Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1898-05-06
THE COMMERCE OF THE LAKES.
Total Tonnage of the 500 Double That
OF the suez Canal.


The commerce of the lakes is enor-
mous. The outlet from Lake Superior to
Lake Huron had always been Il serious
obstacle to commerce, In that 1t was
not deep enough to allow the larger
freight and passenger boats to pass
comfortably through Locks have been
built at government expense, at the
coast of many millions of dollars, which
how allow the passage of large boats;
and two more locks are being built; and
and two more locks are being built
one by the Canadians, and one by the
Americans-which will still further in.
crease commerce. The new lock on the
American side is larger than the old,
and, when completed, will be one of the
most wonderful pieces of masonry tc
be found in the country. 1t will allow
the passage of vessels drawing 81 feet
of water, 1t has cost several millions
of dollars, and will not be completed fol
a year or two.
For many years the great Suez cana
was looked upon as the most wonderful
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 100000. The tonnage OF
the Suez canal in 1896 was 100000
This tonnage of the 500 does not by any
means represent the entire commerce
of the great lakes; it is only portion o.
it, 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 eX.
changed for other supplies for points
also below the 500.
Year after year this immense traffic i.
growing, From the great west there
come, to the gateway of the 500, whea,
and -four and lumber and iron ore--al
the natural products from vast area
of country, drawn to the lake route
because it is so much cheaper to NOV,
goods by water than by rail. In re
turn, the east sends the west vas
quantities of manufactured goods, ant
immense supplies of hard and soft coal
The west furnishes raw materials; tn,
east manufactures these materials ant
sends back the products of her fac
tories and mills. There were received
at the ports of Duluth and Superior
during the year 1S96-that is, durin.
the lake ,775,712 tons of COAL
On the margins of these lakes, par
ticularly on the shores of Superior
there are ore-bearing rocks containin.
iron, silver, copper and gold. The irol
ore is of remarkable commercial value
and practically inexhaustible il
amount. Immediately tributary t.
Lake Superior, in some cases on it
very banks, are iron mines the outpu
of which rivals that of any mines in tn
world, and the supply in sight" as tn
miners say, will furnish the world wit
iron for centuries to come.
Some of the lumber which goes cas-
by way of the lakes is sent away on t
South American points without separf
ton, taking first journey, of perhaI
several hundred miles, down the river
to the mills, then thousand miles an
more on the lakes TO the ST. Lawrence
passing through the Welland canal t
get to Ontario, and then trying fe'
thousand miles of salt water-a pictu
esque voyage indeed.-W. S. Harwoo,
in st. Nicholas.