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u “VOL. XX. No. 18. 4 _ ST. MARY’S FALLS CANAL TRAFFIC. The annual mile-tons report of the two St. Mary’s Falls canals for the season of 1896, shows an enormous increase in the amount and. value of freight which passed to and from Lake Superior last year, over any previous season. In 1895, the value of all articles was given at $150,575,120.43. In_ 1896 it amounted to the stupendous sum of $195,146,- 842.49, an increase in round numbers of about $36,000,000. With an increase of over’a million tons in freight carried, the rate per mile-ton was materially lower, it being .99 mills in 1896, while it was 1.14 mills the preceding year. The cost of carrying freight was therefore considerably lessened: This is mainly attributable to the larger cargoes boats were able to carry, owing to the increased depth of water in the channels. Table showing estimated value of freight through St. Mary’s Falls Canals, Michigan and Ontario, 1896: Price ITEMS. Quantity.| per | Valuation. Unit. Coal, anthracite, net tons .. 397,210] $4.75 |$1,886,747.50 Coal, bituminous, net tons.| 2,626,130} 2.50 | 6,565,325.00 Mor, bartels 5. c+... st 8,882,858] 3.85 |34, 199,003.30 Wheat, bushels........... 63,256, 463 -75 |47,442,347-25 Grain (other than wheat) bu} 27,448,071 39 |10, 704,747.69 Manufactured iron, net tons 93,924] 50.00 | 4,696, 200.00 Pig iron, net tons. ......... 27,948] 13.50 377,298.00 BAI DALTCIS. ve ces ye seme: 237,515 75 178,.136.25 Coppers Tet LONG i... cee. a: + 116,872) 200,00 |23,374,400.00 “iron, Ore, net tons: >... 7... 7,909,250| 3.25 |25,705,065.00 Lumber, M. ft. B. M....... 684,986} 12.50 | 8,562,325.00 ‘Silver ore, nettons........ 240} I12.00 26, 880.00 Building stone, nettons.... 17,731| 10.00 | ’ 177,310.00 Unclassified freight, net tons 520,851} 60.00 |31, 251,060.00 195146842.49 The average value per ton of freight for season of 1895 was $10.60, and for 1896, $12.02. The foregoing estimates are the result of a discussion ob- tained from private information and a careful comparison with market reports. The comparison shows that there was an increase in the valuations last year over 1895 in hard and soft coal, flour, wheat, pig iron, iron ore, lumber, and a decrease in the valuation of grain other than wheat. Cereals amounted to 47 3-10 per cent of the total freight passing the canals. a MILES-TON REPORT, SEASON OF 1896. Cost of carrying freight transported through St. Mary’s Falls Canals, Michigan, and Sault Ste. Marie Canal, Canada. 2 Price le ITEMS. Quantity, | per Amount. } Unit. Coal, net tons....... Renee 3,023,340\$. .32. |$ 967,468.80 Flour, barrels. .........4+5 8,882,858] .11 977,114.38 Wheat, bushels...... .--.- 63,256,463) .0234| 1,581,411.57 Grain (other than wheat) bu} 27,448,071; .02%4 617,581.60 Manufactured iron, net tons 93,924] 1.40 131, 493-60 Pig iron, net tons ......... 27,948] 1.05 29,345-40 Salt, barrels.:... jab uelhe sty 237,515)... «15 35,027.25 Copper, net tons........++- 116,782] 1.95 227,900.40 Iron ore, net tons .......+-. 7,909,250| .82 | 6,485,585.00 Lumber, M. ft. B. M....... 684,986} 1.80 | 1,232,974.80 Silver ore and bullion, tons 240|' 2.33 559.20 Building stone, net tons.... 17,731], 1.50 | 26,596.50 Miscellaneous mdse.net tons 520,851) 2.30 | 1,197,957-30 Ma bbeal COBG. Joa noxt (co FASO Bp meOE STi ane paren vo +13; 511,615.80 ~ NOTE.—In this table “tons” mean “net tons,” of 2,000 ounds. The total amount of freight paid was $13,511,- 615.80, which, divided by the total “‘unit.tons, 13,582,041,- 886, gives the cost per mile per ton as 99-100 miles, The average distance freight was carried was 836 4-10 miles, which is 6 4-10 miles more than in 1895. “ The total cost of freight transportation in 1896 was $13,- 511,615.80. In 1895 the cost was $14,238,758.02, The nature of the data from which this was found is such that it in- cludes the cost of loading and unloading. The average distance freight was carried in 1896, 836.4 miles, is the highest average distance until that time. In 1895 the aver- age was 830 miles. The average cost per ton for carrying freight was 83.2 cents. The number of registered craft which used the canal during the season was: NSHOARMOGS Sac bk PA clive Sav cos SO oP GLSLEIO Se pee ih 509 DOS Ie. SHI. WOMAN LS OMUSREIT.. tye BALE. 350 AMERICAN CRAFT, Regist’d| Freight |Passen- : CLASS. No. Tonnagée| Tonnage | gers. Valuation. Steamers .....| 467 495,362 | 1,392,046) 20,421) $35,151,400 AUG cieene gules eae 2 51,47 Ore 4205; 023| tans 7,854, 800 BL Ovals. © 792| 726,738 | 15,587,669} 20,421| $43,006, 200 CANADIAN CRAFT, Regist’d} Freight |Passen- ‘ CLASS Ng. Tonnage| Tonnage | gers. paarion. Steamers... ..| 42) 21,364 486,043, | 16,645) $1,887,300 Sails ..... Sate 25 |-0 TORO W538 -AGOWs si ee 248,000 Total .....| 67] 34,064 | 639,503 | 16,645) $2,135,300 Total passages by unregistered craft, when carrying freight—210. The total freight carried by American un- registered craft amounted to 3,629 tons, in 88 passages, making an average of 41 477-2000 tons freight per passage. The total freight carried by Canadian unregistered craft mounted to 8,260 tons in 122 passages, making an aver- age of 67 1410-2000 tons of freight per passage. The Canadian freight was 647,763 tons, or 4 per cent of the total freight for the season, Following is a summary of the above: Total number of ‘registered’ crafts TP 850 Total passages by unregistered craft while carrying fer Ohteyy He AG, . PORE BONE OB, SIAR TE 210 Total freight carried by registered craft....16,227,172 tons Total freight carried by unregistered craft...... 11,889 tons Ota epAsSSen mers er circ et: is eet ee nye s 37,006 Total valuation of craft registered.............. $45,141,500 The total passages for the season amounted to 18,615, and 1,141 of these were by 72 crafts under 100 tons register, their aggregate registered tonnage being 1,977 and their average tonnage 28 tons; the freight carried by these craft duting the season only amounted to 276 tons. From the column of largest cargoes it is ascertained that there were 135 propellers that carried in their largest load 2,000 tons and upwards, and these 135 cargoes ag- gregated 336,300 tons and averaged 2,491 tons. There were thitty propellers which carried in their largest load 3,000 tons and upwards, aggregating 100,924 tons and averaging 3,364 tons; 14 propellers that carried in their largest load 4,000 tons and upwards aggregating 61,756 tons and aver- aging 4,411 tons; and 7 propellers that carried in their largest loads 5,000 tons and upwards, aggregating 36,132 tons,and averaging. 5,162 tons. There were 33 sail vessels that carried 2,000 tons and upwards, aggregating 81,283 tons and averaging 2,463 tons; 13 sail vessels that carried 3,000 tons and upwards, aggre- gating 42,628 tons and averaging 3,279 tons; 7 sail vessels that carried 4,000 tons and upwards, aggregating 32,607 tons and averaging 4,658 tons, and four sail vessels that carried 5,000 tons and upwards, aggregating 21,270 tons and averaging 5,318 tons. The greatest number of miles run during the season is to the credit of the propeller Kearsarge of the Interlake Transportation Co., of Cleveland, Ohio, and amounted to 47,709 miles. The greatest amount of freight carried by a single vessel during the season is to the credit of the propeller Victory of the same company and aggregated 96,877 net tons. The greatest, number of miles-tons for the season is to the credit of the propeller. Centurion, of the Hopkins Steamship Line, of St. Clair, Mich., and amounted to 80,559,417. The largest single cargo carried by a propeller during the season is to the credit of the propeller Queen City of the Zenith Transportation Co., of Duluth, Minn., and amounted to 5,376 net tons. The largest single cargo carried by a sail vessel during the season is to the credit of the tow barge Aurania, of the Corrigan Steamship Co., of Cleveland, Ohio, and amounted to 5,850 net tons. RS The United States Canal was open to navigation during the season of 1896, 232 days, and the Canadian Canal, 218 days. The amount of freight carried to and from Lake Superior during the season of 1896 amounted to. 16,239,061 net tons, which is an increase of 1,176,481 net tons or 7 8-10 per cent in comparison with season of 1895. It is found by the discussion of the reports of the watch- men stationed at the head and foot of the canal that ves- sels were delayed at the canal during the season 28,828 hours, or an average of 1 hour and 33 minutes. It appears from the records the railroad swing bridge across the canal did not delay navigation in a single in- stance during the entire season, nor was the passage of trains delayed by boats. SO oo > A BOAT 4,500 YEARS OLD. A Viking craft found in Norway some time ago was in use about the year 1000 A. D., and at once became famous as by far the oldest specimen of water-craft in existence. The boats in the Gizeh Museum, it was decided by the learned, were used at least 4500 years ago, and were con- temporaneous with the Dashur pyramids of the eleventh Egyptian dynasty. With this boat and the two which remain in the Cairo museum were two more, which still rest in the sands which stretch desolately from the Dashur Pyramids, near which they were found. The five boats were found buried at a considerable depth not far from the famous largest pyramid, and in such orderly form and with such mathematical relationship to the great pile of stone that it was evident that they had been buried with design at that particular spot. The boats were found to be alike in the material of which they were constructed and in their general dimensions. The cedar of antiquity, which entered into so much of the construction of things of wood, was used in building these boats. While the equipments of the boats had generally disappeared with time, their shapely outlines still remained. The boat that is in Chicago now was probably better preserved than any. It is thirty feet long, eight feet of beam, and four feet of hold. A well-preserved and pecul- iarly marked and designed piece of rudder of wood was found near the boats.—Harper’s Round Table. —— oo oo E. Platt Stratton, chief engineer surveyor to the Record of American and Foreign Shipping, New York, is au- thority for the statement that a steel schooner will carry 27 per cent more cargo than a wooden vessel of the same displacement.