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is MARINE REVIEW. Opinions on the Season's Business. _ ORE FREIGHTS OF FROM 80 TO 90 CENTS PREDICTED FOR SEPTEMBER. The Review presents below the opinions of three prominent lake business men on the prospects of the freight market. One is from a heavy ore shipper, and isa classic. Another shipper who was asked for his opinion said that it would not be consistent with what he was trying to do. One of the most level-headed brokers on the lakes is the author of the second opinion while the third is from one of the largest vessel owners on the lakes. A letter was expected from a Chicago grain ship- per but did not arrive in time for this week's paper. The following from an ore shipper sums up the situation as to or in the clearest and most terse manner possible: "To transact a season's business in five months and deliver seven month's output in four, can be done on paper. It may also be done by the mines and possibly by the. boats, but it cannot be done by the docks or the railroads. A large amount of July and August tonnage will be 'hung up' at dock, and ore sellers will pay 80 to 90c. to get carried in September and October what they expect to get down in July and August at 60c. The following is from a prominent vessel broker who is well quali- fied to express an accurate opinion on the grain situation: "I think the conditions in the lake freight market at present are as near a parallel to what they were in 1895 as they possibly can be. The season has been used up largely by vessels laying up and being delayed load- ing and unloading such cargoes as they are able to get, leaving the time very short to move any large quantities of freight of all descrip- tions. There is no question but what the wheat crop in the northwest will be enormous, and there being considerable demand for it in Euro- pean countries, as soon as it is harvested, it will move freely to the seaboard. Vessels will then be in good demand to carry this wheat, and as the elevators in Buffalo are already more or less congested, the 'first large fleet reaching here will fill them all up, and cause serious delay in unloading. I take it for granted that the ore docks on the south shore are still more or less blocked with ore held over from last season. AS soon as ore moves freely, there will be the same results at the ore docks, causing delays in unloading, that there will be at the elevators in Buffalo when the grain moves. There is no question but what the anthracite shippers will, later in the fall, require tonnage to supply the western stocks. For this reason we think that with the demand from grain people, from ore people, and from anthracite coal people, all about the same time calling for tonage, will create a sufficient scarcity to sharply advance rates and all the tonnage will be required to move the offerings. For reasons stated above, they cannot make trips fast, being delayed in the handling of all commodities thus causing scarcity of tonnage, and thereby advancing rates."' The following is from a man who has made considerably over a million dollars out of the vessel business, and his judgment is regarded very highly: 'It would be very difficult to correctly prophesy the condition of lake freights for the balance of this season. The coming harvest in the Northwest offers more promise than ever before in the history of this country. The climatic conditions have been such, that all kinds of grain have thrived. If the harvest in the Northwest is such as we think, there is no question but what the coming fall will see freight rates a great deal higher than at the present time. The coal for the Northwest has not been moved in any such quantities at the present time, as in former years, and there must needs be a large volume of tonnage engaged to meet the demands. Atthe present time, _ however, nearly, if not quite all of the tonnage on the lakes, is in active service. Being mid-summer, with no fear of storms or gales, everything is favorable for the movement of an immense amount of _ ore; The ore companies and combines have any quantity of ore ready for shipment, and they are taking advantage, and straining every nerve to get the product forward on the present cheap rates. The sup- ply of ore, however, that has been moved up to the present time, is much less than at previous periods in recent' years. With the coming harvest, and with the short time to move coal to the Northwest, a great deal of tonnage will be diverted from the ore trade, This will have a tendency to raise the ore freights. I think that ore freights will go to at least $1.00 per ton, from the head of the lakes. If the freights do not materially advance, I am certain that a great deal of tonnage will be laid up early, and that there will not be many ships in commission by September 15. The vessels that are depending on the present wild rates, are not an y more than keeping even, if they are doing this. It makes no difference whether the vessels are large or small. The relative earnings in proportion to the expenses are ---- ----s about the same. In other words, the cost of operating, insurance, tug bills, ete., for the large vessels are proportionately higher, than the same expenses for the smaller vessels. This has always been so, as. the smaller vessels are usually engaged in certain classes of trade, that are not touched by the larger ships. "T look for the freights on all commodities to advance enough the last of this summer and fall, so that the vessels will yield enough profit to pay at least a simple interest on their investment."* Lake Freight Situation. There has been some improvement in the grain trade at the head of the lakes during the past week. Duluth and Ft. William haye . both been in the market for tonnage and the rate to Butfalo has been advanced to 14 cents. Chicago has taken care of considerable tonnage and only for the bad condition of the docks and the scarcity of cars at the Lake Erie receiving ports which has caused the movement of ore io be checked, the prospects for an advance in ore carrying charges would be very good. Up to a few days ago the feeling was very firm and some owners predicted an advance all around before the close of the present week. Rates are unchanged at 50 cents from Duluth, _ Ashland, Two Harbors and Marquette to Lake Erie ports and 40 cents from Escanaba. The demand for wild boats has fallen off during the past few days simply because shippers do not want to load boats and hang them up for four or five days when they get down. The only thing that will prevent a heavy movement of ore during the balance of the season is lack of facilities to handle cargoes at this end of the route. Quite a little figuring has been done this week by ore men and. brokers and blocks of ore to be moved during July, August and Sep- tember have been offered at 60 cents from the head of Lake Superior, Some owners have notified their agents that it is too late in the season to tie up and will take their chances running wild. oe An effort was made to advance Lake Michigan coal rates to 25 cents but vesselmen did not succeed. Cargoes for Milwaukee and other Lake Michigan ports are offered pretty freely, but for the head of Lake Superior boats are more plentiful than loads. Charters have been made during the past few days for all the leading ports at 20 cents. Some of the leading shippers expect labor trouble in the Pittsburg district. The Fastest Passenger Steamer in the United States, The Review is prepared to maintain the claim that the City of Buffalo by her recent run between Cleveland and Put-in-Bay is the fastest steamer in the country. With her Fletcher engines, making 28 turns she ran 64 miles in two hours and fifty minutes, making an average speed of 22.58 miles per hour. It was somewhat of a surprise to Manager Newman of the C. & B. line to learn that the Buffalo was as fast as she is, as no attempt was made to put her in shape for the _ run. She had come 180 miles from Buffalo, a few hours previous to starting for Put-in-Bay, in eight hours and forty-eight minutes, or more than 20 miles an hour. The only steamer that has approached this speed is the Mary Powell. It is known that she has made 21 miles an hour during a spurt. Her average for one season was 19 miles an hour. _ It has been claimed that she made 25 miles per hour, but this is doubted unless a considerable current assisted her. The Buffalo has three or four more turns in her engine that have not been let out. It is expected that these will give her a speed of 24 miles an hour and put her in the same class as the famous speedy channel steamers of Kurope. The boilers in the Buffalo are fitted with the Howden hot draft. The Pittsburg & Conneaut Dock Co., have contracted with the McMyler Mfg. Co., Cleveland for a 12-leg direct unloading apparatus, to be completed three months from date of contract. This is the largest contract let for dock apparatus for some time. There will be new features about it which are expected to make it the speediest plant of the kind on the lakes. Tt will be used to take ore direct from the hold of the vessel and place it in cars. The following market prices are quoted on metals: Magnolia anti-friction, 25 cents per pound, No Name 18 cents and Mystic 8 cents; all f. o. b., New York or Chicago, An excursion will be run to Chautauqua lake, July 2nd, via the Nickel Plate road. Ask agents. 163