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ORE ON DOCK MAY 1. Statistics gathered from the various dock managers at Lake, Erie ports show that the amount of ore:on Lake Erie docks May 1 of the present year was 1,976,988 gross tons, as against 1,791,090 tons in 1906, an increase of 185,898 tons. The total rail shipments from Lake Erie ports tosfurnaces during the win- ter season (Dec. 1 to May 1) aggre- gated 4,275,467 tons, viz.: Gross._tons. Qn dock Lake Erie ports, Dec. 1, T9066 er Ge ie he ee 6,252,455 on "dock: Mayet 1907.6 ee, 1,976,988 By rail to 1906-7 furnaces, winter of tei ie AUG ooo 5 Des at ee 4,275,467 Adding these wintery 'shipments .to * 25,824,302 tons, the amount shipped to furnaces during the navigation season of 1906 gives 30,099,769 tons, as the en-_ of ore from Lake tire consumption | Erie ports during the year ended May 1, 1907, as against 28,984,358 tons for year ended May 1, 1905, as against 20,057,070 for the year ended May l, 1905, as against 18,739,995 tons for the year ended May 1, 1904, 21,905,251 tons for the:year ended May 1, 1903, 1Z,- 216,065' tons for the year ended May 1, 1902, 14,465,260 tons for the year ended May 1, 1901, 15,882,881 tons for the yean ended May 1, 1900, 12,122,982. tons for the year ended May 1, 1899, and 10,209,488 tons for the year ended May 1, 1898. The following table gives the amount of ore in dock at the opening and closing of navigation for ten' tae past, "TAE MarINE REVIEW the second R. L. Fryer, a steamer, was launched, and in 1891 theiseedénd Edward Smith. The two Smiths' were known afterwards as Edward Smith No. 1 and Edward Smith No. 2 until the No. 2 was and her name changed to Zillah. She is one of the best wooden boats on the lakes. In 1893 a third W. H. Gratwick was built (the name of the second being afterwards changed to Fleetwood), a steel vessel, all those previously men- tioned having been of wood, and in 1902 the W. H. Gratwick, fourth of the name. The names seem to have brought good luck, all. the ships originally built under them being still in, commission. It is not a little interesting, too, that all the wooden ships except the Grat- wick 2rd received their enginés from the oldFrontier Iron Works of Detroit, a name that has long been linked with good work and _ satisfactory service, though now some years out of existence. It is also noteworthy that all these ships have, either in his capacity as mas-. ter or later as manager, been the pride of Capt. John Mitchell, -and luck" has long been a proverb around the lakes. IRON SITUATION. After holding- the center of the market as respects buying interest for the last several weeks, pig iron has become com- paratively quiet, and finished lines have undergone a corresponding quickening in demand during the past week. A tend- -ency toward higher prices is discernible owing to the scarcity of crude steel and IRON ORE ON LAKE ERIE DOCKS--GROSS TONS. a opyuine of Navigation-- ; --Close of Navigation-- . Ports-- May 1, May 1, May 1, ae Le Dec. 1, Dec. 1, 1907. - 1906. 1905. 1906. 1905. 1904. Moledo seo gees 147,397 aso) 71,642 281,000 368,024 318,573 Pandusky 0 ae were 5,439 29,320 44,444 17,467 52;97% « £9,134 PAMEOU eos oe ee ee 98,106 80,728 68,100 245,499 208,023 182,495 WeOtain. 2003 OS eos 176,300 ~ 140,452 -- 165,586 336,321 271,695 | 299,504 Cleveland 25 ec sae 447,573 350,382 2 53, 559 1,224,606 1,330,619 12375083 Bairport ore oe ce 154,246 266,162 390,869 590,783 759,961 660,420 Ashtabid oo oy eae e 568,485 462,564 , 623,451 1,631,312 £589,951 31 .403,575 < OOMMORIt ee es eee 139,853 148,528 96,295 1,057,424 976,976 684,487 Ne as on ea acne 189,276 169,488 236,414 552,631 564,961 583,439 Bia Cian os cae 50,313 90,960 61,271 315,412 315,780 318,739 AOA ah Sons cee 1,976,988 1,791,090 2,271,631 6,252,455 6,438,967 5,763,399 A FIRM NAME BOUND UP IN increasing labor costs. This is shown THE LAKE MARINE. References in a Cleveland paper Gis recent date to the wooden steamers John E. Pringle and Edward Smith serve. to draw attention to the fact that the old Buffalo lumber firm of Gratwick, Smith | & Fryer have probably furnished names for more lake craft than any other group of men who ever figured in lake history, or perhaps in any part of the world. In 1880 the first W. H. Gratwick was built and in the same year her consort. the schooner R. L. Fryer. In the year -1883 the first Edward Smith was built and in 1887 the second W. H. Gratwick, the first subsequently having her name changed to John C. Pringle. Tn: 1888. in a striking manner in tool steel where prices on ordinary tool steel have been | advanced $10 per ton, while in some' cases on high speed 'steel the raise has amounted: to $20 per ton. Tube Co. has announced an advance of $4 per ton on merchant pipe, which ap- _ plies to business taken since March 8. While the buying of pig iron has not been so active, there is no weakness 'and the market is firm. Railroads prominent as buyers during the week. Large rail sales have been closed, in- cluding 167,000 tons of open-hearth rails for the Harriman lines; 142,600 tons for tthe Pennsylvania; 28,000 tons for Paci- fic. coast lines; 70,000 tons for the .Chi- "Mitchell "LAUNCH. _paturday. last and was Miss Irene Smith, daughter of Capt. W. "11% ft! long. will sail' the Phipps and 'E. H. Larned The National... i were: 2iI cago, Milwaukee & St. Paul, and 45,000 op ony atons for the Burfingtén. ' Agricultti fal in- "<terests 'are buying more 'actively. * ~The danger ofa shortage of steel bars is im- "minent. . sold by the Mitchells to O. W. Blodgett ©" Bar iron continues weak. -- FREIGHT SITUATION. Though the season is now fairly ad-. vanced vessels are not yet operating regu- larly owing to inclemency of weather in the Lake Superior country. Some of thé ore carriers have not as yet made a trip in that trade, owners having gen- erally figured on an early start and havy- ing placed their vessels in the grain trade for the first trip. The delay is a serious one and has thrown vessel own- ers behind on their contract ore. For this reason they are unable to enter the grain trade which will probably make for a better rate in this commodity later on, a ao The harbors of Fort William and Port . Arthur have been blocked by ice since Sunday. At' the last report there were eighteen 'steamers waiting to get in and about twenty were trying to- get out. Certainly these are conditions making for great firmness in the market. OF... THE. HENRY PHIPPS. The steamer Henry Phipps was suc- cessfully launched at the Bay. City yard of the American Ship Building Co. on christened by W. Smith, marine superintendent of the Pittsburg Steamship Co., for whom the vessel is buildirig. The Phipps is the third of the four 600-footers ordered by The Pittsburg Steam Ship Co.. to be launched. The Phipps, like her sisters, is 600 ft. over all, 580-ft. keel, 58-ft. beam and 32 ft, deep. She will. have triple-expansion engines with 24, 39 and 65-in. diameters by 42-in. stroke, supplied with steam from two Scotch boilers, 16 ft. in diameter and Capt. W; B. -MeGregor will be her chief engineer. f 9 On the morning of May 9 fire broke out in the plant of the Falls Hollow Stay Bolt Co., while the mill was in operation. Considerable damage was done to a por- tion of the roof of the main building which did not, however, interfere with the operation of the plant to exceed 24 hours. The company announces _ that the fire is of little consequence and that the filling of orders will not be delayed. The Hoquiam Ship Yard, Hoquiam, Wash., recently. laid the keel of the steam schooner Shasta, to be built for ~ the E. K. Wood Lumber Co. cylinders