The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-06
Total Tonnage for 1sos.A


supply OF iron.
Total Tonnage for 19os.)
During 1908 100000, 900 bushels of
grain and II 100000 barrels of flour were
shipped from Lake ports. the grain ship
ments from Port Arthur and Fort Will
liam alone being well over 100000
bushels. At least 100000 bushels of
wheat, 6o,o0o.o00 bushels of other grain
and 100000 barrels of -four passed
through the $500 canals and $4,000, 900
bushels Of grain, conservatively rep
resent the total shipments from Chi
cago, Milwaukee and other ports whose
eastbound commerce does not pass
through these canals. The years 1um-
Der shipments aggrepated nearly 1900
100000 feet, or enough to build more
than $4,000 houses of eight rooms each.
Taking the $500 canal as its center
and drawing a circle having a radius OF
$50 miles, it would be found to include
four of the worlds greatest ports, Buff
falo, Cleveland, Chicago and Duluth.
Within the circle or upon its cfrcum-
ference are such other ports as Detroit
Toronto, Dunaxirk. Erie. Conneaut, Ashta-
bula, Lorain, Sandusky, Toledo, Gary,
Milwaukee, Ashland, Superior and Port
Arthur. The eight states along the Great
Lakes are in reality the heart and power
of the nation. Within their borders dwell
IS, 100000 people and upon their shores
center the greatest industries of the
world. Should the lakes disappear sud-
denly the industrial supremacy Of the
United States would receive staggering
blow from which 1T might never recover
and more than half the population Of the
nation would be vitality affected. The steel
industry would come to an untime1y end
With all the great shipyards straining
every effort to meet the demands of the
lake commerce, shippers agree that they
never will be quite able to meet the re-
quirements of the traffic Everywhere
from Duluth to Buffalo the shipping is
crowded, In many cases dangerously so.
The greatest ocean ports never have
known such blockadeS as Duluth has seen
on more than one occasion. During one
month alone last year there were 1921
arrivals and clearances at this port an
average Of forty a day. Steamers pass
| through the Detroit River on an average
Of one every twelve minutes, night and
day. Harbors and canals must be en-
larged to facilitate the growing business
and unless there is some means available
for the protection of this vast shipping,
| the tragedies of this next decade will be
the wireless telephone it is believed that
protection has been 6ound.
Storms Do Terrific Damage.
| The Great Lakes are known as the
most treacherous highway in the world.
Great storms, coming up at a few hours
notice. do enormous damage to shipping,
Scores of vessels suddenly and myster-
tously disappear each year. leaving nl
trace behind them. According to the re-
cords more than SIS, ,0oO, 900 worth o4
freight has been lost on the lakes invofv-
|, ing the wrecking of $4,000 vessels and
the total loss of more than 1000 ships
During the last thirty years, in which
time the records have been practically
: complete, the wrecked vessels nunberei
some 5000, nearly 1000 of which wer,
; total losses, while the loss in cargoe,
alone has exceeded $12,oOo,00O in thi.
J same period. A notable case in point oc
Z CURED in 1906 when the steamer sFlass'
t went down with a cargo of metal worth
!. $1,250.o 900, none of which ever has bee,
D recovered. One of the most horrible dis
t asters in the whole history of the Grea
4 Lakes was the wrecking of the "Griffin'
3. and her destruction near Cleveland, in
! volving the loss of 2S6 lives. Thousand
= of other tragedies mark the history O
; the treachery of Great Lakes storms
= During the first week of October 1905
4 round dozen ships, valued approximate
~ at S5OO,oo0 each, were wrecked during
$ severe storm The net losses during thi
t week were not far from 81 100000 Warn
fEgs OF the storm that caused this damag
i were posted by the United State
] Weather Bureau eight hours in at1vanc
: and. had the lake vessels been equippe
3 with wireless telephone apparatus at tn
> time. every one would have had ampl