The Republican journal., 1913-06-12
On the Great Lakes.
A Belfast Mans Trip to the Northwest.
On Board Ore Steamer,
Harvey B. Goulder, Capt. Davidson
May %, 1918, Z a. m.

On Board Ore Steamer,
Harvey B. Goulder, Capt. Davidson
May %, 1918, Z a. m.
Friend Pilsbury:
am about leaving this fine boat at
Conneaut, Ohio. to take a train on TIE
Lake Shore for Albany, where change
to the Boston train, and perhaps a few
words about my trip down the lakes on
this steamer and what have been doing
since | wrote you from my brothers
ranch may be of interest.
Through the kind favor of Mr.. Mason
of Chicago, who is interested IN the
United States Steel corporation, | was
furnished q letter to Mr.. G. A. Tomlinson
of Duluth, President and Manager of the
Tomlinson Transportation Co., who are
large owners in iron ore steamers carry
ing ore from Duluth to the corporations
different plants on the Great Lakes.
With this letter Mr.. Mason also kindly
gave Il e a letter to the captain of the
steamer asking him to give me passage
to the destination of the steamer on
Lake Erie.
The steamer left Duluth Sunday even
ing, May 18th, about 5 O'Clock with TO- 500
tons of iron ore on board and drawing 10
feet of water She is built entirely Of
steel is 900 feet long, SO feet wide, has
81 matches and is fitted with ballast
tanks which are filled with water when
she has to return to Duluth without car
90. 1t was so late when we left Duluth
that did not see much of Lake Superior
until the next morning, but | was up at
5 a. m. and was on deck most of the day.
1t was a delightful sail down Lake Su-
perior and Lake Huron, as we were in
sight of the shores and meeting these
large ore steamers going to Duluth and
in company with others going the same
way as our steamer. We arrived at the
500 about a. m. Tuesday and got
through the locks about noon The
locks are large enough to take two of
these big steamers at time and
when emptied of steamers going down
they are filled with steamers going
up, so there is an endless procession
going both ways. There are two locks
on the American side, and one on the
Canadian side, and there is new one in
process of construction on the American
side. Nineteen feet is about as much
draft as it is safe to go through on.
There is a difference of &c feet be-
tween the level of Lake Superior and
that of Lake Huron The steamer was
"a hours from the 500 to the ST. Clair
river, and al the entrance is Port Huron
on one side with Sarnia on the other,
and there are a number of small places
on each side before we get down to De-
troit. The river broadens out into Lake
ST. Clair about halt way down. On ar
irving opposite Detroit the captain got
his destination orders to Conn aut, Ohio,
and it was 9 p. IN. before we got out into
Lake Erie We crossed Lake Erie in the
Night and did nos see much f that body
Of water Lake Superior is the largest
of the lakes. 1t is 500 miles long and
1875 miles wide in its wides- part. The
distance from Duluth to the 500 is 434
miles, and from Duluth to our destination
little over 1000 miles, L was de-
lightfui trip from start to finish and one
that ] have been DESTROYS of taking for
many years. | thought of you, and how
much you would have enjoyed it.
Perhaps a few statistics may be Of
value. l was at Duluth in the fall of
1879 when there were very few houses,
ana but little business. Today it has
over 100000 population. TIE port is
open to navigation for months in the
year, during which time it has larger
tonnage, in and out, than any port in the
United States. The receipts Of coal ex-
= coed any port in the United States, and
1t is the distributing port for all the
northwest, including St. Paul and Mime
apolis. During the shipping season it is
the outlet for wheat from the north
west and nearly all goes by steamer to
Buffalo. The receipts of iron ore are
about $780, 900 tons day, and it is loaded
out as fast as it comes in.
After leaving my brothers ranch |
went to Denver, which is beautiful and
prosperous city, took trolly ride over
the city and out to the foot hills of
the Rocky mountains. From there l
went to Fort Collins to see Bert. Thomp
son and Jesse Wilson. Mr. Thomp on was
away, so l did not see him, but Jesse