Maritime History of the Great Lakes

Marine Review (Cleveland, OH), February 1910, p. 82

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82 him an engrossed copy of the preambles and resolution referred to. The inscrip- tion on the base of the clock is as fol- lows: _ Presented by. the Erie & Western Transportation Co. to Capt. M. Ander- Son, Of the steamer L.. C. . Hanna, in grateful recognition of his bravery in rescuing six of the crew from the steam- er Clarion while burning on Lake Erie, Dec. 8, 1909. FREIGHT SITUATION FOR 1910. Vessel owners, dock operators and shippers reached an agreement early in January regarding the ore trade for 1910. As ore prices both of Besse- mer and non-Bessemer had been mark- ed up 50 cents it was practically cer- tain that freight. rates would be re- stored to the basis of 1907, that is to say, 75 cents from the head of the lakes, 70 cents from Marquette, and 60 cents from Escanaba. While this rate will not 'be paid it will work out how- ever {0 the. same' "sum: Carrying charges have been fixed upon the ba- sis of 70 cents from the head of the lakes, 65 cents from Marquette and 55 cents from Escanaba, but the un- loading 'charge, which' is paid by the vessel, has been reduced from 20 cents 'to <15 «cents "a+ ton.» The "reduc- tion in the unloading charge is quite significant, it being the first concession that the dock operators have made to the vessel owners since the develop- ment of the self-filling bucket. Dur- ing the past 10 years and especially during the past three or four, the ef- ficiency of the unloading plants at Lake Erie ports has been wonderful- ly developed, so much so that it is common practice to unload a_ 10,000- ton steamer in a working day of 10 hours and occasionally two or three hours are clipped off this record. Ves- sel owners have felt all along that the unloading charge was too high and that 'they should have a share in the palpable reduction of costs, especially so as the structure of the ship itself had 'been radically altered to meet the requirements of the unloading ma- chines. Unloading costs are difficult to obtain but it has been declared by experts 'that, including maintenance and depreciation, ore can be unloaded at a cost of from five to six cents per ton. There has been opposition in cer- tain quarters to this reduction in the unloading charge 'but as the leading docks have consented to it it will in all probability be put into effect. There is a general feeling in the trade that the owner is entitled to a freight rate of 75 cents or its equiva- lent. During the past two years the Tae Marine REVIEW rate has been 10 cents a ton less but there is litle or no money in the busi- ness at that figure. Some of the mod- ern steamers have done no more than. take care of their bonds and distribute about 4 per cent among their stock holders. It is expected that about 50,000,000 tons will be moved during 1910, which at an advance of 10 cénts gives an added earning capacity of $5,000,000 to the fleet. The Pittsburg Steamship Co. expects to move about 27,000,000 tons. It has chartered about 15,000,000 and has capacity to move in its own ves- sels about 12,000,000 tons. The coal rate is as yet unsettled. It was cut 5 cents last year to Lake Michigan ports but it is expected to be restored this year, making the rate 40 cents to Milwaukee and 35 cents to the smaller ports. As there is a great demand for coal in the north- west every vessel that wants a cargo for the first trip can get it. Shippers are paying 10 cents for storage in ad- dition to the opening rate. LAKE COAL SHIPMENTS. It is expected that coal shipments during 1910 will be the heaviest on record. Practically every vessel that wants a cargo of coal for the opening trip can get it. Vessels are receiving 10 certs a ton for winter storage at all ports except Buffalo, where 15 cents is received, and the fleet will move as soon as weather conditions per- mit. _ Figures received from the railways indicate that lake coal shipments for 'February, 1910 congress prove conclusively the atti. tude of fairness, which the navy has steadfastly maintained toward the merchant marine of this country." If it. were a fact that it was neces- sary to ship those hundreds of thou- sands of tons to the Pacific coast, there would then be justification for the action of Rear Admiral Cowles, the naval 'board and the secretary of the navy. But it was not necessary to ship all of that Pocahontas coal to this coast, therefore it was unneces- sary to employ so many foreign col- liers. Shipping on Puget sound has been demoralized because of the ac- tion of those navy officials) and a great financial waste has obtained be- cause of those unnecessary expendi- tures. We know the necessity to consume Pocahontas' coal in Ameri- can naval vessels does not exist, ex- cept when it is desired to make special tests. We know that merchant marine vessels with water tube boilers are constantly making speed records, with the use of Pacific coast coal; therefore, we know it is possible for the navy to consume it with successful results upon its cruising ships if it so de- sires. and statements to the opposite will not change the facts, regardless of whence they come. We do not know the truth of all the statements of the writer of the: naval articles, because we have no knowledge re- garding many of them, but we do know the views of that writer with regard to the transportation of coal expresses the facts, and therefore are constrained to believe the naval waste all districts during the past nine articles are based upon facts, because years were as follows: the tremendous unnecessary naval Pittsburg Ohio We Va, Year. District. District. District. Total. oe eS a 3,795,706 1,954,825 787,572 6,538,103 DOB eee eee 4,704,093 2,689,974 965,769 8,359,836 POMS le Oreo ee. 6,092,047 2,458,265 1,539,435 10,089,747 PUR ee a: 6,058,383 2,138,274 1,279,876 9,476,506 OO rece ek 7,443,883 2,062,692 2,109,262 11,615,837 NG Oe eee oes, 9,287,272 2,560,906 2,743,732 14,591,910 OO ie i ys es ee 10,549,995 4,074,296 3,420,941 18,037,232 TE ek ee ee 8,700,000 3,600,000 3,450,000 15,750,000 GOO Gries Ge ee ace os Le 8,687,305 3,002,815 3,874,570 15,364,690 NAVY COAL TO THE PACIFIC waste did obtain in the shipment of COAST. (From the Stars and Stripes, Seattle.) The friends of the navy in Wash- ington are at it again in their attempt to justify the shipment of hundreds of thousands of tons of Pocahontas coal to the Pacific coast for: consump- tion in the Pacific cruiser fleet. The Army and Navy Journal, on Dec. 11, in criticism of the naval waste articles apparing in the Cleveland Marine ReE- view under the caption of "The Navy and Our Merchant Marine", recites that "the statements made by the of- ficials of the navy department before coal to the Pacific coast. LAKE GRAIN SHIPMENTS. Following have been shipments of grain by lakes for the past five years: Year, Bushels. POO ees ter ve ane 284,670,486 TOO Sire ee ee ey 255,487,572 VO OA oe eg ee a 297,150,861 O06 ee 289,929,614 OO Se eee Pen 259,168,109 The index for THe Marrne' REVIEW for 1909 (Volume 39) is now ready and will be mailed to subscribers up- on application,

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