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10 MARINE REVIEW. New Brokers--Against the Elevator Pool. | Buffalo, N. Y., March 3.--All other subjects have given place in marine circles here fas the talk of a new vessel brokerage firm and to Speculation. as to the extent to which the Armour interests of Chicago 'will enter into competition with the elevator combination. Smith, "Davis & Co., underwriters, are back of the arrangements for a new vessel agency. They have been talking the matter up with vessel 'owners in different parts of the lakes, and it is said that their plan is to operate on a kind of mutual basis with representatives in Chicago, Cleveland and Duluth, but as yet there is no definite organization. It is well understood, of course, that this insurance firm is displeased with the action of Edward Smith of Brown & Co. in joining the new insurance combination. . "It is quite generally understood now that President J. J. Hill of the Great Northern Railway Co. is not the important factor in the new steel elevator project, although he is interested in it. The Armour interests will operate the elevator in connection with their big Chicago houses, and everything seems to point to strong opposition to the elevator pool, which has monopolized the grain business here for a great many years past. The Chicago people are said to be start- ing i in on the claim that there is not an elevator in Bufi'alo that is modern i in construction. The new house will be entirely of steel and of 2,509,000 bushels capacity. Thirty bins in the new structure will ' have Capacity Ot about 80,000 bushels each, and they wiil also be of steel. "The immense grain business of the lakes during the past season has also prompted new elevator projects at ports other than Buffalo. Itis said that Mr. Hill of the Great Northern contemplates adding 2,500,000 bushels capacity to the 3,500,000 bushels of his system at Su- perior, and that the new house will in all probability be of steel. A 7 new elevator for the Anchor line at Erie will have 600,000 bushels capacity, and the Big Four-company has just let a contract for a house ~ in Cleveland of 500,000 bushels capacity. Changes in Steamboat Regulations "At the recent annual meeting of the United States board of super- vising inspectors of steam vessels a rule was adopted which provides that no original first-class pilot license on the northwestern lakes shall be issued hereafter to any person who has not been licensed and served at least one full season of eight months as second-class pilot on steamers, such service as second-class pilot to have been within two years preceding the application for such license. Another amend- ment, in. the rules is to the effect that any applicant for examination for license or for increase of grade who has been refused for want of knowledge or for other qualifications must wait a year before under- "going re- -examination, _ Pilot rules are general] y amended so as to con- form to the new law governing boats propelled by gas, fluid, naphtha, -or electric motors, and the following rule has been adopted for lights on scows without rudders or other means of guidance in tow of steam vessels: "AIl such scows shall carry a regulation white light at each end of each scow, such lights to be carried not less than 6 feet above the deck. When scows are towed two or more abreast, they shall canny: the seman white lights." hore Ship Yard Matters, °' he full- appropriation for the two new lake revenue cutters, for which bids will be opened in Washington on the 15th inst.,and which will be in some respects better yessels than the Walter Q. Gresham, is now secured to the revenue cutter service. An item of $200,000 to complete these vessels is contained in the sundry civil appropriation bill, just passed by congress. will be stationed on Lake Erie and the other on Lake Michigan, + AUhough= the Goodrich Transportation Co. of Chicago is slow abéut 'petting around to the contract for a new steamer that has been' talked about for a long time past, it is quite certain that the vessel will be bitilt before the spring' of 1898. The type of vessel contemplated -- is a steel screw steamer somewhat shorter than the Virginia, probably 250 feet Jong. Be will be heavily plated and probably double framed forward. In Hecandanes with. arrangements made race with its creditors, the firm of F, W. Wheeler & Co., West Bay City, has filed a, trust mortgage i in favor of the Union. Trust Co. of Detroit . for $250, 000. "It.is, to, cover the payment of.6 per cent. gold bearing mortgage bonds, "payable i in installments of. f $50, 000 each, the first installment coming i years of age. It is expected that one of these cutters _ New York 7:40 next morning. . vhange. due on March 1, 1899, and the payments following on the same date in each of the ee pean years. Two new St. Lawrence river passenger steamers, to ao hie Toronto and Prescott, are still talked of by the Richelieu & Ontario Navigation Co., but it is understood that Canadian builders haye not been asked for bids as yet, as it is not intended to have the vessels 20 into commission until the spring of 1898. The steamers are to hy about 265 feet long and of high speed, probably better than, 'eye miles an hour. There is absolutely no foundation for the statement that the Cleveland Steel Canal Boat Co., which has been operating a, fleet of canal vessels between Cleveland and New York for some time past, will build any more boats for next season. The company ¢op. templates no building at this time. Ship builders who heve placeq any faith in the plans of Erastus Wyman and his associates for a big Erie canal boat combination will also be disappointed, at least woe as the immediate development of these plans is concerned. ~ It is yp. derstood that the rates of freight involved in contracts which were said to have been made with northwestern millers were ridiculously low, and anyhow the Wyman scheme is meeting with a great deal of opposition in the New York legislature. Around the Lakes, One of President Lleveland's last official acts was to sign a rego. lution granting a life saving medal to Daniel E. Lynn of Port Huron, Col. Jared A. Smith , United States engineer at Cleveland, has been in poor health for some time past and has gone to Georgia to re- cuperate. President George Uhler of the Marine Egineers' Beneficial kee ation is still engaged in visiting different branches of the organization s around the lakes. It is probable that a change from red to white will be made as early as possible next season in the light on Passage island, north. : east of Isle Royale, Lake Superior. Supt. Seeley of the Erie canal says very positively that the canal will be open as: early as usual in the spring, notwithstanding the ex- tensive improvements that are now under way. The Columbus, Sandusky & Hocking Railroad Co. is reported to have closed a contract with Webster, Camp & Lane of Canton, 0., for a car dumping machine, to be used on Sandusky coal docks. D. 8. Austin, a well known and highly respected citizen of Buffa- lo, died at his home in that city a few days go. Mr .Austin was at one time engaged in the ship chand- lery business at Buffalo. Capt. Richard Horsefall of Bay City, aged seventy-two years, and who has sailed for sixty-one years, is still in the harness. Itis said that he will have one of the vessels of the Mills Transportation Co. again next season. Capt. A. B. Davis of the revenue cutter service, who has just been transferred from the old cutter Andrew Johnson to the new Walter Q. Gresham, says the Johnson will be sold. The Gresham will take the place of the Johnson in the St. Mary's river patrol next season. A combination of coal companies at the head of the lakes, which has been under way for some time past, is now about perfected. The companies are the Pennsylvania & Ohio Fuel Co. of Duluth, the Lake Superior Coal Co. of Ashland and the Manitowoc Coal & Dock Co. of Manitowoc. The new company will be known as the Pennsylvania & Ohio Fuel Co., with a capital of $500,000 and headquarters at St. Paul. Breyman Bros. of Toledo, who recently secured a big job of dredging at Boston, are negotiating with the Bucyrus Steam Shovel _ and Dredge Co, of South Milwaukee for a big machine that will rank - as the largest dipper dredge in the United States. The dipper is to be of.9 cubic yards capacity. 1t is the intention to have the hull built at or near Boston and theemachinery at South Milwaukee. The Brey- mans are to have built also, at Toledo and Marine City, four dump. scows of 700 cubic yards capacity each. A Very Desirable _ train to take when going to New York is Pennsylvania No. 6, leaving Union station 1:40 p. m. daily and from Euclid avenue 1:50 reaching . Pullman sleeper through without. Am 15 - 'Supper served in dining car. He was. seventy-two.