The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1889-08-10

way before they enter the lock. But
this is too great risk to he endured
We need larger appropriations SO al to
complete the larger lock at the earli-
est possible moment. The average
cost of the transportation of ton of
freight one mile on the great lakes
was found to be 15-l00thS Of 4 cent,
while the cost of rail transportation
was cent per ton per mile, showing
the enormous gain from water trans
portation. A little calculation would
show what the saving has been on Az,
900, 900 tons of freight which has
passed through the 500 canal in the 33
years it has been open. Mr.. Seymour
spoke at some length on the work on
the Hay Lake channel, which will not
only straighten the course, making it
possible to navigate the river at night
but will shorten the distance by ii
miles At 15-100ths of a cent per ton
per mile, the saving on the business of
last year alone from the shortening of
the distance would have been more
than. $4,000. 1t will take 81 600, 900
more to complete the Improvement of
Hay Lake channel and $3.50, 600 to
complete the lock. Only 81, 500, 900
was asked for both improvements of
the last congress. The liver and har-
Dor committee are accustomed to scale
down the amounts asked for to one
half or one-third If they do that
with this work it will take a long time
to complete it. With the tonnage
increasing at the rate of 1000, 900
tons year, it is too great risk to
leave it dependent on one lock for a
day, for a single hour longer than is
absolutely necessary. This conven-
ton should make this matter the most
important point in its resolutions
because it is the most important work
now under way. We can wait a little
while for the deepening of the st. Clair
fats, but we cannot risk this breakage
when the money of the people lies UNI
used in the treasury. The canal
which the Canadians are constructing,
for political reasons, will take three or
four years to complete, and will not be
much of "a relief. 1t will only allow
the passage of vessels having a
drought of ii feet, and only seven per
cent. of the tonnage passing through
the canal at the present time is Cana
dian, while our tonnage is increasing
at the rate of nearly forty per cent.
per year. Thanking the convention
for listening to him, Mr.. Seymour sat
down amid great applause.
Secretary Street read letters from
F. w. Wheeler, NJ. c., of West Bay
City, Mich, and James Henry Harris,
of Chicago, secretary of the American
Shipping and Industrial league eX-
pressing regret at their inability to be
present, and their sympathy with the
objects for which the convention was
assembled.
The committee not yet appearing,
Mr.. J. S. Keith, of Chicago, read an
interesting paper treating on the area
of the country tributary to the great
lakes, the growth of the tonnage there
on, the comparative tonnage of the
500 and Suez canals, and the compare
tive cost of rail and water tranSpor-
tation. One point he made is worthy
of consideration: with Is feet of
water the carrying capacity of the
vessels on the lakes would be increased
% to 80 per cent without any addition
al cost, With 90 feet of water an in
crease of 10 per cent in cost of con
struction would give vessels having 40
to so per cent. greater capacity" =
We have not got the copy" nor yet
the space to give Mr.. Keith's remarks
in full, but we deem it one of the most
important speeches made during the
convention, and as it Will be printed
in the minutes of the convention in
pamphlet form for general distribu-
ton as ordered by the convention, we
will wait until it 50 appears and then
reproduce it for the benefit of all of
all our readers who may not see the
pamphlet.
The committee on resolutions hav-
ing returned, Chairman Ellis read
their report as follows:
RESOLVED, That we explicitly declare as the
sense OF this convention that ship channel 20
feet in depth should be undertaken and com
pleted by the general government, as early rs
practicable, through the shadows and rivers
connecting the great lakes.
RESOLVED, That upon the speedy completion
OF the new lock and improvement of Hay Lake
channel in st. Mary's river depend u cheaper rate
OF transportation OF the products of the East and
Northwest through the Use of the large freight
carriers and the insurance of continuous and
safe passage of such carriers against the acct
dents which the operation OF a single lock can
RESOLVED, That the interests of commerce i'm
paratively demand that the appropriation of the
sum named by the engineer in charge, stated
by the secretary of war in his annual report to
congress, as the amount that be protittbly
seXpended for the construction of the new lock
and Improvement of Hay Lake channel in St.
Mary river should not be reduced, as is usually
done, but appropriated in full by congress as
recommended in said report
RESOLVED, That this convention recommend
that the harbors of the great lakes be deepened
ana improved as rapidly as practicable, To
accommodate vessels drawing twenty feet of
| water.
RESOLVED, That in this as In any other con
vention in the interest of cheap water transpor-
tatlon and the consequent improvement of rivers
lakes, and harb0rs by liberal appropriations by
the general government, that great system of in
land naYlgaton-''The Mississippi river and its
deep water tributaries" cannot be overlooked,
and this convention strongly endorses the con
unued Improvement of that system by adequate
! appropriations by congress.
WHEREAS, The great lakes and navigable
waters connecting and enjoying into the same
have not been officially surveyed between the years
1919 and 1874, and
| WHEREAS, Since that time numerous reefs
rocks, bars and other distractions To navigation
have been discovered in these waters and ,...
| WHEREAS. Different Improvements and
changes as to channels and nayigabe water have
by excavation and otherwise particularly in the
connecting waters which do not appear upon the
said charts and published surveys and
| WHEREAS, Various and additional lights light
houses, beacons, fog whistles and sirens have
been located and established and some changed
1 since the surveys and
WHEREAS, Commerce and the tonnage foated
by these waters have, since said SURVEYS were