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LAKE SUPERIOR SURFACE LEVEL. ‘J. H. Darling, of Duluth, in the office of the United States Corps of Engineers, says that the high stage of water for the head of the lakes this year has probably reached the maxi- mum, and from now on will go down. The stage of water has been quite remarkable on Lake Superior this year; it was the highest on record for 23 years. In the Duluth Supe- rior harbor the water in September this year, according to the records in Major Clinton B. Sear’s office, which are : looked after by Mr. Darling, averaged 10% inches higher than during the same month last year. The water during the month averaged 1.94 feet above low water datum, and one day, Sept. 6, all records for the office were broken when the water attained a stage of 2.73 feet above low water da- tum. The highest previous record was 2.65 feet above low water datum. _ Lake Superior this year for the first time occupies a new position as regards stage of water to the other lakes. It was formerly the case that the Lake Superior cargoes destined for Lake Michigan ports, were limited to the stage of water -- in the Sault river. Now they are limited to the depth of the water in the Lake Superior harbors. It was formerly the case that the stage of water in the Sault river governed the draft of vessels sailing to and from Lake Superior for all ves- sels. But this undesirable distinction has been passed along and the draft of boats plying between Lake Superior and _ ake Erie is governed by the depth of water at the Lime Kiln Crossing. Boats that load on Lake Superior for Lake Erie ports, or on Lake Erie for Lake Superior. ports, now load to meet the limits of the crossing in the Detroit river instead of the shallow spots in the Sault river. There is more uncertainty about the stage of water in the Sault. Vesselmen say that the winds may sometime make _adifference of 18 inches in the depth of water at the cross- ing. < _ There is a common belief that the high water in Lake Superior is an assurance of corresponding improvement in the Sault river, which isthe outlet of the big inland sea, but Mr. Darling says that this does not necessarily follow. He says that the stage of water in the Sault depends more onthe stage of water on Lake Huron. While there has been exceptionally high water on Lake Superior this year, ‘and itis now at the flood, there has been relatively low water on allof the other lakes in the system. ‘There has been a fair stage, but owing to a rather limited rainfall as compared with the Lake Superior basin, they have not shown corresponding improvement. The high stage of water on Lake Superior has contributed more than it has been given credit for, in making it posslble for the boats to move seyeral million tons more freight to date than last sea- ‘son at this time, in spite of a late opening and an unusual ~numiber of delays as a result of strikes at various lake ports. ———— oS ee COMPLETION OF THE SOULANGES. __ The system of which the Soulanges canalis the completion consists of a series of short canals along the Canadian side of the St. Lawrence river. From Lake Ontario to Montreal the fall of the river is 221 feet, but this fall is not bya gradu- ated descent, but by occasional rapids, which, while they are passable down stream by boatsof adapted construction, are ‘not satisfactory for commercial purposes. The canals were built at those points in the river where the rapids occur tap- “ping the river above the rapid and debouching again into it below the rapid. All of these canals, with their locks, are _ now of the same capacity as the Welland canal. The Sou- langes canal, just completed, has no peculiar physical as- pects, and is interesting chiefly by reason of the fact that it is the last one of the system to be finished. It is on the north side of the river, near Montreal, and will, when finished, take the place of a shallow canal on the south side that was formerly used. - Itis 14 miles long and has five locks. dian canals, its construction is excellent. _ By the terms of the treaty of Washington, made in 1870, all Canadian canals connecting with the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence river are open to American ships upon recisely the same terms as to those of British subjects. This provision makes the opening of the Canadian canal system of international interest. Many years ago the Canadian canal system was begun by the construction of the Welland canal. This waterway enabled vessels to pass from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario past Niagara Falls. In 1884 a series of improvements were completed which made the Welland canal available for ves- sels of 14 feet draught. The locks were made 270 feet long Like all the Cana- THE MARINE RECORD. and 45 feet wide. At that time this capacity seemed amply sufficient, for the monster lake craft of to-day were not only then not in vogue, but were not dreamed of by lake ship- builders or navigators. But while Lake Ontario was thus rendered accessible from the lakes, tidewater at Montreal could only be reached by means of flat bottomed boats of light draft going down the perilous rapids of the St. Law- rence river, or later on utilizing the shallow canals that have been deepened and reconstructed. The completion and utilization of the Soulanges canal will enable a vessel to carry her cargo to Montreal direct, avoiding breaking bulk, saving time and terminal charges. Oe oe on TRAFFIC THROUGH THE ST. MARY’S FALLS CANALS. STATISTICAL REPORT OF LAKE COMMERCE THROUGH CANALS AT SAULT STE. MARIE, MICHIGAN AND ONTARIO, FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, 1899. EAST BOUND. LS Canadian ITEMS. Canal Canal, Total Copper, met tons................68 16,529 225 16,75 Grain, Dushelss cwaccerncsntae ave scee 2,121,133 71,000 2,192,133 Building stone, net tons............ SDR OUr al sicee aah rete 3.256 HlOUT barrels wee ae. seis ae 935,154 111,881 1,047,035 Tronore, net tons. 2. ve cee 1,834,709 198,027 2,032,736 TON, Pie Met stonGe sedis eines BOSO at desea basses 3,630 Guniber, Ml ft BseMe. 5. site wstrne 145,956 686 146,642 chs ots; nee COTA CEI ie oe nee el ae tes ee en ewer e de ences Wareat “sbushele ee cs iain sine cave 6,780,094 1,605,811 8,385,90 Unclassified freight, net tons... 6,231 ; 5,684 oe Passengers, number........... 2,580 598 3,178 WEST BOUND. U.S Canadian ITEMS. Canal Canal Total. ‘Coal (hard), net tons........ 02.22... 46, £45 11,453 57,598 Coal (soft), net toms................. 329.559 61,793 391,352 Flour, barrels... va 25 200 225 Grain, bushels... ae T2GOOia | eter noes 12,000 Manufactured iron, net tons. 28,654 1,023, 29,677 Salts (barrel scp omens a tec mieat 45,905 7,000 52,905 Unclassified freight, net tons...... 56,374 2,581 58,955 Passengers; thum bens. oc. os weticn 2,849 756 3,605 Hast.bound freight, net tons... 2 iousiecccs soe tk le ee se eee 2,729,952 West bound freight, net tons 535,724 POUR reo he rena esis clkie Woven Deen DiMN AN Mane OEE ee lias 265,676 Total craft through United States canal.................. 2,286 eee Total craft through Canadian canal.................4...55 402 2,688 Total registered tonnage through U. S. canal......... 2,574,545 : Total registered tonnage through Canadian canal.... 326,443 2,900,983 oo oor A PARIS COMMERCE CONVENTION. Arrangements are being perfected for the calling together of an International Congress of Commerce and Industry at Paris during the Exposition there next year, meeting for six days—July 23-29. Committees are at work preparing a pro- gram, Among the topics chosen for discussion are ques- tions touching the facilitating of. commercial exchange be- tween different countries, in the way of trade treaties, free ports, commercial information offices; the simplifications of custom formalities; the relations of trade between colonies and mother countries ; the influence of monopolies, of money exchange and of markets in futures on commer- cial affairs ; and a comparison of fiscal systems of different countries. The taxing of stocks and bonds and its effect on commerce will be discussed, as well as trusts and pools, joint stock companies, legislation regarding lost stocks payable to bearer, bankrupt laws, apprenticeships, prepara- tion of young men for colonial or foreign commercial mis- sions, influence of military laws on commerce, the competi- tion of women, and the handling of labor strikes. This Congress promises to bring much new light to present day commercial questions. ee VESSELS CLASSED. Vessels classed and rated by the American Bureau of Shipping, New York, in the ‘‘Record of American and Foreign Shipping:’’ Screw, Ponce, owned by the New York & Porto Rico Steamship Co.; screw, Richmond, owned by the Old Dominion Steamship Co.; barge, Paxinos, owned by the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Co.; tern, Abbie C, Stubbs; tern, Henry P. Mason; tern, Golden Sheaf; tern, Robert Ruff; tern, T. W. Dunn. ey THE Parry Sound railway will, in future, be known as the Canada Atlantic. This change affects the road from Ottawa to Depot Harbour. The railway will be divided into three divisions, known as the eastern, the middle, and the western. The eastern division will be Swanton to Ottawa. The mid- dle division from Ottawa to Madawaska. The western divi- sion from Madawaska to Depot Harbour, Net OCTOBER 12, 1899. ARMOR PLATE TESTS. The news comes to hand that a British metallurgist has produced an armor plate which cannot be shattered, and can scarcely be pierced by the most formidable projectiles fired by the highest explosives froma gun only 200 yards away. In tests at Shoeburyness steel plates six inches thick were used, backed, not by oak, but by a composite sub- stance, presumably metallic, the nature of which is a care- fully-guarded secret. The material of both layers had evi- dently been toughened to an extraordinary degree of resisti- bility. At 200 yards 350-pound projectiles were fired at a series of plates, the gun being charged with black powder. The plates were uninjured, and in some cases the shot was pulverized by the force of the impact. Cordite was next used, and with that the projectile was driven three inches into the plate, and upon certain adjustments being made, it was driven right through. But, though the plate was thus perforated, in no instance wasit fractured. That itself in- dicates a great point scored by the armor-maker over the inventor of engines of attack. Up to the time of the Shoe- buryness tests the best of plates would crack when struck at close range by the most destructive projectiles. A crack below the water line means disaster, for it cannot be mended on the spot. Butamere hole bored through a plate does not necessarily cripple the vessel so far as to put it out of the combat. Such an opening can be plugged, the vessel’s sailing powers remaining unaffected. Thus the new plate marks an important advance in armor making. How the plate is made, tempered, or of what components, we are not told. The despatch describes it simply as made of the best” steel. It may be an amalgam of nickel and steel, and may be harveyized, but if so, it has evidently been subjected to some additional treatment, and perhaps the composition of harveyized nickel-steel is modified to produce the British plate. OO oe ovohl LAKE COMMERCE AND SHIPBUILDING. When our Canadian neighbors themselves admit that the lake carrying trade is rapidly passing to American vessels and supply the statistics to prove it, we may be fairly certain that such is the case with all in the way of gain to ourselves that is to be implied from the admission. Speaking of the small increase of Canadian shipping since 1887, the Mon- treal Witness says: ‘‘The proportion of freight carried by Canadian vessels through the Sault Ste. Marie canals has steadily decreased from 1887, when it was 7 per cent. only, to last year, when it was but an insignificant 21 per cent. During this same period the value of American lake craft passing through these canals increased 150 per cent., while — the value of the Canadian craft increased less than 20 per cent. and it may be expected, when later figures are to hand, that Canada will make even a poorer showing. In actual figures the value of the American lake craft passing through the ‘‘Soo”’ last year was $45,199,800, while that of — the Canadian craft was only $2,491,000. In 1887, while there were shipped from Montreal about 10,000,000 bushels of wheat, mostly American, there were shipped from Fort William 17,600,000 bushels, 12,928,000 bushels of this being exported by way of Buffalo, the bulk of it in American bot- toms, and only 2,000,000 bushels by way of Montreal.”? To this statement of the Witness the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle adds the following: ‘‘ The growth of ship- building on the American shore of the Great Lakes during the last two years has been amazing. The demand for shipbuilding material has been so great that importations have been necessary. With an adequate water route from Lake Erie to the Hudson there will be little danger of decadence in American shipbuilding on the lakes, or of a loss of supremacy in the carrying trade.” Commenting upon the foregoing the Oswego Daily Times says: ‘‘In these few words of our Rochester contemporary we have the case stated and the moral pointed, the moral being the need of ‘‘an adequate water route from Lake Erie to the Hudson.”” A ship canal on the American side of the Falls, with the work continued via the Oswego river Oneida Lake and Mohawk river to the Hudson—a natuiel water route with an abundance of water all the way—and the work isdone. Itisa reproach to us, a shameful short- sighted business—this having to send to market the products of this great western empire of ours across a foreign and sometimes unfriendly territory. Itisa reproach that should be taken away. rr oo Fellow Servants.—An ordinary seaman and the mate or captain are not fellow servants. Keating et ux. vs. Pacific Steam-Whaling Co., 58 Pac. Rep. (Wash. ) 224.