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Ship of the Month - cont'd. their side light up. The pilot of the VAN ALLEN saw the light and supposing the boats were in the channel steered to clear them. " Apparently, no damage was done in the incident. A year later, the "Amherstburg Echo" of June 11, 1886, noted that "The steam barge D. R. VAN ALLEN broke her engine on Monday below Amherstburg. The tug HERCULES towed her up to Hodge's iron works for repairs. " "The Marine Re­ cord" a week later stated that "The Steambarge VAN ALLEN had repairs comple­ ted at the (Detroit) Riverside Works and departed Saturday". D. R. VAN ALLEN was purchased in 1887 by Messrs. Herrick & Emerick, of Oswe­ go, New York. These gentlemen operated the Oswego Manufacturing Company. It is interesting to note that even though the steamer was owned in the United States, she seems to have remained throughout on the Canadian register. The reason for this may have been the involvement of a Canadian partner in the enterprise. In 1892, the VAN ALLEN reportedly was owned by Mr. S. Rogers, of Toronto. The "Chatham Tri-Weekly Planet" of December 4, 1889, ran an article entitled The Champion Record Breakers. That item proclaimed: "Mr. D. R. Van Allen has immortalized himself amongst shippers by the large amount of business that has been done by the steam barge VAN ALLEN during the past season". (Might that indicate that Van Allen still had an interest in the steamer? ) The ar­ ticle went on to quote the "Oswego Palladium" of November 30th, which said: "The steam barge VAN ALLEN, owned by the Oswego Manufacturing Company, and commanded by Captain Thompson, has made a record the past season that has probably never been equalled by any craft. The barge has been at work seven months and ten days and during that time has made eighty round trips between Oswego and Trenton, three trips between Kingston and Oswego and one trip to Brockville and return. She brought to Oswego 22, 000, 000 feet of lumber and was not laid up a day or any hour because of any mishap. Captain Thompson is a careful navigator and is being congratulated on his splendid record. " The "Planet" continued with its accolade for Captain Thompson who, it said, had been engaged by Mr. Van Allen in 1874, and "who has had command ever since. " We would tend to take that latter statement with several grains of salt. On June 9, 1890, the "Daily British Whig" of Kingston reported the steamer VAN ALLEN and schooner 0. S. STORRS being loaded with 400, 000 feet of lumber for Oswego. The VAN ALLEN arrived light from Toronto and loaded lumber for the box factory at Oswego. The STORRS was loading lumber for the same port. "The Marine Review" of December 17, 1891, in its Lake Ontario report, noted that: "The Steambarge VAN ALLEN, just gone into winter quarters at Oswego, made eighty-seven trips during the season and carried over 22, 000, 000 feet of lumber, " matching her 1889 record. On April 4, 1894, the VAN ALLEN's arrival was noted at Oswego, where the Os­ wego Manufacturing Co. put its own men into the steamer to unload her, paying them 20 cents an hour. The "Owen Sound Times" of September, 1894, ran an interesting item: "The statement made by a local paper ('The Owen Sound Sun') last week that the W. K. MOORE, consort of the steam barge VAN ALLEN, which came in with coal last Wednesday for the C. P. R., flew only American bunting without hoisting the 'Jack', appears to be a mistake, as the MOORE, we are informed, flew the British colours at the mainmast, the proper place for a foreign ship. "The W. K. MOORE, it is interesting to know, is a tow vessel named after Dr. W. K. Moore, a former resident of this town and a native of Derby Township. Dr. Moore was at one time in Lang's drug store here and also studied mede- cine with Dr. C. M. Lang. He afterwards became a resident of Michigan, and was extremely popular among the people of his adopted home. He is well and favourably remembered here. Dr. Moore died some months ago from a sudden at­ tack of pneumonia. It was in honour of his memory that the captain of the W. K. MOORE raised his flags on entering for the first time the home port of the man after whom his vessel was called. " The W. K. MOORE was a new vessel, having been launched that spring at Algonac, Michigan, by Abram Smith & Co.