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MARINE REVIEW. 9 a ret Lake Michigan Passenger Steamers. More Money Needed for Erie Canal. Chicago, Sept. 22.--As a result of the season of prosperity in lake pas- _ improvements in the canals of New York state involving an expen- senger business, the Goodrich Transportation Co. gives out information of diture of $7,500,000, mainly in the Erie canal, are now completed dr under important changes to be made im several of its steamers, and_it is an- contract, and the public works department finds that in order to carry nounced that the whaleback passenger steamer Christopher Columbus, out the general scheme of improvements for which $9,000,000 was pro- which has just finished a successful season, will pay a dividend to her vided some time ago, it will be necessary to secure an additional appro- owners for the first time in her history. Whatever may be 'said' to the priation of $2,000,000 to $3,000,000. Before expending, therefore, the bal- contrary during the winter, it is certain also that the Christopher Colum- ance of $1,500,000, which is left from the $9,000,000 appropriation, the state Bus will again be on the Chicago-Milwaukee route next season. The an- authorities a few days ago held a conference with representatives of com- nouncement that the Goodrich company ,will expend over $100,000 during "mercial bodies throughout the state, to whom the situation was explained. the coming winter in remodeling and lengthening three of its steamers is It was stated that contracts for improvement of the middle and western correct, although plans pertaining to these changes have not as yet been divisions of the Erie canal have all been let, excepting a large steel lock fully arranged. The most important changes will be in the twin-screw at Lockport, which will cost,about $500,000. Quite a large stretch of the steel steamer Virginia, which has of late been given up during the main eastern division of the Erie is not, however, as yet under contract. With part of the season, the summer months, to excursion business on the Chi- this explanation it was proposed, by representatives of the commercial. cago-Milwaukee route. The Virginia, when built some five years ago, was bodies, to go ahead and complete improvement of the Erie, as it was designed for the business the Indiana is in now--night service between argued that this was the main line and that advantage should be taken as Chicago and Milwaukee--but as it is intended to keep her in the excursion soon as possible of the parts that are now completed or nearly so. But business, she must be changed to meet requirements of this traffic. It has it was found that the balance on hand would not be sufficient to complete been decided to give her an increased length of 50 to 60 feet and increase the main line, and it was therefore agreed that a part of it should go to her speed to twenty-one miles per hour. Instead of cutting the steamer the Oswego and Champlain canals. This was probably done for the in two and putting the addition in amidships, as is usual, the forward plat- purpose of obtaining support of the less-important canal districts in se- ing will be taken off and the bow extended, in order to give the vessel curing a new appropriation of two or three millions. It all means that finer lines forward. The top of the present skylight in the cabin will be the improvement of the Erie, as well as the other canals of the state, will taken off, and a cabin placed above with glass sides. This cabit: will not probably be delayed much longer than was expected. have staterooms, but will be for the accommodation of excursionists Following are the names of contractors and the amounts involved in wholly. It will extend clear across the deck to the inner edge of the walk the latest batch of contracts given out at Albany for Erie canal work: around the hurricane deck. Two additional boilers, 11 feet in diameter, Thomas H, Carr of Troy, $74,934; J. V. Quackenbush of Mohawk, $241,- will be given the steamer, in order to still further increase the speed. With 288; Bauer & Hagaman of Rochester, $97,301; Troy Public Works Co. of the changes in the bow and the additional steam supply, it is planned that Utica, $132,678; Clinton Beckwith of Herkimer, $122,829; Furnaceville the Virginia can make the run between Chicago and Milwaukee in four Iron Co. of Rochester, $609,400; Baker & Banker of Gloversville, $98,760; hours. Mr, Frank E. Kirby of the Detroit Dry Dock Co. has been figur- Williams, McNaughton & Hapst of Buffalo, $184,095; Henry C. Allen & ing with the Goodrich company on these changes, and the Chicago Ship Co. of Syracuse, $105,850; Whitmore, Rauber & Vicinus of Rochester, Building Co. will also be asked to submit bids on the work, which will $248,290; E. H. Gaynor of Fayetteville, $147,582. probably mbeine =e cpa re ae Radical changes of this kind SoS i ctiag ta ate in a steamer like the Virginia will, of course, attract considerable attention . from steamboat men. During the season just closed the Virginia has An Old-Time Canal Scheme. carried more people than during any other season since she came out of the Since 'the Cleveland Steel Canal Boat Co. demonstrated the practic- ship yard and began running between Chicago and Milwaukee. ability, commercially and otherwise, of operating a line of steel canal boats Plans for changes in the steamer City of Ludington are already pre- that can navigate Lake Erie and the Erie canal without transfer of cargo pared. About bb feet will be added to her length. _This addition will be - between 'Cleveland and New York, a great number of schemes based on a at the stern. The Ludington will be given a new boiler and engines. The service of through freight from western lake cities to the seaboard have latter will be fore-and-aft compound, with cylinders 22 and 44 inches in been proposed. The latest of them directs attention to an old-time canal diameter by 36 inches stroke. This with a boiler 14 feet by 11 feet, is ex- question. Away back in the '50s it was proposed to cut a ship-canal pected to give her a speed of 15 miles an hour. Ani elegant passenger ves- through from the head of Lake Michigan to Lake Erie, near Toledo, trans- tibule with birch finish and ten additional state rooms on the cabin deck form the state of Michigan from a peninsula to an island, and open up a are other changes proposed for this steamer. She will go on the Green water route on an air line between Chicago and the western end of the Bay route next spring, while the Sheboygan will take her old route to Man- Erie canal. Those were the days when Lake Superior was a lonely waste istique, ¢ 5 . of waters, but for a few copper mine villages on the Keweenaw peninsula, Alterations proposed for the Indiana will probably not be made until and no one dreamed of the immense traffic that was to pass through the next March. It is proposed to add 24% feet to her length amidships, St. Mary's river.. The whole traffic of the great west was expected to strike which will give eight new rooms on the cabin deck, and then lo erect on the lakes at Chicago, and it seemed a waste of time for vessels, whether the hurricane deck a house providing about thirty-two new rooms, with steam or sail, to take the long route up one side of the state of Michigan ~ promenade all around, similar to the Iowa. The Indiana will be continued and down the other, when by cutting a ship-channel across the base of the on the night run to Milwaukee. All of the patent pull-out trame beds in state they might go in a straight line to Buffalo and Clinton's ditch. A the Indiana will be taken out when other changes are being made. survey was made, the plan pronounced feasible, but costly, and nothing more was done. As time passed on it became evident that Chicago was ; not to be the only watergate for western traffic. Duluth came it:to prom- Passing Signals in Fog. ag : - inence as a grain port, and with the marvelous development of the iron ore resources of the Lake Superior region, the waterway by the Sault and St. - Mary's river route became of the first importance. From time to time, Editor Marine Review:--I have noticed in several issues of the Cleve- fas EEGs as well as in one of the Detroit papers, interviews and com- when a ship-canal fever broke out and projects were aired for cutting con- eee Tegarding passing signals in fog. With a full knowledge of necting ditches between navigable sheets or streams of water wherever land fteee cations of the several people who have been quoted on this sub- barred passage from one to the other, the Michigan and Erie canal scheme oH , Beas seem that the objection to passing signals comes from a bobbed up into view and disappeared as quickly. Now it has been brought We Wee should carry little weight. It is certainly not in order for up once more, and it is proposed to ask congress for another survey. This We iie estcott, 'or a writer of paragraphs on a newspaper, who happens time it is not to be a big ditch, with a 20-foot waterway, through which ie, Some sort of ia certificate in the English marine, to dictate to 5,000-ton steamers can go with ease and safety, and which will cost several Practical men of the lakes as to how they shall handle their ships. Every- tens of millions. A smaller affair will do this time, a trifle of $4,000,000 or ed ne that these men have had no pracical experience in the naviga- so will build it, and canal boats can be taken direct from Chicago to New NRE ake vessels. Does it not seem absurd, then, to listen to their York. This idea of a waterway for canal boats running direct from Chi- eth a advise men of well-known reputation as masters of ships? Why cago to the seaboard has evidently been suggested by the Cleveland enter- ae they assume to enter into a controversy on a subject of this kind prise. ; f MA ae Capt. James Stone, Capt. D. P. Wright and others? For PBR ee eee for the Gabe ie Keep out of this digcrss ob. It is a matter too sees Stock of Grain at Lake Ports. men who imply wants to see his name in a newspgper. ermit } ' these lak meet each other in the close quarters and narrow channels of The following table, prepared from reports of the Chicago board of ch a ts discuss the subject, and let them agree among themselves trade, shows the stocks of wheat and corn in store in regular elevators at anyhow th . Ere passing-signal rule is right or wrong. It would seem, the principal points of accumulation on the lakes, Sept. 18, 1897: aloe dist e these would-be theorists holding down chairs in offices are Wheat, bushels. Corn, bushels. urbed on account of the use of passing signals. Chi 9. 164.000 17.241.000 _ vePt. D. P. Wright of the steamer Alex. Nimick presents this question eS Oi ie Ue nese ker eae eae aan terete pees Oa nae ma forcible Way in hi f : Th int 'h k bout Byliathes eS6 Sis ees eee SCISR cate 1,964,000 250,000 Be fee e cian occ hone chine toce ack eee Milyratiees dices 0) Jeno oe, aki. 55,000 381,000 Wits Rerat ot the Northern line passenger ships is worth reprinting. "I Daoit 310,000 3m 000 ®ming down Lake Superior in a fog, not long ago," he says, "when OME Pact ye cetere eetew eaeny eerie He ofhde eiteae kes 3 ; heard the whistle of the North W ly ahead, possibl trifl Toledo eit. 2s Lea ee 328,000 584,000 Oa Grape g Scat AST BS ler ter ech ei ANS Bufidlotheni atl ache et naam 489,000 1,644,000 et ard bow. Would the kickers against the rule have felt just , ees ibtenbsa: blunder ahead, not knowing their own. or the other fellow's : 2 Ne a 5 310.000 50.135.000 that they as they would to exchange passing signals and each feel satisfied rary a 6 ? i ' hs ' i | claw re understood what they were doing? You may say we shouid aS compared with a week ae the above eee show, a ee ind Wn or stop, if necessary. We do slow down, but with a consort points named, an increase of 942,000 bushels of wheat and 1,016,0 ushels ae eos we cannot stop. We must keep going for some distance before of corn. On the same date there was afloat on the lakes 2,663,000 bushels Collisio stop In that case. Two boats coming together could not avoid of wheat, 2,843,000 bushels of corn and 1,868,000 bushels of oats. Grain n if they waited until they saw each other, when it is so thick afloat on the canals aggregated 216,000 bushels of wheat, 1,299,000 bushels YOu cannot see 800 feet ahead." of corn and 71,000 bushels of oats. Bl eS. fe pacts NAUTICUS. oP corre a Rie evelantl, Sept?) 18h Army and navy charts of the lakes are kept in stock by the Marine ial Review, Perry-Payne building, Cleveland. LO.F : : Se extipeiicccen Seb peas, eae . - H. excursion t S rion 1 tr a : : Nickel Plate road; $125 round ane eee Spero cat. at ; The Review has excellent photographs of lake ships.