The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

The contemplated dredgingat Port Stanleyharbor this summer will be done by the Dominion dredge Ontario, now at Amherstburg. She will then proceed to dredge out Rond Eau harbor. It is proposed to give a boat having a raft in tow two lights placed horizontally on her foremast to distinguish her from a boat having a vessel in tow. The signals now carried by all vessels having tows of any kind behind them is two lights, one above the other on the foremast. Bya settlement ofthe canal tolls questionallowingthe use ofthe Welland Canal to American vessels on the lakes on same terms as to Canadian vessels, the Ogdensburg Transportation Company, operating a line of big wooden steamers between Chicagoand Ogdensburg, is benefitted to the extent of$15,000 to $20,000 a year. April 21, 1893 The Welland Canal was opened yesterday (Thursday). Seamen's wages out of Chicago have been fixed at $2 per day. The steamer Fayette Brown, Capt. D. Girardin, left Detroit on Tuesday night for Toledo to load coal for Duluth. Cleveland vessel owners are kicking because several steel steamers have been given a low rating in the Inland Lloyds register. The steam barge Africa and consort Severn arrived at the M.C.R. on Wednesday to load stone for the Sault Ste. Marie Canal. The unexpected early opening of navigation is already creating a state of demoralization in the lake freight market and grain rates are down to summer figures. Capt. F.B. Hackett will commence on Monday to blast the wreck of the Minnie Davis, sunk at Bar Point, the water being so cold that dynamite could not be used sooner. Duff & Gatfield will not report the vessel passages at the Lime-Kiln Crossing to the MarineNews Associationthis season, the reports being sent from Detroit as they had been previous to last year. It is reported that the stage ofwater at the Lime Kilns is four inches higher than last season. Vessels can now cross drawing fifteen feet nine inches and by May 1st they will be able to load to sixteen feet. The Canadian wreckers Saginaw and Wales will soon be at work. The former went into commissionMonday and is now lyingat Windsor, while the repairs on the i^LiJJ IM m pn m PP •q r n r I 1 L FT latter are nearly complete at Walkerville. The Energy arrived up on Saturday with a load of stone from Pelee Island for Windsor. She returnedon Sunday with a loadof supplies for the islanders. Shewill continue in this trade in connection with wrecking. The lightship marking the channel across Grosse Pointe Flats has been placed in position. Vessels pass to the westward of the lightship and should give her a berth of about 300 feet, where the best water will be found. The Grosse Pointe beacon lights are also in operation. Friday night the first grain-laden steamer ofthe season cleared from Chicago for the East, and before 12 o'clock Saturday night the greatest fleet that ever left Chicago at the opening ofnavigationhad started underway. This, too, at a date that is almost unprecedentedly earlyfor the openingofthe season. The fleet carried, all told, 11,000,000 bushels ofgrain. Capt. F.B. Hackett has completed the purchase ofthe tug Home Rule from the Bank ofQuebec for $10,000 and she is now being fitted out at Thorold and will be here as soon as the canal opens. The canal will open about the 25th inst. The Home Rule is 80 feet long, 18 feet beam, registered 4514 tons, with high pressure engine of22x24 in. cylinder and allowed 140 lbs. ofsteam. She was built in 1890 and is the most powerful tug on the canal. She will be stationed at Amherstburg to take the place ofthe International, burnt last fall. Capt.Hacketthas charteredthe Evelyn to remain here until the Home Rule arrives. The steamer Philip Armour was the first boat to pass through the Straits of Mackinaw, going down at 7 o'clock Monday morning. She was closely followed by the steamers Egan, City ofParis, Onoko, Lockwood, Plankinton, Ohio, Fryer, Elphicke and Fitzgerald. The steamer Lockwood, which left Milwaukee first, grounded at Mackinaw City while trying to make the dock and was not released in time to go through the straits first. The Lockwood was the first one of the big fleet to pass here on Tuesday at noon, but the rest were not very far behind, the losco, Sauber, Armour, Onoko, City ofGenoa, Elphickeand City ofParis passing down before 4 o'clock. April 21, 1893 TERRIBLE ACCIDENT.-Nelson Chambers Roasted to Death.-TERRIBLE EXPLOSION ON LAKE ST. CLAIR.-THE STEAM CHEST ON THE BOAT CFOCTXIFBURSTS.-TWO DEE FROM THEIR INJURIES.-A THIRD BURNED SERIOUSLY.-ANOTHER RECEIVES SLIGHT INJURIES.-A shocking disaster.