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22 x It has frequently been stated in the of the Marine Review that no adequate measure of the columns there is port to port commerce of the great lakes, and therefore no way of deter- mining the total commerce of the great chain of waters. However, it is fair to assume that more than half of the commerce of the lakes passes through the canals at Sault Ste. Marie, and it is fortunate indeed that records at this point are very reliably kept by the officials in charge of the United States and Canadian canals. Supt. Louis C. 'Sabin has just submitted Col. Charles E. L. B. Davis for transmis- sion to the secretary of war the ex- haustive report of canal commerce for 1906 that is known as the mile-ton re- port. The report shows that $36,666,- 889 was paid as carrying charges to vessels that moved 51,751,080 net tons of freight through the canals in 1906, and that the total value of freight was to $537,462,454. The cost per ton per mile-- of moving this freight was 0.84 of a mill, as against 0.85 of a mill in 1905, 0.81 of a mill in 1904, 0.92 of a mill in 1903, and 0.89 of a mill in 1902. The total freight traffic of 51,751,080 net tons for the season of 1906 when compared with the season of 1905 shows an increase of 17 per cent or 7,480,400 tons. ' The items showing an increase are coal, flour, wheat, grain other than wheat, manufactured and pig iron, salt, iron ore, copper and gen- eral merchandise. The total number of passengers was 63,033, an increase of 8,829 or 16 per cent. Vessel passages through both canals numbered 22,155, showing a gain of 476 or 2 per cent. The total lockages numbered 14,523, a gain of 731 or 5 per cent. The season of navigation continued for a period of 8 months and 9 days, during which time the average freight traffic was 6,235,070 net tons. : The traffic through the American canal was 87 per cent of the total freight and 49 per cent of the total number of passengers carried, the amounts being 45,180,292 tons of freight and 30,925 passengers. Com- pared with the season of 1905 there Was an increase of 6,378,012 tons of freight or 16 per cent, and an increase of passengers of 2,524 or 9 per cent. The American canal opened April 13 and closed Dec. 17, 1906, making the length of the season 249 days. The traffic through the Canadian ca- . Compared with the ' TAer MarRINE REVIEW nal was 13 per cent of the total freight, and 51 per cent of the passengers car- ried, the amounts being 6,570,788 tons of . freight and 32,108 passengers. season of 1905 there was an increase of 1,102,298 tons of freight or 20 per cent, and an in- crease of 6,305 passengers or 24 per cent. The Canadian canal was opened on April 14 and- closed Dec. 22, 1906, making the length of the season 253 days. Following are some of the most interesting conclusions regarding the traffic of 1906: COMMERCE OF LAKE SUPERIOR was 57; of 400 to 500 ft. in length, 128; of 300 to 400 ft. in length, 172; of 200 to 300 ft. in length, 258; of 100 to 200 ft. in length, 184; and of less than 100 ft. in length, 80. The maximum freight traffic for a single day was on June 25 when 371,005 tons passed through the canals on 122 vessels, having an aggre- gate registered tonnage of 244,804. There were no passages on Dec. 20 and 21. Forty-four, new vessels were put in commission for the Lake Su- perior trade in 1906. They were all steamships for freight traffic. Thirty- two of these new vessels are 500 ft. Total, freight carried, tons....,.. 51,751,080 or more in length and carry from 9,000 Total mnet® registered tons....... 41,098,324 8 : : : ol ile tune Vo 43,596,953,680 to 14,000 net tons of freight in a single Total valuation placed on freight ' at i ees i esay atom, -CoteO,, 7) he) tee eiiele Care cay Total amount paid for freight . ried through the canals in 1906 con- traMSPOtrtatiOne. b,c st 6 ee es 36,666,889 : Total number of registered vessels ; 'sisted of 13,272 tons on the steamer ANGI CANA. cate geo 16 bie cle oe as ' 879 'Pi ee bee sb Glee te J. -Prerpont Morgan. The. greatest registered crafts carrying freight g10 amount of freight carried was 313,434 Total valuation placed on regis- fered= Vessels: i. ees ck a eu $94,532,500 tons by the steamer E. H. Gary. The Total number of passengers trans- , greatest number of miles run were ported weet e eee ee eee eee eens 63,033 Average distance freight was 42,986. by the steamer E.-H. Gary, CAEHICG IMLLEG Gace aivke 5 6 wearers 842.4 b ; : Pe a ae while the greatest number «of mile- a transportation Se $0.71 tons was 249,353,656, also by the steam- verage cost er 2 mi ton, ° ile 8 ee ee 4 er E. H. Gary. The following table sr enee value per ton of freight €ip39 will prove interesting as showing the Time American canal was _ oper- distribution to other lakes of freight Oleds GAYS 25) ce cb cee vc ees 249 : ee Cen canal Gas ouer" bound eastward from Lake Superior ated, days. .......:..se ee wenee 253 and also the district from which freight Freight carried by-- : pe Registered vessels, tons........ 51,652,262 bound to Lake Superior originated: Unregistered vessels, tons..... 98,818 American vessels, per .cent:.... 95 ---- Canadian vessels, per cent... 5 EAST BOUND. Passengers carried by-- From Lake Superior ports 'to-- Net tons. American vessels, per cent..... 43 Lake «Michiean ports.....:.. eae HOLS 0x8 Ganadian vessels,» per cent..... 57 bake: Tiron: ports... ... 02. are. 1,231,936 Average number of vessels: pass- Dake? Exies ports)... 35,503,324 ing per day-- Lake: Ontario: ports 62253. en : whrough* Poe lock sh. ..206.. 40 eee eee. rors = eee Weitzel lOGhs 2s: ji Siac cies wae fs 28 Tol ek 41,584 Canadian HOCK. Soa ise ue 22 Wier? HOLSG hae Poe, Weitzel and Canadian locks 7 Ge dake Superior ports from-- Net tons. : ake Michigan. ports. 20.4. 6, P132558 The number of registered vessels of Lake Huron ports elec je eter b eke eke 6 18 452,116 : é Heake @Erierc ports. cc ee oo ee ee 9,497,293 500 to 600 ft. in length using the canal hake. Ontario = ports...4. 0. ese 103,208 in trade to and from Lake Superior Total 10.166.178 COMPARATIVE STATEMENT OF COMMERCE THROUGH THE CANALS AT SAULT STE, MARIE, MICHIGAN AND ONTARIO, FOR THE. SEASONS OF 1905 aANpd_ 1906. Traffic for 1906. Total Traffic for United Items. States Canadian Season Season Canal. Canal. 1906, 1905. Vessel Passages: COMBOS! eas cs Nimber sia. 3 1330511 5,087 18,138 17,197 Sailing cH UR ee arog ANG UNaud ules praca Aergtae 2,607 210 2,817 3,263 Wresistered: sor cdc vas Number. icc 00s 817 383 1,200 1,219 POU A ee oie olga ss ok Numbers <3. 4 16,475 5,689 22,155 21,679 WOGKACES 6 pss le oy hs ccs Number <5 10,367 4,156 14,523 13.792 Tonnage: ; Bevistesel ic... Neti ciscie es .. 34,789,793 6,308,531 41,098,324 36,617,699 . MObOIO (eras ey eas NGtie eee aes ~+ 45,180,292 6,570,788 51,751,080 44,270,680 I oe MUR ee es aes ee soe Os << Number: i054." : : 30,925 32,108 63,033 54,204 oal: AUG ee ee og: Nets tons. os. 872,383 138,992 1,011,375 984,701 he Oe ae ogee eee Net TONS oe. oa 6,634,006 1,094,249 7,728,255 5,524,355 PLOUG eaoie peees oe caces 5 Barrels er een » «= 4,100,024 =: 2,395,326... 6.495.350 5,772,719 WERE oa Pe. Bushels........ .. 49,977,831 34,293,527 84,271,358 68,321,288 Grain, other than. Wheat... .. . Bushelov 2%. - 37,661,898 16,681,257 54,343,155 .39,229,553 Manufactured ana Pig ron... Net-tons... 3... 304,321 86,784 "391,105 "237,696 Salt vee e cee eee eee e teen eee BaUrelsec es nc. 371,680 96,482 468,162 423,122 WCOPNOU ete <4. a ei ister sce « Net. tons.2 76 Ee 99,572 8,061 107,633 106,520 ee re ae Net tons....... . 32,453,645 2,903,397 35,357,042 31,332,637 Lumber... eee eee eee eee eens Mitt B. Mik 854,167 46,464 900.631 966,806 Silver OTe see oe. ok ok es Net HONS. 0 ee a e 41 BUILGNIe. LONE. 6c es ee aes e INGE Ons oe. 6 aes ee eee 10,899 General Merchandise ......... Net tons; <2)... 541,895 592,956 1,134,851 836 583