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1892 January 15, 1892 Armstrong and Mathews ofPort Colbome have sold their wrecking plant and shipped it to Windsor to Isaac Watt. It will be placed on the wrecking steamer Saginaw. It is now stated on excellent authority that the Dominion Government has decided on making some important changes in the canal now being built at Sault Ste. Marie, which will greatly increase its facilities and render it able to accommodate any vessel which can use the American canal. The depth ofwater in the lock sills ofboth canals will be the same, 21 feet, which will take the largest steamers used or likely to be used on the lakes. The present contract for the lock to the Canadian canal is for alock 600 feet long and 85 wide. This, itis understood has been changed so that the lock will be 900 feet long by 60 wide with gates the full width ofthe lock. This will admit ofthree ofthe large propellers being locked up together. T^e lock is so arranged that if at any future time greater accommodation is needed, itwill be a very easy matter to construct a twin lock adjoining the one to be built, so that the lockage capacity would be more than doubled and vessels could be locked up and down at the same time. One of the contractors says that work on the canal vwll be continued all winter and that it will be ready for use by the opening ofthe season of 1894. January 22,1892 Lake Erie and the other lakes ofthe great ehain are becoming so shallow that commerce is apprehensive. Someone gives this explanation: "While the mass ofthe temtoiy d^edby the western streams was thickly wooded, the trees served not only to hold the water but to prevent the ivashing away ofthe soil by means oftheir nuinerotis roots. As the country becomes cleared, this safeguard is lemoved- after the heavy rams the waters pour down offthese broken lands, canying immenM and ever-mmeasing volumes ofsilt or soil. This is held in suspension in the rumS^g stream, but on reachmg the still lake it settles. The same thing has been seen m many parts ofEurope." ^ February 5, 1892 It is said that the Detroit Dry-dock Co. stands agood show of securing the •n 1 contract to build the companion steel steamer to the Virginia for the Goodrich Company. The Virginia was built by the Globe Iron Works ofCleveland and cost over $300,000. ACleveland syndicate headed by Harvey D. Goulder has purchased the new schooner John J. Barium for $57,400. She was built the past season by the Craigs at Toledo, will carry 1800 tons ofcoal and has an insurance valuation of $55,000. Ameeting oftug owners from Tonawanda to the Sault River was held recently in S.B. Grununond's office to discuss the advisability offorming an association. It was the general opinion that by combined action the old-time rates could be restored. It was proposed to put all the tugs under the management ofone m^, and that dividends be paid according to the value of the tugs. Owing to the inability of anumber oftug owners to be present, another meeting will be held in afew days to complete theorganization. The Vessel Owners' Association of the Great Lake cities are exertmg every effort possible to promote waterway improvements by correspondence with Congressmen and the sending of delegations to the Departments at Wellington. They have formally called the attention of the War Department to the important places where great losses have occurred. The waters south ofthe Dummy Light on Point Pelee are mentioned as dangerously shallow. The waters between Catawba and South Bass Islands are full offoul bottom. OffColchester or Little Point is a shoal ofboulders three-eighths to one-halfmile south ofthe one shown on the chart. There is arange ofrocky bottom between the Detroit River Light ^d Bois Blanc Island. Between Lime-Kiln Crossing and Ballard's Reefare obstructions not shown on the charts. February 19, 1892 t n Port Arthur has a steel barge company - something new. It calls itselr the Canadian and has a capital stock of $128,000. Frank Campbell and F.L. McDonald ofDuluth were the lowest bidders for the construction ofcribs for range lights in the St. Mary's River, their bid being $8539. The cribs will be builtof wood filled in withstone. The grain fleet from Lake Michigan will start in well this spring. There is in store at Chicago 9,282,926 bushels ofwheat, an excess over the same time last year of2771,880 bushels; com, 1,103,026 bushels against 272,404 bushels on the same date last'year. In Duluth there are 7,554,228 bushels wheat, an excess over last year of 3,873,579 bushels.