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| The Edward L. Ryerson was waiting at anchor off the Superior entry yesterday for the wind to die down so the Mesabi Miner could get away from the dock at Burlington Northern and depart. Presumably, that has happened and the Ryerson is now loading taconite. But this is not your every day taconite; it is taconite that the boat will take to Quebec City. That means it will be going through the Welland Canal and the St. Lawrence Seaway, almost to salt water. You can count on one hand the number of US flagged vessels that have made that journey in the last 25 years at least. The Canadian operated Welland Canal can only handle vessels less than 740 feet long. That leaves out all 13 US flagged thousand-footers; they will never get beyond Buffalo, at least in one piece. Buffalo is the last stop on Lake Erie going east before a boat takes the Welland to avoid Niagara Falls, always a good idea. Above, the Ryerson is just coming through the Superior entry and is beginning to turn toward the BN dock last August. |
| *submitted to the Duluth News Tribune for publication on 05-20-2007 |
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