| The annual report of Lieut.-Col. Charles E. L. B. Davis, district engineer and
engineeer in charge of the deep waterway work through the lakes, has been forwarded to
Washington.
Commerce through the Detroit river for the year ending June 30 last was
shown to total 39,328,689 tons, as compared with 37,453,796 tons in 1903, and 33,049,984
tons in 1902. Commerce through the St. Mary's river including both American and Canadian
locks, for the season of 1904, which lasted seven months and twenty-seven days, aggregated
31,546,106 tons, valued at $334,502,686.
The figures showing diversity of traffic are interesting:
|
American Locks |
Canadian Locks |
Total |
| Vessel passages |
15,195 |
5,049 |
20,235 |
| Lockages |
9,121 |
3,671 |
12,792 |
| Registered ton'ge |
27,272,017 |
5,849,044 |
33,121,061 |
| Freight tonnage |
34,385,090 |
6,705,304 |
41,090,394 |
| Passengers |
22,931 |
19,286 |
43,217 |
| Hard coal, net tons |
959,871 |
105,753 |
1,065,624 |
| Soft coal, net tons |
5,083,005 |
1,005,875 |
6,088,880 |
| Flour, bbls |
3,116,763 |
2,233,245 |
5,350,007 |
| Wheat, bu. |
19,924,494 |
29,530,703 |
49,445,196 |
| Grain, other than wheat |
29,747,536 |
6,349,703 |
36,097,239 |
| Manf. and pig iron |
182,490 |
75,988 |
258,478 |
| Salt, bbls. |
321,095 |
129,162 |
450,257 |
| Copper, net tons |
121,419 |
11,944 |
133,363 |
| Iron ore, net tons |
24,209,459 |
3,853,325 |
28,062,784 |
| Lumber, M ft. B.M.* |
975,385 |
28,820 |
1,004,205 |
| Silver ore, net tons |
737 |
192 |
949 |
| Building stone, net tons |
27,326 |
1,565 |
28,881 |
| General mdse., net tons |
537,364 |
302,406 |
839,770 |
The only decreases in traffic are shown in flour
and wheat. The increase in ore over 1903 is 10,602,034 tons; freight tonnage, 12,496,032
tons; registered tonnage 10,212,067 tons; grain, other than wheat, 4,451,223 bushels.
To continue ship canal work, Col. Davis asks for a total of $5,690,000.
To complete work at the St. Mary's falls, it is estimated that $800,000 will be needed.
For the proposed new lock, $3,300,000 is required. For the completion of the Hay lake and
Neebish channels, $1,000,000 is asked, the amount on hand being $2,146,428.
*Note: "M ft. B.M." = 1,000 feet, board measure [1
board foot = equivalent to a board a foot long, a foot wide and an inch thick = 144 cubic
inches] A "true" eight-foot "two by four" is 5 1/3 board feet, while a
"nominal" two by four of the same length (the kind you'd buy at a lumber yard)
is 3 1/2 bd. ft.
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