The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

A FEW HISTORICAL FACTS AND THE CANALS--Continued as a matter of fact, two steamers were built on Lake Ontario in 1816. These were the Canadian steamer "Frontenac" and the American steamer "Ontario." But these boats were not looked upon as the first Great Lakes steamers because their operations were confined to Lake Ontario. The '"'Walk-in-the-Water" measured 338 tons. The owners of this great steamboat thought none of the lake men would be cap- able of handling her and brought a master from the North river. This master promptly resigned his position after encountering one of Lake Erie's vicious sou'westers. A lake sailor was then placed in command. The "'Walk-in-the-Water" was driven ashore in a gale on Lake Erie in 1821. Her engines were saved and placed into the steamer "Superior" in 1822. THE GREAT LAKES Total area of water surface--over 90,000 square miles. Over 5,000 miles of coast. Combined area of Great Lakes exceeds the area of England, Wales and Scotland. The United States lighthouse board places in position at the opening of navigation each spring spar buoys and can buoys. The United States Weather Bureau displays storm signals at principal ports on the Great Lakes. The Canadians display storm signals also. Total length of the Great Lakes system--from the mouth of the St. Lawrence river to Duluth--2,384 miles. . : From the east end of Lake Ontario to the west end of Lake Superior--1,150 miles. From the east end of Lake Ontario to Chicago--1,050 miles. Quebec to Duluth--1,560 miles; Quebec to Chicago--1,465 miles; Montreal to Duluth--1,400 miles; Montreal to Chicago--1,305 miles; Buffalo to Duluth--980 miles; Buffalo to Chicago--890 miles. LAKE SUPERIOR Largest expanse of fresh water in the world. The water of Lake Superior is chemically pure. Area 31,820 square miles; 1,500 miles coast. Greatest length, 350 miles; greatest breadth, 160 miles; great- est depth, 1,290 feet; 602 feet above the sea; about 22 feet above Lake Huron. LAKE HURON Area 23,010 square miles; 800 miles of coast; greatest length, 220 miles; greatest breadth, 100 miles; greatest depth, 750 feet; 580 feet above the sea; 9 feet above Lake Erie. LAKE MICHIGAN Area 22,400 square miles; 1,200 miles of coast; greatest length 307 miles; greatest breadth, 118 miles; greatest depth, 923 feet; 580 feet above the sea; 326 feet above Lake Ontario. LAKE ERIE Area 9,940 square miles; 650 miles of coast; greatest length, 240 miles; greatest breadth 57 miles; greatest depth, 210 feet; 572 feet above the sea; 326 feet above Lake Ontario. LAKE ONTARIO Smallest of the five Great Lakes; area, 7,540 square miles; nearly 500 miles of coast; greatest length, 193 miles; greatest breadth, 55 miles; greatest depth, 778 feet; 246 feet above the sea. LAKE ST. CLAIR Area 460 square miles; 100 miles of coast; greatest length, 26 miles; greatest breadth, 24 miles; depth, 24 feet; 576 feet above the sea; 3 feet above Lake Erie; 6 feet below Lake Huron. Previous to 1858 the channel entering Lake St. Clair was only 914 feet deep. By 1871 it had been deepened to 13 feet, and by 1874 there was a channel 16 feet deep. It remained at this depth until 1887 when the work of deepening began again and it was completed to a depth of 21 feet. ST. MARY'S RIVER Length, from Point Detour to Point Iroquois, 65 miles; length, from Point Detour to canal, 50 miles; length, from canal to Point 490