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~> MARINE REVIEW. » z More Sales of Ore.--Improved Outlook for Freights. As far as the iron business is concerned, a brighter outlook now pre- sents itself to the vessel owners, but as indicated by a careful summary of the situation that follows, better freights may be delayed for some time and a great deal depends upon a movement of grain. Sales of ore within the past ten days have been in the aggregate greater than at any time | since the general selling movement that followed the first sales of Norrie some time ago. Bessemer ores, aside from the Missabes, can now be said with certainty, to be practically sold up, and the transactions of the past week have, in fact, been mostly of Missabe ores to furnace men who were in the market making up mixtures. The Minnesota company sold con- siderable Canton, and M. A.Hanna & Co., representing the Chapin, have found purchasers for all ore that can be produced from that mine this sea- son. If present conditions had been anticipated and the Chapin had been started earlier, an increased product would have been assured, but as it is, provision has been made for all the ore the mine can produce. The state- ment that about 1,250,000 tons of Missabe ore has been sold in all may be surprising even to some of the ore dealers themselves, but this is an estimate made by two sales agents whose interests in the range are suf- ficient to cause them to keep well posted, although not partial to the ore, on account of greater interests elsewhere. Such sales of non-Bessemer as have been made are entirely of surface ore, either at the mines or on Lake Erie docks, and there is as yet nothing in the outlook to warrant a re- sumption of operations in any of the non-Bessemer mines. Now, while it is true that the product of the mines producing Bessemer is practically all sold, it is generally admitted that, allowing for an output of 1,500,000 tons from the Missabe, the maximum output of ore from all Lake Superior mines cannot be more than 6,500,000 tons, largely on account of the suspension during the winter that resulted in limited stock piles at the mines when the season opened. Anactive movement of coal is, of course, expected dur- ing the short season that will follow asettlement of the labor troubles, but the question among vessel owners is whether the possible output of ore referred to will be sufficient to cause improved freights without some movement of grain. Most owners are of the opinion that without a lib- eral movement of grain there can be no marked improvement in freights. For ten days past there has been a constant demand for "wild" boats to take ore at 80 cents from the head of the lakes, 65 cents from Marquette and 50 cents from Escanaba, but shippers have resisted all efforts to ad- vance these rates. Neither do they offer any better freight than 80 cents for the balance of the season from the head ofthe lakes, or 65 cents for several trips from Marquette. In view of the probability of high coal freights and a possible active movement of grain there is, however, a strong feeling among owners that rates will range a little above present figures during the summer months and thatthe middle of September will see a decided improvement in all branches of the lake trade. Preparations are being made fora more general use of hard coal for fuel in the big steel boats if the soft coal famine continues, but the pres- ent indications are that the coal strike will be settled before it is necessary to resort to extreme measures, although shipments of coal in cargoes will not be resumed for some time after miners begin returning to work. For Navigation of Niagara River. The following is from Major Ruffner, corps of engineers, U.S. A., in charge of river and harbor improvements at Buffalo: "In the hope that I may contribute to the lessening of accidents aris- ing from vessels striking on the Horseshoe reef at the head of the Niagara - river, I am led to make some suggestions to navigators. Vessels going down the river after passing the Dummy light-house at the head keep the first black buoy on their starboard hand, and then come onto the ranges. As they go down, they find the new black buoy on their starboard, also, and as this buoy is important, I have arranged to watch it while we are at work on the shoal, and shall keep this buoy in its proper spot, There is good water between the ranges and this buoy, and close up to this buoy. * This is the channel. Vessels drifting to the west are liable to strike the ridge left by the dredge. The Jenness struck this, and probably also the Santa Maria They are influenced by the cross-current at this point, which takes them westwardly and which must be provided against by both the towing vessel and those towed. It may take the dredge two months to finish clearing the shoal she is on, and during that time there shall always be a ridge where she works, and vessels drifting to the west are liable to hit it, After vessels are abreast the red buoy they do not con- tinue on the ranges, but head for the east, or the west of the inlet pier. We hope to put a dredge on the obstruction struck by the Newaygo before long, but it can not be done yet." Proposed Tests of the North West's Boilers. A short time ago it wass announced that two engineers from the bureau of steam engineering, navy department, would make some scien- tific tests on the Northern Line steamship Northwest, giving special at- tention to the Belleville water tube boilers. Although the management of the Globe Iron Works Company and the owners of the boat seemed en- tirely satisfied to have the tests made, Miers Coryell objected in very strong terms, upon his return from Europea few days ago to the navy being permitted to make an investigation of any kind regarding the boilers. He has never been very kindly disposed toward American naval officers, since his connection with the Belleville boiler in this country. He charges the heads of the navy with having retarded the progress of tubulous boilers in the United States, and he says they would not now show an interest in the Belleville generator, but for the action of the British admiralty in boldly adopting it for large vessels of war against a strong feeling throughout Great Britain favorable to home supremacy in all matters pertaining to shipping. Mr. Coryell says that the owners of patents on the Ward and Cowles boilers were put to enormous expense by our navy in securing even the slight recognition that they have ob- tained for their generators. Of course, he does not, however, own the big passenger ship, and either builders or owners of the ship are at liberty, aside from considering his desire in the matter, to permit of the tests be- ing made. Mr. Coryell sails for London again this week, to be gone for an in- definite period, and although he made no statement of his plans before leaving, it is understood that he will be associated withthe British ad- miralty as consulting engineer in the work of fitting Belleville boilers to new war vessels. _ Voyages of the Campania and Lucania. Following is a statement of the time of voyages made by the Cunard Tine steamers Campania and Lucania: 5 CAMPANIA. No. of voyage. | Distance. Time. eer 'or ron dad. h. m. Linco epee! ae 5 a a 21:29 } 20.00 ONG. seater eee Sie 2 a in 20.63, 20.275 oes 2,880 5 16 22 2011 t 21.01 2/913 ot a0 20.91 geht Sas ap ae : ae 57 oe 20.495 Daag Supuke shel ees aie g aa FA oe 19.885 Oa es ere 3830 20 a sour 20.16 Tim wkeuneewe aan 3 12 a one 21.00 Be eects ecard: en 2 A = Beat 20.215 QR DRSR eS ae : Z Se 19.70 Mean speed for nine round voyages......... 90.304 LUCANIA. i Seieee secs. Pa cee e i 1 ae ane Dee nee ees nee 3 ue ii aus 20.86 Sane. ee an 2658 p i ss 17.84} 19.42 bis x. Hee Bass oat7 ; d BB re 20.71 Biscaak ame 300 é ag ia Barre 19.855 Geren eee a : - i aay 21.285 Mean speed for six round voyages............ 20.304 The best time has then been made by the Campania, 5 days 12 hours and 15 minutes, although the Lucania has made the greatest speed, not only for the mean of the round voyages, but also for a single and round voyage, as well as for the day's run in each direction, her biggest runs be- ing 546 miles when running to the westward, and 516 to the eastward.-- Journal of American Society of Naval Engineers. Notices to Mariners. About June 8, the fourth-order red fixed light at Porte des Morts (Pilot island) light station, in Lake Michigan, at the entrance to Green bay, will be changed to a fixed white light varied by a white flash every 15 seconds. The nun buoy marking Eleven-Foot shoal off Point Peninsula, north- ern end of Green bay, has been replaced. The first-class can buoy mark- ing the reef off Racine, Wis., is reported as being out of position on ac- count ofarecent gale. The buoy will be reset at an early date anda notice to that effect will be published. SEND a postal card to B. F. Horner, G. P. A., Nickel Plate, Cleveland, O., for "Summer Outing" for information where to go to picnics,