From statistics of lake commerce, compiled by Charles H. Keep, secretary
of the Lake Carriers’ Association, of Buffalo, it is learned that
30,299,006 tons of cargo were carried on the great lakes during the year
1890. Mr. Keep figures out that if all this tonnage were loaded into
railroad cars of fifteen tons capacity, there would be a string of cars
covering 13,466 miles of railroad tracks, or, in other words, four
strings of cars from New York to San Francisco and enough left over to
run two strings of cars from New York to Chicago. And most of this
immense amount of tonnage came to Buffalo, or was shipped from Buffalo.
“During the season of 1890,” he continues, “more than nine million tons
of ore were moved by the lake route from the vicinity of the mines to
the vicinity of the furnaces.”
To give further proof of the immense volume of trade flowing to and from
Buffalo, here are some comparative figures: During 1890 the amount of
tonnage passing through the Suez canal was 6,890,094 tons, compared with
8,454,435 tons passing through the St. Mary’s Falls canal, and
21,684,000 tons passing through the Detroit River.
In 1891, from April 1st to December 1st, the grain, including flour,
discharged from vessels at the port of Buffalo, reached the stupendous
amount of 164,459,720 bushels.
In 1891 the total value of imports to Buffalo by canal was $27,942,213,
and the total value of exports by canal the same year was $36,978,035.
To handle this great volume of business 1180 boats were in use.