The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-03-17
A GREAT CANAL.
The Connecting Link Between Lakes
Huron and Superior.

The Connecting Link Between Lakes
Huron and Superior.
1.-The most wonderful ship canal in the
world'' is the phrase by which Walden Faw-
cett, in an article in McClure's Magazine for
March, characterizes the connecting water
link between Lakes Huron and Superior at
Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
almost a thousand miles from the nearest
tidewater, there passes through this waterway,
during the eight months which make up the
navigation year, a tonnage far In excess oil
that which traverses the Saez Canal or enters
the port of New York or London during the
full twelvemonth. 1t has ever been difficult,
seemingly, for people remote from the chain
of great lakes to appreciate the magnitude of
the commerce of the waterways on our North
ern border. They have been told that upon
these inland seas, holding more than a third
of the fresh water on the globe, a fleet of more
than 1000 steam and sail vessels regularly
in service. Governmental reports have shown
that in the aggregate of tonnage the lake craft
exceed the whole feet on our Atlantic, Pacific
and Gulf coasts. Finally, in the value of
their yearly output the steel ship builders OF
the great lakes have frequently surpassed theiI
brethren on the coasts. For all that, reali
zation of the magnitude of the inland water
transportation interests of the United States
has been of slow growth, and even more tardy
has been the comprehension of the magnitude
and value of the huge canal locks which ena-
BILE vessels carrying cargoes of 5000 tons to
drop l8 feet in half an hour.
GREAT COMMERCIAL FACTOR.
SIN the distribution of the worlds bread
stuffs the Sault Canal has also been revolu-
tionary factor. For the wheat growers and
-four producers of our Western States the pro-
vision of the present facilities at the SAUL
may be said to have offset, in great measure,
the injury which their interests sustained hJ
the construction ofthe Suez Canal The ditch
that joins the Red sea and the Mediterranean
brought the wheatfelds of India and Australia
closer to European consumers, but the Amer
lean canal so cheapened transportation that
the granaries of the United States continue tc
serve as the storehouses from which a consid
erable portion of the civilized world draws its
food supply"
The fur traders constructed the first lock al
this point, ''capable of lifting canoe nine
feet, and this primitive structure served
through many OF the decades during which
France, Britain and the United States strug
gled for sovereignty in the West. The atten
ton of the people of Michigan was first pub
| licly called to the Importance of securing {
ship canal around the rapids at Sault Ste
Marie less than three-quarters of centur,
ago, and it was several years later when al
appropriation for the purpose became availa
| ble." The transfer of the canal TO the Unitet
States Government was finally accomplished
in 1870 Governmental control has resulted
| in the construction of two magnificent locks
one of them the largest in the world-whicl
| are operated absolutely free of cost to the yes
sci interests. The smaller of the two cos
81, SOC, 900, and is something more than 50
| feet in length by about one sixth as much il
width. The larger lock, through which fou
| of the largest steamers on the lakes can loci
simultaneously, cost the Government NOR
than S., ,00O, 900. 1t is more than 800 feet ii
length and has breadth of 100 feet.
| "Opposite to the American locks the Ca
| madam Government has constructed hand
some lock of dimensions almost equal to tn
larger of those controlled by the United State
authorities. It's construction was undertake.
| at time when the relations of the Unite
| States and Great Britain had been tenporaril
strained, and when there was forced upo
| Canadian interests realization of the meon
venience which would result were the vessel
of the Dominion debarred from using tn
| American locks.
WONDERFUL DEVELOPMENT.
ssThe increase in the commerce passin
\ through the Sault Canal within the memor
of many men now living is without parable
in American industrial development. Tw
score years age less than thousand vessels O
| all kinds passed through the canal in yeaI
| Now nineteen or twenty thousand vessels loc
through the canals during the months of eac
year during which the great lakes are free fror
ice. Only 10 years ago hardly more than G.
O00,0 900 tons of freight were carried past III
rapids each year, but such has been the deve
ment of the decade that the ships now tax
through more than four times that amount
The freight moved on the lakes last yea
was carried at the rate of about three-quarter
of mill per ton for each mile transported.
These are the lowest freight charges in tn
world and "are of direct importance TO ever
consumer of breadstuffs in the East and .
every householder in the West who uses fuel
The freight carried annually through the mar
row channel connecting Lakes Huron an
Superior includes $40, ,00O, 900 worth Of coal
S35. .OO0, 900 worth of -four, $50. 600, 900 wort
of wheat, $50, 600, 900 worth of copper. $35,
900. 900 worth of iron ore and ST., 900, 90
worth Of lumber.
'sTo transport this vast accumulation of ex
clusively American products-valued in tn
aggregate at almost $240, 900, ,000-it costs onl
little more than $S,0O0,O00. All of tn
freight moved is carried on an average |, ,0o'
miles and the vessels which transport it hav
cost between twenty-five and thirty tnillio
| dollars And this vast commerce is almos
solely in the hands of Americans, less than
per cent. of the vessels engaged in it beini
| owned in the Dominion of Canada.
ss.From 100 to $50 vessels pass through tn
| canal every day. and the serious consequence
| of stoppage Of the traffic were shown i'll th
| autnmn of 1899 when one of the larges
steamers on the lakes was sunk in st. Mary
river below the entrance to the canal. Traffi
was suspended for only about five days, an
yet vesselmen estimated that they had sustain
ed a loss little short of million dollars.
POSSIBILITIES OF THE FUTURE.
ssWonderful as has been the history of lib
Sault Canal, it is far surpassed by the possl
| bilities of the future. Lake commerce
passing through a transition. The exigencIe
| of the excessive demand for iron ore have In
duced the Rockefellers, the Carnegies an
other great producing interests to buy mine
| and vessels. The vessels are increasing i
size. too, with marvellous rapidity, and W
have steamers quite the equal in size of tn
transatlantic liners of few years ago.
1.-THE great cry of the shipping interests o
the great lakes is for deeper channels, in orde
that larger ships may be constructed an
greater cargoes carried. Already the Gov
ernment has spent millions of dollars in tn
work, and even greater expenditures are con
templated. Among the most desired im
provemeuts, however, is the further enlarge
ment and deepening of the locks at the Saul
| and probably this will be one of the first pro
| iects to receive attention"
Congress and the Territories.