The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-12-12

ern time" while the west bound pas
sengers date them back one hour to
conform to Western and Pacific di-
visions. AS we travel eastward, over
taking and coming in contact with the
numerous long trains, laden with
grain, flour. cattle. horses. and other
freight, we realize more and more the
magnitude of the traffic of the Cana
dian Northwest, through which we
have just passed.
Only five miles eastward is the sister
town, Port Arthur, another modern
town 'at the West Shore OF Thunder
Bay, at the head of Lake Superior.
With population of $500 it is the lar
gest place between Winnipeg and
Ottawa. 1t is pleasantly located on
sloping shores with an outlook upon
the dark cliffs of the bay and islands
therein. Here are fine public build
ings, residences, and hotels. Here too
are extensive docks. wharves, eleVa-
tors, ware houses and stations belong
ing to both the Canadian Pacific rail-
way and private parties. This town
was the creation of the Canadian
Pacific enterprise and has all the out
fit of a great railway and shipping port
and it's situation in the heart of an
incredibly rich mineral region gives it
increasing importance. The Port Ar
thur, Duluth, and Western railway
branches off from here to the Iron
range In Minnesota. y large number of
steamers and other lake craft arrive
and depart from here daily, the black
smoke is seen as far as the eye can
reach. At Port Arthur also passen-
gers have the choice of routes to Mon
treal. BY the fine steel and commo-
dious lake steamers via Lake Superior
and the Ste Marie river and Canal and
Lakes Huron, owen, Erie, Ontario, or
continuing on by this wonderful and
beautiful railway route north of Lake
Superior and the other great lakes.
While the lake route in Dunmore, for
obvious reasons, is preferred by many
tourists we chose the all-rail. for its
indescribably bold scenery. A great
stride in the direction of improved deep
waterways to the Atlantic Ocean has
been made in the completion of the
Canadian Sault 500 Canal" The
Dominion is no longer at the mercy of
her American neighbor for they have
their own waterway from Lake Suerior
to the sea: and when the work OF
deepening the Welland and st. Law
renee canals, now under discussion is
completed Montreal and not New York
will be the Ocean port of the Domin-
ion.
Few people realize the immensity of
this great inland ocean of fresh water.
The word lake seems inadequate when
compared with its vastness. The "un-
salted sea- well deserves the title of
Brother of the Sea" 1t is also called
Natures Sanitarium,' for along it's
rugged shores are many beauty spots
which serve double purpose to human
kind in that they afford most delightful
retreats for the sportsman, the tourist
and the one who seeks the wilderness
to recuperate q tired and work worn
body and exhausted brain. 1t is the
largest fresh body Of water on the con-
tinent. If not in the world, $3.50 miles
long. $50 miles at Its widest place. aver
aging fifty miles in width and covering
an area of 2S,600 square miles. Its
mean depth is about 900 feet and its
surface stands about $40 feet above the
level of the Atlantic. The north shore
is almost uninterruptedly rock bound.
the cliffs varying from 200 feet to $50
feet in height 1t discharges it's sur
plus waters by the st. Marys river into
Lakes Michigan and Huron. Its coasts
are bold and rocky, and exceptionally
rich in various minerals, mainly copper
lead and iron. Owing to it's great depth
it takes more than a slight squall of
wind to create a sea. 1t is delightful
in calm, but awful grand in storm
Its waters are always clear blue. or
green, and never muddy or discolored
So pure and cold, 1t is used for drink
ing purposes, and almost universally
without ice. 1t is fed by mountain
streams, and the bottom of the lake
is said to contain numberless cold
springs, which keep the temperature of
the water very low the year around.