The Detroit times., 1910-12-06
TONNAGE ON LAKES
At HIGH MARK
Figures for 1910 Promise To Exceed
Those of Previous Years by
Striking Margin.

WASHINGTON. Dec. 6.-Commer-
cial movements on the Great Lakes
during October, as measured by the
volume OF shipments between domes'
tic lake ports reported to the bureau
OF statistics of the department OF
commerce and labor, totaled l0,649,'
2S7 short tons, compared with H.
OlS.2l2 short tons shipped during
October, 1909. Owing to the earlier
start in lake navigation during the
present season and the heavier ship
ments during the earlier summer
months, the season record for the lO
months of 7S,944,640 short tons ship
ped, exceeds by far the correspond
ing 1909 figures OF 69,O7S,365 short
tons, as well the earlier record fig
ures for 1907 of 73,413,990 short
ions. IL the shipments for the com.
ing two months reach a total OF only
eight million tons, as against liz
million tons shipped during the cor
responding period last year, the total
shipments for the season will be in
The neighborhood OF eighty-seven mil
lion tons, or about three and one half
million tons in excess OF the 1907
record total.
The decline in the monthly figures
of lake shipments is due largely to
the smaller quantity OF ore shipped
during the month from the upper
lake ports. This quantity was 4,766,
53l long tons, compared with G,496.-
003 long tons for October, 1909. or
the monthly total over 80 per cent
was shipped from Duluth-Superior,
over 20 per cent from Two Harbors.
and over IL per cent from Escanaba
Ioar Ix<It "A. Nl...
month aggregated SOL ,259 long tons,
OF which almost IS per cent is credit
ed to Lake Erie ports and the rest
10 Lake Michigan ports. The season
receipts Of iron ore to the end OF
October are stated as 3S.3SS, 1872 long
tons, compared with a. 500 ,354 long
tons received during the correspond
ing period in 1909. OF the total, over
so per cent was unloaded at Lake
Erie ports and the rest at Lake Mich.
igan ports. The Chicago district in
Guiding Gary and Indiana Harbor. re-
ceived, for the 10 months of the pres.
ent season, total OF 6.499, ii3
long tons. as against 5999,469 long
tons in 1909. II is noteworthy that
the 10 months receipts at Gary for
the present year, 677.943 long tons,
show a decrease as compared with
the 1909 figures. while those at the
other two ports show substantial in
creases.
The October shipments OF hard
coal, chiefly from Buffalo. Erie and
Oswego, aggregated 532,1l9 short
tons The season shipments TO the
end OF October are stated as $500
BOB short tons, the largest total for
the period ever reported TO the
bureau. OF the total receipts for the
season about one-third is credited to
Duluth-Superior; the other large re-
ceivipg ports Of this article being
Chicago and Milwaukee. The October
shipments OF soft coal, 2,554,ll4 short
tons. were also unusually heavy, ap-
parently In anticipation OF an early
closing of navigation during the'pres-
ent season. The largest shipping
ports for the season in the order of
their importance were Ashtabula.
Toledo, Cleveland, and Lorain. which
are credited with over Is per cent OF
the total 10 months shipments OF 1G,.
251,Sl9 short tons. OF the season re-
ceipts. 15.909.9l6 short tons, about "a
per cent is credited to Lake Superior
ports and over 40 per cent to Lake
Michigan ports.
The lumber shipments for the
month. 139,0l0 NJ feet. were consid-
erably lighter than during the sum
mer months and show loss of about
) million feet as compared with cor
responding 1909 figures. Shipments
TO the end Of October aggregated L.
061 ,606 NJ feet. compared with $685.
SGT NJ feet shipped in 1909 II is
noteworthy that OF the two principal
receiving ports, Chicago and North
Tonawanda, the former shows IA
per cent decline and the latter 20
per cent increase in the season re.
ceipts OF lumber as compared with
last years figures.
Grain shipments during the month,
1924 1873 bushels. were considerably
below the corresponding 1909 figures
OF 23694,213 bushels, the greatest de
cline being shown in the shipments OF
wheat, mainly from Duluth-Superior.
Shipments of corn and barley were
heavier than In October, 1909. while
those Of oats and rye proceeded on n
lower scale than last year. The flax
seed movement for the month. $780,
l64 bushels, practically all from
Duluth.Superior. was less than one
third in quantity than that reported
for October, 1909.
The monthly shipments Of pig iron,
salt, and copper, show some increases
over the corresponding 1909 totals.
while those of flour, iron manufac-
lures, and miscellaneous freight were
less In volume than year ago.
The October freight movement
through the Sault Ste. Marie canals
7,S6S.7S2 short tons, mainly because
OF. the smaller ore traffic. shows a
large decrease, as compared with
figures for the preceding months as