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

June, 1909 steamer will be 390 ft. long, 49 ft. beam and 30 ft. deep. The Standard Oil Co. has just awarded contract to the New York Ship Building Co. for two barges for service in New York harbor. Bids will be opetied in a day of two for a new steamer for the Hart- ford & New York Steamship Co. to replace the Horatio Hall. The South- "TAE. /\ARINE. REVIEW ern Pacific Steamship Co. (Morgan Line) is also figuring on adding three new steamers to its fleet. It is re- ported also that the Pacific Mail Steamship Co. may add four new steamers to its Pacific coastwise fleet, but no definite information has been received on 'this score. The navy department has just dis- tributed contracts among the coast ship builders for five torpedo boats as follows: Bath Iron Works, one at 149 $659,000; New York Ship Building Co., one at $648,000; Wm. Cramp & Sons, one at $637,000; Newport News Ship Building & Dry Dock Co. one at $629,000; and the Fore River Ship Building Co., one at $644,000. The quartermaster general of the United States army will open bids on June 15 for four single screw steel steamers to be 120 ft, long, 24 ff. beam and 12% ft. deep for harbor service. A Race From Lake Erie to Head of Lakes WO tug captains, while view- ing the races at Twentieth avenue west on the bay at Duluth recently, indulged in a good deal of good natured josh- mip as to the réSpettive "merits 'ot horses and drivers as they passed where the wire was supposed to be. "Well; no; J was: off: duty) when that occurred. I heard something about it when I returned, but you know history is making so fast around these canal piers since the Hadley and Whlson affair that some of us don't notice all occurrences, but tell me about that. I remember it was ee WHALEBACK STEAMER PATHFINDER. 'The nature of their remarks had reference to their summer vocation and at the finish of one close heat Capt. Tom remarked: ' "That fellow's lead was about the distance you were astern of me when I got the Hartnell's line last fall." And at another time Capt. Tom thought a lobster's position was about the same as "Your bow as we passed No. 1 ore dock after a brush up the channel." ' "Do you remember the Pathfinder?" asked Capt. George. your tug that met them and I'll bet you were there for no other purpose than that which brought us here today." Capt. George's Story. The two captains turned toward the city. As the weather was mild they decided to walk'up town. Capt. George in a most deliberate way began his story. "Well, you know the Pathfinder. She's of the whaleback type, was € built in Superior for Pickands, Mather & Co. The boat was equipped with great power and it's safe to say that up to 1905 there was none towing a barge as she always did that could pass her. Her power and wheel were peculiarly adapted for towing, and at this work none excelled' her. Of course for a burst of speed alone, if somebody didn't kick on the fuel bill, 1314 or 14 miles per hour was her possible speed and instead of the nigger .sitting on the safety valve he only had to 'pass coal.' "On a fair August day last summer her tow lay out in Lake Erie loaded, awaiting her, she being in port get- ting on her cargo of coal. As the- last of it was about on some one re- marked to the captain that the steam- er McWilliams would take his berth to load coal also for Lake Superior. "Where is she going?' asked Capt. Stone, "This question, on being referred and repeated finally to the dock sup- erintendent, elicited the information that 'she was going to the same dock in Superior that you are and they expect to get her out late the next night. -- "Now vessel 'masters are 'supposed to know something about conditions which affect their, despatch, and Capt. 'Stone lost no time in getting away. Time to think and figure would be plentiful: on the way up. The tow was quickly picked up and the trip to the head of Lake Superior begun. The very shortest courses consistent with sound steamboating were taken. In fact a good run was had clear to the Soo, and his delay there was short. As he got squared away he tried to figure the McWilliams, know- ing full well that the McWilliams knew all about him, as her master would only have to ask any down- bound boat he met 'when did you pass the Pathfinder?'