The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1889-08-31


"a average for the year than tlat men
toned above, and the sum actually
saved in transportation. due 10 the eX-
istCnre Of The water route under CON
siderat;Un, ought therefore TO be cor
reSrondinEly increased.
it is not at al improbable that but
for the water route open for about sew
en months III 1887 the charges levied
upon the freight carried would have
amounted to $50, 0e0, coo II this esti-
mate is not exaggerated, and | think it
is not. then the actual benefit to pro
Queer and consumer was fully SO, 600,
UGJ in that single year, divided be-
tween them in unknown proportions.
To realize what this benefit means it
IS only necessary to state that ii repre-
SCENTS more than ten times the cost OF
improving the canal in st. Mary's
liver 10 the present time, OF about SIX
times the estimated cost of the pro
posed further improvement, or about
four times the cost Of all The improve
ments already made and those yet to
be made between Lake Superior and
Lake Huron.
Moreover, it IS fully seven times the
amount expended upon improvements
between Lake Superior and Lake Erie.
If the great architect of the universe
had favored the northwestern country
with another Ink 90 the chain OF lakes
extending 10 the Missouri river where
By lake craft could continue their v0y-
age 10 BismaTk, at most The freight
would not increase beyond the ratio Of
the geographical distances, or twenty
cents per ton from here to BismaTk, a
saving Of $50 per ton on coal.
On wheat from Bismarh here there
would he a gain q nearly fifteen cents
PER bUshcl to the producer and con
sumner, and more profitable To the car
Iier Oh the long than the short trip, as
be would earn as much freight money
n tive OF tae former as in three OF the
latter trips. gain Of thjrty-three and
one-taId per cent. of past charges,
and time in port, which is material in
the course Of a season.
Ruo as We have not been favored
with this imaginary lake, let us make
the best use of those we dc have, and
il is my opinion that the cheapest,
SuresI, aud most expeditions method,
is d increase the water il our h&rhor5
and rivers to a depth of twenty feet by
sim}ly removing and overcoming some
OF the distractions that nature has
omitted.
TO obtain this draft Gen. Poe has cs-
timattd the cost OF the 500" canal
AMI river which Vii include a new
lock, ut S7,SJT $50; improving the De
trOit river and st. Clair flats at 81 ,GS:},
500; a total OF So, 49, 600. And III adj
dition TO this there would still remain
the necessity OF deepening the pas
s3ges at barr Point, which is wholly
IN Canadian territory. And while /
have no oIlicial estimate Of the cost of
this work it is safe to assume that
double the cost OF deepening Gross
Point would assure the same draft of
water and still be within the $I0000,
Gee Limit.
F0r q moment let us review the adj
vantages gained and cost Of some OF
the principal waterway improvements
Of the world.
The Suez and 500 canals-the former
as well known TO the world as the
water it connects, while the latter is
not known outside of the lake bound
aries If the SueZ canals capital is
any guide to It's cost, which | have
been unable to obtain, the amount is
$50 u00, 600.
The freight tonnage moved that
passed through the fiscal wear ending
June 80, 1856, which is my latest data,
was 7,0S6, 30 tons, decrease Of $50, 900
tons from the preceding year.
There passed through the 500 canal
in seven months Of the fiscal year end
ing June so, 1888, 1881, 1853 tons and
reckoning the increase Cf one and the
decrease Of the other, ! quite expect
thAt this year the tonnage OF The 500
WI cross the line of the SUCZ. The
registered tonnage that passed
through the 500 canal last month was
.237 500 tons, while the registered
that passed through the Suez canal in
the twelve months OF 1886 was but
SIS! $50 tons.
Yet the one was a commercial
country 1860 years before the other
WAS discovered.
II IS now estimated that the Pana-
ma canal when completed viii cost
upwards of So, coo, geo, and that eight
or nine million tons OF freight VIII
pass through it yearly, while there
passed through the Detroit river 20,
/ 900, GEO tens, twenty-five per cent.
greater than that Of the Suez and Pan
anna canals combined.
The cost of the 500 and the Detroit
river III Land and money was about
/ s., 800 ,0J0, against $602, 600, 600 of the
| other, with better results, as it is
claimed that the SueZ canal cheapens
the transportation Of wheat from
India to Europe ten ceuts per bushel,
and it Is safe TO say that the lake
routes render as good service over
rail from here to Buffalo. and the
former waterways was bulls and is
built III countries foreign to their pro
lecture, whilst the latter is through
our own territory and for our own
people
With deeper waters let as see what
the results would be. The majority Of
orr lake tonnage That las been bujlt
within The last three or four wears can
I he loaded to eighteen feet draft as
/ well rs now fifteen and Ona-half, there
/ 10y Increasing our tonnage about
/ twenty-five per cent. in carrying ca
F&city without any eEtry cost, and our
largest snip building company on the
lakes assures rs that with a twenty
foot craft of water ten per cent. adj
ded 10 the cost Of lake craft, we viii
gain from forty to fifty per cent. in ca
pac'Jy, q profit OF ti3irty-iiye per cent.
on oU tuHnagG-an excellent invest
uert
There are people who believe that
taa carrier VIII he tie sole beneficiary
OF lie Waterways Improvement. but
tic contrary is the case. for with I'M
creased tonnage il viii cause stronger
competition, and with more supply
taan demand the freight IS measured
gE The expense of tae venture. There
fore Walh less expense there VIII be
fewer tIel~Ets. for If there were no pZ-