June 5 Soo Locks tour - Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.

      The St. Mary's River is 61 miles long, connecting Lake Superior to Lake Huron, thus the only connection between Lake Superior and the other Great Lks.  There are rapids on the river, which made water passage impossible.  Indians would pick up their canoes and carry them around the rapids.  When settlers arrived, their only choice was to portage:  after hauling supplies on one ship to the rapids, they would get off the boat and carry the supplies to a boat waiting on the other side of the rapids!  Today, going through the locks takes 15 minutes instead!  There is no fee to go through the locks and they are used by small craft and freighters.  11,000 vessels, carrying up to 90 million tons of cargo go through them annually.  The freighters carry grain, iron ore, coal and stone.  Small tug type boats carry supplies out to the freighters to save them time.
       During WWII, 7000 troops were stationed here.  90% of the steel used by the U.S. for production of guns and ammo went through here.
       Edison Soo Power Plant - was built in 1902 for $6 million.  The building is 1/4 mile long - the longest power plant in America.  There are 74 turbines that produce 40 megawatts of power-average is 26 elsewhere.  It generates more than 150 million kilowatt hours or power each year to operate the locks.  Any leftover is used for power in the town.  On the side of the building, the Italian stone masons created many building support facades that look like lighthouses from bricks.
        Locks-we were at 21' when it began filling up for us to go through.  It went to 56'.  When we returned, it dropped to 21' again, after emptying 10 million gallons of water!  There are currently 2 canals and 4 American locks.  One was rebuilt in 1968 to accomodate the new 1000' ships.  Two are due to be replaced by a new one.  Canada owns another lock.  It was 18 miles from where we boarded to Lake Superior.  We only went a few miles to pull in close to the Algoma Steel Mill on the Canadian side.  They employ 4200 people and produce 700 different specs of steel.  A freighter was being loaded with huge steel rolls when we were there.  17 diesel locomotive engines and 700 rail cars work around the plant.  It takes 2-1/2 tons of taconite, coke and limestone to make 1 ton of steel.  The upside down car takes raw material to the rail cars that take it to the blast furnaces.  When we headed back to the dock, there were about 30 people watching us from a lock viewing deck.
        International bridge- was built in 1962 to replace the ferries between Michigan and Ontario.  Is 3 miles long and is the only crossing for about 500 miles.