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10 MARINE REVIEW. Around the Lakes, On the opening of navigation the fixed white lens-lantern light, about 1,000 feet south of the front light of the Maumee bay range lights, Toledo, will be discontinued. The steamer W. R. Stafford, with the schooners Ed McWilliams and John A. Francombe, have been chartered by the Tonawanda Iron & Steel Co. for the coming season. The Marquette Towing Company announces to its patrons and friends that they will have the tugs Edward Gillen and Calumet stationed at Marquette during the season of 1897. Capt. Andrew Robertson, a well known lake captain aad father of Morgan Robertson, the writer of nautical stories, died Tuesday at 'Oswego, N.Y., after a prolonged illness. He was eighty years old. The fight of the Detroit & Cleveland and the Grummond lines for business between Detroit and Cleveland has finally resulted in the D. & ©. Co. reducing its rate on freight of all classes to the nominal - figure of 1 cent per 100 pounds. Geo. C. Williams has been appointed to succeed the late Hugh -MeMillan in charge of the Western Transit Co.'s business at Chicago. Mr. Williams has been connected with the company for a number of years. He isason of Capt. Frank Williams of Butfalo. _ It is understood that Mr. John Gordon, who has just chartered the steel steamer John. W Moore for package freight business next season, will also have three or four other vessels under charter, as a result of advantageous arrangements which he has made for railway connections at Lake Erie ports. Another steamboat fuel dock, equipped with pockets and chutes, as well as McMyler rotary derricks, will be in operation on the Sault river next season. Officers of the Inter-Ocean Coal & Coke Co. of Cleveland have given up interest in the Detour dock, with which they were connected last season, and have acquired the lease of bout 490 feet of dockage at the Sault, just below the canal. Improvements in the new property will involve an expenditure of several thousand dollars. Officers of the D. & C. Co.'s steamers report that the wreck of the steamer Grand Traverse, which was sunk in Lake Hrie in collision with the steamer Livingston _ last season, is now nearly due north of Colchester, and right in the course of vessels bound to and from the Detroit river. The ice has carried away the vessels spars and the obstruction is therefore more dangerous than ever. It is probable that the Canadian government will take steps to remove the vessel. ' Major Clinton B. Sears, United States engineer at Duluth, opened proposals, Monday, for a pier extension at Grand Marais, Minn. The "proposed expenditure is about $14,000. A. & D. Lang of Duluth _were the lowest bidders. Other bidders were Joseph A. Beauvais, and Estow & Munroe of Charlevoix, Mich., Heldmaier & New of Chicago, "Green & Anderson of Green Bay, Alex. McCurdy of Duutlh, Wm. McCurdy of Houghton, Mich., A. J. Dupuis & Wm. M. Blay of De- troit, Lippett & Gregg of Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., Powell & Mitchell of Marquette, Mich., and Geo. Cooper of Manitowoc, Wis. H. C. Burrell of Lorain, who has for some time past been engaged in preparations to begin a marine reporting business at Detroit, has completed his plans and will have men on the river at the foot of s Woodward avenue at the opening of navigation. He has secured quarters i in the Brady building on the west side of the Woodward aye- "nue river front where the Belle Isle ferries land. He promises a first- "class service for the full season, whether a profit is to be had at the work ornot. One advantage i which he begins work is a contract from the Lake Marine News Association to furnish news and vessel passages to all of the daily newspapers on the lakes. There are a number of ways in which Wells lights are used on -- the lakes. They have proved valuable in straightening bent plates in the bottom of steel vessels. when in dock for repairs. The plates are heated and straightened without being removed from the vessel. The lights have been used on the decks of vessels while unloading and for use, on docks they give perfect satisfaction. The following letter is .from the Erie Coal Transfer Co., Cleveland: "We used two of the Wells lights last. season on our A loading dock in Cleveland, and they furnished sufficient ligHt- in all kinds of weather for the fendi of vessels. We can recommend them for this use." Full particu- lars and prices may be obtained from the Wells Light Mnfg. Co., 46 Washington street, New York. a Ee aa sa el A Candidate for the Commissionership. Frank A. Flower, who has for years been an officer or leading delegate to every deep waterway convention held in this country, js understood to be a candidate for the office of commissioner of naviga. tion. Mr. Flower is certainly peculiarly fitted for this office, He is thoroughly posted in everything pertaining to the shipping interests of the country and especially internal commerce. He will fing a great many supporters among business men in the northwest, who are enthusiasts on the subject of cheap water transportation from the head of the lakes tothe Atlantic seaboard. Although his candidacy has not been publicly announced, the Review is in receipt of two or three letters asking that support be given to him. One of these correspond- ents says: "The commissionership is not much of an office but its duties anq possibilities are in line with the work Mr. Flower has been doing at private expense for years. His knowledge of all the details connecteq with such problems as the big river and harbor improvements, the question of lake levels, impounding of lake waters, Chicago canal and many other subjects that have an important bearing on water trans. portation would certainly result in bringing these matters more fully to the attention of congress. Why is it not time, anyhow, that the lake carriers and the lake ship builders should have in that office foy once some one who is in sympathy with their interests; who tries to understand and promote their welfare; who will meet and keep in touch with them; who is not carried away with the free-ship notion : who has no artificial load-line fads; who will help watch congres- sional action and actively promote that which is calculated to benefit water transportation and water interests? Mr. Flower is capable of marking out and carrying into effect in this office a plan of work that will be of living interest and real benefit to the great enterprises in- volved and to the people generally."' A Tramp Steamer. The illustration shows the Knight Commander an English tramp steamer at a warehouse dock in Newport News, Va., taking on a cargo of general merchandise, and receiving a coat of paint. This vessel carries about 5,000 tons and burns thirty-four tons of coal per day, so that her fuel consumption is about equal to some of the larger class of lake steamers. When in Newport News she carried a coolie crew, and it was noted that two coolies are required to one Englishman. The photograph was made by two modest lake captains who visited several coast ports during the winter. As they are not seeking honors as amateur photographers, their names are not given, but it may be noted that one of them sailed the Sauber last season and goes into the Bessemer fleet this season, and the other sails the Nicholas. A chart of the whole of Georgian bay, the best thing of its kind as yet published, has recently been issued by the British admiralty, and may be had from the Marine Review, No. 409 Perry-Payne building. Another chart, of a very clear and interesting kind, taking in Lake Huron, Georgian bay, Lake Erie and connecting channels; has" "also been seh recently by the same authority.