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14 | MARINE REVIEW. Around the Lakes. Duluth coal handlers are said to be preparing for a demand upon their employers next month for higher wages. : The new steamer W. D. Rees loaded 132,000 bushels of wheat at Duluth, Tuesday, on a mean draft of 13 feet 5% inches. Capt. McDougall has stated positively that the passenger whaleback Christopher Columbus will engage in excursion business again this sea- son between Chicago and Milwaukee. To the steamer Thomas Davidson belongs the credit of having com- pleted the first round trip between Milwaukee and Buffalo the present season. The Davidson left Milwaukee on the morning of April15 and returned on the morning of the 27th. The steamer Iron Age, managed by Capt. James Millen of Detroit, has a cracked boiler. Capt. Millen proposes to have another of his steamers tow the Iron Age as a consort for the three or four weeks time that will be required to repair the boiler. It is now thought that the new Lake Superior & Ishpeming Railway, which isto have docks at Presque Isle, near Marquette, will not be in readiness to ship ore before September. St. Ignace, which has been a memory, so far as actual shipping of ore is concerned, for some years, is to lose its last dock, the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic having con- tracted with M. J. Peppard & Co. for the removal of the remaining 100- pocket dock now there and its replacement by a lumber dock. It is probable that vessel owners of Cleveland, Buffalo and other lake cities, whose names were used as underwriters by Henry S. McFall, man- ager of the two Lloyd's companies that failed in Buffalo recently, will be subjected toa great deal of annoyance on account of suits brought against them by people having claims against the defunct concerns. In asuit begun by John Christian of Lyons, N. Y., a few days ago, papers were served on as many of these underwriters as could be located. When railway men visit New York, where stock interests of their railways are at stake, they talk freely of business prospects. In an inter- view published by one of the papers of the metropolis, President A. G. Blair of the Wheeling & Lake Erie Ry. is reported as saying that his company has increased its carand locomotive equipment 20 per cent and yet has secured contracts already which will tax the capacity of these facilities to its limit. 'Heretofore we have taken contracts for coal up to the middle of June," says Mr. Blair, "and sometimes we have sought business at a later date. This year we had contracted for nearly all the business we could handle on the 20th of April. Since that time we have had several large offers on terms which were attractive, but at present our capacity for shipments to the lakes this season is full. 'The fact that the demand has been so much earlier and stronger than usual shows that the consumers of coal see business ahead, which warrants their concluding arrangenents to meet this de- mand. In other words, it is clear evidence of improvement in the gen- eral outlook for business." - Changes in Lights and Signals. About April 30 a fixed red tubular lantern light will be established on the easterly end of the west breakwater entrance to Dunkirk harbor, Take Erie, from which the former pierhead light structure was washed away in December last. The light will be visible from all points of ap- proach from the lake. Bearings given out by one of the officers of the steamer Santa Maria regarding the obstruction encountered by the schooner Teutonia of the Santa Maria's tow are evidently incorrect. Whatever the obstruction may be, it is certain that the bearings are worthless, as, for instance, a line W. % N. from Bir point light would run far up onto the Canadian shore. Trade Notes. Travel on the Long Island sound steamers, especially the Priscilla and Puritan, is said to already excel anything heretofore known. Several valuable articles on boilers are contained in the "Penberthy Bulletin" for May. A copy of this little publication may be had upon application to the Penberthy Injector Co., Detroit. Past National President Geo. P. Wilson of the Marine Engineers Beneficial Aesociation, Philadelphia, is now with the Magnesia Sectional Covering Co., with headquarters at No. 382 Philadelphia Bourse. The new U.S. harbor patrol boat.Scout of New Vork is fitted witha Roberts boiler that has 60 feet grate surface. The vessel was designed by Lewis Nixon and built by John H. Dialogue & Son, Camden, N. J. She is of steel, 96 feet long, and has a compound engine, with cylinders of 14 and 29 inches diameter by 20 inches stroke. On a trial trip, a few days ago, the boiler was reported to have given an abundance of steam without forcing, and the steamer is said to have made 17 miles an hour with engines turning 184 revolutions. In General. In an extended illustrated article dealing with 'Great Occasions of 1896" the Review of Reviews for May refers to the centennial celebration of the founding of Cleveland, which begins July 19. It is said that a dry dock 800 feet long, the largest in the world, is to be built by the Newport News Ship Building & Dry Dock Co. The New- port News company certainly has great advantages in location, and its present large dock is heavily taxed with repair work. A cargo steamer just completed by William Doxford & Sons, English builders of the turret type of ship, has a dead weight capacity of 11,375 gross tons. She is 465 by 58 by 35 feet and her load draft is 26 feet. Engines are triple expansion with cylinders 29, 50 and 80 inches diameter by 5linches stroke. A dispatch from Ottawa, Thursday, says that the Canadian govern- ment has decided upon an important change, in which American lake vessels will participate equally with Canadian vessels. An order in council has been passed abolishing the customs clearance fee, whether inwards or outwards, at all Canadian ports west of Montreal. When Prof. J. Harvey Biles, well-known naval architect of England, was in Washington recently he was entertained at a dinner given by Gen, Thos. W. Hyde of the Bath Iron Works, Bath, Me. Among the dis- tinguished guests were Speaker Reed of the house of representatives, Representative Boutelle, Senator Hale and Commander G. F. F. Wilde, 2 Wo Shh: Nh H. C, French and John Gordon of Buffalo now have complete control of the seven steamers of the Union Transit Co. Mr. French owns three-fourths of the line and Mr. Gordon one-fourth. The purchase of the five steamers that were under charter from the Crescent Trans- portation Co. of Detroit has been expected for some time past, but it was not thought that Mr. French would be as largely interested in them as he appears to be from reports of the sale. The steamers purchased from the Crescent company are the J. V. Moran, John M. Nicol, Eber Ward, W. H. Stevens and James Fisk, Jr. The two other boats of the line are the Avon and Portage, which have been the property of the Union com- pany for some time past. An official account of the trial trip of the battleship Massachusetts, which occurred on Saturday last, has not been published as yet, but it is understood that the vessel attained a speed of 16.279 knots. This would give the Cramps, Philadelphia builders, a premium of about $125,000,. or $25,090 for each quarter knot in excess of the contract requirement of 15 knots. Thetime made by the Indiana on her official trial was 15.61 knots. The Massachusetts is equipped with an entire set of Blake pumps, including independent vertical twin air pumps for the main con- densers, fire pumps, bilge pumps, water service pumps and feed pumps. The guns and turrets are also operated by means of Blake hydraulic pressure pumps, built especially for the purpose. PROPOSALS FOR DREDGING. Ashtabula, O., April 10,1896. Sealed proposals will be received by The Lake Shore and Michi- gan Southern Ry. Co., The Pittsburgh, Youngs- town and Ashtabula R. R. Co., operated by the Pennsylvania Co., and the City of Ashtabula, Ohio, at the office of the City Clerk for the said City of Ashtabula, at 12 m., Saturday, May 16, 1896, for furnishing the necessary labor, mater- ial and the use of the necessary dredges, tugs, scows and all other tools and appliances, for dredging and improving the river channel at Ashtabula Harbor, Ohio, from the north side of the swing bridge to the upper end of the docks on said channel, according to the maps, plans and specifications therefor, on file in the office of the Engineer employed by said City of Ashtabula. Bids must be made with the express under- Standing that the City of Ashtabula shall only be liable for one-third (44) of the contract price of said excavation and improvement, that the remaining two-thirds (24) is to be paid one-third (1-3) by the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Ry. Co., and one-third (1-3) by the Pittsburg, Youngstown and Ashtabula R. R. Co., operated by the Pennsylvania Co., aS provided by the specifications hereunto attached. Each bid must be accompanied by a bond, signed by-at least two approved sureties, in the amount of Five Thousand Dollars (5,000.00) Dol- lars, conditioned that if the bid is accepted, a contract will be entered into; and the perform- ance of it properly secured. Bidders are required to use the printed forms, which will be furnished on application at the Engineer's office. The right is reserved to reject any or all bids, and to waive any informality. By order of the Council. A. B. PHILLIPS, City Clerk.