALTIMORE, !
Lake .Sunerior- AuyuSt. 1872.

terruption in whatever remarks have make upon
the country and copper mines of Lake Superior. In
my last, gave YOU outline description Of the vii
lage of Saul Ste Marie, which stands at the foot of
the rapids, the south side of the river and is not
quite mile below the steamboat landing the foot
Of Lake Superior. The wharves of the Saut are
connected with those the foot Of Lake Superior by
a railroad mile in length, that freight cars,
drawn by horses from one boat to the other, and
exchange the cargoes Of each with and rapdty.
This mode Of connecting the business of the lower
lakes with that of Lake Superior would answer very
well, if it not for the difficulty of transferring
boats and vessels from below the waters Of Lake
Superior. This cannot be done by the railroad, nor
by means of the rapids, but by a temporary railway
made purpose, on which the boat is hauled by
Of stationary capstans, OK teams, and heavy
tackle and pues This boat--the Baltimore-was
transferred to the bosom of Lake Superior in this
manner, and of last winter occupied in haul
ing her over.
This method you will perceive, of introducing
shipping to the waters of Lake Superior must be
very expensive, and attend with loss Of life and many
other serions dscouragcments which can be obvatcd
only by the construction Of a ship canal around the
rapids by the United States; which ought to be
dertaken by our Government thout another months
delay
When the beat was ready to start, she sent her
baggage to the Saul Ste Marie Hotel for baggage
and passengers, and all hands piled on, with childish
av ldity, TO enter upon the of this remar kable
inland sea.
On arriving at the Baltimore we found two conlmo-
dous and expensive wharves built out into the lake
aud our steamer and two propeilers constituted all
the shipping then in port. The Baltimore, three steam
propellers, and few small schooners, make no the
entire shipping of this lake. The b. is the third
steamer which has piled upon her waters. The Jaha
Palmer was the first and introduced seven years ago.
Her hull now serves as wharf at the woodward at
White Fish Point, 20 miles above the rapids. The
Monficco the second boat; brought out last year,
and lost not long since on her way between Ontona-
gon and Eagle river; but fortunately no lives were
lost.
was greatly surprised to find so large, well fin
shcd and wen furnished boat on Lake Superior as
the Bahimorc. 1t affords about the accomno-
dations the best class kcokuk and Laalle packets
though ssarily built much heavier and stronger.
The engine lies horizontally, and is similar in
stluction to Our river engin The whole boat in
size and arrangement of cabins, is very much like the
second class boats the lower lakes. The fare
from the Saul to Ontonagol about $50 miles, is 81.
10 the other ports the kcweenaw Point, where
the principal copper mines found, it is only Sc,
the distance being 60 to so miles less.
On first touching the water of Lake Superior at
her outlet, the stranger feels unpleasant dsappoint-
ment. Instead of meeting with sudden and broad
expanse Of waters, such he is prepared expect
from previously acquired impressions Of the magni-
tudc of the Lake. he finds himself booking off to the
West upon the surface of broad river not much
wider than the Delaware at Philadelphia, with high
hills gradually rising before you III the distance on
either side.
The Lake, however, gradually widens, so that at
the distance Of p miles from the SAINT YOU pass thro
II considerable bay beyond White Fish Point, though
it contracts again at the points of high land called
Gros Cap on the Canada shore, and Point Iroquis on
the American side, distance of Is miles above the
Saut, where the distance from shore shore cannot
be over or Or perhaps miles.
When YOU pass these points of high land on either
side, YOU emerge once into the broad bosom Of the
Lake, and the scene before You is of grandeur
and innitu,!e. Only small island dots the mir
rorcd surface which spreads out before you-whe
the Gros Cap Mountain. composed mostly Of the old
red sand stone formations rises elevation of 700
feet above the surface of the Lake your right and
Point loquoi, composed wholly of granite boulders
and transported materials rises almost high on your
iett--the SUBMITS OF which clad with scattering
dwarf pines, hcmlock, cedar and fir trees.
The scenery is unlike anything found the lower
Lakes, the Atlantic coast, or upon the rivers OF the
West.
The traveller looks about himself in wild emotion.
and ns,inctyely feels as if he were in foreign land
All unlike what he has been accustomed to behold
The crystal cieaness Of the water; the variety and
spendor OF the optical illusions which rise in the far
of distance upon Its surface, presenting headaads
where none exists, 4" islands clothed with vcrtiugc or
grit with cliffs rising from the surface of the Lake
remaining awhile and then disappearing; and iron
bound shores rising to altitude OF many hundred
feet presenting forest trees and geological features
seen upon no other waters OF the Union; all these |
say, impress the stranger with feelings unlike those
experienced on first bcholIng the varied and sublime
scenes the Falls Of Niagara or some parts of the
Atlantic ocean. The feeling is even heightened IN
grandeur, when You reflect that You are sailing upon
an inland sea OF almost oceanic dimensions whose
surface is 62O feet above, and whose bed sinks far be-
low the level of the Atlantic ocean.
Its waters resemble those of the ocean in crystal
Ceaness, and cold, even in midsummer that
the stoutest could not live in them over quarter
of an hour. Their temperature six or eight feet be-
low the surface is not much above the freezing point
and water taken from that depth tastes as cool as
common iced water The depth of the lake is so
great that it does not freeze very far out from the
shore during winter. This appears scarcely credible
when yOu reflect that we obliged To have fire in
the cabin evening and morning at this time of sum-
mer to keep comfortably warm, and that the latitude
is higher Qim'her north) than thai, of Queboc.
Our course is little north OF west from Saul Ste.
Marie to kewcenaw Point, distance OF two hundred
miles. This point is the northern projection of
the southern coast into the lake, and nearly midway
between its eastern and western eXtremitics The
great indentation made in the southern side Of the
lake by this point or cape, imparts somewhat of a
bag-pipc shape to the lake-the outer circumference
comparing with the northern Canada Shore and
the inner one with that Of the southern shore.
The northeastern projection Of Keweenaw Point is
in latitude Il deg. % min. while It's base is in 46
deg. 30 min Thus you see it extends across whole
parallel of latitude in northeastern direction which
gives the character of large cape or PENN
su'a than a ''point." 1t ought TO have been
called keweenaw Peninsula, since its width is nearly
ten miles at its extremity, and over thirty miles at it,
base and has a length of nearly on quite a hundred
miles along its outer northwestern side The sum
NIT of this point peninsula rises from six to eight
hundred feet above the level of the lake, and ranges
northeast and southwest. The copper mines arc
found principally III the trap range of this summit
The day is clear, and kewccnaw Point is just ap-
pearng in the dim outline along the western horizon
although more than thirty miles distant Mount
Houghton. the south side of the point, twelve
miles further off than the point itself is the first to
show itself, it being eight hundred and cighty-lom
feet high. In fact its summit hung inverted in the
sky time before the main land or mountain was
visblethe result of one Of those optical illusions to
which have referred, and which constantly amuse
you in sunny day.
Ny next will be from Eagle river, where we land
in order visit the celebrated Cliff Nine only three
miles distant. Respectfully yours,
MISSOURI.
THE STORM IN NEW JERsEY.-The wind and
rain were exceedingly violent in lower Jersey. (and