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12 MARINE REVIEW. December 15, AVERAGE LAKE FREIGHTS. ALL ORE FROM THE HEAD OF LAKE SUPERIOR WAS MOVED AT AN AVERAGE OF 59 OENTS A TON--WHEAT FROM OHICAGO TO BUFFALO AT 1.5 CENTS A BUSHEL--WILD RATES ON ORE A LITTLE HIGHER THAN LAST YRAR BUT COAL IS AGAIN LOWER. The average rate at which all iron ore was moved from the head of Lake Superior during the past season is within a very small fraction of 59 cents. The fraction is so small that it is not worth mentioning. This is the one important item in the general summary of lake freights, on ac- count of the great extent of the ore traffic compared with other branches of the lake trade. This figure does not represent the average of daily rates. It is the average figured on a tonnage basis, representing both wild and contract ore, and was secured through reports from all the ore companies regarding their tonnage and their several averages. A few shippers moved their entire ore output at averages below this figure, in one case (that of a shipper who was finished Nov. 1) at 56 cents. All other figures in the fol- lowing tables are averages of the rates that ruled from day to day, not tonnage averages. A strange coincidence is found in the daily average rate on wheat from Chicago to Buffalo, 1.5 cents. It is exactly the same as the average during 1897. It will be noted that notwithstanding the high fall ore rates ($1 a ton was paid on some single trip charters) the tonnage average is considerably lower than last year, due to the large number of 60- cent contracts made early in the spring. Averages of wild rates on ore are also low, in view of the fall advances, but they are considerably higher than similar averages in 1897, as will be noted by the following com- parisons: Escanaba, 50.8 cents in 1898, against 45.3 cents in 1897; Mar- quette, 59.8 cents in 1898, against 54.6 cents in 1897; head of Lake Superior, 61.9 cents in 1898, against 57.2 cents in 1897. The average coal rates are all about a cent lower than those of 1897, due to the very low figures that prevailed early in the season. On coal from Ohio ports to the head of Lake Superior the average of daily rates is 23.4 cents. It may be well to note that the average given on grain from Duluth to Buffalo, 1.8 cents, represents the full season. For a period of about eighty days in the fall when Duluth grain shipments were active the average is 2.78 cents. Again let it be understood that figures in the following tables are not averages on quantities of freight. They are the averages of rates ruling from day to day throughout the season. AVERAGE DAILY RATES OF FREIGHT, SEASON OF 1898. Cents Iron ore, Escanaba to Ohio ports, gross tOn..........2ecceeeeceees 50.8 Iron ore, head of Lake Superior to Ohio ports, gross ton.......... 61.0 iZonvoLrevarqiette:to Olio ports, SrOss tOM.......5666.. 2. se. caw 59.8 MWihett as Ghieiao to oBudalo: "bushel.......6.-. ss. eaeee. ee .e . oe 1.5 Wihteat sD riltthiestom buthalor pusihele:. : 4.50.00... 020. 550-50. oes 1.8 Solscod Olio portsstor VMalwatilkee, met ton. 0.0... ... 2 <- se Be Se AeS Sol codlmOMmonponrc toe Dinlath, ane tatonlneiss cate case<mace oacade 23.4 Soitscorle Olnomparts to) Portage, net ton...<20......°.:..0:202 2208 29.7 Solcodma@ MiospomstorNianitowOc, tet tOl.:.:.....62..+:.+60. se 28.5 Soi codle@hiospogis to Sheboyean= net tON....26s co. ccse sss se css 27.8 'Soft coal, Ohio ports to Green Bay, net ton................cceeees 28.5 Soft coal, Ohio ports to Escanaba, net ton.............eceeeeeceee 26.4 ard codle Bitalorto Milwaukee, net tom...:..........-c.serecesee 28.0 Handecotem mito tom ehicagioy Met -tOl. +... Jc. ioe. cee. fod bos 28.0 Eipnscod ea tiitalotomminuth net COM... 5.0 sece.scsa os css ce vcs es 23.0 AVERAGE DAILY FREIGHT RATES DURING TEN YEARS ENDING WITH 1898. ' Cents Iron ore, head of Lake Superior to Ohio ports, gross ton.......... 94 Fonurore s\laingiuette to mio ports, gross ton...................... 83 itcumoremescanabaton@hio POrts, SrOSS tON..........:2..+.2c.-e 67 SOtsecod mOhio ports to Milwaukee, net.ton.....s.<+-.0sieese een 48 Soscodls Ohio ports tor Duluth: met tomes 2.62... ele ee elk 38 andecod soittaloto-@hicago. net ton....0....-.22000c.....0. 3 ATY, eandeconin em uitalo fo Duluth, met tOM....-.-.+-.<+-...+.e+csccune. 31 Dyatonim@hicago tomb Uttaloy bushel i% «. v6 ec eiccecs oe cliceseccceutocs 02 AVERAGE RATES ON WHEAT PER BUSHEL BY LAKE FROM OHICAGO TO BUFFALO. Year, Cents. Year, Cents. Year, Cents, 1858 3.76 1872 11.46 1886 1859 5.08 1878 7.62 1887 7B 1860 9.89 1874 4.08 1888 2.56 1861. 11.53 1875 3.42 1889 2.51 1862 . 10.49 1876 2.90 1890 1.96 1863 7.61 1877 3.72 189) 2.38 1864 | 9.58 1878 3.07 1892 2.19 1865 9.78 1879 4.74 1893 1.66 1866 12.34 1880 5.76 1894 1.27 1867 6.67 1881 3.44 1895 1.97 1868 7.14 1882 2.50 1896 1.70 1960. 5 6:81 1883 3.41 1897 1.56 1870 5.88 1884 2.18 1898 1.53 1871 7.62 1885 2.02 ||Average4lyrs| 4.96 Charges to vessels for shoveling, trimming and tallying weights of grain amounted to about $4.05 per 1,000 bushels in 1897, RANGE OF LAKE FREIGHT RATES ON WHEAT FROM DULUTH TO BUFFALO, Year. Rate, Year. Rate, cents. cents. ROE eae hae me Maude capt cee 1.8 1891 14@9Y% LS OT Baten eearec taster orcper seakckar ore Byer 1.75 1890 2 @od BSS Ge secon anes See ieeegss ctohauawans "cid sapatenet 2.12 1889 2 @d LQG ieee ees. yt ane hes took, «hapa attedgiels a tet 3.00 1888 2 @od ROA eters ees es terial ea! <j. Oe ates 14,@3 5 FIBRE 2 @8 NGO Sia eae REP tak pee a Meteo AR se Poco 14@3% 1886 3%4@8 (RGD R een at de eddy angie o- 214,@4 1885 11%44@5 1895, 1896, 1897 and 1898 figures represent average of daily rates for full season. AVERAGE FREIGHT RATES ON IRON ORE PER GROSS TON, FROM PORTS NAMED TO OHIO PORTS--TABLE COVERING WILD AND CONTRACT RATES FOR TWENTY YEARS PAST. ASHLAND AND OTHER PORTS ESCANABA. MARQUETTE. AT THE HRAD OF LAKE SUPERIOR. YEAR. Wild or Contract Wild or Contract Wild or Contract daily rate. rate. daily rate. rate. daily rate. rate. 1879 $1 25 $0 90 $1 83 DAA tte, eee aioe 1880 1 70 1 85 2 26 DDS al eee eee ere aes 1881 1 36 1 75 2 0d A area || emer see | ot a tees 1882 1 04 | 40 1 26. 1 7d Berens! (Ee 6 1883 1 22 1 00 1 40 ge) (VS |S Sc epee ote le asdene osiece 1884 87 1 10 1 08 Me 23 Diz-cces| Rematch ee aes 1885 78 90 98 1 05 $1 25 $1 15 1886 1 28 1 05 1 dl 1 20 1 78 1 20 1887 1 59 1 40 1 87 1 63 eo 2 00 1888 1 05 90 1 30 1 15 1 48 20) 1889 1 Ol 1 00 1 19 1 10 1 34 1 25 1890 89 1 10 1 07 1 25 We 7 1 35 1891 84 65 1 02 90 als: 1 00 1892 74 1 00 98 1 15 1 15 1 25 1893 56 85 alge 1 00 77 1 00 1894. 46 60 60 80 78 80 1895 73 do 92 75 1 13 80 1896 52 70 66 95 eli 1 05 1897 45 45 55 65 57 70 1898 51 45 60 60 62 60 Charge to vessel in 1897 for trimming and unloading, 16% cents a ton. Average ore rates for the entire period of twenty years: Escanaba, con- tract 98 cents, wild 94 cents; Marquette, contract $1.25, wild $1.19. Average for past ten years: Escanaba, contract 73% cents, wild 67 cents; Marquette, eontract 911% cents, wild 88 cents; Ashland and other ports at the head of Lake Superior, contract 98 cents, wild 94 cents. AVERAGES OF DAILY RATES ON SOFT COAL FROM OHIO PORTS TO MILWAUKEE, ESCANABA, DULUTH, GREEN BAY AND MANITOWOO. Year. Milwaukee. Escanaba. Duluth. Green Bay. Manitowoc. Cents. Cents. Cents. Cents. Cents. NB Oi euler ancestors ays 54 .49 GPa ae aera er SOO sree pe pense 64 45 AO) ar ae ey eRe ee a Ea a sce SONS eee aig 61 52 A OWES ice ae ee eas SOO Ree eee 58 43 43 55 49 Le OR Beret enn eres 48 40 38 00 41 GOA Care eres 484 39 387% 49 48 SOO opcene eee 54 39 386% 50 51 WE9Gre eee ees 33% 27 29% 82% 32 SOT ee ste 28% 29% 26 3 31 NOR emotes oy 28 2614 93 Ww, IBV, Average, ten years 48 39 38 42 40 Chicago rate about same as Milwaukee. Coal of all kinds shipped in net tons and handled without charge to vessel. AVERAGE OF DAILY LAKE FREIGHT RATES ON HARD COAL FROM BUFFALO TO CHICAGO, DULUTH AND TOLEDO DURING TEN YEARS PAST, Year. Chicago. Duluth. Toledo. Cents. Cents. Cents. SB ORS. Oe Soe tiny teats sie pe et cocns heres Teta 52 41 27 SOO ecrs ree ee rece nee ene acted ee a 62 43 33 SOU A reecn tenet meme relat d Sap et coan 56 29 25 SOD es eerie maar terre nent vote tec ures cote 59 43 27 BO Betis ein tent ee erent cg aati og wlias fc 49 29 28 NO OA ie er Sree eae re Ce setae aac S 46 25 25 fs Oh cartamiaetiy aid ule Gamo ES CERO ee a ee 59 24 30 VO OG ee ee iaicn tere See. Ve phe gt ek 86 24 25 BOS tip tac et ais ack ee aaretek os 29 26 d SO Ree oe crite: am PRE ORME fr ches TREES ie Sie 28 23 Average fOr ten years:... i. cs.e esses ATY, 31 2714 Rate to Milwaukee practically the same as to Chi ri f Pre oon secih y o Chicago, and Detroit rate about Hard coal is also net tons and is handled without charge to vessel. The Pacific Mail Steamship Co. has made overtures to the govern- ment looking to the transfer of its mail steamers to American registry on something of the same plan followed when the American line secured register for the steamers Paris and New York,