Canal with the interior of the State and with Lakes Ontario and Erie ports.

Industries.-Watervliet is a manufacturing city. In 1900 (government census) there were 135 manufacturing establishments, which were capitalized for $1,826,691 and which employed 1,167 persons. The value of the yearly products was $1,809,241. It has manufactories of woolen goods, bells, iron products, sashes, doors, and blinds, metal harness parts, street cars, car-journal bearings, machine-shop products, and scales. In 1807 the U. S. government established here the Watervliet Arsenal, one of the largest plants for the construction of siege ordnance and field and coast defense belonging to the United States. The arsenal is on a reservation of 109 acres, which has a wharfage, on the Hudson, of 1,000 feet. The usual manufactures for use in war are produced here, as shot and shell, small ammunition, gun-carriage equipments, etc. There are two large stone magazines. On the reservation are quarters for the officers and barracks for the soldiers and also for any civilians who may be employed in the works. There is also a hospital. During the Mexican and the Civil wars there were about 1,500 persons employed, who worked in relays, day and night, preparing materials for the U. S. army. Since 1892 some of the largest guns in the U. S. service have been made here, and the construction works have been constantly in operation on the large guns and necessary equipment required for the army and navy and for coast defenses.

Churches and Schools.-There are 10 churches representing six different denominations; a high school established in 1899, Saint Patrick's Academy, four public schools, four parish schools, a Union Free Library, and a high school library. There is a graded school in connection with Saint Colman's Orphanage.

History.-Watervliet was settled about the time when settlements were made at Albany and other places on the Hudson. It was incorporated as a village, and called West Troy in 1836. In August, 1897, it was chartered as a city under the name of Watervliet. Its industrial growth has been closely connected with the work of the government arsenal. It has many of the social and educational advantages of Albany and Troy. Pop. (1910) 15,074.

Waterways of the United States, The. The atlas of the world shows that three fourths of its surface is covered with water. The waters of the earth comprise oceans, seas, gulfs, bays, lakes, and rivers. In the main these are navigable, but where not navigable, much has been done to make them so. In addition thereto, extensive systems of intersecting canals have been constructed, so that natural and artificial waters of the world, known as "waterways," comprise all its oceans, seas, gulfs, bays, many of its lakes and rivers, and all navigable canals.

In the United States the ebb and flow of the tide is not the test of navigability, as it was in England before it was abolished by 24 Vict., ch. 10. The Supreme Court of the United States held in the Daniel Ball, 10 Wall. 557, that a different test than tidal variations must be applied here to determine navigability. The court say that those rivers must be regarded as public navigable rivers in law, which are navigable in fact; and they are navigable

in fact when they are used, or are susceptible of being used, in their ordinary condition, as highways for commerce, over which trade and travel are or may be conducted in the customary modes of trade and travel on water. The commercial power of Congress authorizes such legislation as will insure the convenient and safe navigation of all navigable waters of the United States, whether that consists in requiring the removal of obstructions to their use, in prescribing the form and size of the vessels employed upon them, or in subjecting the vessels to inspection and license. The power to regulate commerce comprehends the control for that purpose and to the extent necessary, of all navigable waters of the United States which are accessible from a state other than those in which they lie. For this purpose they are the public property of the nation, and subject to all the requisite legislation of congress. Recently in Perry v. Haines, 191 U. S. 17, the same court decided that admiralty jurisdiction extends to cases of maritime liens upon vessels navigating the Erie canal, as that formed part of a navigable highway for interstate commerce between Lake Erie and the ocean. Thus artificial as well as natural navigable waters are being recognized as public waters in the sense in which Bracton used that term in the rule that publica vero sunt omnia flumina et portus. Years ago the English courts decided that the river Severn was a public highway, and the courts of this country have followed the decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States heretofore stated in regard to public navigable waterways. An interior nation has a servitude along natural water courses to reach the highway of nations, known as jus transitus, which is recognized by the law of nations. The right of transit over the Danube below the Iron Gates is secured by agreement. In the United States and in Canada, the rivers do not generally flow in foreign territory, so that it is not necessary to invoke the doctrine of jus transitus, except in a few cases, as along the Richelieu and lower Saint Lawrence.

The waterways of Maine include 240 miles of seacoast, with many bays indenting it and scores of islands strewn along it. The Saint Croix River on the east is the outlet of Grand Lakes. The Penobscot is 275 miles long and navigable to Bangor by large vessels. It is the outlet of several lakes in central Maine and flows into Penobscot Bay, 30 miles long and 15 miles wide. The Kennebec is 160 miles long and navigable to Augusta. It is the outlet of Moosehead Lake, which is 36 miles long and from 8 to 12 miles wide, and navigated by pleasure steamers. The Androscoggin River drains the famous Rangeley lakes and other lakes, and flows 200 miles into the Kennebec near its mouth. It is navigable only in part and by river craft. Sebago Lake is 12 miles long and 10 miles wide and navigable by small steamers. The principal seaport, Portland, has large commerce and there are several ship yards along the coast. New Hampshire has but little sea-coast and no navigable rivers. Those parts of the Merrimac and Connecticut which pass through New Hampshire are not navigable, except by small river craft and by rafts. The inland lakes of New Hampshire are navigable by small pleasure boats. The same is

true of the rivers of Massachusetts. It has, however, Boston Harbor, Massachusetts Bay, Cape Cod Bay, which is to be connected with the Atlantic by a canal across Cape Cod, Nantucket Sound, Vineyard Sound, Buzzard's Bay, and several other small bays, all in communication with the ocean. Taunton River is navigable to Taunton, 12 miles from its outlet, which empties into Mount Hope Bay. The Mystic and Charles rivers are navigable at their mouths only. Salem, as a commercial port, has a reputation far more enviable than that for withcraft. Vermont has part of Lake Memphremagog, which is navigable by lake steamers, and part of Lake Champlain, 120 miles long and 15 miles wide in its extreme width, which has been, since its discovery on 4 July 1609, a highway of commerce for the aborigines, for the colonists, and for Americans generally. It is navigated by large lake steamers, by scores of other steamers, and by many yachts and sailing vessels. It is one of the most picturesque lakes in America and forms an important portion of the 467 miles of waterway between the Saint Lawrence on the north and New York Bay on the south. It contains several beautiful islands such as Isle La Motte, North Hero, and South Hero. Lake Champlain is to be connected with the waters of the Hudson River at Fort Edward by the improved Champlain Canal, having a depth of 12 feet of water, so that vessels drawing 10% feet may pass from Lake Champlain through into the Hudson River. This will greatly increase the commerce on the lake.

Rhode Island has Narragansett Bay, Mount Hope Bay, Providence and Sakonnet rivers. These are navigable and are frequented by some of the best equipped vessels in America and by hundreds of pleasure boats. The merchant marine of the ports of Rhode Island in 1903 comprised 88 vessels of 15,835 tons. Connecticut has part of Long Island Sound, the Thames River, navigable to Norwich, the Connecticut River, navigable to Hartford, the Naugatuck River, navigable by small craft for a few miles and the Housatonic, 150 miles long and navigable to Shelton. It has several towns along its waterways, such as Stonington, Norwich, New London, New Haven, and Bridgeport. Long Island Sound is 110 miles long and 20 miles wide. It is a great waterway for several superb steamboat lines plying between New York and towns and cities on its northern shore. The Connecticut River at one time was navigated by a number of river boats and had considerable commerce. A line of boats ran between Wells River, Vt., and Hartford. The boats were flat boats and did not draw much water. The Barnet was the first steamer for Connecticut River service. It drew 22 inches of water. On its first trip from Hartford to Vermont it had in tow a barge filled with people. Other steamers were built for river service, in which they were engaged for many years. This river was a great natural highway for the transportation of produce to market. The rapids in the river were overcome by canals at South Hadley Falls, at Turner Falls, and at Bellows Falls.

The waterways of New York comprise that portion of the Atlantic Ocean washing Long Island on the south, and that part of Long Island Sound washing Long Island on the north, and also the upper and lower New York

bays, and a portion of Staten Island Sound, and all of the East, Harlem, and Hudson rivers. New York is the largest commercial port in the western hemisphere, and the second largest commercial port in the world, it being exceeded only by London. The total tonnage that entered that port in the year ending 30 June 1903, was 9,053,906 tons, and its clearances amounted to 8,847,072 tons, that being about one half of the entire tonnage of all the Atlantic ports for that year. Its unique position at the confluence of the East and Hudson rivers overlooking one of the finest harbors in the world, has added to its other commercial advantages and is destined to continue it as the emporium of the western hemisphere. On the north flows the picturesque Hudson, discovered in September 1609, and navigable by steam vessels 150 miles to the city of Troy, and by canal barges to Waterford. It is to be canalized from Waterford to Fort Edward. It receives on the west the waters of the Mohawk formerly navigable about 95 miles, to Little Falls, which is also to be canalized from the Hudson nearly to the city of Rome. The canalized Hudson and Mohawk are to form a part of the improved canal system of the State of New York, about to be constructed pursuant to the provisions of the Canal Referendum Law introduced in the Senate of the State of New York in the session of 1903 by Senator George A. Davis, chairman of the canal committee of the Senate, which law provides for the issue and sale of the bonds of the State, amounting to $101,000,000, for the construction of a system of barge canals, having a bottom width of 75 feet and a depth of 12 feet, from the waters of the Hudson to those of Lake Champlain, Lake Ontario, and Lake Erie, adequate for barges carrying 1,000 tons. This law received the phenomenal popular approval of 245,000 majority in the State at the general election in 1903. This is the largest canal improvement project ever undertaken by one of the American States, and one of the largest ever undertaken in the history of the world. West of the city of Rome is Oneida Lake, into which flows Wood Creek, which is to be canalized and connected with the Mohawk. Oneida Lake, Oneida River, and Oswego River are all to be canalized, as well as the Seneca River from the Three River point to the outlet of Onondaga Lake, and thence southwesterly nearly to Seneca Lake. New York contains several beautiful bodies of water, such as Lake George, part of Lake Champlain, part of Lake Ontario, part of Lake Erie, Onondaga, Skaneateles, Cayuga, Seneca, Keuka, Canandaigua, and Chautauqua Lake, all navigable by steamers. Seneca Lake formerly had a large commerce, which undoubtedly will be revived by improving its outlet and forming a connection with the new 1,000-ton barge canal. It has also been proposed to improve the outlet of Cayuga Lake in a similar manner. All of these lakes are navigated by passenger steamers during the summer months. The waterways of New Jersey comprise a portion of the lower Hudson, upper New York Bay, Newark Bay, Staten Island Sound, Raritan Bay, the Atlantic Ocean and several arms of the ocean indenting the eastern coast of New Jersey, and Delaware Bay on the south, and the Delaware River on the west, and other rivers intersecting it.

These

are all navigable. The Delaware River on the west is between 300 and 350 miles long, and extends the entire length of its western border, dividing it from the States of Pennsylvania and Delaware. It is navigable to Philadelphia by ocean steamships, and to Trenton by ordinary river vessels. The Raritan River is navigable from Raritan Bay to New Brunswick, and from that point along the bed of the Raritan and Millstone rivers to Trenton is a canal, thus joining the waters of lower New York Bay with those of the Delaware. The total length of the Susquehanna River, including tributaries, is over 400 miles, and it is only partially navigable. It flows into the Chesapeake Bay, which is 170 miles long and 50 miles wide. The Delaware and Chesapeake bays connected by a canal of 10 feet draft. In some portions of its course the Susquehanna has been canalized to overcome rocks and vegetable matter, which obstructed its navigation. Pennsylvania has suffered its extensive canal system to pass from its control. The Potomac River is about 400 miles long and navigable 125 miles for large vessels. It flows into the Chesapeake Bay from the northwest. It receives from the south the waters of the Shenandoah. The Rappahannock River is over 200 miles long ⚫ and navigable for about 60 miles. The James River is 450 miles long and navigable as far as Richmond. The Roanoke River is 450 miles long and navigable to Weldon. The Roanoke flows into Albemarle Sound, which is about 50 miles long and from 5 to 8 miles wide, and it communicates through Croaton Sound with Pamlico Sound, which is 75 miles long and about 20 miles wide. Both of these sounds are connected with the Chesapeake by the Chesapeake and Albemarle Canal, having a depth of 111⁄2 feet and doing an active busi

ness.

The sounds are shallow and communicate with the Atlantic Ocean. Into Pamlico Sound flows the Pamlico and the River Neuse. The Savannah River, whose length including tributaries is 550 miles, is navigable by large vessels to Savannah, and by small vessels to Augusta. The Great Pedee River is navigable 150 miles and flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The St. John's River in Florida is navigable for steamers 150 miles, and small vessels go 150 miles further up. It connects several lakes, some of which communicate with the ocean. The Suwanee River is 250 miles long and navigable in its lower course. The Appalachicola River is 90 miles long and is navigable in its lower course. The Tallapoosa River, 250 miles long and navigable for 40 miles, and the Coosa, 350 miles long, unite to form the Alabama River, 8 miles west of Montgomery. The Alabama River is 350 miles long and navigable from the junction of these two rivers to the Mobile. The Tombigbee, 450 miles in length, unites with the Alabama to form the Mobile, which flows into Mobile Bay and is navigable to Aberdeen in Mississippi. The Tombigbee receives the waters of the Black Warrior River, which is 300 miles long, and navigable to Tuscaloosa. The Mobile River is 45 miles long, and Mobile Bay is 36 miles long and its width is about 10 miles. There are many small lakes in the interior of Florida, which communicate with the Atlantic Ocean. Many other lakes in Florida are connected by rivers and

canals. One of the largest of these is Lake Okeechobee, which is connected by canal and river with_the_Charlotte Harbor, on the west coast of Florida. There are many bays and inlets indenting the sea-coast from Florida to Mexico. Among the largest of these are Tampa Bay, Choctawhatchee Bay, Perdido Bay, Pensacola, Mobile, Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Borgne, and Mississippi Sound, Timbalier Bay, Cerrebonde Bay, Atchafalaya Bay, Vermilion Bay, Côte Blanche Bay, Sabine Bay, and Galveston Bay.

The Mississippi River, which empties into the Gulf of Mexico, is navigable as far as Saint Paul, a distance of about 2,000 miles, by vessels of moderate draft. It has several large tributaries. On the east is the Yazoo, 280 miles long, and navigable 240 miles. The largest tributary on the east is the Ohio. It is 1,100 miles long and from 3 to 1⁄2 mile wide, and is formed by the union of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, and is navigable by vessels drawing six feet of water. Dams have been constructed at 38 different points in the river between Pittsburg and Cincinnati to raise the water levels in the intervening sections. The dams are passed by locks 600 feet long and 110 feet wide, having a depth of 6 feet of water. The Monongahela River is navigable for upward of 100 miles above its confluence with the Allegheny by large river craft, and for a distance of 50 or 60 miles further by small river craft. The Allegheny River is navigable from Waterford near French Creek and 15 miles from Lake Erie to its outlet at Pittsburg. The Ohio River has several tributaries, such as the Kenanas, Beaver, Muskingum, Sandy, Scioto, Miami, the Licking, the Kentucky, the Salt, Green, Wabash, Cumberland, and Tennessee. The Muskingum is 240 miles long, navigable 95 miles. The Scioto is 250 miles long and navigable 130 miles. The Kentucky is 250 miles long, navigable to Frankfort. The Wabash is 550 miles long, and receives as a tributary on the east the White River. The Tennessee, with its longest tributary, the Hol-. ston, is over 100 miles long, and is navigable the greater part of its length. The Cumberland is over 600 miles long and is navigable to Nashville, nearly 200 miles. The tonnage passing down the Ohio River in 1902 was 1,472,575 tons, consisting of coal, steel rails, lumber, sugar, and molasses. There are about 40,000,000 bushels of coal shipped annually from Pittsburg down the Ohio River. In the development of this country the Ohio River was one of the great highways over which the tide of civilization passed westward. Sail boats have given way to barges and steamboats, and the commerce of the Ohio and its tributaries is increasing from year to year, and the number of vessels on the Mississippi and on the Ohio is estimated to be more than 4,000, which annually enter the port of New Orleans. A project is under consideration in Ohio for the construction of a system of canals from Lake Erie on the north to the Ohio River on the south, involving an enormous outlay of money, rendering such canals navigable for barges of 500 tons capacity and upward. The next tributary to the Mississippi on the east is the Illinois, which is 500 miles long, navigable for 245 miles, and receives the waters of the Kankakee and the Desplaines, which latter river has been in part

canalized and in part paralleled by the Chicago Drainage Canal, 28.05 miles long, 22 feet deep, and 110 feet wide on the bottom, to the south branch of the Chicago River, which communicates through the north branch with Lake Michigan. These form a continuous waterway from the Mississippi River through to Lake Michigan at Chicago. The Chicago Drainage Canal has been made navigable for vessels drawing 22 feet of water, and has the largest prism of any canal of its length in the country. In 1848 the Illinois and Michigan Canal was completed, having a length of 96 miles and a depth of 6 feet, and extending from Chicago to La Salle. Congress authorized the survey for the Hennepin Canal in 1882, connecting the waters of the Illinois River at Hennepin with those of the Mississippi at Rock Island. The Mississippi also has the Wisconsin River as a tributary on the east, which is 600 miles long and navigable up to Portage City, where it connects by a canal with the head-waters of the Fox River in Wisconsin. It flows westerly into the Mississippi. The Fox River, 200 miles long, flows northeasterly through Lake Winnebago into Green Bay. It is navigable. These two rivers and canal form a continuous waterway from the Mississippi to Lake Michigan, which has been declared by the courts a public highway. Through the Wisconsin and Fox rivers steamers may pass from the Mississippi into Lake Michigan. This is one of the three waterways mentioned in Smith's History of Wisconsin, which connect the waters of the Mississippi with those of the Saint Lawrence, the other two being the Illinois and Desplaines rivers and the Miami of the Lakes. The next tributary of the Mississippi on the east is the Saint Croix River, which is navigable for 60 miles. The upper Mississippi is navigable between Saint Anthony's Falls and the Sauk Rapids. The Mississippi River drains several lakes in the central part of Minnesota. The first tributary on the west is the Minnesota, 450 miles long, and navigable to Patterson's Rapids, a distance of 295 miles. The Minnesota River drains Big Stone Lake and Lake Traverse, into which latter lake flows the Red River of the North, which is 700 miles long. The next tributary to the Mississippi is the Des Moines River, 500 miles long, navigable to the city of Des Moines. The next tributary is the Missouri River, which with one of its principal tributaries, the Madison, is over 3,000 miles long, and is navigable for shallow vessels to Fort Benton on the Madison, 2,682 miles. The channel of this river changes so frequently that its navigability is seriously interfered with. The Missouri receives on the east as tributaries the river James and the Big Sioux. On the west the Little Missouri and the Yellowstone, which latter river is over 1,000 miles long`and navigable to the mouth of the Big Horn. The Yellowstone River drains the Yellowstone Lake. Other tributaries of the Missouri are the Green River, the Owl, the Big Cheyenne, the White, the Niobrara, a lengthy, but none of them navigable. The Nebraska or Platte, formed by the North and South Fork, and including the North Fork 1,000 miles long, and the Kansas River, including Smoky Hill Form, 900 miles, are all lengthy tributaries of the Missouri, but are not navigable. Congress has been asked to make appropriation, however, to render some of these

lengthy rivers navigable for commercial purposes. The next tributary to the Mississippi on the west is the Saint Francis River, 450 miles long, navigable 80 miles. The next is the White River, 800 miles long and navigable 175 miles to Batesville. The next large tributary to the Mississippi is the Arkansas, 2,000 miles long, and navigable for 800 miles. It has several large tributaries, the most important of which is the Canadian, 900 miles long, and having a tributary, the North Fork, 600 miles long. Another long tributary of the Canadian is the Cimarron. The waters of the Arkansas supply large irrigating canals in Colorado. There are many irrigating canals supplied by the waters of this and other rivers in the vicinity of the Rocky Mountains. The next tributary to the Mississippi is the Red River, 1,200 miles long, and navigable to Shreveport. It has two tributaries on the north, the Washita and the False Washita.

The river Calcasieu, in Louisiana, 200 miles long, flows into Calcasieu Lake, and that empties into the Gulf of Mexico. This river is only partially navigable. Both the river Sabine, 500 miles long, and the River Neches, 350 miles long, flow into Sabine Lake, and that empties into the Gulf of Mexico. The Trinity River in Texas is over 500 miles long, and navigable about half its length. It flows into Galveston Bay, which is 35 miles long, and affords one of the best harbors in the Gulf of Mexico, from which great quantities of produce are exported. The Brazos River is over 900 miles long, navigable over 200 miles, and flows into the Gulf of Mexico. The Colorado River is 900 miles long and navigable during certain seasons of the year as far up as Austin. This river empties into Matagorda Bay. The Guadalupe and the San Antonio rivers are both about 200 miles long, and the Nueces is about 400 miles long, and all flow into bays on the coast of Texas. These rivers have many small tributaries that are not navigable. The Rio Grande is the largest river next to the Mississippi flowing into the Gulf of Mexico. It is 1,800 miles long and navigable by small craft about 450 miles to Kingsbury Rapids. The Colorado River flows into the Gulf of California, is 2,000 miles long and navigable 612 miles. Its largest tributary is the Gila, about 650 miles long. The Sacramento River flows into San Francisco Bay, which is 40 miles long and 12 miles wide, and affords one of the best harbors in the world. On the north in connection with it is San Pablo Bay, which is only 18 feet deep, and into which through the Straits of Karquines flows the Sacramento River. The Sacramento is 500 miles long. Its largest tributary is the San Joaquin, which is 350 miles long, and navigable for large steamers to Stockton, and for small steamers about two thirds of its course. There are other small rivers flowing into the Sacramento from the east.

Improvements undertaken by the general government and the State of California have opened up the Lower Sacramento and connecting waters until the range of tidal action has been extended as far up as Sacramento City, and rendered it navigable for vessels drawing from 10 to 15 feet of water. The Columbia River is about 1,400 miles in length, and flows into the Pacific through a wide mouth, upon which is located Astoria. Upon this river are

located important salmon fisheries. It is navigable 165 miles to the first Cascade, and above these it is navigable on another level for about 50 miles to the second Cascade, and above those it is navigable for small vessels for a considerable distance further. It has several navigable tributaries. Among these is the Willamette in Oregon, 280 miles long, navigable to the falls at Oregon City, and above them to Eugene City. It receives on the east as a tributary the Snake River, 1,100 miles long, navigable to Lewiston. In Washington there are several bodies of water, such as Lake Chelan, navigable for small pleasure boats. On the northwest in Washington, communicating with the Strait of Juan de Fuca is Puget Sound, setting far into the interior of the State of Washington. It is about 80 miles long, and is divided into two or more channels. On the easterly shore are located Seattle and Tacoma, and on the south, Olympia. It affords one of the best harbors on the Pacific coast. There are many rivers flowing into the Great Lakes, most of which are not navigable. Among such, however, as are navigable are the Fox River in Wisconsin, already described, which flows into Green Bay, which is 115 miles long and 15 miles wide, and has an extensive commerce. The Grand River in Michigan has been declared to be a public navigable waterway between Grand Rapids and Grand Haven. It flows into Lake Michigan and is over 250 miles long, and is navigable to Grand Rapids by steamers of 120 tons burden. The Saint Joseph River, which flows into Lake Michigan, and is 250 miles long, navigable for about half its length. The Chicago River, a waterway navigable for large lake vessels within the city of Chicago and one of its branches now forms a part of the waterway connecting Lake Michigan with the Mississippi. Between the United States and Canada are five great lakes, constituting together the largest freshwater bodies in the world. Lake Superior on the west is the largest of these, being 412 miles long and has an average width of 70 miles, but its maximum width is 167 miles. It is over 475 feet deep and receives the waters of many small rivers flowing into it. Lake Superior flows, through St. Mary's River, about 50 miles long, into Lake Huron. The United States government has constructed a ship canal to overcome rapids in this river, which is 11⁄2 miles long, 100 feet wide, with a minimum depth of 22 feet of water. The Canadian government has also constructed a canal 11⁄2 miles long, 150 feet wide, with a lock 900 feet long, and 60 feet wide, with a minimum depth of 22 feet. The volume of tonnage through these two canals in the year 1903, was 34.674.437 net tons, and the number of vessel passages was 18,596; and the aggregate freight charges on such tonnage for its entire transit was $26,727.735. Three quarters of such tonnage was from Lake Superior to other lake ports, and less than one quarter was from other lake ports to Lake Superior ports. The number of passengers on boats passing the locks during the season was 55,175. The cost per ton per mile for carrying such freight averaged 92-100 of a mill, which is very low freight rate. It is estimated that the entire tonnage of the Great Lakes was approximately 55,000.000 tons, for the year 1903. South of Lake Superior lies Lake Michigan,

whose length is 320 miles, its average width is 65 miles, and it has an average depth of 385 feet. Lake Michigan flows through the Straits of Mackinac, 30 miles long and 16 miles wide, into Lake Huron, which is 363 miles long and 10 miles wide, and has a prolongation on the east known as Georgian Bay, wholly in the Dominion of Canada, and 120 miles long and 40 miles wide. Lake Huron flows through the Saint Clair River, 35 miles long and 1 mile wide, into Lake Saint Clair, which is 19 miles long and 25 miles wide. Lake Saint Clair flows into the Detroit River which is 25 miles long, and flows into Lake Erie. Lake Erie is 250 miles long, from 40 to 60 miles wide, and barely exceeding 100 feet in depth. Into Lake Erie flows the Maumee River, 200 miles long, navigable in its lower course, but paralleled by a canal extending across the State of Ohio. It also receives the Sandusky River, which flows into Sandusky Bay, which is 20 miles long and about 4 miles wide. The Sandusky River is about 125 miles long. The Cuyahoga River also flows into Lake Erie. It is between 80 and 90 miles in length and is paralleled by a canal extending across the State, but not in operation. Lake Erie empties into the Niagara River, which is about 34 miles long and I mile wide, and whose navigability is interrupted by the Cataract at Niagara Falls and the Whirlpool and other rapids below the Falls as far as Lewiston. A project is under consideration in Congress to construct a 22-foot ship canal from Lake Erie through the Buffalo Harbor to a point in the Niagara River below the city of Buffalo, in order to permit lake vessels of large draft to descend the river to Tonawanda. The traffic on the Niagara River to Tonawanda consists principally of lumber and iron ore. Excursion steamers navigate the Niagara within three miles of Niagara Falls, and Lake Ontario steamers ascend the lower Niagara as far as Lewiston. Niagara River flows into Lake Ontario, which is 190 miles long, 40 miles wide and has a depth of 300 feet. Lake Ontario_empties into the Saint Lawrence River. The Genesee River flows into Lake Ontario, and also the Oswego and the Black. The Oswego River is to be canalized and made navigable its entire course for vessels carrying 1,000 tons. The Black River is about 200 miles long, and is paralleled by the Black River Canal in part of its course. There are several bays setting into the mainland from Lake Ontario on the south and east, such as Irondequoit, Sodus, Black River Bay, Chaumont, and Alexandria Bay, which communicates with the Saint Lawrence River, and is one of the most popular summer resorts. It has a large river commerce and many beautiful yachts frequent it during the summer months.

In northern New York are many beautiful lakes in the Adirondack region, such as Saranac, Tupper, Lake Placid, Honondaga, Fulton Chain, Chateaugay, Chazy, Clear Lake, and others. Most of these are navigated by small pleasure craft and are visited by thousands of people every year. In the Champlain Valley is Lake George, 36 miles long and from two to three miles wide. This is navigated by a line of steamers and is one of the most picturesque lakes in America. Its outlet is only five miles from Lake Champlain. Several small rivers flow into Lake Champlain and among