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1900] MARINE REVIEW. 7. 15 Houghton blockade at Sailors’ Encampment and $142,745 to the Siemens blockade at Little Rapids. But I think it should be recognized that the total money loss to vessel interests is not limited’ to the items of delay, because it does not include certain other incidental expenses, especially such as the cost of removing and repairing the wrecked or stranded vessels and damages sustained by other vessels in their endeavors to pass outside of the obstructed channel also, I therefore feel justified in reporting that the total loss to vessel interests resulting from these three blockades may be conservatively estimated at $675,000, of which $490,000 is attributed to the Houghton blockade, St. Mary’s river, $175,000 to the Siemens blockade, St. Mary’s river, and $10,000 to the Fritz blockade, St. Clair flats. The above conclusion has been reached after a careful study of the tabulated statistics, reports and discussions which are submitted herewith.* It will be seen from these that much time and labor have been applied in collecting accurate data and that many perplexing questions.are presented in the attempt to arrive at a fair statement of money losses. The discus- sions and reports were made independently by three of the officials who have been for a long time intimately connected with the navigable inter- ests involved. The conclusion reached by them as respects money losses differ from those herein reported, but it is a natural result of independent analysis and conclusion respecting the complex issues presented for con- sideration. Referring to the final clause of the resolution, I have to report it, as: my opinion, that additional or wider channels are essential to safe naviga- tion in the localities referred to, and that projects with estimates of cost for providing such channels will soon be presented in response to the requirements of the river and harbor act of March 3, 1899. _ Detroit, Mich., January, 1900. (Signed) G. J. LYDECKER, Lt. Col., Corps of Engineers, U. S. A. * Several tabulated statements are submitted with Col. Lydecker’s report to support conclusions, DRIETING FROM NEW YORK. GRAIN EXPORTS THROUGH SOUTHERN PORTS AND BY WAY OF ST. LAWRENOEB RIVER AGAIN AROUSES INTEREST IN ERIE CANAL QUESTION. The principal cities of New York state, which would be especially benefited by an enlarged Erie canal, are so thoroughly aroused over the signs of immediate competition from the Canadian-St. Lawrence route, where 14 feet navigation from lakes to Atlantic seaboard will be provided next season, that radical action along the line of canal improvement is expected as a result of the report of Gov. Roosevelt’s advisory committee, which is now so generally discussed. A Buffalo vessel owner who has given close attention to the New York state canal question, said at the recent annual meeting of the Lake Carriers’ Association: “No improvement short of a canal that will be of capacity sufficient to provide for canal boats carrying 1,000 tons, as suggested in the present agitation, is, of course, worthy of consideration. An-Erie canal with tows of three boats each carrying 1,000 tons would put to rest for a long time to come any thought of the railroads taking the bulk of the grain through from Chicago to New York, as they did for a few months last season when lake freights were unusually high. It has been said that the expenditure required for’such a waterway will be so great that there is little possibility of obtaining the money, unless the great interests of New York city arise to the gravity of the situation and undertake the canal improvement, irre- spective of the districts that are not specially benefited by canal business, but I understand the governor’s advisory committee has gone into this feature of the question and will urge a plan of solution that should prove satisfactory.” . Another report from the treasury bureau of statistics, just sent out from Washington shows how the southern ports have been gaining in grain exports at the expense of the lake route and especially at the ex- pense of the port of New York. The report deals with exports of corn, wheat and flour from the United States and from Atlantic and Gulf ports, particularly during the calendar year 1899, compared with preceding years. The figures, it should be premised, show a falling off in exportation of wheat in 1899 as compared with 1898 which was an abnormally heavy year; the corn exports of 1899 are about the same as those of 1898, but greatly in excess of any preceding years, while the flour exports of 1899 are slightly larger than those of any preceding year, being 18,900,000 barrels against 16,569,904 in 1898 and 17,408,713 barrels in 1892. : Exportations of corn have grown steadily during the decade, startin with eighty-six million bushels in 1890, and ending with 207,000,000 bushels in 1899, the growth having been steadily upward and no preceding year equalling the figures of 1898 and 1899. In wheat there has been a much greater fluctuation, the years 1891 and 1892 showing an exportation of nearly 130 million bushels each, 1894 and 1895 dropping to about one-half that quantity, while 1898 made the highest record of our exportations with 149,245,685 bushels, 1899 again dropping to about the normal or average amount with 111 million bushels. Flour has steadily increased, the exports of 1890 being 11,319,456 barrels and those of 1899, 18,900,000, an increase of over 50 per cent. The following table shows the exportation from the United States of corn, wheat and flour in each calendar year from 1890, to and including 1899, the figures of 1899 being subject to slight revision: Corn, Wheat, Flour, . Bushels. Bushels. Barrels. HOO) is et Cl Oo are eT Ur ret 86,817,220 49 271,580 11,319,456 CCT ghia a cae cpa nee oe AR i a eC 30,693,505 129,638,934 13,023,692 Be ee ie ee ei wee - 77,471,179 125,518,441 17,408,713 MBO ota ooo a ake voces awn Kee 55,143,918 108,377,569 16,440,603 PO ae eer ee a ces ts 41,806,711 72,523,389 16,056,390 eG hee Cee ew es See es 61,956,638 66,804,686 14,528,761 LEE LG RG Coa i Sil Sire ea 131,960,530 83,755,829 15,855,836 Pe eG eee cee nes 189,127,570 109,909,328 13,596,359 Re ee erie Lee vies 207,309,381 149,245,685 16,569,904 AISA SON eae eae gree eae 207,800,000 111,000,000 18,900,000 GAINING UPON NEW YORK. An analysis of exports by ports shows that in the exports of corn several of the great ports on the Atlantic and Gulf are gaining upon New York, and that the movement from the grain fields toward the seaboard is apparently being more generally distributed than formerly. The ex- ports of corn, for instance, from the port of New York increased from thirteen and one-half millions to forty million bushels between 1893 and 1899, an increase of 200 per cent., while those from Boston increased from five and one-half millions to seventeen and on-half millions; those from Philadelphia, from four millions to twenty-nine millions; Baltimore, from seven and one-half millions to forty-six millions; New Orleans, from six and one-half millions to twenty-two millions, while Newport News and Galveston, for which the record begins with 1895, show for Newport News an increase from four and one-half millions in 1895 to fourteen millions in 1899,-and Galveston from one and one-quarter millions in 1895 to seven millions in 1899. Thus Philadelphia, Baltimore, Newport News, New Or- leans and Galveston show a much larger percentage of growth in their exports of corn than does New York or Boston. In wheat exportations Boston has made greater gains than any other Atlantic port, the total having grown from 3,934,125 bushels in 1893 to 11,567,847 in 1899, while at New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and New Orleans the figures for 1899 are in each case actually less than in 1893, the figures for New York being 86,437,499 bushels in 1893 and 26,830,386 in 1899; Philadelphia, 5,657,398 bushels in 1893 and 4,013,927 in 1899; Balti- - more, 13,048,702 bushels in 1893 and 9,549,270 in 1899, and New Orleans, 12,896,734 bushels in 1898 and 11,562,812 in 1899; Galveston, however, shows a marked gain, the figures for 1896 being 3,438,369 bushels and those of 1899, 15,718,400. Prior to 1896 the wheat exportations from Galveston were small, seldom reaching 1,000,000 bushels, but in 1896 they amounted to 3,438,369 bushels and have steadily grown until, as already indicated, they were in 1899 15,713,400 bushels, in spite of the fact that the total ex- ports of wheat from the United States in 1899 were materially below those of the preceding year. ae In flour also the drift appears to be away from New York, whose ex- ports of flour in 1893 were 6,448,931 barrels, and in 1899 4,741,035, while Philadelphia, Baltimore, Newport News, Norfolk, New Orleans and Gal- veston show more or less increases in 1899 as compared with 1898. PORTAGE LAKE SHIP-CANALS. ae COMMERCE OF THE FAMOUS COPPER REGION IN THE UPPER MICHIGAN PENINSULA, SEASONS OF 1897, 1898, 1899. Statistics of commerce in Portage Lake ship-canals, printed herewith, are from the annual reports of Major Clinton B. Sears, United States engineer in charge. Development of these waterways is due largely to the great copper industry of the Portage district. There is also included in reports of the commerce of these canals the freight carried by regular line boats that stop at towns in the copper region to take on. or discharge only a part of such freight. In 1899 there was moved through these waterways 1,582,169 net tons of freight, valued at $54,994,843.70. In 1898 the tons of freight aggregated 1,367,685, and in 1897 the total was 1,020,- 723 tons. COMMERCE OF PORTAGE LAKE SHIP-CANALS—SEASONS OF 1897, 1898 AND 1899. SEASONS. ITEMS. Designation. 1897 1898 1899 Steam vessels.........c..c.ses00ee Number........... 2,517 3,282 3,230 Sail vessels......... eivusuayeustans BP ceiacs seers - 414 627 701 Tonnage, registered............ Net tons.....i5 1,025,375] 1,447,216) 1,367,883 PaSSCnGGES) cu icsewedssvicseres Number.2.23.35 34,942} 380,405} 34,714 CORT 2S cGatiotnescriaes Net tons.cc..ch.0t: 438,604| 619,009] 639,558 PIQUE Scil. citsonasinestesesecues Barrels .....0..... 450,712| 467,215) 348633 Wrhedt) ic. dcccd eccptuicutecteetacts Bushels <..::;..... 60,000} 143,000) 247,328 Grain (not wheat).....:........ {Se iccleyoek 4,000} 56,225| 175,299 Salt soc. stesicccessvendcnges ssdees Barrels siitvec..<c 136,270! ~— 68,703 44,280 COP Pers s.t. Giscedcccesieskedseo ste Net tons........... 78,732 83,992 72,320 THOM OLGii ts. Sfsccle. des oescodt aces BE Eisele estde 4,949) 15,529 59,014 PAS TOU... ccicassenstoskewnstoes ese ee ees 3,330 8,597; » 9,460 Manufactured iron...........+++ pera) unr eee 10,436 24,092 27,821 Oye odo ls qoee pe peep peer inert eer M: tts Best: 99,113} 155,395} 213,566 TO 80. cues uiedah woh teense +s Mon aenss 265250; 18,051 39,785 Building stone.....0.0.3...0s0060s Netitons. cise. 17,482} 63,663) 39,593 Miscellaneous merchandise.. as Nene aor 174,629} 190.650) 206,278 Total freight...c0c...s.0.0ssasess ae oy res 1,020,723] 1,867,685} 1,582,169 ESTIMATED VALUE OF FREIGHT PASSING THROUGH PORTAGE LAKE SHIP- CANALS DURING THE SEASOW OF 1899, Quanti- Price per ' ties Unit. ITEMS, Designation. Valuation, Coal (Anthracite) ...4........06 Net tons...... 46,805) $5.25 | $245,726.25 Coal (Bituminous).............. LTS hieg oO 592,758) ° 3,80 | 1,956,084,90 POU Acero ter sasiissccscecset tosees Barrels........ 343,633} 3.75 | 1,288,623.75 WVGAG ce toca cree accents Bushels....... 247 ,328 75 185,496.00 Grain (other than wheat)...:. ata lle Sapo 175,299 -70 122,709.39 Manufactured iron.............. Net tons...... 27,821; 60.00 | 1,669,260.00 Pig $7011, pins es200+0sheuesionress Ae Be vores 9,460|' 20.00 189,200.00 FrOv ON@sses ci: -cocasanvos caves eee Tes 59,014| 2.00 118,028.00 Salt 22 wacntesteskact Secctanedsveess Barrels........ 44,280 285 87,638.00 COPPEP oos.-seecessccnseseoeeossesens Net tons...... 72,320} 340.00 [24,588,800 00 PAMMUDOL Serco ey hicec ko setcesaens M. ft. Bs M..| 213,566] 15,50 | 3,310,273.00 j BP eee Bar Pe eve ey eee T) oy sf 89,785} 10.00 397,850.00 Building stone .........-...0ss00 Net tons...... 39,593} 6.60 257 354.50 Unclassified freight ............ Pio f ails ee 206,278] 10000 |20,627,800.00 Gs Wa | air ery at erie la ne Bre aaties) RUBE Airy rmOR Er TE. 54,994,843.70 wi