Mesa free press., 1898-05-06
THE coMMERoE OF THE LAKES.
Total Tonnage of the 500 Double That
of the Suez Canal.

Total Tonnage of the 500 Double That
of the Suez Canal.
In the st. Nicholas there Is an arti-
Gle on 'The Great Lakes" by w. s.
Harwood. The author says: The COM
merce Of the lakes Is enormous. The
outlet from Lake. Superior to Lake
Huron had always been a serious OBJ
stacle to commerce, in that it was not
deep enough to allow the larger freight
and passenger boats to pass comforta-
bly, through. Locks have been built at
government expense, at the cost Of
many millions Of dollars, which now
allow the passage of large boats; and
two more locks are being built-one by
the Canadians, and one by the Amert-
cans-which will still further increase
commerce. The new lock on the Amer
lean side Is larger than the old, and,
when completed, Will be one Of the
most wonderful pieces of masonry to
be found In the country. 1t will allow
the passage Of vessels drawing twenty
one feet of water. 1t has cost several
millions of dollars and will not be COM
pleted for year or two.
For many years the great Suez Canal
was looked upon as the most wonder
full piece Of commercial engineering in
the world, carrying enormous cargoes
through its gateway from the east. But
In this newer land the commerce Of the
lakes has dwarfed the Suez Canal. The
total tonnage of the 500 during the
year 1897 was 16,5OO,OO0. The tonnage
of the Suez Canal In 1895 was 1000, 900.
This tonnage OF the 500 does not by
any means represent the entire com
portion OF 1t. Hundreds Of thousands
Of tons of merchandise and supplies Of
all kinds are shipped annually up from
Lake Michigan points through the
Straits of Mackinac eastward, which
do not pass through the 500; and many
thousands more go eastward from
points below the 500 on the other lakes,
to be exchanged for other supplies for
points also below the 500.
Year by year this immense traffic Is
growing. From the great West there
come, ito the gateway of the 500, wheat
and -four and lumber and iron re-an
the natural products from vast area
of country, drawn to the lake route be-
cause 1t Is so much cheaper to move
goods by water than by rail. In re-
turn, the East sends the West vast
quantities of manufactured goods, and
immense supplies of hard and soft coal.
The West furnishes raw materials; the
East manufactures these materials and
sends back the products Of her factories
and mills. There were received at the
ports of Duluth and Superior during
the year 1S96-that is, during the lake
season., ,775, TIP tons of coal.
On the margins Of these lakes, par
ticularly on the shores Of Superior,
there are ore-bearing rocks containing
iron, silver, copper, and gold. The iron
ore is of remarkable commercial value,
and practically inexhaustible in
amount. Immediately tributary to
Lake Superior, in some cases on it's
very banks, are iron-mines the output
Of which rivals that of any mines in the
world, and the supply in sight" as the
miners say, will FURNISH the world with
iron for centuries ito come.
Some of the lumber which goes east
by way Of the lakes is sent away on
to South American points without sep
aration, taking first journey Of per-
haps several hundred miles down the
rivers to the mills, then a thou
sand miles and more on the lakes
10 the St. Lawrence, passing through
the Welland Canal ito get to Ontario,
and then trying a few thousand miles
of salt water picturesque voyage in
deed