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MARINE REVIEW. 13 CHICAGO LAKE INTERESTS. WESTERN OFFICE, MARINE REVIEW, t No. 13 Western Union Building, CarcaGo, IIL, June 23. The world will ever admire physical courage, and the man who marches up to the cannon's mouth or otherwise exposes himself to great personal dan- ger with a cool and unterrified front will always be a hero among men. For weeks Shipping Master Biemel has been abused, threatened by word of mouth, at least, and has been made the target of all the bitterness of the great fight between the Seamen's Union and the Lake Carriers' Association. It can be said to Mr. Biemel's credit that he has never picked a row with any of the union men, but it is equally true that he has slept on board many lake carrier boats with the hope that they would be attacked during the night by union sailors. The other day a lake carrier crew was taken off a schooner and marched to the union headquarters. Mr. Biemel did not call for a strong guard of police, but he went single-handed and alone to the headquarters of the union. The police cautioned him not to enter, but he was not to be frightened off. Fiften or twenty delegates were here, but without a moment's hesitation he secured his men and started to leave the hall. One of the walking delegates drew a chair and threatened to brain him. He pulled out his revolver and covered his retreat out of the room, the lake carrier crew marching before him. Afterward two police officers with a search warrant found the dunnage of the kidnapped crew in the union headquarters, and that, too, was taken back to the vessel. It may have been a foolhardy act on the part of Mr. Biemel, but it showed the union that he was the kind of a man they were bound to respect. Tugmen all around the lakes are complaining that owners are compelling them to become insurance companies, and that any damage in towing big . steamers is saddled onto the tug. There is talk of a convention next winter of all the tug interests to adopt a uniform practice in regard to these damage bills. At Chicago they are very heavy, and are constantly becoming more so. Half of the minor accidents in the river here the tugmen claim, are directly the fault of the steamer captains. The latter are like the old-time kings. They can do no wrong in theix owu opinion and the tug companies are ealled upon to pay for it all. Competition between the lines has been so sharp that they have permitted this custum of paying damages to be well fixed, and they will probably continue to pay until there is a loss which may bankrupt them. Then there will be a big case in the courts and towing will be placed on a more legitimate basis. Marine men here who are conversant with St. Mary's river are indignant that Col. Wm. Ludlow should have been relieved without any investigation. Col. Ludlow has made hosts of friends among Chicago marine men, and he has conyinced them most thoroughly that he is not only in sympathy with the marine business, but that he understands thoroughly the requirements of navi- gation. <A strong protest has been drawn up here and will be forwarded to Washington. The picture of the late Capt. Thomas G. Crosby in last week's MARINE REVIEW caused general comment here. "It was the best likeness I ever saw in a newspaper" said Capt. Wiley M. Egan, and this was the general express- ion among marine men. Proposed New Entrance to Duluth and Superior Harbors. Special Correspondence to the MARINE REVIEW. Suprerior, Wis., June 23.--The matter of a new canal through Minnesota point is being agitated again. The canal known as the Duluth entry has never been a complete success. | Whenever there is a heavy northeast storm the sea runs through the canal and spreads over the harbor in such swells as to pre- vent the safe loading or unloading of vessels. Mayor James B. Quinn and Capt. W. F. Fisk have had this disadvantage under consideration and at one time they planned a great breakwater to be placed two miles out in the lake. The undertaking was considered too enormous and ithas finally been abandon- ed. Now the old central canal project is coming into favor again. By this canal is meant an opening 400 feet in width through Minnesota point opposite the strait between Rice's and Connor's points. Vessel men for the most part favor the central canal ss it would give easier and safer access to both Superior and Duluth harbors. The heayy expenditure of money that would be required is, however, against the scheme. Official Numbers and Tonnage. The bureau of navigation, E. C. O'Brien, commissioner, assigned official numbers to the following lake vessels during the week ending June 18: Steam--Choctaw, Marquette, Mich., 1,5.3.61 tons gross, 1,256.28 net, No. 126,874; Pioneer, Cleveland, 1,123.63 tons gross, 774.82 net, No. 150,589; Mansfield, Erie, Pa., 382.03 tons gross, 351.07 net, No. 92,437; Columbia, Buffalo, 399.31 tons gross, 281.35 net, No. 126,872. Sail--Ranger, Cleveland, 5.33 tons gross, 5.28 net, No. 110,436. Wrecks and Heavy Losses. The schooner British Queen, which burned near Trenton, Ont., recently was owned by Capt. Smith of Toronto and valued at about $1,000. She measured 117 net tons. William F. Up- ham's tug F. L. Danforth, which burned and sank near Superior entry, was worth about $6,000. Shallow Spot at Waugoshance. Capt. Ceorge P. McKay of Cleveland isin receipt of the fol- lowing ietter, which is self explanatory, from the master of a large wooden steamer engaged in the Escanaba iron ore trade: "On June 16 my steamer, drawing 16 feet 4 inches, rubbed over a shoal of stones west of the red can at Point Waugoshance; the north can I mean, not Vienna shoal. We were on the ordin- ary course. A Western boat followed directly in our wake. This will not be a matter of news to those who have never hit this spot, but if they are deep enough and do hit it they will be as surprised as I was. I may have been nearer the can than is necessary, but due west about one-half a mile is where many boats pass, and a buoy is as necessary there, in addition to the one we have at present, as at any place I know of. Iam posi- tive iron bottoms at the draft noted, 16 feet'4 inches, would be injured. I am seeking no notoriety in the matter, but you have some pretty good men sailing for you, and just tell them that I hit a reasonable distance off that buoy and that they will find it better over toward White shoal. I touched or hit this spot four years ago at midnight in the fall of the year when drawing less water, and now as we are all loading to the last inch, it may be that some other fellow who has not had the experience of a sur- prise at this place will take heed and avoid it by keeping to the westward when deep laden. This is intended for particular men, who are thankful on being reminded of such things."' Work of the Ship Yards. Although a contract has not as yet been closed, it is more than probable that F. W. Wheeler & Co. of West Bay City will build a big-steel steamer for Cleveland owners with whom they have had other dealings in the building line. Wheeler & Co. launched the big steamer W. H. Gilbert on Thursday last. Some idea of the increased size of boats of this class now build- ing at different lake yards will be had when it is considered that the Gilbert is 28 feet longer than the Kmily P. Weed. S. F. Hodge & Co. of Detroit will build the big triple ex- pansion engines that are to go into the whaleback passenger boat to be built for the world's fair service. In addition to work on this steamer, the barge company has started at West Superior two more freight boats on its own account. It is ex- pected that next week three whalebacks, the two Canadian Pacific package freight steamers and a tug, will be launched in a single day. The Globe Iron Works Company, Cleveland, will launch the last of the three Western Transportation Company boats next week. The second of these boats, the Mahoning, was launched by the Detroit Dry Dock Company at Wyandotte, Sat- urday, and the first of them to go into the water, the Codorus, at Buffalo, is well along toward completion at the yard of the Union Dry Dock Company. Ship Building in the East. Kelley & Spear, Bath, Me,, will build a stern-wheel boat for river service in Florida; draft only 28 inches.--The New England Company, Bath, Me., a few days ago launched a_ 105- foot excursion steamer that was engined by Brown & Miller, Jersey City.--The Bangor & Bar Harbor Steamboat Company °: has launched the 92-foot steamer built for themselves at Brewer, Me.--At Millbridge, Me., Joseph Sawyer is building a goo-ton schooner.--Everett White of Harrington, Me., has laid the keel of a 500-ton schooner.--Montgomery & Howard launched from their yard at Chelsea, Mass., for the Old Colony Steamboat Company a side-wheel freight steamer 294 feet long and 42 feet beam, the engines being furnished by the W. & A. Fletcher . Company. Thomas Murphy, John W. O' Keefe and Emil F. Krell have organized the Michigan Wrecking and Salvage Company with a capital stock of $60,000. The headquarters will be at Detroit, and the company will carry on a general towing, wrecking and salvage business. Capt. Watts, who was in one of the steel steamers of the Mutual Transportation Company last season and went out with Col. William Ludlow in the light-house steamer Warrington at the opening of the present season, has quit the latter boat.