The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-11-07

will b more than sufficient for the bust
| ness. Military strategy plainly enters into
the problem of this enormous expense
amounting to several millions of dollars
Like the construction of the Canadian Pa
cific railroad, military eXpediency, the ex-
perts say, is the inspiring motive of the un-
dertaking of this public work.
1t is we'll known also, that thoughtful
citizens who live on the great lakes have
been much disturbed this year by the APP
pearance of the Canadian fishing patrol fleet
consisting of several stocky boats of good
sp5 ed and capable Of being transformed
into vessels by the mere mounting of
modern guns on their decks. Not only are
these vessels said to have been built with
the eXigencies of war in view, but there is
said to be good authority for declaring
that the English government has an equip
ment for them in the way of cannon and
ammunition slowed away in Canada ready
for an emergency. Although both countries
are Forbid n by treaty to keep more than
one war vessel on the lakes. and that of
a very insignificant Size it is generally I'M
derstood along the great lakes that Great
Britain has the eQuipm Mt already to turn
her fishing patrol into men-of-war in
jiffy, to be ready should circumstances ever
demand it to hold such cities Buffalo,
Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee,
Duluth, and a score or mOre Of smaller
ones. as Senator Higgins says, ito ransom
or devastation" This country has only
one small craft on the lakes the tub Mich
igan and the transformed Canadian fishing
fleet it has been ascertained, could lombard
CITY after city, and destroy millions of dol
lars worth of prop rty before the United
States could meet them with any sort of
naval demonstration.
This had been the situation until June 2,
this year. when the appearance of modern
ocean going craft changed the aspect con-
siderably 1t is possible that the fact es-
capped the notice of Senator Higgins that
the steamship Northwest, of the Northern
Steamship Company, has solved the prob
lem of the military situation to a great eX-
tent for this country, and is worth as a cit
izen of Buffalo said recently millions of
dollars to this country, for it practically in
sures the safety of the great American
citiss bordering on the inland lakes
The Northwest is a twin-screW vessel,
with a speed of from 10 to 81 knots an hour,
nealy 400 feet long, equipped with every
annliance of navigation and capable of
being transformed into a man-ofwar even
quicker than the Ell Cid was transformed
into a cruiser for the Brazilian navy in
New York harbor last year. The North
west is the first of two, and possibly more,
fast vessels on the lakes devoted exclu-
siyely to passenger traffic. Next year
sister ship, the Northland will appear.
These two vessels, because of their great
speed and size, will be able to sweep the
lakes of every British vessel that may be
sent out and their appearance, naval ex-
perts say assures the safety of our Ameri
can cities and American commerce on the
great inland waters Of the continent. This
means it is asserted, not only security for
a vast amount of American property, but
moderate prices for wheat and other
kinds of grain, for lake transporta ton is
the kew to the price of these commodities
to a certain extent, and war would destroy
this means of communication.
1t is in her quality as an auxiliary to
the navy that the chief value of the North
west lies for the American people, and
perhaps it was a quiet recognition of this
fact which caused the outburst Of enthu-
siasm that greeted the ship from one end
of the lakes to the other last summer when
she appeared. The vessel left Buffalo for
Duluth every Tuesday evening. The whole
town of Buffalo seemed to come down to
see her start The next morning at
Cleveland hundreds would come down to
the wharf and look at the ship That af
ternoon at Detroit the same experience
followed. Later in the day the girls on
the st. Clair river, as was recently told in
the Sun, would salute the ship In an &C.
stasy of delight for 40 miles along the ia
nous flats At Sault Ste. Marie the whole
town would come down to see the ship go
through the lock, and at Duluth the next
morning a similar welcome awaited her.
In the old style Of lake craft it took a
week or more to go from Buffalo to Du-
luth but in this superb craft one could
| journey with the swftness of any ocean,
going steamer, three or four vessels only
| excepted that distance of nearly 1900 miles
| in less than three DAYS Although the trip
| itself is one of the most delightful that
could be imagined, an ocean voyage right
inside of ones own country, with an Occa-
sional run into some harbor and squirt
now ana then through some beautlful river
or along some rocky shore, it was an appre-
| citation of the fact that not only was this
ship great advance in shipbuilding on the
lakes, out tnat it meant much to American