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* " e 'mentioned receiving only $5,000 for each excess quarter knot. other hand the Philadelphia and the San Francisco earned $100,000 each _ than those which allow $200,000 for an extra knot. | Wreck Results of the System of Premiums for War Vessels. An article in.a recent issue of the New York Sun sums up, as result 'of the speéd trial of the Nashville, last of the naval vessels open to a | "premium, the results of the premium system in the United States navy, which irivolved the payment of $3,296,626 to American ship builders. miums began under Secretary Whitney, with awards for horse power © Pre- at the rate of $100 per unit in excess of the contract requirements. Under that system the Yorktown earned $39,825, the Newark $36,857, the Con- | cord $458, the Bennington $3,609, and the Baltimore $106,442. In all cases there was a penalty of $100 per unit for any shortage in horse power, | 'and under it the Charleston lost $33,823, the Monterey $32,823, and the Petre! $485. Soon, however, it was determined to give premiums for speed, irrespective of horse power. It was no satisfaction to the govern- ~ment to 1 s speed, and if they had speed it made no difference about the horse power. ~ know that vessels had a large indicated horse power without Under this plan the Wilmington earned $41,500, the Bancroft and the Machias $45,000 each, the Nashville $45,980, the Helena $49,940, the Cas- tine and the Indiana $50,000 each, the Philadelphia, the San Francisco and the Massachusetts $100,000 each, the Marblehead $125,000, the Detroit $150,000, the Oregon $175,000, the New York and Monterey $200,000 each, the Iowa $217,420, the Olympia $300,000, the Columbia and Brooklyn $350,000 each, while the Minneapolis broke all records with earnings of $414,600. Not a single vessel lost anything on this speed basis, and one vessel, which on her official trial fell far short of her estimated horse power, so that she might have had to pay a very heavy penalty on that "basis, really gained a magnificent premium for speed. "The highest excesses of speed," says the Sun, "were those achieved 'by the smaller gunboats, the Castine, for example, making 2.62 knots over her guarantee, the Machias 2.46, and the Bancroft 2.37. Neverthe- less, theirs have been among the smallest speed premiums paid, since on the smaller vessels smaller rates of premiums were allowed, the three On the for somewhat over half a knot in excess of their contracts, because they had the big bonus of $50,000 per quarter knot, or ten times as much as the gunboats just spoken of, while the enormous earnings of the Minne- 'apolis, Columbia, Olympia and Brooklyn, amounting to $1,414,000 for these three vessels alone, are accounted for in the same way. A single firm, the Cramps, of Philadelphia, earned the great extra sum of $1,865, 144, never losing a dollar for penalties, either in speed' or horse power. The system was stopped after the prodigious winning of the Minneapolis had Neen recorded, although subsisting contracts for premiums were, of course, carried out. Perhaps a reaction was then natural; and if the system should ever be revived, perhaps smaller bonuses would be paid But at present the view taken is that, with the experience gained, premiums are not needed, and, in fact, the composite gunboats and the torpedoboat Porter, without premiums, have far exceeded their contract speed. However, contractors now take into view that no premiums are payable when they make their 1 ae ee To Move Manitoba Grain via Duluth. Canada has another railway scheme mixed with politics. It is of in- terest on the lakes as it pertains to the movement of Manitoba grain. A line of road is projected between Winnipeg, the capital of the (Canadian Province of Manitoba, and Duluth. By a direct line of about 350 miles between the two points, by far the greater portion of it lying within the state of Minnesota, it is expected to bring the principal part of the product, of the immense wheat fields of Manitoba to the lakes at Duluth for ship- ment to Buffalo, whence it will be forwarded to New York and shipped to Europe instead of going over the Canadian Pacific railway to Montreal direct or to Fort William and thence largely by Canadian vessels to ontreal. The poiltical feature of the enterprise is found in the evident intention _ of Premier Greenway to run the next Manitoba election on the issue of making a contract with the proposed railway by which, in consideration of a bonus to aid its construction, grain is to be carried to Duluth for 10 cents per 100 pounds, or but little more than half the rate now demanded y the existing circuitous line between the two points. Bitter political °pposition is being made to the project. The cry is raised that it is a rect blow to the Canadian Pacific railway, largely built with government aid; that it will rob the English stock and bondholders of that line; that those interested in the projected road are mostly New Yorkers, and that _ it will benefit New York to the damage of Montreal, give employment a erican instead of Canadian lake tonnage, and inflict injury_on east- n Canadian interests. The Greenway supporters make no other reply tan that their platform is "Manitoba first," and that they "are resolved to i lower wheat rates by establishing a direct route to New York via uluth and Buffalo, which is Manitoba's natural route to the seaboard. fa: Collector of Customs Gott of Amherstburg is in receipt of a letter m the Dominion department of marine and fisheries relative to the ihees of the schooner Adams near Colchester, and enclosing a copy of See. of 'Capt. Dunn of the steamer Petrel, who recently made an ination of the wreck. Capt. Dunn reports that there is a consid- ye) , there: Pace with but 1834 feet of water over the wreck and in two places mv: 18 but 14 feet of water. Capt. Dunn placed a flag buoy over the t. Gott is instructed to call on the Michigan Wrecking & Sal- ¥ . . nee to complete the removal of the wreck in accordance with the Minj ides 8overnment and costs collected from the bonds of the company. ontract called for 25 feet of water at the place of the wreck. Linge G. A. R. Buffalo specials via the Nickel 'Plate road leave Cleve- Quire he Aug. 23 at 1:00 p. m., and another at 10:00 a. m., Aug. 24. In- of agents for details. 273 Revie. and navy charts of the lakes are kept in stock by the Marine | "W, Perry-Payne building, Cleveland. their contract, failing which the work will be done by the Do- . -- CR oe. Buffalo Grain Matters. Editor Marine Review:--I was much surprised to find in your usually carefully made-up paper last week an article on the "Fear of a Grain Blockade in Buffalo," the reason or excuse for which I am at a-loss to determine, A grain blockade in August in a harbor that is crammed, full of elevators and is adding to its big list as fast as Buffalo is! This would be news that would make the average elevator man wild with joy. Such a report might gain credence outside of grain circles, but hardly in them. The fact is that the receipts of grain fell off last week. The entire amount was only about 4,000,000 bushels, which could be handled very comfort- ably in two days, provided there are cars enough to keep the elevators from filling up. Without cars or boats to carry the grain out, our éle- vator capacity would need to equal the entire western crops to make sure of sufficient capacity. Instead of Buffalo "receiving grain now about as fast as it can com- fortably take care of it," no one here has thought of such a thing, and twice the present receipts could be handled with ease, always provided the outgoing service is good. It does take longer to unload vessels than it used to, so that charge will not be disputed, but there is ample reason for that. When cargoes run up to 6,300 net tons, which is now the limit, with very many running close to the 6,000-ton line, it is not easy to pre- vent their being "split up into several different consignments." Indeed, a straight cargo of such great size would be a wonder. The result is that the 400-foot vessels are obliged to take a third day to get their cargoes out, even if the delay is little or nothing. This phase of the situation is unavoidable and will become more marked as the smaller vessels are replaced by big ones. _ Now as to blockades. Buffalo has had a good many of them, on paper, but to my certain knowledge she has never had but one worth the name. That was in the day when our elevator capacity was about halt what it is now, and moreover was due to certain railroads, principally the New York Central, getting hold of the great bulk of the grain and insisting on unloading it all at their own houses. 'At that very time the canal was doing next to nothing and stood ready to relieve the overflowing elevators had it been permitted, but no, the grain must go out by rail. Hence the squabbles and the lawsuits that followed. (All this discussion of the situation ought to make plain to vessel men that they should begin a ceaseless agitation against an abuse here that is to blame for much cost and delay. The Buffalo elevators are, all but one or two, pooled as to earnings, and they are not allowed to pay for the privilege of handling cargoes as used to be the case. When this rebate system was cut off another step should have been taken. There is no earthly use of a vessel being sent to half a dozen elevators to unload. They are all connected by practically the same local railway system, and if a strong fight was made in favor of the vessel delivering her entire cargo at the elevator where most of it is consigned it would succeed in the end, and the problem of rapid handling of grain would be immensely simplified. The various elevators could give and take and this resultant pooling would work just as the existing one does. It is plain that vessel men do not own elevators, or this reform would have been made long ago. Buffalo, August 16, 1896. JOHN CHAMBERLIN. Lake Vessels for the Klondyke Region. Klondyke gold seekers are drawing on the lakes for vessels suited to service on the famous Yukon and its tributaries. It is announced that George 'Craig of Toledo has sold the stern-wheel river steamer Valley City to John Cudahy of Chicago. She will be taken apart and shipped by rail to Seattle, and from there will go by steamer to St. Michael, Alaska. Together with five other small steamers now building at Seattle, the Val- ley City will be used on the Yukon river and tributaries in carrying 'sup- plies and furnishing transportation to the miners in the Klondyke gold fields. The vessel registers 220 tons and is 148 feet long by 29 feet beam. She was built in 1892. pda PR Cea ES : Murphy & Miller, Cleveland ship builders, also have a gold hunting scheme on hand. They propose to form a company of twenty young men who are to take part in an expedition next spring, for which a vessel is to be specially built. If plans for the formation of the company are successful, the vessel will be built here, taken apart and 'shipped by rail to Seattle, where she will again be put together for the trip to Alaska. In answer to a challenge, through one of the Detroit newspapers, from Rockalmann Bros., owners of the yacht I. C. U. of Detroit, Wierd Connors says in the Buffalo Enquirer: "My yacht, the Enquirer, is the champion of the great lakes. I am willing to race the Detroit boat, and when I get an official challenge from the men who own the I. C. Oey will at once talk business with them. 'As champion, I shall demand a race from Buffalo to Erie, a distance of eighty-two miles, .on some day to be agreed upon mutually. I will race for nothing less than a $500-cup. If the Detroit men want to try conclusions with the Enquirer 'on this basis, my boat and my money are ready for them any time." But it is not at all probable that there will be a race between the Enquirer and the LC. U. The latter is a small open launch, intended for racing purposes th the rivers. There is no reason why the owner of a yacht like the Enquirer should pay any attention to such a challenge. -- ) It is expected that the big dredge that is being built at Buffalo for work on Hughes Bros. & Bangs' extensive breakwater contract will be launched in a few days. A clam-shell dipper on this big machine is said to weigh fifteen tons and to be capable of lifting ten cubic yards of earth, which would probably be equal to fifteen tons. In construction of the dredge itself 250,000 feet of white pine and oak timber will be used. Some of the timbers are 18 to 20 inches square and 60 to 70 feet long. The der- rick timbers are 18 inches square. The dredge is 145 feet long over all, with 40-foot beam and 12-foot sides. Its cost is said to be about $50,000. Chautauqua excursion, Aug. 20, via the Nickel Plate road. Without extra charge, the return tickets are available via Lily Dale on Cassadaga lake and Dunkirk. Ask agents about it. is 286