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June TELESCOPE 136 THE OCEAN LINERS OF THE LAKES lakes' principal supplier of steel bulk and package freighters since its initial venture in metal shipbuilding, Onoko of 1882. In 1887 it had just built the bulk freighter Cambria with the lal<es' first triple-expansion engine. And it was laying down the first of the ocean-style Lehigh Valley package freighters. Hill passed over the Lehigh Valley model in favor of one closer to Cambria. So Globe built the six 312-foot "Manitoba boats" for Hill's new Northern Steamship Company. These ships were Northern Light, North Wind and Northern King of 1887, and Northern Queen, North 'Star (i) and Northern Wave of 1888. Each could carry 25,000 bar'rel.s of flour, or 95,000 bushels of wheat, or 2,700 tons of iron ore. Ordering six ships at once was a hint of the great lake fleet building soon to follow. In 1887, financing one large steel lake freighter usually required the resources of a railroad or a syncii- cate of investors. But around that year iron ore displaced whezit as the main lake cargo when the Minnesota ore fields were openitig. Large steel and ore firms were coming into the picture. Thus in 1890-91 Minnesota Iron Company began shipping ore south from Two Harbors in six more Globe-built ships which were duplicates of the "Manitoba boats." The Menominee fleet was also organized then for six other very similar ships built by Globe. With the grain trade in mind, "Manitoba" package freighters could still be nearly interchangeable with "Minnesota" bulk freighters. The Manitoba boats had very graceful hull lines with pronounced shezar. * * * * * The Globe yard won its chance to try ocean styling on a passenger liner when Lake Michigan's Goodrich fleet ordered its twin-screw flagship Virginia for Chicago-Milwaukee service (see illustration). Virginia had two raked masts and a raked stack amidships over cabins which originally were well contained within the hull shape. She was rated at 20 miles per hour. In 1891 she was considered the best product that lake yards had to offer. The Chicago fleets were all grooming their fleets for the World's Fair of 1893 there. Virginia prospered well enough in competition with two parallel railroad lines, and she might have won the consort mentioned when she was first ordered. But Alexander McDougall built his huge whaleback passenger steamer Christopher Columbus as 3 World's Fair attraction, and then put 'it in day service opposite Virginia. One other Lake Michigan firm improved on Virginia's suggestion. Lake Michigan & Lake Superior Transportation Company ordered the 303-foot propeller Manitou from Chicago Shipbuilding Company. This was a new South Chicago yard closely affiliated with the Globe Works management. Manitou carried only passengers and their baggage (see illustration). Her hull plating rose one deck higher than usual for lake ships, so the usual sheltered promenade was found on her hurricane deck instead of the spar deck. Her dining room was forward on the spar deck. This was