Evening journal., 1900-03-09

ers, but the American canal so cheap
ened transportation that the granaries
OF the United States continue to serve
as the storehouses from which con-
siderable portion OF the civilized world
draws its food supply
The fur traders constructed the first
lock at this point. capable OF lifting
a canoe nine feet, and this primitive
structure served through many OF the
decades during which France. Britain
and the United States struggled for
sovereignty in the West The atten-
tion Of the people of Michigan was
first publicly called to the Importance
OF securing a ship canal around the
rapids at Sault Ste Marie less than
three-quarters of century ago, and IL
was several years later when an apprO-
priation for the purpose became avail
able" The transfer of the canal to
the United States Government was
iinany accomplished ia 1870. Govern
mental cor troi has resulted in the con-
struction OF two magnificent locks
one of them the largest in the world
which are operated absolutely free OF
cost to the vessel interests. The small
er OF the two cost 81 5000 and Is
Il
length by about One-sixth as much in
width. The larger lock. through which
four OF the largest steamers on the
lakes can lock simultaneously. cosi
the government more than $4,000 900. II
is more than 500 feet in length ana has
breadth of 100 feet.
/ opposite TO the American locks the
Canadian government has constructed
/ "A HunHCnYpn 0aIa 80 "a
equal to the larger of those controlled
by the United States authorities. It'
construction was undertaken al a
time when the relations of the limited
States and Great Britain had been TEN.
porarily strained. and when there wa,
forced upon Canadian interests a reali.
zation of the inconvenience which
would result were the vessels OF tn,
dominion debarred from using tn,
American locks.
WONDERFUL DEVELOPMENT.
THE increase in the commerce pass
ing through the Sault Canal within tn,
memory Of many men now living Il
without a parallel in American indus
trial development. Two score year
ago less than q thousand vessels o
all kinds passed through the canal in
year. Now nineteen or twenty thou
sand vessels lock through the canal
during the months OF each year durinl
which the great lakes are free from
ice. Only ten years ago hardly nor
/ than 100000 tons OF freight were car
! ried past the rapids each year, but sucl
has been the development Of the decad
that the ships now take through NOR
than four times that amount"
The freight moved on the lakes las
! year was carried at the rate OF abou
three-quarters of a mill per ton 70
each mile transported.
These are the lowest freight charge
in the world and 'are OF direct import
ance to every consumer of breadstuff
I'm the East and to every householde
in the West who uses fuel. The freigh
carried annually through the narro,
channel connecting Lakes Huron an
. Superior includes S10,00O,00O worth @
coal, s35,000,000 worth Of -four, $50 600
600 worth of wheat. S30,000,00O wort
Of copper. S35.000,000 worth OF iron ore
and S12,000,000 worth of lumber.
ITO transport this vast accumulatio
Of exclusively American products
valued in the aggregate at almost S240
900, ,000-it costs only little more thai
: $S,o00,000. All Of the freight moved /
i, carried on an average 1000 miles an
the vessels which transport It have COS
between twenty-five and thirty millio
! ldOllars. And this vast commerce is al
4 most solely in the hands OF Americans
= less than per cent. Of the vessels en-
= gagged in it being owned in the Domln
d ion of Canada
{ From 100 TO $50 vessels pas
through the canal every day, and tn
e | serious consequences Of a stoppage {
5 the traffic were shown in the Autum
3 | OF 1899, when one Of the largest steam
. ers on the lakes was sunk in st. Mary
I river below the entrance TO the cana
! Traffic was suspended for only aboI
= five days. and yet vesselmen estimate
[ mat they had sustained a loss littl
r short Of million dollars.
I | POSSIBILITIES OF THE FUTURE
Wonderful as has been the histor
[. Of the Sault canal. It is far surpasse
by the possibilities of the future. Lax
: commerce is passing through a trans
/ tion. The exigencies of the excessiN
demand for iron ore have induced III
Rockefellers, the Carnegies and othl
great producing interests to buy min,
and vessels. The vessels are increasin
9 in size. too, with marvellous rapidit
i and we have steamers quite the equi
T in size of the transatlantic lines Of
u few years ago.
Il The great cry Of the shipping int
ests Of the great lakes is for deepC
: channels, in order that larger ships ma
= be constructed and greater cargoes ca
s ried Already the government HI
e spent millions of dollars in the wor
II and even greater expenditures are col
e | templated. Among the most desir,
: improvements, however. is the furth
p enlargement and deepening of the loci
at the Sault, and probably this will |
one of the first projects to receive a
!. tention."