The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-02-09
BILLION DOLLAR
MARK Is PASSED
$1,o6s, SOS, 149 REPRESENTS TOTAL
VALUATION OF COMMERCE
THROUGH PORTAGE LAKE
SINCE 1892.

The annual report Of the marine
commerce through the Portage Lake
ship canals for the year 1910, which
was recently compiled by George II.
Banks, Junior Engineer of Houghton
was received late yesterday afternoon
from Graham ID. Fitch Of Duluth,
Lieut.. Col. Corps of Engineers, in
charge Of the harbor improvements in
Lake Superior, 10 whom il was sent for
the official approval some time last
month BY the addition Of S71262,ll5,
the valuation placed upon the freight
passing through the canals in 1910, the
grand total of the commerce through
the Portage Lake canals since 1892
now reaches S1.O69.6 O5,149. The valua-
ton placed upon the first years COM
merce under government supervision
is $14,SSS,64O since which time the
commerce has steadily increased.
Mr.. Banks has divided the report in
to three parts of general divisions,
namely:-through commerce. local
commerce. and through and local COM
merce In his summary the Junior
Engineer states:
Local traffic is not recorded, that is,
vessels trading between points on Por-
tage Lake and Torch Lake.
The ton. as used in all tables, is a
short ton Of 1000 lbs.
Unit values for items Of freight. and
factors for converting various units Of
measurement into tons, are the same
used in the compilation of Duluth-Su
perior commerce for 1910, with but
few exceptions.
More Of the larger class of vessels
have continued TO use the canals dur
ing the past year and most of them
passed through the waterway with
out trouble however, the channels
are narrow for this class Of vessels !
and in consequence accidents have oc-
CURED such as collisions, groundings, |
collisions with revetments, etc.
The Houghton- Hancock bridge has
given good service during the year
and boats have had little trouble pass !
irg through it.
AS usual the heaviest commerce /
through the waterway was the lat
ter part OF the season during Sep /.
TENDER and October, or during the
stormy season, which shows clearly /.
that these canals are used for refuge
to a great extent. as there are more
boats navigating Lake Superior dur
ing the summer months.
2,3s4,676 Tons This Year /
l,a 81
sci freight up and down during the ,
year was 2.3S4676 tons. valued at ST. /
262,115 an increase Of 27.6 per cent /
over the tonnage in 1900 and de-
crease Of CO per cent over the tonnage |
in 1909. The principal commodities !
represented in the commerce are cop |
per, cement flour. lath. lumber, oils |
hard coal, soft coal mineral copper /
grains. manufactured iron, limestone /
building stone and wheat. The freight !
passing through the canals east bound /
consists mainly of wheat. lumber /
grains. iron ore 1.47O.317 bushels of /
wheat 1,670,753 barrels of flour and /
571649 bushels Of other grains passed .
through the canals from Duluth while /
the tonnage Of iron ore and lumber I.
vas large. The products going west
were in the main building materials 7.
and machinery. Cement. manufactured |
iron and lumber, machinery. oils and (
coal is the greatest part of this COM
merce.
Local Commerce.
one of the most interesting features F.
Of the report is that bearing on local |
commerce The tonnage represented .
in the local commerce makes up asa
per cent of the total or 1,l53.G27 tons, f.
valued at S2G,296,Sl6 BY local COM
merce is meant the freight carried by /
vessels which entered from either di- /
rection and was shipped or received /
at port within the waterway Boats .
stopped al the ports Of Houghton |
Hancock Lake Linden. Hubbell, Dollar /
Bay, Point Mills and Chassell. The |
freight received at these ports consist |
ed mainly of coal and miscellaneous /
merchandise for Houghton and Han |
cock, coal, cement and machinery at /
the G. d II. docks at Lake Linden, |
34S59O tons of soft coal being I'M F.!