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MARINE REVIEW. : 9 Against the Toledo-Detroit Car Ferres. On several occasions of late the Railway Review of Chicago has denounced car ferry companies of the kind now operating car-carrying tow-barges on Lake Michigan between Peshtigo and Chicago. The promoters of the proposed new line between Toledo and Detroit, which is planned on a basis entirely similar to the Lake Michigan line, are of course subjected to similar crticisms. The Review says in its last issue: "Managers of the new company which proposes to operate be- tween Detroit and Toledo are enthusiastic over the prospects, basing their views upon the proposition that the Lake Michigan Car Ferry Transportation Co. has been successful and is now on a paying basis. It is not known upon what authority this statement is made, but it is confidently predivted that an examination of the books of that com- pany would show the reverse to be true. The entire proposition is a violation of all transportation theories. It is the constant effort of earriers, both by water and rail, to reduce the percentage of dead. to live load toa minimum. To thisend the government is importuned to enlarge locks and deepen channels, so that the carrying capacity: of vessels may be increased, while the mechanical departments of our age of a 'basing point' as one of its terminals. Further than this it serves a local territory, and for both reasons the rates obtained for trans- portation are reasonable for the distance carried. The Detroit-Toledo line occupies no such position. As a general proposition the rates from all points to both of these cities are practically identical. The -car ferry can not expect to do any local business between the two cities and hence can obtain for its service only a small proportion of the competitive through rate. The distance between the two cities is comparitively short, and the railroad service besides being ample, is at water grade. Upon what transportation theory, therefore, the projectors of the new line predicate their success, is somewhat difficult to perceive. Not only will there be a dearth of actual revenue, but it is doubtful if conditions are not such as to make its competition of no moment to the railroads. With the Lake Michigan scheme the case is different; it can maintain a severe competitive position as re- gards the roads which it parallels, and even if it can not make any money by the operation, there is some prospect of compelling the roads to buy it off; whereas in the Detroit-Toledo line there can be no reason- able expectation of such a result." FAST BROWN PLANT ON C. & P. R. R. CO.'S DOCKS, CLEVELAND---FOR UNLOADING ORE DIRECT TO CARS. River front view showing tramway projection over vessel, railroads are using their utmost endeavors to construct a car that will carry the largest possible load with the smallest possible dead weight. This is made necessary by reason of the constantly declining scale of transportation charges. Thirty-five years ago a steamboat of 500 tons capacity was a profitable investment asa freight boat on the lakes, but today such a venture would be unthought of. Twenty-five years ago ten tons was the ordinary load of a box car whose dead weight ex- ceeded those figures, while today we are building cars of 100,000 pounds capacity weighing less than 40,000 pounds. Now comes the car ferry, and in the face of the necessity which has compelled these changes in construction, proposes to increase the proportionate dead weight by an extra vehicle and in a greater ratio than has ever been attempted. The entire lading of the cars it is proposed to transport would come far short of exhausting the carrying capacity of the boats used for this service, and if, as is the case, it is found practically impossible for water routes to compete with parallel rail routes, even under the most favorable circumstances, it requires no very great insight to determine that such a scheme as that of the Detroit-Toledo car ferry can only result in loss so far as the business of transportation is concerned. "The Detrcit-Toledo scheme is even more unfortunate than its pre- decessor on Lake Michigan. The Lake Michigan line has the advant- '"'There is no possible objection to a car ferry when confined to its proper sphere. On the contrary, when as an adjunct toa railroad it supplies what would otherwise require an expensive bridge structure, it possesses a positive advantage. Indeed, it may be questioned if the time element in our railroad operation has not been given too much consideration, and some bridges, as well as tunnels, built at a cost that would have been more cheaply supplied by the car ferry. But when it is attempted to put loaded cars upon steamboats and trans- port them over routes paralleled by and in competition with railroads, one of two things is apparent: either it isa case of blackmail so to speak, or the projectors desire to afford another exemplification of the old adage that 'a fool and his money are soon parted.' "" Thirty-three firms compose the Atlantic and Gulf Coast Dredg Owners' Association. The board of directors, elected at the meeting held in Baltimore a few days ago, is composed of P. S. Ross of New Jersey, L. Y. Schermerhorn of Philadelphia, A. R. Wright of Port- land, C. H. Souther of Boston, C. P. Lampee and Geo. Leary of New York, C. W. Pusey of Wilmington and Frank A. Furst of Baltimore. Take the Nickel Plate road to Boston. Through sleepers from Chicago. '2 Mar 31 OE ROA SRE EE tk OS ee