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-- 8 ££ R 4 kw a survey at Detroit of the Gilchrist steamer Neptune, which grounded on Bar Point Sunday evening. It was necessary to lighter 400 tons of coal before she could be released. One compartment of her water bottom is full of water. Government dredging in maintaining the harbors at Toledo, Cleveland and Conneaut will after Sept. 1 be done by the big dredge Burton, which is en route from Norfolk to Toledo The machine, which is the first on the lakes of the self- propelling and sea-going type, will be commanded by Capt. Stevenson of Toledo. The steamer Weston is at the dock of the Detroit Ship Building Co. with its stern badly damaged. The boat made an entire trip with the bottom bracket of the bearing missing but her master was not aware of the fact until Diver John Woods made an examination. It is supposed that the boat picked up.a log in her wheel. Dullness in marine circles is marked strongly by the boats trading out of Chicago not having the usual quantity of old rope and other worn-out boat equipment for sale. In former seasons the junk dealers seem to have been legion, but this season the steamers and schooners have not had enough work to wear out anything on them. Capt. James W. Morgan of the Steel Corporation steamer Coralia reported Aug. 21 that the Canadian gas buoy at Bar Point on the east side and outer end of the channel, marking the turning point down the lake, has been dragged out of place and turned over and now lies bottom side up. This probably accounts for the grounding of the Neptune. During the first half of this month the car ferries of the Pere Marquette Steamship Co. have taken out of Milwaukee 1,577,coo ft. of lumber for eastern points, according to figures at the Milwaukee' customs office. Last month 2,695,000 ft. were taken out for points across the lake, and it is probable that this month's shipments will exceed those of last. The Gilchrist steamer Neptune went aground on Bar Point, Lake Erie, on Aug. 21. She has a hole in her bottom and her forward starboard compartment is full of water. The steamer Vulcan, which stripped her wheel in the river at Lorain and was being towed up by the steamer Weeks, is out 214 ft. on Grosse Point, Lake St. Clair; she is also a Gilchrist boat. While the crew of the steamer A. G. Lindsay were éating breakfast in the cabin near the stern of the steamer this week the steel prow of the steamer J. J. Albright penetrated the stern within a few feet of the table. It appears that the Albright in entering the harbor failed to stop at her dock and plunged into the stern of the Lindsay which was loading at the adjoining dock. The final effort to realize something out of the Toronto roller steamboat by converting her into a sort of whaleback may prove futile. Lloyd's register authority is not prepared to give her a rating, as she appears to be so thin plated and so poorly riveted that she probably cannot stand ordinary demands upon her. She was built a perfect cylinder, so it was held that she did not need to be very heavy. Congressman Burton, chairman of the committee on rivers and harbors, has declared that an all-American channel at the mouth of the Detroit river would be a waste of money. He states that he was never in favor of an all-American channel, saying that the idea that American ships would be destroyed in case of war with Canada is preposterous. He does not think that there 1s any danger of war with Canada and that sentiment should not be permitted to interfere with business. The Richelieu & Ontario Navigation Co. has 'begun action against the firm of Gagnon & Freres of Quebec for the sum of $1,000 to restrain the firm from interfering with what the latter company had already done towards the raising of the steamer. Canada, lying on the bed of the St. Lawrence river near Sorel. A counter action has been taken by Gagnon & Freres for $5,000 damages. The Richelieu & Ontario Naviga- R #2 N A eee tion Co. is going ahead with the raising of the steamer them- selves. ' After a review of the case government officials have decided to reduce the fine imposed upon Capt.. Calvin Chamberlain of the steamer Umbria, for failure to answer signals, from $200 to $50. The Umbria was going into Duluth on July 30 with a cargo of coal just as the Neosho of the Gilchrist fleet was approaching the canal outward bound. The Neosho signalled that she would pass to port of the incoming vessel but Capt. Chamberlain failed to reply to the warning. Collector Will- cuts happened to be at the dock at the time and imposed the penalty. Lieut. Col. Davis, government engineer at Detroit, draws attention to the site occupied by the burned steamer Min- nesota near Grand point, St. Clair river. This has been found a menace to navigation by the United States engineering de- partment as there is only 18% ft. of clear water about the spot. It is in Canadian waters and Col. Davis will take the matter up with the Canadian government. The obstruction lies diagonally on the same line with Russel island range lights Nos. 10 and 11, opposite the Porter White farm, and about 1,500 ft. below Grand point. Navigators of big ships should exercise the utmost caution in passing the point. NEW PASSENGER STEAMER FOR ANCHOR LINE. The American Ship Building Co. has closed contract with the Anchor Line for a passenger and freight steamer to be a duplicate of the famous Tionesta. The new steamer will be built at Cleveland and is promised for delivery May 1 of next year. While her general dimensions and leading features will be the same as the Tionesta she will have several improve- - ments over that splendid craft. She will be 360 ft. over all, 340 ft. keel, 45 ft. beam and 28 ft. molded depth. Her engines will be quadruple-expansion with cylinders 22, 31%, 45 and 65 in. diameters by stroke of 42 in. Steam will be supplied by four Scotch boilers 12%4 ft. in diameter and 11% ft. long, allowed a pressure of 210 lbs. and fitted with Howden draft. The steamer's guaranteed speed will be 16 miles. With this addition the Anchor Line will have five passenger steamers on its route between Buffalo and Duluth next year. STAGES OF WATER. The gage records of the United States lake survey show the following mean stages of water above mean sea level, for July, :1904: | Higher| Lower | Higher| Lower ! avaeee : aa uring | than during ; ee same month ite wee eet. last vear. y ae ees ee | Feet. ; Feet. | Feet. | Feet. Make SUpenlore jo aoe G02: Ole) ee are 0.28 OD el aos ake Michioan. 366 62 ee 581.38 OOO ee Seen 1.31 Takehiiton., oso ea Dol DG | 30 82 be gota DAU ees Dake Bresso: ee ee OWI I 0.2L eee Hake Ontariog a ane 248 05 PBB ole SO2 ee Present fall Lake Huron to Lake Erie, 0.61 ft. more than a year ago. The freight steamer Mohican built for the Clyde Steam- ship Co., was launched at Cramps last Saturday. The vessel was christened by Mildred L. Rose, grand-daughter of the late Wm. Cramp. The Mohican will ply between Boston, New York, Charleston and Jacksonville, Fla. She represents the highest type of modern construction. Relief lightship No. 58, on Pollock Rip lightship station, Boston, was run into by the steamer H. M. Whitney and was cut through on her bow to deck planks. The damage is quite serious,