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sete SS Te ee ee ee 34 | TAE MarINeE. REVIEW DESTRUCTION OF A FAMOUS VESSEL In the destruction of the schooner V. H. Ketchum by fire off Parisian Island, Lake Superior, last week, one of the famous vessels of the great lakes passed away. Thirty years ago the Ketchum, launched as a steamer, was regarded as the greatest wonder on the lakes, being at that time the largest vessel afloat and considered by many as altogether too big for great lakes trade. The cause of the fire is not known. The Ketchum was laden with iron ore and was bound from Duluth to Cleveland in tow of the steamer Nottingham. The fire was first discovered in the after cabin and made such headway that it was soon beyond control. The schooner was immediately headed for shore and beached in 23 ft. of water, where she burned to the water's edge. Two lives were lost. When it was seen that the schooner was doomed the members of the crew took to the lifeboat. In attempting to lower the woman cook into the small boat it was cap- sized and the eight men were thrown into the water. In the struggle to save themselves, the woman was temporarily for- gotten when Andrew Anderson, the mate, struck out after her. He succeeded in reaching her before she sank, but was unable to maintain her above water until the boats from the Nottingham could reach them. They were both drowned. The history of the V. H. Ketchum was published in the Marine Review of June 9, 1904, and is reproduced as follows: "The steamer V. H. Ketchum was at the time she was built the largest cargo carrier on the lakes. She was 223 ft. keel, 41 ft. beam and 16 ft. deep. When she was launched at the yard of David Lester, Marine City, Mich., in 1874, people came from all over the state to see what they called the 'floating island' slide into the water. The Ketchum was equipped with four spars, all carrying sails, and also stay- sail. Owing to the conditions of the docks and the poor facilities for handling the cargo of this 'floatirig island' at both ends of the route she was far from being a profitable investment ahd sold after being run three seasons for $65,000. Meanwhile, however, the facilities for handling her cargo on the docks were becoming better and better and she finally became so profitable a carrier that she has the reputation of laying the foundation of several fortunes. When she first came out there were no facilities whatever for loading coal, it being wheeled aboard in barrows, a very tedious operation. Wood was principally used for fuel on her trips, only fifty tons of coal being consumed from Chicago to Buffalo. She carried about 36 lbss of steam. The Ketchum was built for the Toledo & Saginaw Transportation Co., and of the original stockholders all have passed away except M. Morris, of Toledo, Capt. Thomas Lester, of Marine City, W. S. Brain- ard, of Toledo, and A. Gebhart, of Dayton, who was 'the president of the company. The Ketchum was sold in 1878 to Adam & Delemeter, of Cleveland, and later to Mr.. Frank Seither, of Cleveland. "Many changes have been made in the Ketchum since she was launched, but the greatest of them all was made last winter when her owners sent her to the yard of Abram Smith & Son, Algonac, Mich. and not only had her con- verted into a schooner but caused her to be rebuilt from the light water mark up. As a schooner she has three additional hatches, steam steerers and every equipment to make her a modern consort. Her machinery was installed in the steel steamer R. W. England, recently launched from the yard of the Great Lakes Engineering Works, Detroit, Mich." RUSSIAN CRUISER LENA SAILED ' The Russian cruiser Lena, whose arrival in the port of San Francisco many months ago caused such a great diplo- matic flutter between the governments of the United States, Japan and Russia, will very soon sail from the Mare Island nayal station direct for Vladivostok. This was at once de- cided, upon the conclusion of peace.terms between Japan and Russia. Since arriving at San Francisco, the Lena has beer lying idle at Mare island, all her guns having been dis- mantled. Before steaming away, the Lena has been repaired, repainted, and the vessel docked. All her guns and ammu- nition: that. were safely stored at Mare Island arsenal were restored to the cruiser. NEW AID TO NAVIGATION Construction work has just begun on a new aid to naviga- tion in the far northern waters of British Columbia which will be of the greatest possible benefit to northern shipping of both the American and Canadian flag. The light is being placed 6n Green Island,inside upper Dundas Island, off Port Simpson, and in the direct path of vessels plying between Skagway and southern coast points. It was on this island that the steam collier Bristol was wrecked with deplorable loss of human life on Jan. 2, 1901. 4 PERSONAL -Mr. George L. Craig, of the Craig Ship Building Co., Toledo, was in New York last week. Mr. B. J. Clergue, of the Lake Superior Corporation, Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., is in England. Gardiner C. Sims, formerly of Armington & Sims, Provi- dence, R. I., is now general manager of the Marine Engine & Machine Co., 120 Liberty street, this city, and Harri- gone NeJ, Mr. E.. F. Leeds of the ee Marine Equipment Co., of Bridgeport, Conn., was recently married and has just pated for Europe on his wedding trip. He will probably be gone for some time. OBITUARY Haan M. King, chief engineer of the Lehigh Valley liner Bethlehem, died suddenly at his home in Buffalo last week. Capt. H. S. Read, formerly a well known lake captain, died at his home in Ludington last week. He was sixty- eight years old. Capt. Stephen E. Chatterton, ict more than thirty years a well known figure on the great lakes, died at Mercy Hos- pital, Chicago, last week. He had sailed various steamezs. of the Anchor Line. John B. Holden, veteran marine engineer of Buffalo and for many years in the Anchor line, died at his home Aug. 24. He was at one time connected with the lighthouse service as engineer on one of the tenders. A successful experiment of unusual importance to the marine engineering world has just been had with the new channel steamer Dieppe which has recently been built by the London, Bright & South Coast Co., in association with the Western Railway of France. Before letting the contract these two companies imposed exceptionally se- vere conditions in starting and stopping tests to deter- mine accurately the maneuvering qualities of turbine- driven vessels. A clause was placed in the contract re- quiring that the steamer should pass a certain mark at a given speed and be brought to a'state of rest before pass- ing a second mark placed at a specified distance from the first boat. Only one company, the Fairfield Ship Build- ing Co., would undertake the contract. At the acceptance trial two stake boats were moored at a distance of 109 yards and the Dieppe passed the first boat at the specified speed of 12 knots an hour. The turbines were then re- versed and the steamer stopped and began to go astern a few yards short of the second stake boat. It is reported that the time taken in coming to a full stop was forty seconds. This would be an excellent performance for any vessel driven by reciprocating engines.