Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-02-07

Remarkable Fall Of the Watcr in st. Nary;
Rtrer During the Lust Flee Years-A
Great Detrinaent to the Commerce of N
Lakes-NMmerous Appeats to Congress t.
Remedy the Mdfter.
iChicago Times.
The French pioneers in this part of the
country had saying that the level of the
water in the lakes fell for seven years anG
then rose for seven years. 1t doesn't seem
to be quite certain how much of truth and
how much of myth there is in this, but
there is great deal of complaint that the
water in Lake Superior and its outlet, the
st. Mary's river, is several feet lower than ii
was few years ago, and the water is so low
in the st. Mary's river as to very seriously
impede navigation.
This low-water period runs back about five
years. Ten years ago there were fourteen
feet of water in the lock, and sixteen,
eighteen, and even twenty feet in the st.
Mary's river. The lock is now being deep
ened to admit vessels drawing sixteen feet of
water, but the stage of water in tue river is
SO low that in places the depth is only eleven
and half feet. 1t is, therefore, impossible
for the larger lake craft to go through, and
the consequent obstruction to commerce is
immense.
There is very large trade passing through
the st. Mary's river, or would pass through
it if it could. The Northern Transportation
company and Leopold & Austrian run lines
of steamers from this port to Lake
Superior. These steamers draw thir-
teen or fourteen feet of water when
loaded. As they can't go through the
river drawing more than eleven feet, the loss
to them is obviously large. Schooners are
employed in bringing ircn ore from the
south shore of Lake Superior to the furnaces
here, but the larger vessels can't afford to
cherier by the ton, because they can't get
outside of the lake with a full cargo.
But Chicago is only one of many interest
ed points. Not only is Duluth the lake ter
minus of the Northern Pacific railroad, but
a great deal of the Minnesota grain and -four
trade can be most cheaply marketed by
being shipped from Lake Superior p ,rts. 1t
is apparent, therefore, that the low water in
St. Mary's river is most serious obstacle to
lake commerce.
Gen. Weitzel, the engineer, has made a
survey of the river and reported that it can
be deepened in the shallow parts sufficiently
to give minimum of sixteen
feet of water for 100000. The
boards of trade of Minneapolis and St.
Paul, and of nearly all the ports both on the
upper and lower lakes, have adopted me-
mortal to Congress urging that body to make
the necessary appropriations to have this
deepening done at once. The directors of
the board of trade of this city have just
adopted the following preamble and resolu-
tons on this subject:
WHEREAS, 1t is represented to this board that
tire depth of water in the st. Mary's river is
quite insufficient to float the larger class of
vessels now engaged in the trade with Lake
Superior, thereby causing great delay and I'M
necessary expense in conducting the rapidly
increasing commerce of this portion of the
great lakes; and
WHEREAS, The necessities of trade demand
the early completion of the improvements now
in progress in the st. Mary's ship canal. which,
with the proper deepening of the river, will en-
able the largest class of lake vessels to engage
in the Lake Superior trade; and
WHEREAS, The deepening of the channel at
the lime-kiln crossing in the Detroit river RS
contemplated by the engineer department. of
the government is of great and pressing impor-
lance to the vast commerce of the lakes passing
that point therefore, be it
HeSctota, mat IN view OF the great lmpor-
lance of these works the Congress of the URit-
ed States is earnestly requested to make
prompt and adequate appropriations Cor their
early completion.
Resolred, That the president of this board be
requested to appoint committee to proceed
to Washington and press upon the appropriate
committees of Congress the urgent necessity
for such action at the present session in re-
spect to the above improvements as will insure
their carly completion.