The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1902-08-29

through the principal streets of Port
Huron, and by the steam ferry across
the river to Sarnia. These were in
teresting experiences which are only
secured by such bodies of citizens as
are represented through such progress
sive institutions as the Minnesota
Editorial Association.
To give the reader an idea of the
commerce of the Lakes which passes
up and down the ST. Clair river, we
were assured that by exact cOmputa-
ton there was ship passing up or
down equal to every seven minutes of
time for the whole season of naviga-
ton. Just think for one moment, two
hundred and five ships every twenty
four hours during two-thirds of the
year.
The distinct feature of going
through the tunnel came off with due
eclat. Starting out with special of
two regular coaches, the party was
transported to the mouth of the tun-
mel, where two coal cars were in wait
ing. These were provided with stand
ing room, and the locomotive was
placed in the rear with a brilliant
headlight, and the ears were thus
pushed forward at moderate pace,
the tunnel being entirely free from
smoke, so far as the comfort of our
party was concerned. The tunnel is
21S miles long, including the APP
proaches on either side, and is won
der of mechanical engineering and of
modern necessity, as the requisite APP
proaches on each side of the river and
the ponderous ferry-bOatS necessary
to convey modern train over river
of half a mile wide with two hun
dred modern ships passing to and fro
daily, could not be accomplished with
out great danger of daily accidents.
The ST. Clair tunnel was commenced
in September, 1888, and completed for
freight traffic in October, 1884, and for
passenger service in December, 1891.
1t is the longest submarine tunnel in
the world. The tunnel is an iron tube
10 feet 10 inches in diameter. Total
weight of iron in the tunnel is 50,00O,-
900 pounds. The tunnel cost $2,7O0,-
600. 1900 cars can be hauled through
it in one day. 1t is termed the 'link
that binds two great nations" Over
the tunnel flows the waters of the
Great Lakes which tumble over Nj
agara Falls and eventually reach the
Port Huron's Pleasantries.
Port Huron is beautiful little city,
but the citizens were probably not
aware of the distinguished party
which was being piloted through their
streets by their neighbors on the 9TH
er side, as no literature was offered,
nor any suggestion that the city was
a rival for such trade as might come
from their position at the head of a
river carrying more produce than all
the shipping of two thousand miles of
the Atlantic coast
The afternoon was thus very pleas
antly spent, and at five o'clock we
were gathered on the Steamer United
Empire, homeward bound. We found
this ship to be not so large as the
Huronic, but for it's day first-class
vessel. The editorial party had every
accommodation necessary, and barring
the unpleasant experience of about six
hours of the first evening OUT with
fairly strong wind, no storm, but a
moderately rough sea, and probably
starting up too closely on the evening
dinner, giving no opportunity for
moving about or exercise (only one
of the occasional incidents to the lake
travel), there was slight disposition
to sea-sickness, so-called, not so seri-
Gus, however, but nearly every one re-
ported for the morning meal.
Saturday was ideal, just cool enough
to enjoy the upper deck, and take in
all the enchanting views of the ST.
Mary's river. At five o'clock Satur-
day evening we were again at the Soo
Here we were taken charge Of by the
representatives of the city council and
w. B. Rosevear, representative of the
Clergue interests at the 500. A car
riage drive on the Michigan side, view
ing the business and residence streets,
including sight of Fort Brady, and
the government buildings, and the
great water power canal of the Michi-
gan Lake Superior Company, 100 feet
wide, % feet deep, and "a miles long,
from Lake Superior to ST. Mary's riv-
er below the rapids, and the mann
moth power house, 1868 feet long,
with capacity for $50 turbines, capa-
BILE of tranmitting over $4,000 horse
power of electricity. The canal was
finished a few days before our arrival
at the 500, and the water was started
in on the day that we were there, so
that the Inauguration of this great
enterprise may be dated from the date
of our 1902 excursion.
At the end of the carriage drive, Mr..
Rosevear took the entire charge, and
escorted the party to the new ferry
boat Fortune, which had also been put
into commission on that day, and we
were quickly taken to the Canadian
500, landing at the pulp mill dock.
1t was regretted that the pulp mills
were not open, but it was after six
o'clock on Saturday night. On leav-
ing the dock train was in readiness
to convey the party to the Algoma
Iron Works, mile or so distant.
These works run day and night, start
ing with pig iron furnaces, changing
the molten iron into Bessemer steel,
then casting into ingots or moulds,
then allowed to cool, and afterwards
roasted in hot furnaces until soft and
bright red-hot through, picked up
with giant pincers on a travelling
crane, carried forward to the rolls, a
concrete mass about eight feet long,
eight inches wide and six inches or
more thick, in through one roll, elon-
eating, and back through another,
each time lengthening out like huge
anaconda, until finally, every six min
utes, out comes perfect railroad rail,
forty, fifty, sixty feet long, measured
to a gauge, the ends sawed smooth
and set out to cool.