Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-07-14


1t estimated that the exports and
imports Of 1885 and 1886 each near
ly equalled 1888.
Tie above table, though it may
be defective, serves, at least to
to show the steady annual increase,
of business, for ten or twelve years,
from the first commencement of
public works at the harbor.
No account Of the exports and i'm
ports was kept or reported, we be-
iieve, after 1888. The business,
however, continued to increase from
year to year, until the railroads
built along the shores of the
lake, by changing the course of
trade and travel, caused the with
drawal of a very large portion of the
Splendid steamboats, then upon the
lakes, and almost entirely destroyed
the business of the small harbors,
which had no railroad connections.
From 1888 tosIe52 no appropria-
tions were made, except $50oOy for
repairs, above mentioned. In 1923
SI0,O42.64 were appropriated. There
lwere no appropriations from that
time until 1866. Since then there
has been appropriated SlS4, ,70s.s2,
making the total amount of appro-
priations for the improvement of this
Harbor $26l,47bfI. ra
For detailed and authentic report
of these appropriation ms / am indebt-
ed to Henry Hubbard, Esq. Most
of the other facts l have gathered
from the official reports,
The beacon lighthouse on the east
pier has been taken down, and a
similar structure was erected last
spring, on the end of the west pier,
much better situation for it.
Col. Blunt in his recent report
states that "the extension-S60 feet
in length-of the west pier, at the
port Of Ashtabula, has been COM
pIeted this year-1s75." A depth of
over the bar, has been obtained of
16 feet, and Ashtabula Harbor now
ranks among the best on the south
shore Of Lake Erie.
Previous to the commencement OF
the formation Of harbor here, the
river was inaccessible during the
greater portion of the business sea
son, even to small vessels, owing to
the sand bar which Usually obstruct-
ed its entrance. From the year
1927 vessels could lie securely with
in the piers, and the consequences
of the security thus afforded to com
merce was very striking. The val
ne of the trade advanced rapidly.
In 1886, 4O7 steamboats,and I56 9TH
er vessels entered the Harbor, and
there were six vessels owned here.
For ten years previous to the
building of the Franklin division Of
Lake Shore & Mich. Southern. and
the A., Y. & P. Railroads, very lit
tie business was done at this harbor,
but since that time, and since the ex-
tensive docks, slips and coal chutes
have been built by these companies,
business has revived and large
amount of iron ore and coal are
shipped at this port, as evidenced by
the business of the past two years.
In 1874, $50. vessels arrived aud
215 cleared from this harbor. So
900 tons of iron orc and 10000 tons
coal were received and shipped.
There were also received among 9TH
er articles 1000 cords of lime stone,
u, 600 barrels salt and 100000 IT.
of pine lumber.
III 1875 the arrivals were 500 and
/ clearances 296. $4,000 tons of coal
were shipped and 146 cargoes of iron
ore and 81 miscellaneous cargoes
were received. Notwithstanding
the dullness Of the times, the business
Of the present year has thus far ex-
ceeded that Of the past, with a fair
prospect of an increase in the Future