El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-10-27

n
Oct. 27-StanS with me on the
- steel back of one OF the fresh.
water Ievisthans which gul2 down
iron on the shores OF Lake Superior
and spit it out into the steel furnaces
at the ports Of Lake Michigan and
Lake Erie. while we take account o.
one OF our greatest national assets.
The Great Lakes form big item in
Uncle Sans balance sheet They are
the largest bodies OF fresh water In
the world. and In cheap ness Of freight
and efficiency Of transports ton they
are equaied nowhere upon this great
round globe
Just now they are loaded with traf-
fic- Prom the foot OF Lake ontario
10 the head Of Lake Superior you can
not get out o. sight OF mighty steel
steamers
These vessels 90 back and forth by
the hundreds, and each carries its
load OF thousands Of tons Some are
bringing down millions OF bushels Of
wheat and millions OF barrels OF flour
70 feed our armies on the other side
Of the oeesn- others, Ike that on
which We are standing. are filled with
iron ore. which almost as soon a.
this letter is published, will have been
turned into armor plate for our navy.
and guns and projectiles for our men
in the trenches
Many Busy shipyards on Lakes.
On the shores Of the Great Lakes
are a dozen shiqyards turning out
merchant vessels Of steel and wood to
heat the submarines OF our enemies,
and the great cities which form their
chief ports. or are dependent upon
them. are beehives Of war industry,
without whose supplies we should
have but little hope for victory over
The Germans in Buffalo tney are
making airplanes for scouting the
-.
nitrates for explosives. aprasives Tor
grinding the shells and alloys OF all
kinds for the steel needed IN machine
and munitions OF war.
At Cleveland they are turning out
motor trucks. shells and prolectileS
in vast numbers. and all sorts Of war
wares OF iron and steel. At Detroit
and Toledo the automobiles, ambu-
lsnces and other motor vehicles
swarm forth like bees from a hive.
Farther up the Detroit river there are
huge oil refineries which are making
gasoline to supply the airplanes and
motor transportation OF france. ana
in Chicago. at the foot or Lake 1iichi-
Ean. directed by the government, the
largest steel plants Of the world are
lzborinE away night and day
I might speak OF other lake ports
not only in the United states, but IN
Canada as vel which are engaged n
making war products; ana. going 10
the head OF these waterways IN the
cities OF Superior. Duluth and Fort
William, show you how the lakes
form the downspout for the wheat
fields through which pours great
part OF our food supply.
have said that the Great Lakes
form the most valuable inland water
way on the face OF the globe During
the mast 30 years I have travelled all
the great rivers. and have covered al
most every water highway Of note
from the Rio de Ia Plata 10 the u
kon. from the Zambesi 70 the Me
and from the Gauges 20 the 4angtse
EfanE. 7 have been on the great
lakes OF central Africa, and have
steamed around Victoria Nyanza,
which IS almost as large as Lake Su-
neriOr- In all Of these there IS notn-
lng that compares Win ne mls. ~
bodies Of water that lie here on the
apsZ Of our continent The great
lakes OF Africa are as Tar from the
Indian ocean as Cleveland Is distant
from the Atlantic, and you have 70
climb over mountains 20 reach them
They are disconnected. and II Is many
miles from one TO the others.
Form Long, NGviEable Highway.
The Great Lakes of North America
are tied together by straits and can
ais. and the St Lawrence river ca
ries their waters out 70 the ocean
They form a naviEable highway so
long that II Il began at New York
city Il would reach 70 beyond the
Great salt lake. and u opens up
country which Is almost as valuable
Prom Montreal 70 Duluth the distance
- two-thirds a. great as rom Phila-
deIphia TO Liverpool
The shore line Of the lakes Is such
that II gives access 20 eight great
states whose population IS more than
oue-third OF that OF the onion. and
whose products are Of enormous i'm
portance al this stage Of our nistorT-
They give US large part OF our 1000
supply. a vast deal OF copper. and al
most all OF our iron and steel neT
are among the chief manufacturing
states Of the Union and they are now
humminE with war industries OF
every description The shores OF the
Great Lakes connect US. also, with Al ]
almost equal area in Canada and with
that part OF Il which IS aiding most in Z
fighting the Germans. That region ]
has vast timber resources 1t has the
CHIEF nickel mines o. the world. and /
bread and meat baskets from which 4
Supplies are continually moving 70 /
our allies in Europe
Roof Of Country East Of Rockies.
The Great lakes are reruarka bic n T
that they lie on the ROOF Of North Z
America east Of the Rockies. and this /
notwithstanding their basin IS equal I
in size To one-siNth OF the United 4
States. They lie on the height Of I
land half way between The arctic
ocean and the Mexican gulf and tilt I
SO EETlAE NNHoEu the 4AAae-LtAlt AAAd-A .
they fern The suoothest and safest Of !
waterways.
The surface OF Lake Superior is less 4
than 50 feet above the aluminium tip .
Of the washington monument, and I
only a trifle below the level Of the /
roof OF the Singer building. on Broad \
way. New York. The altitude is only
500 feet and the most Of this descent !
IS made in the Niagara and st. Law
renee rivers The fall from the head /
Of lake superior at Duluth 70 the
foot Of Lake Erie at Buffalo Is only /
So feet. and OF this a drop OF 20 feet !
occurs at the Sauit ste. Marie canals.
This leaves only I6 feet Of q fall from Z
Duluth 20 Buffalo. a distance Of al
most a thousand miles. or less than I
one-fifth Of an inch 70 the mile. II Is
so small that there is no perceptible
current. and practically no change OF
steam is needed in making the way
back and forth
Filming From Kitchen Windows.
have been travelling over these
lakes for the past few weeks The
canals and rivers which connect them
are OF remarkable interest In pass
iu- from Lake Erie into Lake Huron
went through the Detroit river. and
from there into the St Clair. which (
cuts the St Clair flats. passing
through hundreds Of little islands
uuou which are summer homes that
remind one Of the floating houses IN
the Neuam river at BANGKOK. siam I
The cottages have verandaS hanging
out over the channels, and the babies