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

24 built at Erie, Pa--hull 176 ft. by 27 ft. by 10 ft., and having a beam engine of 52 in. by Io ft. stroke, and average speed of about 12 miles per hour. The cabin fare at this time between Buffalo and Detroit was $8, including meals. The Illinois usually made the trip to Chicago in five days and return to Buffalo in four days. Cabin passage from Buffalo to Chicago, $20; Detroit to Chicago, $16. There were several small steam vessels devoted mainly to freighting, such as the United States, 140 ft. by 28 ft. by to ft, with a high-pressure engine 23 in. by 7 ft., built at Pittsburg, Pa. As the number of vessels constructed during. a few years prior to 1840 was quite large--larger than was warranted by the increase of passenger and freight business--sharp competition had set in and passenger rates were cut as low as $4 to Detroit from Buffalo, extras included. This condition did not, however, con- tinue very long. In June, 1839, an association was formed, com- prising many of the principal owners of the lines on the lakes, the object of which was to regulate the number of vessels re- tained in commission, according to the needs of the business be- tween Buffalo, Detroit and Chicago, and to retire from service all those found to be unnecessary; also to fix a regular tariff for passenger travel and freight rates that should prove more bene- ficial to the steamboat interests than those previously in force. There were about thirty steam vessels represented in this associa- tion. The combination did not remain in force for any great length of time. - FIRST PROPELLER ON THE GREAT LAKES. The introduction of the propeller on the northern lakes was first inaugurated by the arrival on Lake Erie, early in 1842, of the Vandalia, a sloop-rigged craft, built at Oswego and of 150 tons. In 1842 the Chicago and the Oswego, each of 150 tons, were built at Oswego. The Hercules and the Sampson, the former built at Buffalo and the latter at Perrysburg (1843), were the first built on Lake Erie. These propellers were thus referred to at that date: "The building of the propeller Hercules is the commencement of a new era in steam navigation on the lakes, and her owners predict for that description of vessel a large share of the carrying trade, especially upon the upper lakes. The Her- cules is 137 ft. long, 25 ft. beam, 8 ft. hold, and she is put to- gether in the strongest manner. She has fourteen staterooms, 6 ft. square, with sufficient additional space for the erection of forty-six more berths, and from the peculiar symmetry of the Hercules she will doubtless afford ample accommodations for families emigrating. Her space below for storage is large, hav- ing almost the entire hull of the vessel appropriated for that pur- pose. The peculiar feature, however, of the Hercules is her en- gine and its auxiliaries. On examining the machinery, all are struck with the infinite compactness of the steam apparatus, and its perfect simplicity, the whole weighing but 15 tons. The engine is simple and very small, lies close upon the keelson and fills but a space of 6 ft. square. It is one of Ericsson's patent, was made at Auburn, and is computed to be of 50 H. P. The weight of an engine and boilers for one of our largest steamers is estimated at from 60 to 70 tons, the dead weight of which a propeller escapes carrying. The paddles are made of boiler iron, 34 in. thick, 18 in. broad by 30 in., and are placed on two long wrought-iron shafts protruding from either side of the stern post. The diameter of the paddles (screws?) are 6 ft. 4 in. From the superb manner in which. the Hercules is built and fitted out, having cost nearly $20,000, it is apparent that the enterprising proprietors are de- termined to give the experiment a full and fair trial. Another boat of the same tonnage, for the same owners, is now being built 'at Perrysburg, and will be out next month. Ten cords of wood, at a cost of $17, will suffice the propeller per diem, while one of our largest steamers will consume two cords per hour, at a cost of $80 per day. Some of the steamers even exceed this calcula- tion by 33 per cent." These two propellers had each two high-pressure engines, with 14 in. cylinders and 28 in. stroke. The propeller had taken a strong hold on the lakes at this early pericd, and many vessels were fitted with the screw propeller, and most all were driven by . the high-pressure or non-condensing engine. Some of the larger ones about 1850 may be said to have been: California, with two high-pressure engines, 18 in. by 34 in., and 8 ft. wheel; Delaware, one high-pressure engine, 20 in. by 42 in., and 7 ft. 6 in. wheel; Globe and Goliath, each two high-pressure engines, 16 in. by 28 in.; Manhattan, 140 ft. by 24 ft. by 10 ft., with two high-pressure engines, 16 in. by 32 in., with an 8 ft. wheel; Oregon, 140 ft. by 23 ft. by 9 ft. 10 in., with two high-pressure engines, 16 in. by 28 in., and a 7 ft. wheel. After 1855 screw propellers of increased size were built, and, proving themselves well adapted to the trade of the lakes, es- pecially through the canal, they quickly began to take the place of the side-wheel boats. The year 1861 may be said to have been the beginning of an era for propellers on the lakes of 1,000 tons and over. Since then side-wheel boats are only used on some special passenger service. ERA OF LARGER VESSELS DATES FROM 1844. The era of larger vessels began in 1844, with the construction of the Empire of 1,140 tons, 253 ft. by 32 ft. 8 in. by 14 ft., with high-pressure engine of 45 in. by 10 ft., and two boilers, and water wheels 30 ft: by 11 ft. There was also the America, running from Buffalo to Chicago, hull dimensions being 225 ft. by 34 ft. by 12, ft.; draught, 8 ft., with two high-pressure engines, built by Yeatman & Shields of Cincinnati, O., each engine having cyl- inder 30 in. diameter by 11 ft. stroke, and seven boilers, working under an average pressure of 'steam of go Ibs.. cutting off: at 4 ft. 2 in.; water, wheels, 34 ft. by 10 ft. 6 in. Then came the Ni- MARINE REVIEW AND MARINE RECORD. [Dec. " agara, built at Buffalo in 1845, of 1,100 tons, 230 ft. by 33 ft. 6 in. by 14 ft., with a beam engine, 65 in. by 10 ft., and three boilers, and water wheels, 30 ft. by 10 ft. These vessels were constructed for passenger travel on Lake Erie and Lake Michigan. A few years later others of increased dimensions were built, the largest being the Empire State, built at St. Clair in 1848, of 1,570 tons, 310 ft. by 37 ft. by 14 ft., with a beam engine of 76 in. by 12 ft. constructed by Merrick & Towne, Southwark Foundry of Phila- delphia, with water wheels of 38 ft. by 10 it. At this time the railroads were being rapidly extended from the coast cities to the western states, and in 1851 the New York and Erie railroad con- trolled a line of steamers comprising the Niagara, the Keystone State and the Queen City, running from Dunkirk to Detroit, con- necting there with the tailroads to the west. At this time the riv- alry between the New York & Erie Railroad Co. and what was subsequently the New York Central Railroad was about as in- tense as desired, especially for the western travel, that had largely increased in a few years. es Passenger travel by the way of Albany and Buffalo to the west was served on the lakes by a fine line of steamers, one of them being the Mayflower, built in 1849 at Detroit, of 1,242 tons, 288 ft. by 35 ft. by 12 ft., with a beam engine, built by the West Point Foundry at Cold Spring, N. Y., of 72 in. by 11 ft., having three boilers below decks and two chimneys; water wheels, 35 ft. by 11 ft. This vessel was finally. wrecked on Point Au Pelee in November, 1854, in a fog. In 1854 the Michigan Central Rail- road Co. and Isaac Newton and others of New York city, who were interested in the People's Line on the Hudson river, had built at Buffalo two large side-wheel steamers, the Western World and the Plymouth Rock, to' run in connection with the railroad from Albany to Buffalo--which was now the New York Central Railroad--to make a through line from New York to the west of those having a mutual interest. The Western World was 337 ft. by 42 ft. by 14 ft. 6 in., and had a lever beam engine, built by. the Allaire Works, of 81 in. by 12 ft. stroke. The Plymouth Rock was 335 ft. 10 in. by 42 ft. by 14 ft. 6 in., and had an engine of the same type and size as the Western World, and by same builder.. These were the first vessels built by John Englis of New York after he succeeded to the business of William Brown of that "erty. Another line that was running first to Monroe, Mich., and then to Toledo, O., in connection with the railroad from Buffalo, was formed of the Empire State, the Northern Indiana and-the Southern Michigan, built in 1852 at Buffalo, N. Y., each being 300 ft. by 36 ft. 10 in. by 13 ft. 7 in., with beam engines, con- structed by the Morgan Iron Works, of 72 in. by 12 ft. stroke. The Northern Indiana was destroyed by fire on the morning' of July 17, 1856, while on a trip from Buffalo to Toledo; fifty-six lives were lost. The Empire State having been laid aside, the Western Metropolis, 321 ft. by 39 ft. 10 in. by 14 ft. 2 in., was built in 1856 and fitted with the engine from the Empire State. Then, in 1857, the City of Buffalo was constructed for the same line, being 331 ft. by 40 ft. by 15 ft. 8 in. also having a beam engine, but it was 76 in. by 12 ft. stroke. From Buffalo to Cleveland there was also in 1853 a line of large side-wheel steamboats, comprising the Crescent City and the Queen of the West, both built at Buffalo in 1853. The for- mer was 320 ft. by 39 ft. 6 in. by 14 ft., with a beam engine of 80 in. cylinder by 12 ft. stroke, built by the Morgan Iron Works. The Queen of the West was 324 ft. by 49 ft. 2 in. by 14 it! Fin, with same type of engine as her consort, by Henry R. Dunham & Co, Again, in 1853, there was another line of these large side- wheel steamboats from Buffalo to Sandusky, the Mississippi and the St. Lawrence, built also at Buffalo the same year. The for- mer was 320 ft. 8 in. by 40 ft. 10 in. by 14 ft., with a_ beam engine, built by I. P. Morris & Co., Port Richmond Iron Works, Phila- delphia, Pa., having cylinder of 81 in. by 12 ft. stroke. The St. Lawrence. was 326 ft. by 4o ft. by 14 ft., with same type of en- gine, but built by the Allaire Works. The boilers for the South- ern Michigan, the Northern Indiana, the Crescent City, the Queen of the West and the St. Lawrence were constructed by the Shep- tae cron Works at Buffalo. These works were established in 1847. _. These were all fine-modeled vessels, were handsomely fur- nished for the passenger travel on the lakes, and most of them had ample power in their engines to give them high speed. They were in external appearance like to the larger of the Long Is- land sound boats of that day, with an increased depth of hold, as they more often met heavy weather than the eastern boats. Another feature in that they differed from the eastern type, but was shortly after adopted by the latter, was the extension of the joiner work on the forward main deck to the stem of the vessel. These vessels found their employment gone when the railroads bordering on Lake Erie had made their connections in 1857. They continued in some cases for a year or so longer, but in the course of two years so much of the passenger travel had been absorbed by the railroads that it was no longer profitable to run them on their routes, and they gradually passed to other employment after their machinery had been removed. The hull of the Western World was used for a floating dry dock at Cleveland, that of the Mississippi was used for a similar purpose at the same city: also = fe ae another at Erie. The St. Lawrence was altered ng a barge, the City of Buffalo to a propeller, and the Western Metropolis converted to a bark. I'o such base uses had a fine pee etn ene while yet in serviceable condition. The essels subsequently were sert to te Atlantic coast, James Raynot, the promoter of the Star Line to New Or- leans, securing thre¢ of them, that of the Mississippi for the Guid- ing Star, that from the Crescent City for the Morning Star, and