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Up and Down the Great Lakes Decrease in Traffic—Lake Levels—Ore Shipments— Canadian and American Grain—Coal—Fewer Vessels in Operation the Sault Ste. Marie canals, Unit- ed States and Canadian, during the month of August was 4,316,053 tons. This compares with 5,277,137 tons of iron ore shipped during the month of August, 1933, and 4,705,- 363 tons of iron ore shipped during July, 1934. Wheat was lighter than in August, 1933 by 680,349 bushels. Other grains, however, increased by 799,430 bushels. So also did bitu- minous coal by 347,414 tons. Total traffic through the canals during Au- gust was 6,989,719 tons which was 701,144 tons under last year’s traf- fic for the corresponding month. Total traffic through the Welland ship canal during August amounted to 1,272,951 tons as compared to 1,- 211,652 tons during August, 1933. Increases were shown as follows: Bi- tuminous coal, 56,828 tons; coke, 30,599 tons; iron ore, 65,963 tons; pulpwood, 22,053 tons; gasoline, 17,- 831 tons; and barley, 33,363 tons. Wheat was lighter than last year by 65,700 tons or 2,190,000 bushels; flour by 13,019 tons; cement, brick and lime by 27,618 tons; and iron ore, pig and bloom by 10,450 tons. Principally due to light wheat ship- ments the total freight through the St. Lawrence canals during August dropped to 866,256 tons as compared with 979,522 tons during August, 1933. Decreases were as follows: Wheat, 144,645 tons, or 4,821,500 bushels; sand by 45,856 tons; iron ore by 15,514 tons; flour by 12,924 tons; flaxseed, by 8134 tons; anthra- cite coal by 7732 tons; and paper, by 6799 tons. The larger increases in- cluded 57,900 tons of bituminous coal; 21,746 tons of barley; 10,592 tons of other ore (other than copper and iron); 10,653 tons of petroleum and other oils; 7793 tons of sugar; and 8044 tons of oats. Te shipment of iron ore through Ore Shipments Decrease Ore shipments from upper lake ports during the month of August showed a decrease of 18.41 per cent from the amount shipped during Au- gust, 1933, A total of 4,161,686 tons of ore was shipped from upper lake ports during August this year as compared with 5,100,702 tons in the month of August, 1933. The to- tal shipment of ore for the season up to Sept. 1, 1934 was 15,685,211 34 tons as compared with 10,795,398 tons for the season of 1933 up to Sept. 1. The decrease in ore shipments during August of this year from the same month last year amounted to 939,016 tons, or 18.41 per cent. The increase in ore shipments for the present season up to Sept. 1, over the same period of 1933, amounted to ‘4,889,813 tons or 45.3 per cent. Shipments of ore by rail from Lake Erie ports to furnaces during the month of August amounted to 1,947,- 921 tons, making a total for the sea- son up to Sept. 1 of 8,280,458 tons as compared with a total shipment of 6,069,779 tons for the same period in 19338. On Sept. 1, 1934 the bal- ance of ore on dock at Lake Hrie ports was 4,855,814 tons as com- pared with 4,895,524 tons on Sept. 1, BOSS. August Lake Levels The United States Lake survey re- ports the following monthly mean stages of the Great Lakes for the month of August, 1934, determined from daily readings of staff gages. Feet above Lakes mean sea level SUpPeTION tie ne 602.78 Michigan-Huron _........ 577.98 StClalir: sack wie eee 573.40 ED HS hoagie ate a aa aR 570.30 OUDCATION ch sae oe 243.63 Lake Superior was 0.04-foot lower than in July, and it was 0.08-foot be- low the August stage of a year ago. Lakes Michigan-Huron were 0.08-foot lower than in July, and they were 0.56-foot below the August stage of a year ago, 1.62 feet below the average stage of August of the last ten years. Lake Erie was 0.08-foot lower than in July, and it was 1.18 feet below the August stage of a year ago, 1.74 feet below the average stage of August of the last ten years. Lake Ontario was 0.50-foot lower than in July, and it was 1.14 feet be- low the August stage of a year ago, 2.27 feet below the average stage of August of the last ten years. Shipyard Annual Report W. H. Gerhauser, president of the American Ship Building Co., Cleve- land, in his annual report, Sept. 10, for the fiscal year ended June 30, MARINE REVIEW—October, 1934 stated that the gross business dur- ing that period was substantially greater than in the previous year, although still far below normal. The repair business was about 60 per cent of the average for the past ten years and less than 50 per cent of the pre-depression average. During the period two bulk freighters were converted to self-unloaders. These ecntracts, together with the repair business made it possible for the company to earn a profit of $207,- 134.83 on the year’s operations. It was pointed out by Mr. Ger- hauser that the volume of repair business secured by the company cor- responds closely with the restricted operations of the bulk lake fleet. He further points out that an average of approximately 50 per cent of the available vessel tonnage was in op- eration during the summers of 1933 and 1934, also, that no new mer- chant vessels have been built on the Great Lakes during the year and that there is no present prospect for new ship construction. Less Tonnage in Service Of the 328 American lake ore ves- sels of 2,748,800 tons trip capacity listed in a tabulation compiled by C. C. Lindeman of the M. A. Hanna Co., Cleveland, only 153, of a totat trip capacity of 1,376,400 tons were in commission on Sept. 15. This represents 50.07 per cent of the ca- pacity and 46.65 per cent of the num- ber. Of the number in commission 115 vessels were engaged in the ore trade and 38 were engaged in other bulk trades such as coal and grain. The comparable standing of vessels of this fleet in commission on Aug. 15 last was as follows: 180 vessels of 1,628,000 tons capacity of which 134 were engaged in the ore trade. This represented 59.23 per cent of the total capacity and 54.88 per cent of the number of the 328 vessels con- sidered. The current figures of vessels in commission are very considerably be- low the standing as of Sept. 15, 1933, when, out of 330 vessels listed of 2,- 763,000 tons trip capacity, no less than 217 were in commission, of which 199 were engaged in the ore trade. This represented 68.44 per cent of the total trip capacity and 65.76 per cent of the total number of vessels in the fleet.