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Io Ship Yard Matters. Officers of the Goodrich Transportation Co. of Chicago again talked of a new steamer at their annual meeting, which took place a few days ago, and it is again said that they will build a passenger steamer to cost about $200,000 and to be ready for the opening of navigation in 1898. Plans which they have under consideration call for a steamer 235 feet long, 35 feet beam and 16 feet moulded depth, to be similar in most respects to the Iowa, which was brought out last _also sheath her bottom with oak timber. "improved pumps and other late appliances. season. Engines proposed for the vessel are of the triple expansion type and of about 1,500 horse power, with two Scotch boilers of 12 by 14 feet, allowed 175 pounds steam pressure. The election of officers at this meeting resulted as follows: President, A. W. Goodrich ; vice-president, E. L. Upton; secretary, F. C. Reynolds; assistant secretary, H. W. Thorp; treasurer, W. J. Lauderbock; superintendent, J. W. Gillman. These officers with T. O. Lowden of Chicago make up the board of directors. The steamer Cheboygan, owned by the Goodrich company, is undergoing repairs in Burger & Burger's dry dock 'Manitowoc. She is to receive numerous new frames, new keelsons, main deck beams and deck, arches, bed timbers for engine, entire new ceiling, outside plank from light water line up, and thorough re-caulking throughout. This work will make the hull of the steamer practically new. , F. W. Wheeler & Co. of West Bay City have begun work on the new steel steamer that is to be managed by J. L. Crosthwaite of Buffalo, and in which Mr. Crosthwaite is interested with Lewis A. Hall and others. The boat will be single-decked but her construc- tion and general equipment will be in all respects equal to the larger and more costly freight steamers on the lakes. She will havea double bottom for water ballast, but it has been decided, on account of the shallow water in the trade in which she will be engaged, to She will have steel spars, steam windlass and capstans, stockless anchors, electric light plant, Her dimensions are 281 feet over all, 266 feet between perpendiculars, 42 feet moulded beam - and 19 feet moulded depth. Engines will be of the triple expansion vertical kind, with cylinders 17, 29 and 48 inches diameter by 36 inches stroke. There will be two Scotch boilers, 11 feet diameter by 12 feet long, allowed 170 pounds steam pressure. Each boiler will have two furnaces of 42 inches diameter. It is expected that the vessel will carry 2,500 net tons on 12 feet 10 inches draft. William Jacobson of Chicago, who is said to have been connected with the establishment of the line of car-carrying tow barges on Lake Michigan between Chicago and Peshtigo, is in Detroit endeavoring to enlist capital in the construction of barges for similar service, mainly _in the coal trade, between Toledo and Detroit. The scheme is as yet simply under discussion. Nothing has been done towards forming a company. ; : - Mr. A. B. Wolvin's steamer Crescent City, building at South Chicago, was launched Tuesday. Preparations are being made at the works of the Cleveland Ship Building Company to launch the Wilson line steamer, another of the 400-footers, about the 17th inst. James Pullar will build at Sault Ste. Marie a tug for Marks & McDonald of Port Arthur, Ont. The tug will be 47 feet long, 12 feet beam and 74 feet deep. The engine and boiler of the tug Minnie _ Kidd are to be utilized. The cost of the hull is placed at $2,000. _ Directors of the firm of F. W. Wheeler & Co., recently elected, are: I'. W. Wheeler, F. B. Chesebrough, H. T. Wickes, 8. T. Crapo, H. M. Gillett and C. W. Stiver. _ The wooden steamer that is being built by the Jenks Ship Build- ing Co. at Port Huron will be about the size of the H. E. Runnells. It is expected that she will be finished upon the opening of navigation. magazine form with an elegant new cover. Yachting, an. illustrated weekly published by the Burgee and Penant Co., World building, New York, has appeared of late in The change is a decided _ improvement in a publication that had already met with general favor in yachting circles, on account of a careful selection of matter and the high quality of its engravings. Engineer H. C. Higgins, Baltimore, is said to be preparing plans and specficatons for anew screw steamer of some 2,000 tons gross, for the Baltimore, Chesapeake & Richmond Steamboat Co., and the cuntract for her construction will be awarded very soon. MARINE REVIEW. Production of Pig Iron in the United States, From official reports made by manufacturers to the American Troy and Steel Association it is learned that the total production of pig j of all kinds in the United States during 1896 was 8,623,127 gross ton, ; a decrease, when compared with the year 1895, of 823,181 tons, Bui ; when the returns are considered by half yearly periods it is found that : during the twelve months embracing the last half of 1895 and the fir half of 1896 the grand total of 10,334,986 tons was attained. This mark; the largest production of pig iron in this or any other country fo, any like period of twelve consecutive months. The diminished yigy_ for the latter part of last year--3,646,891 tons--was influenced tog . great extent by the uncertainty incidental to the presidential can. paign, and as to the finances of the country. Of Bessemer pig iron the furnaces of the country produced in 1896 a total of 4,654,955 tons, or a decrease of 968,740 tons from the previous year. While the increase in the production of pig iron in 1895 over 1894 may }e ascribed to the demand for Bessemer pig iron created by the extn. ordinary employment of structural steel, the decrease in 1896 may jy attributed to a lessening in the demand for steel of this kind, ang also for steel rails. On Dec. 31, 1896, the unsold stocks of pig inn held by manufacturers or their agents, and not designed for they own consumption, amounted to 711,649 tons, against 644,887 tons op June 30, 1896, and 444,332 tons on Dec. 31, 1895. These amounts do not include pig iron sold but not removed from the furnace banks, nor that made at rolling mills for their own use. To the above quantity there should be added 136,037 tons in the yards of the Ameri. can Pig Iron Storage Warrant Co., which had passed from the hand of the makers, making 847,684 tons which may be considered as hay- ing been on the market at the close of 1896. Death of Hugh McMillan. Hugh McMillan, western agent of the Western Transit Co, whose death is announced from California, was probably the best known vessel man in Chicago. It was Mr. McMillan's custom to spend a part of the winter on his olive grove near Ventura, Cal. He was about to return to Chicago when he met death by drowning in Santa Paula creek. He was being driven to town ina closed car- riage. The stream was being crossed at aford. The current over- turned the carriage, and it was swept down stream. The doors were closed and there was ne chance for Mr. McMillan to escape. The ~ coachman secured assistance and the body was easily found. It will reach Chicago for burial on Saturday on the same train on which Mr, MeMillan was expected to arrive. The Western Transit Co. is the veteran lake line. end of the New York Central Railroad, and it will thus be understood that Mr. MeMillan's position in Chicago was an important one. He was one of the best known men on the Chicago board of trade. He "had been with the Western Transit Co. most of his manhood days. He was born in Scotland fifty three years ago, and came to this country when a child. After sailing before the mast for a short time, he en- tered the employ of the Western line in 1862, beginning as second mate on passenger steamers between Chicago and Buffalo. Then for a time he was master of a schooner, returning to the transit company as assistant agent under J. W. Tuttle. In 1884, Mr. MeMillan be came western agent, which position he held until his death. Not long ago the Buffalo Forge Co., Buffalo, N. Y., got out a400- page library bound catalogue, dealing in a most elaborate manne! with information regarding the application of blowers and exhausters and the fan system of heating, ventilating, drying, ete. The demand for the book has been such that the edition has been practically ex- hausted, at least as regards supplies for people who are not actually purchasers of material embraced in the Buffalo company's output. In order to meet a demand from technical schools, engineers and others who are interested in the infomation contained in the book, but not directly in the purchase of engines, blowers, etc., it has bee! decided to issue a pocket edition. So far as the text is concerned, the new edition will be a duplicate of the larger book. Captains Bernard Nelson and Henry Stone, both of Cleveland, will be new men in steamers of the Bessemer line next seas0!: Capt. Fred Graves, who was in the steamer W. H. Wolf last seas; will take the steamer Harper out in the spring, and Capt. Mills, who 5) 1t is the lake sailed the Harper last season, will command one of the big Wolvi2 steamers.