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3. Marine News - cont'd. Last issue, we reported that the Oglebay Norton Company, of Cleveland, had applied to the U . S. Maritime Administration for permission to sell its self unloader J. BURTON AYERS, (a) MESABI ( I )(43), to a Canadian firm known as Black Creek Shipping Co. Despite the application, we understand that the sale was not completed. In the April issue, we reported the unfortunate collapse on. March 28th of one of the ore bridges on the wharf of the Dofasco plant at Hamilton, Ontario. As this plant receives much of its iron ore in straight-deck bulk carriers, it has been apparent that alternate arrangements would have to be made to replace the fallen bridge, and we understand that current proposals are that an idle self-unloading laker would be used as the "waterside end" of an improvised ore bridge. Further details were still under consideration at the time of this writing. We have a report that Socanav Inc. has disposed of another of its tankers. LE FRENE NO. 1, (a) JOS. SIMARD, which was built in 1964 at Sorel, Quebec, has apparently sailed under her own power for India, where she will be dis mantled. The tanker had recently been idle. The last railferry service on the Great Lakes came to close on Tuesday, April 4th, when Canadian National's tug PHYLLIS YORKE and barge ST. CLAIR made the last crossing of the St. Clair River between Sarnia and Port Huron. The following day, a CN train made a ceremonial, first trip through the new tunnel under the river, crossing from the Canadian to the U. S. side. The construction of the new tunnel had been commenced in September of 1993. The old tunnel beneath the river, which had been built in 1891 but could not ac commodate today's oversized rail cars, has been declared a heritage struc ture by both Canada and the United States, although it no longer will be used. The facades at the tunnel entrances, and a short section of track will be preserved, but grillwork inside the tunnel will prevent intruders from gaining access. As yet, there has been no indication what will be done with the pusher tugs PHYLLIS YORKE and MARGARET YORKE, nor the barges ST. CLAIR and SCOTIA II. This year was not a particularly difficult one for the icebreakers which opened t he upper lakes channels for the new season. However, as if in an ef fort to demonstrate her usefulness to those who would put her out of ser vice, the big U . S. C. G. MACKINAW made short work of an ice jam that beset the Duluth/Superior harbour on March 27 and 28. Some eight vessels were trapped in the ice when northeast winds began piling the ice up, and U. S. C. G. SUNDEW had been unable to free them. MACKINAW had them free in quick order. The Arnold Transit Company, of Mackinac Island, Michigan, will this spring add a third catamaran to its existing fleet of seven traditional ferries and two catamarans. The new "cat", to be named STRAITS EXPRESS, will be rather larger than the other two, and will be equipped with jet drive powered by twin gas turbines rather than by traditional propellers. She reportedly will be capable of a speed of 36 knots! The other two cats were built on salt water, but STRAITS EXPRESS is being built by Marinette Marine, at Marinette, Wisconsin, and she will cost $1 . 5 million. Canada Steamship Lines' ATLANTIC SUPERIOR ran into heavy weather on December 23, 1994, while running light ship from Seattle to Santa Rosalia, Mexico. Water began to make its way into the unloading tunnel as the vessel fought 20-foot seas, and the ship put in to Astoria, Oregon, for temporary repairs. She sailed from Astoria on December 26, and on the 31st arrived at the North Vancouver shipyard where she received major repairs. Two issues ago, we mentioned that Canada Steamship Lines was in the course of acquiring two Spanish self-unloaders, but the name of one of them was re ported incorrectly. We understand that the correct names of the vessels are CABO SAN LUCAS and BAHIA MAGDALENA.