Congressional Edition Volume 2094 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1883 edition. Excerpt: ...following table exhibits this matter: Number of vessels engaged in commerce locked through in twenty-four hours. -uch Aav Less than 5 1 5 and leBa than 10 10 and leBs than 15 4 15 and less than 20 25 20 and leas than 25 23 25 and less than 30 15 30 and less than 35 8 35 and less than 40 7 When between fifteen and twenty vessels are passed, the average delay to each vessel is about four hours. When between thirty-five and forty, this average is twelve hours. The average loss, then, in these seventy-eight days was five hundred and fifty days for a single vessel, and, the average expense being $100 per day, the loss to commerce was at least $50,000, and for the whole season would have been at least two and a half times as much if the new lock had not been opened. This loss, with the new lock in use and the old locks only partially employed, as will hereafter be the case, will not be as great as this, but it is safe to say that it will amount next season to at least 875,000. This, at the rate of 3J per cent., represents a capital of over $2,000,000 and is steadily increasing. The general reason for the necessity of these improvements on this portion of the great northern transportation route to the seaboard may be stated as follows, viz: It is the only outlet by water for the entire country within the Lake Superior watershed, including all the copper mines and a large share of the iron mines found in the northern part of the United States. The copper districts of Michigan had produced to the end of 1880 301,054 tons of refined copper, valued at $142,616,137, and the production of last year was greater than that of any preceding one. The product of the iron furnaces and mines to the end of 1880 was over $118,000,000 in value, and isYapidly...