The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-07
COMMERCE ON THE LAKES.
Facts and Figures From the Treas
ury Bureau of stntistfcs-

Facts and FiCures FROM tbe Irehs-
ury Bureau of Statistics.
The commerce of the Great Lakes for
the closing year of the century seems
likely to show a larger tonnage move
ment than in any preceding year. Ac-
COrding to the figures just completed by
the Treasury Bureau of Statistics, and
which cover the entire navigation season
up to December |. Chicago remains well
in the lead as a receiving port for hard
coal, total of 67S0 tons having been
unlcaded on her docks. Milwaukee ranks
second, with receipts of 476.502 tons, and
then comes South Chicago and Duluth.
In the neighborhood of two-thirds of the
hard coal moved was sent from Buffalo,
the shipments from that port aggTcgating
1.20S,721 tons. Erie, Pa, the only other
shipping port of any prominence, has had
during the season movement of ASS, ,75S
tons.
The water transportation of soft coal
presents radically different conditions.
West Superior is at the head of the list
of receiving ports with record of 1870
1888 tons. Milwaukee comes second with
T26.044 tons and Duluth is a close third.
By reason of the rail competition in
volved. the movement of flour by water
presents some interesting features. There
have been transported by lake carriers
during the navigation season up to De-
cember 1 a total of 1.117,S50 tons OF -four.
The heaviest shipments have been from
Duluth, which sent out 331 i49 tons. and
from her sister port West Superior, with
a total of 500, $50 tons. OF the entire ship
ment of Acur, $50, ,793 tons were unloaded
al Buffalo.
The extent to which the great vessels
on the nations most important interior
waterway are holding their own against
the railroads as grain carriers is most
strihngly evidenced by the showing made
by the principal grain-shipping ports. A
summary CT shipments follows:
Wheat, Com. Oats. Barley,
Ports Bushels Bushels Bushels Bushels
Chicago l. 222. 6lO Il I'LL l3,95s.G6i 22l ,53
Duluth -. - Gs3. .593 55S,2s5 SS9. $50 251 ,001
Milwaukee,. sil,Ss7 s.7l3,i09 3,545,dlf 5lI15I
caso -. 4.25oe13 i2s4o,G21 a.os.8os $3.50
West Supe-
rior...... Il,O3i,32s Io0I,O7o 10000 1,76g, ,Oo5
Buffalo so nearly monopolzes the un-
loading Of this grain that 1t is scarcely
worth while to consider the arrivals at
other ports. The receipts at the elevator
centre at the eastern end of Lake Erie ag-
gregated to December l total OF 43 SIi .
019 bushels OF wheat, 81 175, ,O69 bushels of
corn, 26,1S3.424 Bushels of oats. and g.
Az, ,i57 bushels of barley.
In the shipment OF iron ore it would
seem probable that Two Earoors will hold
the years record. Up to December l that
port had shipped 1862 236 tons. while Du-
luth had sent forward 3,5I0.T 1877 tons, and
Escanaba 2,S76. .29s tens. Ashtabula. on the
south shore of Lake Erie. which has for
several years ranked as the greatest ore
unloading port in the world has receipts
CT 3.i73,f76 tons, and Cleveland presents a
total Of 3.d36,717 tons. At the Carnegie
port Of CoGreaut. Ohio. . 3sS. .293 tons were
received and at South Chicago where the
ore can be unloaded direct from vessels
to furnaces, there were handled 2,022, 292
tons.
Almost every port on the upper lakes
has this year made fairly heavy ship
ments of lumber Duluth alone sending
tai lumber movement was directed to
either Chicago or Cleveland The former
city received 53S, 246 feet, and the latter
port 43G 320 feet.
From the standpoint of vessel move
ment Chicago is pre-eminently the lead
ing port OF the Great Lakes. a total of
I.G99 vessels entered the harbor of the
Western metropolis up to December L
Buffalo, Cleveland and Milwaukee were
close rivals for second place, as is evil
denccd by the records which show 1854
land. and 3G5T at Milwaukee