The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-07-08
SIGHTS AROUND IHE 500
THE FAMOUS LOCKS ARE NOT THE
ONLY INTERESTING FEATURES
FOUND THERE
QUAINT OLD sAULT STE. MARIE
oldest Town in Michigan, and a
Desirable Spot to Spend a
NacatiOn-PIenty of Nat
uraI Beauty.
Special Correspondence of the Globe.

Special Correspondence of the Globe.
SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich, June %
] wonder if the readers of the G e
realize how near they are to the beauti-
fuI woods and waters Of Northern Michi-
gan It's only a nights ride. Your cor
respondent leaving st. Paul on the 500
Line at 7:20 in the evening, arrived at
Sault Ste. Marie the following morning
about 1880. Although it was one of the
hottest nights of the season, and we
hardly dared hope for a comfortable
nights rest, the car was so we'll ventil-
ated, cool and free from dust that we
all awakened in the morning refreshed
and ready for d days sightseeing. Even
the seven-weeks-old baby, who was TAX
ing his first outing, laughed and cooed in
the arms Of strangers while It's mother
was taking her breakfast in the dining
car.
AT first sight the city is disappointing,
as the station is old and dilapidated, but
i'm few months they will have a new
depot nearer the locks, which are about
"a mile distant.
Sault Ste. Marie is thriving, busting
little city, really the Oldest in Michigan,
the Jesuit fathers having established
mission as early as 1911, and in 1869
church was built and the first permanent
settlement made on the soil of Michigan.
From little Indian village it has grown
10 city Of 10000 people. Sault Ste. Marie
really means St. Mary's Falls, and was
SO named by Father Marquette. 1t is
also called The 500" (for short),
and sometimes the Lock City This is an
ideal city for a summer outing, it IS so
clean, restGul, quiet and th-giving
that the long suffering victims of hay
feIAr and kindred troubles are glad TO
find immediate relief, and enjoy the de-
lghtful breeze from the surrounding wa
tiers and woods
The government park surrounding the
banks Of the locks Is the prettiest spot
i'm the city and is a happy blending OF
natures beauty with mans inventive
genius. These locks are the largest IN
the world, and through them passes one
sixth of the commerce of the United
States. There IS a fascination in watch
ing the endless panorama of floating
palaces ana freight carriers passing up
and down.
USE OF THE GATES.
The gates are worked by hydraulic
power and the locks are free to all boats
no toH being required. Maj. Sears, gov
tlAmCUt inspector from Washington is
now here making his tour of inspection.
There are two locks on the American
side and one on the Canadian, and always
during the busy season there are lines
OF vessels, each awaiting its turn TO pass
the locks.
The level of Lake Huron Is % feet below
Lake Superior; 10 feet Of this fall occurs
at the Sault in the half mile stretch Of
rapids. The engineering problem which
IS now accomplished was to receive a
ship on the lower level at the foot of the
falls, and lift it 10 feet to the level Of
The river above the falls
When a vessel is to be taken up. the
upper gates being closed, the lock is
emDtied until the water in it is on a
level with the water in the canal outside
Where the vessel is waiting Then the
lower gates are opened, the vessel enters,
ana the gates are closed behind. The
wafer Is let in from above through the
culNents and lifts the ship with It to the
ltNei OF the water in. the canal above the
upper gates, which then are opened, and
inc vessel glides out into the canal.
Bound In the other direction, the YES
SCI enters the lock at the high level, the
Gates are closed behind her, the water
Si'ks to the level Of the canal below,
The gates open and she passes out.
For hours one can watch with increas-
ing interest Z csc vessels in endless pro-
cessioF passing through. They are al
most all American and Canadian craft
occasionally foreign one. A Norwe-
Elan vessel went through last week
There are large -whalebacks and small
lumber boats, immense tourist steam
boats and small pleasure boats. We
watched the grand and stately North
West pass and could look in the faces
uf her guests and almost shake hands
with them.