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1884 February 29, 1884 The steamerPearl has been sold to the Detroit and Alpena Railway Co., and also will be placed on the Alpena and Oscoda route as soon as navigation opens. Capt. Ira Mansfield of Lorain, Ohio, who is to manage O. Young & Co.'s coal business herehasbeenin townthisweekwithMr.Young,arranging for the commencement ofbusiness assoon as navigation opens. They will build a high dock, 8 feet inheight and 50 feet wide by 70 feet long. The London, Ont, papers speak inhigh terms ofanexhibition offancy skating by Capt. John Miner ofDetroit, the well-known tug master. The captain told one ofthem that he was 53 years old, the father of 11 children and the grandfather ofquite a number. Three ofhis children were triplets butthey did not survive long after their birth. Captain Isaac May, one of the best-known ship owners on the lakes, died at his residence in London on Monday morning, aged 63 years. He owned seven barges and two steamers, known as the Beaver line, afew years ago. He was the pioneer ofthe steamship line between Cleveland and Port Stanley and well-known in Amherstburg. April 4, 1884 The steamer City ofDetroit made her first down trip to Cleveland on Wednesday morning. It is rumoured that parties from Saginaw are negotiating for the ferry boat Hope, now lying at Windsor. C.W. Gauthier is building atug at Wallaceburg. Her dimensions are fifty feet keel andtwelve feetbeam; cylinder 19x12 inches. Capt. J. Tobin ofAmherstburg will command the tug Bob Hackett this season. Z. Lawrence has been appointed as her engineer. The schr. Ferretcame down Wednesday from Detroit for Johnson's Island for stone, but lay here yesterday. This is the first sailing craft out. The steamer C.H. Merritt will start from Windsor about the 12th for Chatham, to which place she will make trips daily through the season. The steamer ChiefJustice Waite passed up from Toledo on Monday for Detroit, where she will be overhauled and repaired for the season's work. The steamer City ofDresden will leave Windsor for Sandusky and the lake shore today (Friday) at8a.m. This will be her route the coming season. The schooner Grace Amelia, lying at McGregor's wharf in Windsor, is being caulked and is receiving new rail, plank shear, new hatch covering and some new stanchions. The new steamer Wm. J. Averill, 255 feet long, was launched last Saturday I I I I lui, IfU] a 1 afternoonat the Springwells' diy-dock in the presenceof a large crowd of spectators. She is to run between Chicago and Ogdensburg. It is expected that a steamer of the same size will be launched at the Detroit Dry-dock on Saturday of this week. Bois BlancIsland lighthouse was lit up for the seasonon April 1st. The following are the dates of lighting Bois Blanc light for die past ten years: 1874...March7th. 1879...April 1st. 1875...April 1st. 1880...March 18th. 1876...April 1st. 1881...April 1st. 1877...April 7th. 1882...March 13th. 1878...March 13th. 1883...April 1st. The following have been appointed masters and mates on the vessels named for the coming season:-Steamer Smith, captain John Hutton, first mate John Meloche, second mate Donald Duncanson. Schooner J.C. King, captain Tim Lemay, mate John Anderson. Steam barge R.J. Hackett, captain C.C. Allen, mate Theodore Young. Tug Wilcox, captain David Girardin, mate Ed. Maguire. Atlantic, captain D. Nicholson. Tug Swain, captain Ed. Tormey, mate James Tormey. TugCrusader, captain E.G. Gatfield. Steamship Iron Duke, captainThomas Honor. Tug W.A. Moore, captainT.D. Quinlan. Tug Michigan, captain John Tobin. Tug Hercules, captain Joseph Biron. Steam barge Republic, mate Frank Auffret. The officersof the Riversidewill be captainC.B. Huse, mate George Allen, engineer George L. Simmons, clerk Bert Noble; and those of the CityofDresden, captain John Weston, mate Nelson J. Wigle, engineer Thomas Carter. Work has been commenced on the crib for the American lighthouse for Bar Point. It is being builton T.B. White'sstone dock, which hasbeenleased for the purpose bythe contractors and is being completely rebuilt and recovered with oak plank, which is being fiimished by Thos. Ouellette. The crib is to be 45 x 90 feet, sharp at both ends and will be launched after being caulked. It is being built offoot-square timbers which will be three feet above the water's edge and will be filled with concrete and stone. Above the crib the cut stone work will be constructed. All the timber for the lighthouse is to be furnished by Thomas Ouellette and a gooddeal ofsoft wood will be used. A blacksmith shop has been builtandamong theplant' already onthe ground isa steam pump andan engine and boiler to run a machine for grinding cement and stone. About 40 men are now employed and additional plant is constantly arriving on the Riverside. April 11, 1884 The Welland Canal is expected to be opened to navigation about the 28th inst. Capt. Thos. Benito will sail the tug Oswego this season and Capt. John Miller the the crib. ' The word "planf' seems tobeused here todescribe the equipment needed tobuild