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L RIGHTS IN THE ST. CLAIR FLATS CANAL. 0 Empire in a recent issue goes over the air Flats Canal in the following strain, is nothing new either in the facts or the n thereof, we think it advisable to reprint the f ou Dominion contemporary, although it seems g the question for the Canadians to pass the between Bois Blanc and Malden. eryals during a great many years the question al ownership in certain territory or waters at of the St. Clair river has been discussed anada, Great Britain and the United States. whenever friction has occurred between the on and the Republic, either in regard to bound- ‘ies or tariffs, this question has arisen in some another. Especially has this been the case he American policy at Sault Ste. Marie was in- , anda letter from an esteemed correspond- lished on Saturday, affords an opportunity to der briefly the claims of the United States concern- gion in which its government has spent consid- le money in building the St. Clair Flats Canal—at anit the only outlet for commerce coming through ie, the Detroit River, and the Lake and River into Lake Huron. ‘December 1888 the United States passed a resolu- directing the Secretary of War to report, to whether the channels in ordinary use on the St. Flats were under American or Canadian jurisdic- An elaborate statement was submitted by the ef of Engineers, U. S. Army, and in this document ay be presumed are to be found the claims of the erican Government. But throughout, the only prop- ition advanced is, that all of the canal west to the oundary line is in the Uuited States, and that to the east is in Canadian territory. The further assertion is e that the eastern part is very small, and that the ex- dingly vague language of the Washington treatyprac- iy admits entire American jurisdiction. By treaty (Article 27.) ‘The Government of the ” nited States engages that the subjects of her Batam Majesty shall enjoy the use of the St. Clair Flats Canal on terms of equality with the inhabitants of the United States.’ With the addition of a map accompanying the Boundary Commis- _sioner’s report, under the terms of the Treaty of Ghent in 1814, which appears to prove the canal to be on ‘American soil, this seems to be the American case. _ “For a long period the discussion was regarding the Jocation of the ‘old Ship Channel, through which the t canalis built. That Canadians generally con- Sacred it to be on British soil is proven by the Govern- ment of Canada having appropriated $20,000 (then a la amount) in 1855, to the deepening of the Flats. “In that year (10th April) the Secretary of the Buffalo ‘Board of ‘Trade wrote to the Provincial Secretary of Bra layasking aid, and saying that,on the President sae a bill in 1854, which proposed to give a large “sum of money for the improvement of the entrance to _ ‘the OldShip Channel, the Board itself proposed to carry m the work; but ‘It was ascertained that the channel s in Canadian water, and the project was therefore doned:’ In 1858 the $20,000 was duly expended, 1870 the American Congress voted $70,000, after hich the canal was built. It was in the latter year, ‘and during the construction period that the seizure of a adian barge for smuggling in what the captain os ipposed to be Canadian waters, reopened the whole _ question, and caused wide discussion. “By the Treaty of Ghent, 24th December, 1814, between Britain and the States, the boundary line question was ‘red to two commissioners to settle in accordance ‘the former treaty of 1783, in which the line was _ ‘said to be drawn through the middle of all the Great ‘Takes, and the communications between them. Under this treaty (Artical 6) it is declared that ‘the said ka ‘heir hands ce shall by a report or declaration under be cir hands designate the boundary.” Messrs. Barclay _ & Porter were appointed to act, and reported the ‘boundary line as follows: f “To the north-west of and near the island called Isle ala Peche to Lake St. Clair, thence through the middle _of said lake in a direction to enter that mouth or chan- nel of the river St. Clair which is usually denominated the Old Ship Channel.” _ Evidently, from this wording, it was intended that the line should be drawn straight from near the island of a Peche to the then navigable portion of the River St. 3 ir. Such a line would appear to place the St. Clair Flats Canal in Canadian territory. Furthermore, the missioners being instructed to designate the boun- dary by a report or declaration, the map which accom- panies their report, and which by some curious accident 3 the canal appear on American soil, is neither ral nor binding evidence. This, at least, was the con- m of Canada in a Privy Council Report of 14th gotrecl 1871, in which it is said that “the maps are receivable as evidence of the exact location of the ) ary line, for the contracting parties confined the joners’ decision to a declaration or report.’ thermore, the Privy Council statement says “On the case (the barge seizure) coming to the knowl- edge of the Government, they caused a survey of the al to be made, and on carefully comparing its ascer- position with that of the International boundary ‘as described in the Report of the Commissioners ted under the 6th article of the treaty of Ghent— mmuittee of Council have arrived at the conclusion anal is wholly within Canadian territory.’ _ ibsequently the matter was referred to the Imperial mt for action, and Lord Kimberly, then Colo- etary, (27th April, 1871, (supported the Cana- tention regarding the maps, Said he: ‘Her soa Gaverument are further advised that consid- acter of the Report, and of the reference », the latter can only be referred to as illus- port.’ Lord Kimberly added that if the found at irreconcilable variance, the report THE MARINE RECORD. fa must prevail. It will therefore be seen that the own- ership of the territory in question by the United States is very far from being an assured fact.” c-vV7—_o eS a A BETTER FREIGHT OUTLOOK. The ore and wheat interests have already began to clash to such an extent as to already increase freight rates on down bound cargoes. The freight market is strong, and rates are rising. a Three cents is still the quotation from Duluth to Buffalo as we go to press, but the capacity is not to be obtained at that figure on account of the stiffer feeling in the ore market, and 34% is now asked. ‘Two and a half cents is the Chicago quotations, and the market is strong at that. Ore freights are stiffening, and as two and a half cents on wheat is equal so far as weight is concerned to more than ninety cents or ore, vesselmen are holding out for at least eighty cents on Escanaba ore tonnage, and are confident they will obtain that rate before the close of the week. The Ashland and Two Harbor rate is quoted at $1.10, and while no charters on this basis have yet been reported, several ore shippers admit that business has been transacted at that figure. The Mar- quette rate has been ninety-five cents all this week, with little doing. .Almost all the rates quoted above are ad- vanced over those given in last weeks RECORD, and it is probable that after another week rolls by still further advances will be noted. The scarcity of coal at lower lake ports, with the crowded condition of the docks above, makes an ad- vance of up-bound freights at present an impossibility, especially so far as Lake Superior is concerned. Rates remain fifty-five cents to Chicago, fifty cents to Mil- waukee and Manitowoc, forty-five cents to Escanaba and Gladstone, and forty cents to Lake Superior with many more boats than cargoes. TODS ee CANADIAN TONNAGE THROUGH THE “SOO.” Last year Canadian tonnage passed through the St. Mary’s Falls canal to the amount of 350,952 tons. Accord- ing to Supt. Wheeler the total may be larger this season. This tonnage is carried by thirty-eight steamers and nineteen sail vessels, whose total registered tonnage is 26,744 tons, and whose total valuation is $2,119,500. The most important line of Canadian boats using the canal is the Clyde built steam ships running between Owen Sound and Port Arthur for the Canadian Pacific Rail- way. The Manitoba, Alberta and Athabasca, each of which passes through the canal twice a week. Next to these are the Monarch and the United Empire of the Beatty Line running between Port Arthur and Sarnia. All of these carry both frieght and passengers, The largest Canadian freighters are the Rosedale and the Algonquin, running between Montreal, Kingston and Port Arthur. TEED oe ANEW ROUTE TO THE COAST. Mr. William Smith, the Canadian Deputy Minister of Marine, in an article on Hudson Bay in the London Nautical Magazine, expresses his belief that in time, what is generally called the Hudson Bay route, to Canada’s northwest grain fields will become a most wonderful sticcess, He admits, however, that the season there for navigation must necessarily be short. But like all other believers in the route, he gives the open season as last- ing from the first of July to the middle of October, a length of time not justified by past experience of whale- men who have frequented the Bay for many seasons, and not warranted by the conditions of the climate. Even within the period mentioned, Mr. Smith says that during July floating ice is encountered in Hudson Strait, and a great deal of fog abounds. The whole difficulty is to be encountered in the Strait, which is so far north that the really safe season there for naviga- tion by cargo carrying steamers, owing to ice and fogs, will be confined to about two summer months. During that time the route may be considered safe, but whether it would became great commercially is to be doubted. en TRANSPORTING RAILROAD CARS. A few years ago the idea of running railroad cars on a boat for the purpose of ferrying across to another track was novel to say the least. At first the transfer was only made over narrow streams, where it was inconyen- ient to bridge, but as the science } rogressed wider water- ways were crossed by railroad transfer ferries and for some time past such movement of passenger and freight cars has.ceased to attract attention save where the pas- sage isone of remarkable length. At present one of the longest water trips of this nature is from New York to Wilson Point, a distance of thirty miles across Long Island Sound, the depth of water traveled being an average of thirty feet. Another is from Norfolk to Cape Charles, Va., a distance of forty miles across Cheasapeake Bay, the average depth of the channel being only twenty feet. Onneither of these water-rail- road lines is any bad weather experienced at any time of the year, for the routes are well sheltered by the adjacent shores. A railroad company on the lakes, | however, are now making preparations for a huge advance in the matter of a long distance railroad ferry- ing and propose to ferry freight cars» from Frankfort across Lake Michigan to Kewaunee, Wis., a distance of 63 miles over stormy waters of an average depth of 700 feet. It is certainly one of the boldest schemes that any corporation has ventfired on for many a day, and the ultimate success of the enterprise will be looked forward to with interest by all the great carriers of the world. See dente SUCCESS OF THE PEARY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. The Peary Expedition which sailed from Philadelphia about eighteen months ago for artic explorations has com- posed of seven men, besides the chief of the party, and Iieutenant Peary was accompanied by his plucky and devoted wife. The expedition was carried to its destina- tion from St. John’s in the same vessel that brought it back, the Kite came back immediately after landing these adventurous explorers, and started after them afresh this year in accordance with the original pro- gramme. ‘The objective point was the spot to which Lockwood and Brainerd, of Lieutenant Greeley’s party carried the American flag in 1882, in latitude 83° : 24 the nearest ap- proach ever made by civilized man to the pole. Lieut. Peary has carried out his plans fully, and made a great inland ice journey of 1,500 with Mr. Astrup, and through the members of the party who remained at McCormick Bay, has made a rich collection of the flora, fauna, and ethnology of North Greenland, besides which he has demonstrated the ease and comfort with which a winter can be spent in the artic regions. The United States may now claim highest discoyeries on Greenland east coast. Independence Bay 82 degrees north latitude; 34 degrees west longitude, discovered July 4, 1892. Greenland ice cape ends south of Victoria inlet. The highest point heretofore attained on the east coast is about 75 or 76 degrees, and was made by Hold- enby, a German. The highest point on the west coast was 83 degrees made by Lockwood and Brainard of the Greely expedition. No traces of human life presented themselves during the entire journey, and scarcely a vestige of animals, excepting snow buntings at or about the Humboldt glacier, and sea gulls which flitter across the narrow North. A number of musk oxen were observed and procured beyond the eightieth parallel. In boldness of conception, in results obtained, and in the scantiness of the resources with which to attain the results, the Peary-Astrup journey stands almost unpar- alled in the annals of arctic discovery, and outranks the brilliant achievements of Nopsen in his first crossing of Greenland. The expedition fully establishes the sound- ness of the views Lieutenant Peary had for years advo- cated regarding the art of travel over the inland ice, and will doubtless tend to revolutionize the methods of arctic explorations. The ethnological work of the expe- dition is probably more complete than any that has heretofore been conducted in the far north. + THE CANADIAN CANAL AT SAULT ST. MARIE. Great efforts will be put forth to finish the Canadian Soo canal by July 1 next year. If this be done it will be 18 months ahead of the time specified by the con- tract, and will necessitate the pushing of the work day and night. ‘The approaches to the canal are practically complete, but the delay in pushing the work fast is caused by the tremendous amount of masonry inyolvyed in the lock, amounting in all to 65,000 feet. The dimen- sions of the lock will be: Length of chamber, 900 feet; width of chamber, 60 feet; gate width, 60 feet; depth of water on sills, 19 feet at the lowest recorded water level. This depth though calculated on a different basis (ex- treme low instead of ‘‘mean” water level) is intended to be equivalent to the depth (21 feet) of the new lock now under construction on the Michigan side of St. Mary’s river. In this lock accommodation will be afforded to three vessels lying in the lock one behind the — other—one of the lake type of 320 feet long and and two of the Welland canal type 255 feet long —with ready means of entrance and exit on a course through the gates and locks straight with the line of the canal. The canal proper will haye a width at low water level of a hundred and fifty-twofeet, and a bottom width of 145 feet. Thejdepth will be made — suitable to navigation at mean water level by vessels drawing twenty feet, and it is stated that the mode which the Canadian lock is being built, will enal lockage to be performed in less time than it take: the Michigan side.