The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

MARINE REVIEW. VESSEL LOSSES ON THE LAKES, NEARLY ALL LOW-GRADE VESSELS -- MOST OF THEM CARRIED NO INSURANCE -- ANOTHER SEASON OF PROFIT FOR THE UNDERWRIIERS. Figures relating to the number, tonnage and value of vessels lost on the lakes during the season just closed are practically a duplication of the summary for the previous year. The losses during five years past were as follows: VESSELS LOST ON THE LAKES DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS. Number of Capacity, Year. vessels. net tons. Value. POO Tacs vicete otis Sk Gee Rete Met ae ee ee 35 21,450 $ 372,900 NS OG! asecere ete, | ka a 85 21,435 886,500 TOO OF enc ticce cs 5 6 a eee eee eee 63 48,975 1,290,100 OO Ae aieacinecs «cal ents eR ee ee 54 31,415 522,750 NS O 3 Serre ee seit can eo Redin east 65 41,625 1,172,200 Totals Aes eae eee eres 252 164,900 $3,744,450 The season of 1897 has been a fortunate one for lake underwriters. There are no steel vessels in the list of total losses, and the partial losses The Big Steel Combinations. _ Negotiations pertaining to the proposed consolidation of wire and wire rod interests have reached a stage that will not admit of further pro- gress until extensive examinations of plants have been made. The John- son Steel Co. of Lorain is not a party to the negotiations. Tthe leading concerns have given an option until March 31 on their property at a price. The valuations have been a matter of protracted negotiations and ane supposed to be conservative. It remains to be determined now whether the banking interests who are to underwrite the proposed consolidated company believe, after examination, that these valuations are fair and safe. The titles of the properties are now being examined. The apprais- ers are working on the valuation of the plants and the inventories. and the auditors, Price & Waterhouse, are about to begin an examination of the books for the last three years. This means a colossal amount of work which it-will take months to accomplish. It is not believed that this pre- liminary work can be done before March 1, if so eatly. Then it remains to be seen whether there is any great disparity between the views of the sellers and the buyer. Until that time all talk that the consolidation will succeed or will fail is a matter purely of conjecture. A meeting of the members of the defunict steel rail pool to arrange for the final adjustment of some old matters has given rise to reports that a new combination is practically formed. The reports refer to a division of territory and to the assignment of export business to one mill. There TOTAL LOSSES ON THE LAKES DURING 1897--VESSELS THAT ACTUALLY PASSED OUT OF EXISTENCE. NAME OF VESSEL. Type. Cause. Date. Where. ag Ae Value. Owned by BOECStale AVE ieee sete ses oes -eenee SCHOONEHe 1.» «| SULA CCiates coer (AD TIIAIGS..c2.chc. Pentwaterscccsnccsas 250 .$ 300 | Henry Ceasar, Chicago. Riya Case bo acote tone es eee Schooner......... Stranded.......... HPT alt epreett or ol Ludington............ 800 3,000 | Samuel Neff, Milwaukee. WiLL. acts dc osenne. meecee essen Schooner: Stranded.......... April Oe eaeee ber Sheboygan............ 100 300 | Capt. Webb, Milwaukee. TOOK Outs § vce segyeepsus cae bet ems Schooner......... Stranded... 2; Api 20a. ose shee Two Rivers........... 400 2000 | Capt. John Olson, Chicago. Mosher,- Alfredy antics: -sccts-screee WO: Acehnese: PUIG sce eeegeeceee May 16 squeal Eb FeKEONal IB coousrll sosesconesvoHca6b. 3,000 Walker et al., Sturgeon Bay. TOTS ais shes doses athe ie een oose ae TGs wiigee fos. seese UTC seeseeineas spect Miay oli so ss eoes: Vert OTT E CMe estactadyaeeeee ssa eerie 2,000 | Menominee RiverShingle Co. HL On a ast sank aaecs ths ee SLEatMeiaeecrss sce. Collision ......... Wetyae2() peeeertceeer Lake Huron......... 2300 85,000 P. P. Miller et al., Buffalo. Siaickaluid as ely aeccee were ee eee Steamers: Collision ......... May 228 ce.seceethus Long Point.......... 550 12,000 | Sylvester Bros., Toronto. Perl withiel Gtrens ees sccn er sore aae Steamer ......... Mrs tne Sse A fbaeles 748} sh orocad a6: Doledo ween ee shee Ae es . §,000 Geo. P. Fletcher, Toledo. Smithy ob Mi..cor.sseeaacceueucstete Schoonert......... Stranded........:. Eula lBiee cece South Haven........ 100 S10 occcocs a winweeeee # soseaemeneasinpiieiditetivee IDNA wadel wlio. WWoaacsaunoopscudccabocccos PGS ee Sees eee Bre. cece esters che ety 710) seen ace san Duluth oe -cevscesesh sco) eecebees deneeeonn 1,000 | Adaline Smith, Duluth. Bane Tee TENA areeme citer eee ien seeeisen Schooner......... Capsized «......;. August 19........ Lake Michigan.....| 175 1,000 Capt. Pederson, Milwaukee. Mert eee oc eee ee ee eee Schoonet......... Stranded.......... September 15.../St. Joseph............ | 50 500 O. B. Green, Chicago. Kents Ely tare. scieccnues oc Pee eee Schooner......... Foundered ...... September 18...|Stanard Rock......., 1750 17,000 J. B. Gilchrist, Cleveland. WWallace,C. Be eee MSE NOOSA rors ise PE Stcscooases Gas c September Zo. MlOledOe mssnctarene ches eeaetee epee 2,500 | M. 1. Wilcox, Toledo. Addie. c:..:. 4 eee eee Schooner......... Stranded......... October 4....... Frankfort ............ 50 500 calc ve. aeheneceeenee , Manitowoc. Stevenson. Ellen eae caceeeee Schooner......... Foundered....... October 5....... Take Michigan...... 100 : 700 | John DeYoung,Grand Haven. JATHUDLO} LS esaconcoccbosoagctse - adadosodc Schooner......... Foundered ...... October 7....... Apostle Islands.....; 1000 7,000 |. S. Boutelle, Bay City. Haley He Biccccmset sce: costo ecrnes DLCAIet eases Foundered ..... October 8...... Lake Huron......... 1450 27,000 | Bradley Estate, Cleveland. Haminond, Nellie tec, stcdae testes Schooner......... Stranded......... October 8....... White Lake Harb'r 100 OOO Seek See rnc once ee ae meee WiinislowaKate. we enctsneecc sort Schooner......... Foundered....... October 14....... Lake Michigan...... 1300 12,000 | H. J. Cuyler, Avon, O. Wiellse Geet ee TW Gite hen ns ry ceceesee meee October 16......., Amherstburg .......]..........0005000. 6,000 | ARMA eee tevees ee eeeeee bee sdeetece Gifford IRS Wits cc ebcc anne sateen Schooner......... Foundered ...... October 21....... Lake Michigan...... 1000 11,000 C.W.Elphicke & Co. ,Chicago. Barry Com. Jacki ctena canon s lSTIOs cs cemtecemes ee RULCr erage set October 30....... Duluth.......ececcseeee fess cesses eee ees 5,000 | Barry Tug Line, Duluth. TaaHO ee ne a ane ae Steamer .2--.1.-- Foundered....... November 6....|Long Point........... 1900 15,000 | Western Transit Co., Buffalo. Grote ee Schooner......... Foundered....... November 11...|Lake Hrie..:...1...02. 650 3,000 | J. H. Christie, Detroit. Poctoe eee eee Steamer ence. EWR Oco.e seeeaaacs November 24...|\Toledo... 0.00... scccses|Ssccevereenseeees 8,000 | A. Klauser, Toledo. Naa ee eae Steamer .......... iG@ rr deeceasenasess November ons reer see i Sdig bs ose 1600 Fee ° |C. E. Benham, Cleveland. GS Go se denote MIO edeeetce inet esicseecn soe November 30...|Toledo....... ttissesees|eeseeeeessesersees OOO ots gles cachisheg Gate Sache sales eeeeisoestessee ee Dine loc oe See eseeaeaet Stranded ......... December l.....|Lake Superior...... 1200 16,000 John Wedow, Chey SEE Egyptian. nadaaN.ahseey '....(Steamer .......... cee yen cere December 2....\lake Huron......... 1950 35,000 | N. S. Whipple, etroit. | 5 Masten ie eves SChOOMChancerees Stranded......... December 4.....,| wo Rivers........... 1150 12,500 F.C. Goodman, Clevelan : Morley; GaW.iest fied ae Steamer.......... nen siiecks osesees December 5.....|Chicago ............... 1400 55,000 | Hawgood & Avery,Cleveland. Mishicott, ae AE de Laie Schooner yes kaaane Stranded.......... Bana ge os moe eevee 125 ' a Ta aati See aae waar (shine Olucenit. 6.00 Sa. ateeh slug eek a. Foundered ...... December 17....\Uake Erie....... .....|..--.0.-+-c0seooee ; . W. ; . se entee (O)IKEES tle Sonpannoosparencocoobe0 Tug... stan $372,900 on steel vessels, due mainly to stranding in the rivers, are certainly no heavier than during 1895 and 1896, notwithstanding the large increase in the number of ships capable of carrying 4,000 to 6,000 tons. It will be noted that the 1897 list of total losses, printed herewith, includes only three or four wooden vessels of even 1,500 tons capacity. The losses are confined largely to low-grade vessels, on which there was in most cases no insurance of any kind. As against the loss during 1897 of thirty-five vessels capable of carrying 21,450 tons and valued at $372,900, there are now building in lake ship yards vessels capable of carrying about 75,000 tons and valued at about $3,500,000. Of ithe thirty-five total losses, twelve were vessels that burned, eleven were 'destroyed after going ashore, ten foundered and two were lost in collision. The collision losses, both total and partial, were unusually light. The St. Mary's river regulations have undoubtedly had much to do with reducing the number of losses on ac- count of collision. Herman Johnson, naval architect and marine engineer, thas opened an office at 123 Liberty street, New York. In addition to underiaking the work of furnishing designs, specifications, etc., /Mr. Johnson will act as agent for ship builders, manufacturers of ship material, machinery and fittings. A table of figures (pocket size), recently issued by the Bethlehem Iron Co., South Bethlehem, Pa., deals with weights of round steel per running inch, the weights being given for some 575 sizes from quarter- inch to 36-inch. Holiday rates are available on the Nickel Plate road, Dec. 24, 25 and 31 and Jan. 1, returning until Jan. 4, 1898. 403--Dec. 31 Army and navy charts of the lakes are kept in stock by the Marine Review, Perry-Payne building, Cleveland. is no truth in these stories. It is a fact, however, that the rail mills have grown very tired of the war and are yearning for peace. The experience of some who have sold down to $14 at mill during the hottest of the fight is conducive to a desire for harmony. So general is that desire that *nutual concessions will be made more readily than usual, and it is quite likely that some plan may be ultimately agreed to. So far as the general rail trade is concerned the matter is only in its initial stages.--Iron Age. At the West Superior Ship Yard. West 'Superior, Wis., Dec. 20.Mr. Colgate Hoyt, president of the American Steel Barge Co., was here during the week looking over the ship yard, which, with the large number of vessels that are to undergo repairs, and the new ships on the stocks, presents a more active appear- ance than for a long time past. Mr. 'H. 'C. Coulby, superintendent of Pickands, Mather & Co.'s steamship department, was also here and ar- ranged a number of matters pertaining to repairs that are to be made on vessels of the Minnesota line, as well as those of the barge company. The barge Constitution is in dry dock, having twenty-one shell plates removed and as many new frames and floors. The Victory has a dam- aged bilge and several damaged frames, with some damage also in the sheer strake. Tugs have been used to clear ice away from the dock, but a channel cannot be kept open for many more days. The Northern Wave will follow the Constitution in the dock and an effort will be made also to dock the barges 117 and 118. In addition to the vessels named there are also in the vicinity of the ship yard the Manda (repaired), barge 202, Sagamore and Columbus. The fleet at Duluth includes the Maruba, Masaba, Manola, Colby, Rockefeller, Pathfinder, 137, Mather, 111, 126 and 127, the three latter loaded with ore that was taken on at Two Har- bors, so as to avoid the disadvantages of allowing it to freeze in the dock pockets. The Colby, Manola, Masaba and Maruba are in need of minor repairs, but as the work is all above water it can be done at Duluth. ae Nia