The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-08
500" CANAL COMMERCE
TREMENDOUS GROWTH DURING THE
PAST THIRTY YEARS.
Remarkable Gains Last Year Over
the Preceding Twelve Months, Ex-
cept in Wheat and Flour.
special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, Dec. THE business
activities of 1899 in the great producing
and manufacturing regions bordering upon
the great lakes are illustrated by the re-
port Of the business passing through the
Sault Ste. Marie canal connecting Lake
Superior with Michigan, Huron, Erie and
Ontario, which has just Leen received by
the Treasury Bureau of Statistics. 1t
shows an increase in number of vessels.
number of passengers, quantities Of freight,
and in practically all of the classes of
freight passing through that great water
way, and makes for the year 1899 the high
est record of business activity on the great
lakes. The number of sailing vessels in
creased per cent. as compared with last
year, the number of steamers 10 per cent,
the number of unregistered vessels % per
cent, the quantity of registered freight is
per cent, the quantity of actual freight
10 per cent, passengers IL per cent, lumber
16 per cent, and that great factor in manu-
featuring activities, iron ore, per cent. In
all these important features which show
the activity of the producing and manufac-
turing interests, the record of lake COM
merce in the year 1899 surpasses that of
any preceding year, the only case in which
the years record falls below that of any
preceding year being in wheat and flour.
of which the supply of 1899 was slightly
below that of one or two preceding years.
and the foreign demand materially below
that of 1898.
A study of the figures of the business
of the 800" in 1899 compared with that
of earlier years indicates the wonderful
growth of the carrying trade on the great
lakes and of the producing and manufac-
turing industries Of the section contiguous
to them. The number OF sailing vessels,
which in 1869 was 939. was in 1879 1,403 in
1889 2,63s. and in 1899 4,776; the number of
steamers increased from 399 in 1869 to 16ls
in 1879, 6,501 in 1889, and 14.37s in 1899; the
number of persons passing through the
canal increased from 1857 in 1863 to 49,
919 in 1873, p, 712 in 1889, and 1862 in 1899,
and registered tonnage increased from 524,-
$50 In 1869 to 1.6U.01 In 1879, 1921, 935 in 1889
and q, 95S347 in 1899.
In the important articles of freight, such
as flour, wheat and other grains; coal, iron
ore, copper, lumber. and building stone.
the growth Is equally striking. Flour in
creased from 32,007 barrels i'm 1869 TO 81 900
in 1879, 2,22S, 707 in 1889, and 7114147 in 1899:
wheat, from AZ, 200 bushels in 1870 to 2,603-
666 in 1872 1929, S54 in 1882 and S. 397, 335 in
1879; other grain, from $685. sol bushels In
1869 to 951,496 in 1873. 2, .245 in 1889, and
3O,OOO935 in 1899; iron ore, from 23S 36S tons
in 1869, to 540075 in 1879. 4095, $50 in 1889. and
l5.S2s 24O in 1899; copper. from 1862 tons in
1869, to q, 300 in 1879, 80 400 in 1882 and l20-
09O In 1892 and lumber increased from 1,26O-
600 feet in 1869, to 35. 900 i'm 1879 315.554-
600 in 1882 and 103S. 057. 900 in 1892
The following table shows the commerce
through st. Mary's Falls canal in 1869. 1879,
1889 and 1899: