Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-28

completed in 1895 and constructed largely
for military and naval purposes, but prov
ing also of great value to general mercan-
tile traffic The length of the canal is
SiXtyone miles. the terminus in the Baltic
sea being at the harbor of KieL The depth
is 29lz feet the width at the bottom ~ feet
and the minimum width at the surface le0
feet The route lies chiefly through
marshes and shallow lakes and along river
valleys. The total cost amounted to about
$40, 900. The number of vessels passing
through in 1900 was 2l,571. with a tonnage
of 4,2S2,25S, and the dues collected
amounted to 2, 1873. 155 marks.
Canals Connecting Great Lakes.
Three ship canals intended to give con-
tinuous passage to vessels from the head of
Lake Superior to Lake Ontario and the st.
Lawrence river are the Welland canal.
originally constructed in 1898 and enlarged
in 1871 and 1900; the St Mary's Falls canal
at Sault Ste. Marie. Mich. opened in 1855
and enlarged in 1881 and 1896. and the
Canadian canal at st. Mary's river, opened
in 1895 In point OF Importance, measured
at least by their present use. the canals at
the st. Mary's river by far surpass that of
the Welland canal. the number Of vessels
passing through the canals at the St
Maryss river being eight times as great as
the number passing through the Welland,
and the tonnage Of the former nearly forty
times as great as that OF the latter. One
Of the important products of the Lake Su-
perior region. iron ore. is chiefly used in
the section contiguous to Lake Erie, and
large proportion Of the grain coming from
Lake Superior passes from Buffalo to the
Atlantic coast by way of the Erie canal
and railroads .centering at Buffalo. The
most important article in the westward
shipments through the Sault Ste. Marie
canals, coal, originates in the territory con-
tiguous to Lake Erie.
The Welland canal connects Lake Ontario
and Lake Erie, on the Canadian side of the
river. The length is twenty-seven miles,
the number of locks twenty-five. the total
rise of loekage 327 feet and the total cost
about S25 900, 600 The annual collection of
tolls on freight, passengers and vessels
averages about $225,o0 and the canal is
open on an average about 24O days in
year.
The canals of sault Ste. Marie, Mich and
Ontario. are located adjacent to the falls
of the ST. Mary's river, which connects
Lake Superior with Lake Huron. and low
er or raise vessels from one level to the
other height of II to 20 feet. The canal
belonging to the United States was begun
in 1853 by the state of Michigan and open
ed in 1855, the length being 1914 feet, and
provided with two tandem locks. each be-
ing $50 feet in length and 20 feet wide and
allowing passage of vessels drawing II
feet, the original cost being Slooooo Ihe
United States government, by consent OF
the state began in 1870 to enlarge the ca
nal. and by 1881 had increased it's length to
16 miles, its width to an average or lbO
feet, and it's depth to l6 feet; also had
built single lock 515 feet long and 80 feet
wide with a depth of II feet on the sflis,
which was located 100 feet south of the
state locks. The state relinquished all
control Of the canal in March, 1852. In
1887 the state locks were torn down ana
replaced by a single lock 500 feet long. loO
feet wide and a depth OF y feet or water
on the stills. This lock was put In commits,
sion in 1896. The canal was also deepened
to Is feet. ,zo
The Canadian canal, rs miles long. 100
feet wide and % feet deep. with lock wy
feet hong. 60 feet wide, with % feet on the
,nlter siIls was built on the north side OF
the river during the years 1883 to 1888: Inc
number of vessels passing through the
United States canal In 1902 was 1i,ooo. anu
through the Canadian canal 4.2o4. In 1917
the number Of vessels passing through the
United States canal was 10 IA and through
the Canadian canal 3.003 showing an In
crease of LOO in the number OF vessels
passing through the Canadian canal. ana
slight decrease in the number through the
United States canal. the increase IN the
canal having been due to the development
of the Michipocoten district. The tonnage
passing through the United States canal
In 1902 was: Registered tonnage, q. 4oso2l
tons: in 1901. 22.222. 1874 tons. against 2p,-
1876 1872 in the year 1900: the freight tom
mage in 1901 was % 026. $50 tons. against
% ,251 $50 tons in 1900. The Canadian canal
ST ows: Registered tonnage in 1902, 4.541.-
sol; in 1901, g 404, GAP tons. against 2.1to, 4oo
in 1900. A marked contrast between the
business Of the St Marys Falls AMI Well
and canals is found in a comparison OF
their figures for a term of years. TIE
number of vessels pass ng through the
We1land canal in 1873 was GAPS. and in
1890. 1902, a reduction of more than one
half in the number of vessels. The nunter
of vessels passing through the st. Marys
Falls canal in 1873 was 2.517, and in 1872,
through the American and Canadian canals,