The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1906-07-26

locks, the largest in the world. There
are three locks, two, the Weitzel and
Poe locks, on the American side, and
one on the Canadian side OF the river.
During the season OF navigation be-
tween $4,000 and 10000 boats pass
through the locks, an average OF boat
every twelve minutes day and night.
The Weitzel lock, opened in 1881, is 515
feet long, 80 feet wide and will lock
through boats drawing seventeen feet
OF water. The Poe lock, opened in 1896,
has basin SUI feet between the gates,
is 100 feet wide, and has a depth OF Il
feet over mitre stills, the allowable
draft of vessels. The lift is from 1S to
~ feet, according to the fluctuations OF
the upper and lower levels OF the river.
Ore, grain, lumber, copper, flour, coal
and merchandise OF every description
are transported via the lake Ioutes and
pass through the locks at the $780,"
Last season some 35,000,000 tons of
cargo passed through the locks, and it
is anticipated that during the present
season the vast aggregate will be more
than 4OO00OLO tons. These figures con-
vey but slight impression until one
sees the continual procession of passing
vessels, many OF them 800 or more feet
iu length and carrying 10000 tons at a
single cargo. More freight passes the
800" than enters the combined harbors
of Boston, Now York and San francisco
during the same time, and nearly three
times as much passes through the Suez
canal in a year. A short distance
above the locks on the rivers edge is
the Michigan State Fish Hatchery,
where one may see the method OF propo-
eating the whitetish fry, which later
are to grow to be the tinny beauties for
which these northern waters are so
famous. Ii one has a taste for things
military, Fort Brady, located in COM
manding position above the locks, offers
opportunity for close inspection. 1t
has been occupied continuously as a
military post since 1921. Two COM
panies Of infantry are stationed here.
The Michigan-Lake Superior power
plant occupies building quarter OF a
mile long, and here may be seen 800
powerful turbine water wheels capable
OF developing $4,000 horse power.
These turbines are coupled TO immense
dynamos and the energy SO generated
is transmitted to the various industries
about the 500
After seeing the American locks,
those OF the party who were not
drowned out, were taken across the
river for short trip in Canada. The
ferry makes a trip every thirty minutes
aud cars connect on the other side for
the trip to the Canadian locks and the
great mills and smelters OF the Clergue
Industries. The Canadian lock is 900
feet long, 60 feet wide, and can lock
through vessels drawing II feet of
water. Although many vessels pass
through this lock, the larger number by
far 20 through the American locks, as
they are quicker OF operation. Near
the Canadian locks are the floor and
foundations Of the first lock on the con-
tinent, built by the Northwest Fur Co.
in 1880, to lock down the fur-ladened
canoes from the Lake Superior regions.
The various mills of the Clergue Co.
are we'll worth an extended visit. The
Lake Superior Pow wer Co. has developed
10000 horsepower. This is used by
the Sault Ste. Marie Pulp and Paper
Co. The Pulp mill has capacity of
225 tons OF pulp per day. There are
also plants which manufacture bleach
ing powder and caustic soda from com
mon salt, a ferro-nickel plant, blast
furnaces for the manufacture of pig
iron and a Bessemer steel plant, with
capacity of 600 tons of steel rails
daily. The blast furnaces and steel
plant are the places which take most OF
, the visitors attention. Here one may
follow the various processes from the
time the ore is plaed in the reduction
furnaces and the molten iron pours out
of the pigs" the burning out Of the
~; nd <>f ~
crude iron into the finest steel bilIets
the moulding and the reheating and
rolling and working of these cubes OF
| incandescent metal until it is finally
cooled and issues from the long series
of rools, finished rail. Night is the
best time to visit the steel works, as ii
is then that the full grandeur of the
scene is brought forth land the pyrotech.
mic display, as sparks fly from the
molten metal, is at it's best. The giant
machine takes the white hot steel
"blooms'' from the ovens and pass then
back and forth through the finishing
5 roofs with the utmost precision, work.
: ing with almost humane intelligence
while the huge cranes swinging into
view under the tlickering lamps from
out the dusky shadows appear like
: hugh giants come to crush the mortals
who would stay their titanic power, and
, give weirdness to the scene that will
, long linger to brighten the memory Of
happy trip.
, AS our boat departed the following
l morning early, we sat before big oper
!. fire place in the hotel, in which was
cracking a fire of pine logs eight fee1
in length until our clothes were dried
3 and then tired but happy crawled into
t bed. The next morning l paid second
? visit to the locks to see big freighter
$ pass through and had an invitation tc
shoot the rapids with an indian in his
canoe, but we declined with thanks
3 although he assured us there was nc
!. danger, but as the water has a fall O.
+ % feet in a mile it was too rough {
voyage for us.
t Our Special Edition.
The REPORTER greets it's readers will
4 a sixteen page paper this week, consid
f cradle space being devoted to write
0 up of the business interests Of the tow,
3 prepared by Messrs McNulty & Russell