Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-04-14
THE COMMERCE OF THE LAKES.
Total Tonnage OF the 500 Double That
OF the Suex Canal.

Total Tonnage OF the 500 Double That
OF the Suez Canal.
The commerce of the lakes is enor-
nous. The outlet from Lake Superior to
Lake Huron had always been a serious
obstacle to commerce, in that it 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
| now 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 to
be found in the country. 1t viii allow
| the passage of vessels drawing 81 feet
| of water 1t has cost several millions
| of dollars, and will not be completed for
| a year or two.
For many years the great Suez canal
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 16, SOC, 900. The tonnage of
| the SueZ canal in 1896 was 1000 900.
This tonnage of the 500 does not by any
means represent the entire commerce
of the great lakes; it is only a portion of
| 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 is
| growing. From the great west there
come, to the gateway of the 500, wheat
! and -four and lumber and iron ore-all
| the natural products from vast area
of country. drawn to the lake route
| because it 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 fac
| tories and mills. There were received
at the ports of Duluth and Superior
| during the year 1S96-that is, during
the lake season., 775,712 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 its
| 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 to come.
f., Some of the lumber which goes east
by way of the lakes is sent away on to
| South American points without separa-
| ton, taking first a journey, of perha ps
| several hundred miles. down the rivers
| to the mills, then u thousand miles and
more on the lakes to the ST. Lawrence,
| passing through the Welland canal to
| get to Ontario, and then trying a few
| thousand miles of salt water-a pictur-
! eSque voyage indeed.-W. S. Harwocd,
| in st. Nicholas