The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-02-17
Commerce on the Great lakes.

A few months ago collision in the
Saut Ste. Marie Canal, that connects
Lake Superior and the lower lakes, tenn
porarily blocked that important water
way. Alarming reports were al once
teleeraphed to this end Of the country
concerning the probable disastrous effect
on Eastern trade. An enormous grain
tonnage was represented as delayed at the
Superior inlet, and European shippers
were seriously admonished 10 arrange
without delay for the overland trans
shipment Of their cargoes The obstruct-
ion was fortunately removed in time 10
! prevent serious detriment TO any large
body Of traders. But the incident strik-
/ ingly illustrated the intimate relstion be
tween this narrow Western channel and
the fuifIlment Of commercial obligations
on the Atlantic Coast.
This condition is emphasized by the
official report, lately issued, ofthe years
traffic through the St Mary Falls Canal
The valuable transportation" bulletins
Of the Census Bureau was shown an
amazing increase in the yearly volume Of
all lake business. Not everybody real
izes that the freight carried annually
through the Detroit River has for some
time exceeded the total exports and i'm
ports Of the whole country. This, Of
course, embraces vast quantity of merck
andise transported from Chicago, Mil
waukee and other Lake Michigan porls
around the southern peninsula" bui
the fact that in 1890 the net capacity
the vessels employed on all the Greai
Lakes was s26 $50 tons, against GA 652 IT,
lsS5. and their value, S5S, 3 800, agaIns
$50, ,597, $50, constitutes = startling exhib
Of the growing popularity of this water
route. From Lake Superior, according
10 the official figures, 10, ,l9l vessels, steau.
and sail, were locked through curing the
season If 1891 from April q to Deem
b-r I. This number Was slightly smallt'
than the number for 1890. Les iron or
and less grain, other than wheat, passe'
through the canal in 1891 than in 1890
OF wheat, however, there was an exces
Of p, ,j99 200 bushels. In other words
about : per cent Of the entire estimated
wheat crop Of the whole country foun,
an outlet by means Of this narrow slit IN
the Michigan shore. In ten years, since
the Government assumed control, tbt
yearly volume of traffic has increased
nearly seven-fold. Nor is the movement
altogether toward the East Nearly 800
600 900 tons Of merchandise were return
Ell TO Western consumers by Eastern
shippers during 1891, nd the ratio Of in
crease closely corresponds
With these facts in mind, it becomes
clear. not only that the present cans
must be reckoned a highly importan
factor in the study of Eastern commercial
problems, but that "deep-water" sgita-
ton possesses a vital interest for the en-
/ tire population Of the Atlantic seaboard.
! The restoration ofthe American merch-
ant marine must necessarily proceed
slowly, even IN view Of the vigorous i'm
pulse administered by the present Re
publican Administration. On the Great
Lakes, however, the Western spirit o.
enterprise has not contented itself with
the mere multiplication of Old-fashioned
schooneis, tugs and barges. Shipbuild
ing there is prosecuted on an original
scale, and from the Cleveland and other
shipyards have already sprung as distinct
varieties Of navalarchitecture as the old
New York packet or the flying prov Of
/ the MalaYs