The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-03-10
SHIP BUILDING ON THE LAKES
Its Development Excocds That OF the Sea
Coast and Western Rivers.

Its Development Exceeds That Of the ses
Coast and Western Rivers.
The ship building industry On the grea'
lakss is reviewed at length i'll q profusell
illustrated article in the current Engineer
ing Magazine by Henry A. Griffin. secre-
tary of the board Of control of Cleveland.
This industry. including engine. boiler
and other machine works. comprises ovel
thirty firms, with an invested capital OF
$40, 600, 900 to $500 900. aside from the
builders of small craft not represented III
the registered tonnage. "A few OF the large
establishments still construct wooden ves-
sells: the business of others il largely con-
fined to repairs; and some Of them have
great dry-docks for repairs and are builders
of iron and steel. wooden, or composite
yeesels, or all OF these. as we'll. Their
united capacity is equal to that OF all the
sea coast and river chip yards combined.
The tonnage passing Detroit III 1880 was
Ass, 47o tons-A million tons greater than
that of the entire foreign and coastwise
trade OF London. The total freight carried
in 1892, estimated on the basis OF the census
of 1890. was over $4,000 900 tons, valued:at
nearly S4OO, 900. 900. 1t included over 5000,
600 of iron o q. 4.5o0.0 C0 tons OF -four and
grain, 6.CoO. 900 tons OF coal. 1000. 600 tons
chandise and 4 800. 900 tons of other coarse
products and domestic merchandise. The
of Cleveland alone exceeded TO-
COO, 600 tons in 1892; equalinR that Of either
of the great ports of Liverpool or Hamburg
in weight. and twice that Of either Glasgow
or Hull. The tonnage passing through the
ST. Mary's Falls canal 10 greater in the lake
season (seven and a half months) than that
passing through the Suez canal In the whole
year.
All Of this growth applies oaly to the
United States coast-line OF 5000 miles.
There has been no growth at all on the
equally extended Canadian coast line,
owing chiefly to the policy of the United
States government, which requires Ameri-
can vessels to be built in American ports.
and does not permit Canadian vessels to
traffic between American ports. Butthe pos
abilities of development on that other coast
line when manifest destiny" shall have been
realized are of striking Importance. A
hint of the extent of tho north
and south when the imaginary boundary
between American and British possessions
shall have been obliterated is given by the
recent lease of the London Il Port Stanley
railway, in Canada, TO Cleveland capital
lists. for twenty years. One passenger and
two freieht-steamer will run on the route
between Cleveland and Port Stanley. The
leased line has direct connection will
every trunk line railway in Canada. Al
ready 400. 600 tons Of coal have been con-
tracted fo-, TO be delivered in Canada the
coming season.
The whole western peninsula of Canada
can be supplied with coal from Ohio more
cheaply than from any other section. The
new water-and-rail international line has
secured ample dock facilities on both sides
of the lake and expect to do a large passen-
ger aud freight business. 1t Is only ninety
miles from Cleveland to Port Stanley. and
Toronto is considerably nearer to Cleveland
than is Cincinnati. But tho future outlook
points to a ship canal for vessels OF the
largest class across the Niagara peninsula
and around the st. Lawrence rapids. and
the opening up of the whole lake system to
unobstructed foreign commerce. as signih
cantly as 1t does to free intercourse acrosa
the present boundary line that divides the
lakes