The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-05-08

is far superior. 1t is calculated that
q steel hull is As per cent more buoyant
than one of wood. On June 80, 1897, the
gross tonnage of steel vessels on the
lakes aggregated 4S6, 291.47 tons, being
more than one-half the total wooden
tonnage of SS5,S32S5 tons. The trend
since then may be judged from the
statement that steel was used in the
construction of eight-ninths of the YES
sells built in 1897. Circumstances favor
steel construction; for steel plates can
be laid down at the lake ports as cheap
as at any place in the world. In fact,
there is no part of the Sea-board where
vessels in general can be 50 reasonably
built as in the ship yards of the lakes.
Were these not landlocked in fresh
water seas, their owners might COM
pete with the artificers of the world.
Ease of Loading.
Celebrity in loading and unloading
has been reduced to a science. 1t is not
too much to say that not so many
hours now are consumed in the hand
ling of cargoes as were days formerly
Hence vessels are constantly engaged
in the occupation for which they were
designed; that of carrying goods. This
despatch has been largely reached
through a harmony in the construction
of ships and docks. For instance, ore
can now be raised simultaneously from
all of the matches of even the largest
ships AS has been said, time is also
saved by coaling a vessel from scows
alongside, while the cargo Is being
handled, thus avoiding the delay Of
docking.
All Of these improvements in lake
transportation have produced gradual
and steady reduction of rates. The
limits of this article do not permit OF
a discussion of the many conditions
which govern the fluctuations OF lake
rates, the fixing of new schedule at
the opening of each season, with its
frequent alterations, and the influences
OF heavy and light business. One eX-
ample will suffice to show the trend.
Lake freight on wheat from Chicago
to Buffalo per bushel was 5.SS cents in
1870; in 1880, it was SIS cents; in 1890,
1876 cents, and in 1896, 1.63 cents.
What then is the traffic which this
gigantic and effective fleet bears for
the great Northwest? The ST. Mary s
Falls canal, beneficent work, which
makes this traffic possible, may we'll
answer this question; for 1t holds the
key to the commerce of the Lake Su-
perior division of lake transportation.
This gateway, commonly called the
800" from an abbreviation Of the
Jesuit name of Sault Ste Marie, given
to it in the seventeenth century, was
opened in 1855 The registered tonna 'cs
through it in that year was 1O6,296
TONS In 1873, it increased to 1,2O4, 446
tons. In 1851, the aggregate was 2092,-
ISL tons; in 1890, it was S,454, 435 tons;
While in 1897 it reached the almost in
conceivable proportions Of 17,6l9,933
tons.
Here are some other striking figures
of the immensely of this traffic. The
estimated value Of the freight passing
through this canal in 1895 was SIS, 3d.
1870, while the average quantity passed
carried by all the railways of the Unit
ed States for the entire year.
The Suez canal is rightly counted as
one Of the mightiest of modern achieve
ments. 1t revolutionized the traffic Of
the world; it changed a voyage Of eight
months into one of thirty days. 1t
brought the mysterious East into direct
and aggressive competition with the
practical West. And yet, though this
waterway is open throughout the year,
and the 800" on an average about 224
days, it's net tonnage Is inferior by
sou, 261 tons.
Mainly Crude Products.
This lake traffic is simple in it's con-
stituent parts, consisting mainly Of
crude products. It is from the land it
self, the vast empire Of the Northwest,
unmatched in it's richness and fertility,
that three of the four great staples
come. Man has to do little except to
take what nature offers. During the
last census year these three commod-
tiles, iron ore, lumber and grain, to-
gether with coal, contributed 91.SS per
cent Of the entire tonnage of the lakes.
While in 1896, of the 16, ,061 net tons
of freight passing through st. Marys
falls canal, 1892, 1913 tons consisted OF
ore, lumber, grain and coal.
A consequent feature is that the bulk
Of this freight is eastbound. During
1896 the eastbound tonnage passing
through the canals at ST. Mary's falls
amounted to 12,737,0 62 net tons, while
the weStbound tonnage was but :, sol, 1895
tons, little over one-fourth Of the
eaStbound.
This westbound traffic Of course con-
sists almost entirely Of coal, the one
Of the four commodities named above
which the great Northwest does not
produce. The growth Of this partic-
ular branch Of transportation may be
shown by the following figures: The re-
ceipts of both anthracite and bitumi-
nous coal at Duluth and Superior TO,
iO'o amounted W O1,UVU COIlS. In 1888 III
aggregated 1885, 900 tons, and in 1895
1,775,712 tons. In the last census year
the total movement Of coal and coke or
the great lakes was 6,105799 tons.
Lake commerce in general, but es-
pecially lake commerce from the great
Northwest, consists very largely OF
long-distance freight. Local traffic or
Lake Superior is very insignificant. Il
IS reported that the average distance
that the 061 tons Of freight which
passed through the 800" in 1896 were
carried was 1854 miles. Coming down
to the three great natural products
above named, this statement, Of course
is just as true, but even more striking
Nearly all the grain and flour from
Duluth, Ashland and West Superior /.
carried to Buffalo, a distance of abou
1000 statute miles. Four-fifths of the
iron ore goes to Lake Erie ports, an6
nearly all Of the remainder to Milwau
kee and Chicago. Lumber, too, take:
the long voyage, going to a large ex
tent to Detroit, Toledo, Cleveland
Tonawanda, Buffalo and Milwaukee
The vast advantage this phase of traf
nc gives to the ports Of the Great Lake:
is apparent to all maritime students
as the natural possession Of what /.
known as the long voyage" has fol
ages been considered means of pre-
em1nence for all nations engaged in ses
trade.
Referring now to the condition a.
present Of the lake transportation O.
these three great commodities of thu
Northwest, it may be said for two O,
them that it is most encouraging II
growth and development In 1880, @,
100000 bushels Of wheat passed through
the st. Mary's Falls canal There wa,
an Increase of a little over a million
bushels the following year. Then tn,
traffic began to move by leaps and
bounds. In 1884 1t consisted of Ii .9sS. OO
bushels, in 1885, of 1886, 900 bushels: i,
1892, of 4O,995.00O bushels, and in iS9
Of GO 266 000 h11Shals -