Canada and the Canadians Volume Ii Part 9

"More than usual pains were taken by us, during the past season, to procure information on this head and others touching thereto, the result of which we now present in our annual list of new vessels. This season we have ventured beyond the immediate margin of Lake Erie, and those other broad lakes beyond, to Lake Ontario, a knowledge of whose marine is now deemed essential to a thorough understanding of our lake matters.

NUMBER, TONNAGE, AND ESTIMATED COST OF NEW VESSELS BUILT IN 1845, FROM THIS CITY WESTWARD TO CHICAGO.

Name. Cla.s.s. Tons. Where built. Dollars.

Niagara steamer 1,075 Buffalo 95,000 Oregon ... 781 Newport, Michigan 55,000 Boston ... 775 Detroit 55,000 Superior ... 567 Perrysburg, O. 45,000 Troy ... 547 Maumee City, O. 40,000 London ... 456 Chippewa, C. W. 46,000 Helen Strong ... 253 Monroe, Michigan 22,000 John Owen ... 205 Truago, do. 20,000 Romeo ... 180 Detroit, do. 12,000 Enterprise ... 100 Green Bay, W. T. 8,000 Empire, 2nd steamer 100 Grand Rapids, Mic. 8,000 Algomah ... 100 St. Joseph River, do. 8,000 Pilot ... 80 Union City, do. 5,000 Princeton propeller 456 Perrysburg, O. 40,000 Oregon ... 313 Cleveland, O. 18,000 Phoenix ... 305 ditto 22,000 Detroit ... 290 Detroit, Michigan 15,000 Odd Fellow brig 225 Cleveland, O. 9,000 Enterprise ... 267 Grand Rapids, Mich. 8,000 Wing-and-wing schooner 228 Cleveland, O. 9,000 Magnolia ... 200 Charlestown, O. 2,000 Scotland ... 300 Perrysburg, O. 8,000 J. Y. Seammon ... 134 Chicago, Ill. 8,000 Napoleon ... 250 Sault Ste Marie 8,000 Freeman ... 190 Charleston, O. 7,500 Eagle ... 180 Sandusky, O. 7,000 Bonesteel ... 150 Milwaukie, W. T. 6,000 Sheppardson ... 130 ditto 5,000 Rockwell ... 120 ditto 5,000 E. Henderson ... 110 ditto 4,500 Rainbow ... 117 Sheboygan 4,000 C. Howard ... 103 Huron, O. 4,000 J. Irwin ... 101 Cleveland, O. 4,000 Avenger ... 78 Cottesville, Michigan 3,000 Flying Dutchman ... 74 Madison, O. 4,000 Cadet ... 72 Cleveland, O. 3,500 W. A. Adair ... 61 ditto 3,000 Elbe ... 57 ditto 3,000 Planet ... 24 ditto 3,000 Albany ... 148 Raised and re-rigged 2,503 Pilot ... 50 Milwaukie, W. T. 2,500 Mary Anne schooner 60 Milwaukie, W. T. 1,000 Marinda ... 60 Lexington, Michigan 3,000 Sparrow ... 50 Chora, ditto 2,500 Big B. ... 60 18 mile creek, 2,500 Hard Times ... 45 ditto 1,500 Friends.h.i.+p sloop 45 Sheboygan, W. T. 2,000 Buffalo ... 30 New Buffalo, Mich. 1,000 ------ ------- Total, 48 vessels 10,207 659,000

"During the past season we stated that there was employed on the lakes a marine equal to 80,000 tons; we have a.s.surance now that even that large estimate was below the reality. The latest returns to Congress, in 1843, gave 60,000 tons; but, as those doc.u.ments are always a year or two behind the reality, and embrace dead as well as living vessels, they are of very little consequence. The existing and employed tonnage is what is most desired. The subjoined shows the number, cla.s.s, tonnage, and cost of vessels built on this and the other upper lakes during the past five seasons. By adding the cost of annual repairs and money expended in enlarging and re-modelling vessels, the sum would reach 2,500,000 dollars. The total number of vessels built during that period is 179.

Steamers. Prop'rs. Sail. Tons. Dollars.

1845 13 4 32 10,207 659,000 1844 9 none 34 9,145 548,000 1843 6 4 23 4,830 336,000 1842 2 none 23 3,000 164,000 1841 1 none 28 3,530 173,000 -- ---- --- ------ --------- Total 31 8 140 30,302 1,880,000

"The whole of the above vessels were built above the Falls, at places between this port and Chicago, by capital drawn from the many sources legitimately pertaining to the lake business, and designed as a permanent investment. What has been done below Niagara, in the same field, during the past season, may be seen in the subjoined list of

VESSELS BUILT ON LAKE ONTARIO, 1845.

Syracuse propeller 315 Oswego, N. Y.

H. Clay ... 300 Dexter, do.

Hampton brig 300 Pt. Peninsula, do.

T. Wyman ... 258 Oswego, do.

Algomah ... 335 Cape Vincent, do.

Wabash ... 314 Sack. Harbour, do.

Crispin ... 151 ditto Liverpool ... 350 Garden Is., C.W.

Quebec brig 280 Long Island, do.

H. H. Sizer schooner 242 Pillar Point, N.Y.

Maid of the Mill ... 200 Oswego, do.

Milan ... 147 Pt. Peninsula, do.

H. Wheaton ... 200 Oswego, do.

Welland ... 220 ditto Josephine ... 175 ditto --- Total 15 vessels, 3,787 tons.

"To which must be added the schooner J. S. Weeks, rebuilt and enlarged at Point Peninsula, at a heavy outlay; and also the schooner Georgiana Jenia, at St. Catharine's, which was cut in two, and rebuilt. The Josephine and Wyman are rebuilds, but so thoroughly as almost to fall within the denomination of new craft. The Wyman is polacca-rigged, the only one in service, we think. The Algomah is full rigged, and, like the others, very strongly built. The Quebec and Liverpool are also well ironed, and designed for Atlantic service, when the St. Lawrence locks will admit of a free pa.s.sage.

"There have been built on the lower lake other vessels than those embraced in the above list, including some steamers; and, in order to give our exchanges an opportunity to present the entire number and amount of expense, we omit any estimate of the cost and general outlay of the vessels named above. Applying our data, however, we make the outlay 25,000 dollars each, for the two propellers, and 127,000 dollars for the fifteen sail vessels, being a total of 177,000 dollars.

"Of some sixty steamers now owned on the lake (Erie), there are required for the several lines, when the consolidation exists, about thirty boats. There are also used, at the same time, some ten more small boats, between intermediate ports, for towing, &c., to which we also add the London and four others, belonging to and owned in Canada.

There are also fourteen propellers, and ten more to be added on the opening of navigation in the spring, with fifty brigs and two hundred and seventy schooners, known to be in commission, giving the annexed summary of lake tonnage:--

Tons. Dollars.

Steamers 60 21,500 1,500,000 Propellers 20 6,000 350,000 Brigs 50 11,000 } Schooners 270 42,000 } 2,000,000 --- ------ --------- Total 400 80,000 4,050,000

"In this we enumerate the seven Oswego propellers, and such sail craft belonging to Lake Ontario only as we know partic.i.p.ate in the business of the upper lakes.

"_On the stocks._--The desire to invest farther capital in vessels is seen in the number of new craft now on the stocks at various places throughout the whole range of the lakes. At this early day, we hear of the following to be rapidly pushed towards completion:

"At this port, a steamer of 750 tons, for Mr. Reed, the iron steamer Dallas, of 370 tons, for government, and three propellers of large size; at Chippewa, C. W., a large steamer; at Euclid, O., a brig of 290 tons; at Conneaut, O., a brig of 300 tons; at Cleveland, O., a steamer of 700 tons, three propellers of 350 tons each, a brig of 280 tons, a schooner of 230 tons, and another of 70 tons, all to be out early; at Charleston, O., a steamer of 800 tons, a propeller of 350 tons, and a schooner of 200 tons. An Oswego house has an interest in the propeller: at Maumee City, O., two propellers of 350 tons each; at Truago, Michigan, a large steamer of 225 feet keel, for Captain Whitaker; at Detroit, a large steamer for Mr. Newbury, another for Captain Gager, and a third, of the largest cla.s.s, for Captain Randall; at Palmer, Michigan, a propeller for Captain Easterbrooks; at Newport, Michigan, a steamer for the Messrs. Wards, and the frame of another but smaller boat, for the same firm, to run between Detroit and Port Huron.

"At G.o.derich, C. W., or vicinity, a propeller; at Milwaukie, a barque and brig, of large tonnage, 300 each. One of these vessels is nearly planked up already, and will be down with a cargo of wheat as soon as the straits are navigable; at Depere, W. T., a large-sized schooner, and a yacht of 70 tons; at Chicago, a large brig, or schooner, for Captain Parker, late of the Indiana; at St. Catherine's, C. W., a brig; and at the mouth of the Genesee River a propeller, for a Rochester company, making, in all, ten steamers, twelve propellers, and twelve sail vessels--thirty-four in all."

Another American paper, in its remarks on the preceding article, furnishes some additional information.

"The introduction of steam upon the lakes was gradual, yet commensurate with our wants. From the building of the second boat, in 1822, to the launch of the Sheldon Thompson, at Huron, in 1830, six or seven small steamers had only been put in commission, and for the ensuing four years a press of business kept in advance of the facilities. But the zeal and extended desire to invest capital in new steamers was reached in 1837-8, when no less than thirty-three boats, with an aggregate of 11,000 tons, were built at an outlay of 1,000,000 dollars. This period points to the maximum, and then came the reaction. In 1840, only one steamer came off the stocks, and the same prostration and dearth in this department continued for three years, when it again received a new and fresh impulse, and now presents one of the leading characteristics of investment in our inland trade. The sum of 1,000,000 dollars has been diverted from other channels of business to this branch within the past two years, in addition to a very large outlay in sail vessels; and as the wants of commerce develop, some marked changes may be observed. The small, or medium-sized boats, into which the merchant farmer and foreign immigrant were indiscriminately huddled, have given place to capacious, swift, and stately vessels, in which are to be found a concentration of all that is desirable in water conveyance. Such is now the characteristic of steamboat building on the western lake.

"The following is the number and value of vessels owned and exclusively engaged in the trade of Upper Canada in 1844:--

Dollars.

51 Steamers valued at 1,220,000 5 Propellers 46,000 80 Sail Vessels 114,000 --------- Total, 136 Vessels 1,380,000

Having employed thereon 3,000 men.

"The whole number of men employed between Buffalo and Chicago is estimated at about 5,000. During the season of non-navigation, half of these are employed upon farms in Ohio.

"Demonstrable evidence from many sources is at command to show the progressive change and acc.u.mulative power of the lake trade. In 1827, a steamer first visited Green Bay, for government purposes, and the Black Hawk war in 1832 drew two boats to Chicago for the first time.

Now the trade of the latter place, in connexion with the business growing out of the rapid settlement of Wisconsin, sustains a daily line. A glance at the trade of Chicago for last year will ill.u.s.trate the change that has taken place there.

"The gross tonnage of the lakes above the Falls, in 1845, was 100 vessels and 80,000 tons. This spring it will be found to have augmented from 5,000 to 10,000 tons.

"In 1845, the whole number of arrivals at the port of Buffalo was 1,700. Last season, 1,320 entries were made at Chicago. The entries at the port of Buffalo for 1845 were--

Steamers 42 tons 18,000 Arriv. 1,000 Ag. ton. 385,167 Propellers 9 2,550 ... 76 ... 23,477 Brigs 46 10,000 ... } ...

Schooners 211 40,000 ... } 1,625 ... 50,818 --- ------ ------- Total 308 70,550 611,235

"From a valuable table given by the "Commercial Advertiser," we learn that the _available_ steam marine of the lakes is 60 steamers, and a tonnage of 30,000 tons. This is irrespective of 20 propellers."

If the spirit of trade _locates_ any where on this earth of ours, it does so specially at Buffalo, where dollars and cents, cents and dollars, occupy almost every thought of almost every mind. It is very amusing to look at the advertis.e.m.e.nts in a Buffalo paper. I shall give two or three as specimens.

Another Lot of those worsted dress goods, at one dollar a pattern, received this morning.

A. Wattles.

French Corded Skirts. Another lot of those French corded skirts just received, and for sale at

J. G. Latimer's, 216, Main Street.

Crash, Crash. Pure linen crash, slightly damaged, at half price at

Wattles' Cheap Store.

What kind of goods do you want? Ladies and gentlemen can find every kind of goods they may wish, in the dry goods line, at Garb.u.t.t's, plain or fanciful, any kind of dress you are in want of.

Call at the Big Window, 204, Main Street.

Running off again. After Friday next, I shall commence running off my beautiful stock of Paris muslins and Balzorines, at great reduction.

N. B. Palmer, 194, Main Street.