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cebound—No Danger to Men Winter came early and with surprising severity on the Great Lakes, Nov.-Dec., 1926. completely ice bound for days—Upper Left—Large fleet o FITZGERALD, ice covered from zero weather on Lake Superior, AVIGATION closed on_ the Great Lakes for the season of 1926 under unusually severe weather conditions which threatened a heavy economic loss. For a time late in November and the first days of December ice had formed so rapid- ly in St. Marys river, in the ap- proaches and in the canals at the Soo, that it was feared that 100 odd freighters, made up of the last down bound vessels and others up bound to the head of the lakes for grain cargoes waiting to get through, would be forced to stay where they were for the winter. The temperature was exceptionally low for so early in the year. Ice had begun to inter- fere with steamers in approaching the ore docks at Superior as early as Nov. 21. The temperature at Duluth on Nov. 22, was 10 above zero Fahr. and ore had to be steamed before it could be loaded. Continuous heavy weather was experienced in the middle and latter part of November. Photographs by A. E. Young, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. The temperature at the Soo on Nov. 27, was 2 degrees below zero and the ice at Duluth was from 10 to 12 inches thick with consequent very slow movement of vessels in the harbor. Ice began to interfere seriously with vessels in the Soo river as early as Nov. 28 and 29. As much as 24 hours were lost in some cases. The ice in this vicinity at Mud _ lake, was about 4 inches thick and ice fields extended from Pipe island to the Dike, tugs having to break the ice for upbound boats. Sault Ste. Marie reported on Nov. 80, that ice con- tinued to hold up steamers in St. Marys river, the most difficult sec- tion being between the Dike and Little Mud lake. The delays oc- casioned tended to rapidly increase the fleet both down bound. and up bound waiting to get through the canal. Ice 4 to 6 inches in thickness had to be broken through and the broken ice carried by the current in the river channels piled up so deep 13 or Ships Many ships with their last down lake cargoes were f loaded freighters tied up at Soo on account of ice—Upper Right—Steamer W. E. was next to the last vessel locked through the Soo during the season of 1926— Lower Left—A few of the great fleet of lake freighters waiting for tugs to break the ice in St. Mary’s river—Lower Right—A section of the fleet tied up at the Soo waiting a chance to get through in places that it touched the bottom. By Dec. 4, more than 100 freight-. ers were fast in the ice below the Soo. The temperature at that point on that day was reported to be 8 degrees below zero. Great concern was felt by all the vessel owners, not as erroneously stated in the press in regard to the immediate safety of the personnel or of the ships, be- cause there was no danger, but on account of the possibility of the en- tire fleet being compelled to remain where it was for winter quarters_ which of course, would have necessi- tated a skeleton crew on board and keeping up steam until the opening of navigation. Also the vessels so tied . up could not have conveniently re-. ceived attention for regular over-haul- . ing and repairs, nor would such ves- sels in many instances have been in an advantageous location for begin- ning the season of 1927. In fact it would have meant the continuation of the voyage down bound with final