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December, 1914 New Terminal on Lake Erie At a meeting in the office of Harvey D. Goulder, Rockefeller building, Cleve- land, on Tuesday morning, O. C. Barber, of Barberton, outlined the plan for the development of a great terminal on the lake shore at the foot of East Fifty-fifth street, Cleveland, to embrace docks with coal and ore handling facilities, as well as commercial docks for miscellaneous freight and connecting with a four- track, standard gage railway traversing the entire length of East Fifty-fifth street underground to Morgan Run, a distance of about 41%4 miles. This railway could be further extended making the total distance about 6% miles. A considerable fill has already been made in the lake at East Fifty-fifth by city refuse. The distance from the shore line to the breakwater is 3.900 feet and Mr. Barber's idea is to have the riparian owners fill in for a distance of 1,900 feet, which would make an area of over 100 acres, available for docks and trackage. The sand for the fill could be obtained from the tunnel under- neath East Fifty-fifth street. This rail- way, extending underneath East Fifty- fifth street, would connect with the trunk line and Belt Line railway and would open up a great undeveloped area. With switching facilities along the entire length of East Fifty-fifth street he felt that that whole thoroughfare could be- come a great manufacturing and whole- sale district and that the railroads would command an enormous quantity of incoming and outgoing freight, as well as receive a considerable portion of lake-bound coal shipments. Among those who attended the meet- ing were H. S. Pickands, of Pickands, Mather & Co.; J. H. Sheadle, of the Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Co.; T. F. New- man, of the Cleveland & Buffalo Transit Co.; D. C. McIntyre, of the Detroit & Cleveland Navigation Co.; M. W. Ward- well, of the Great Lakes Towing Co.; BP. Lenihan, of "Wilcox; Peck & Hughes; W. A. Hawgood, A. H. Haw- good, A. W. Thomson, of the Wilson Transit Co. and George A. Marr, sec- retary of the Lake Carriers' Association. H. S. Pickands stated that he did not think that the terminal would attract the bulk 'freight trade materially as the 'railways have their own terminals pretty thoroughly established, while all ore destined to furnaces along the river would naturally make the entire trip by water. -He felt, however, that there were enormous possibilities in the en- terprise and that the establishment of such a terminal would develop a great many new industries. Mr. Barber stated that he had so much faith in the project that he was willing to back it financially. It was into the valley, THE MARINE REVI£W suggested that the project be laid be- fore the industrial committee and rivers and harbors committee of the Chamber of Commerce for further discussion. Mayor Baker at a late meeting said that as mayor he heartily favored any- thing that made for the commercial de- velopment of the city and that he heartily approved the project of lake development. He thought, however, that the city might desire the insertion of a clause in the franchise along East Fifty-fifth street that would enable the city to recapture the street should the enterprise at any time become inimical to the real interests of the city. He stated, however, that the terms should be sufficiently generous so as not in any way to deter a legiti- mate enterprise' He thought, however, that the most essential thing to be deter- mined first of all was the actual owner- ship of the lake front. It has latterly been contended that the state owns the submerged land extending from the shore line and that there is a case now pending in court to establish that right. It has progressed through the Common Pleas court which has held that the title of the submerged land rests in the owner of the riparian rights, that is to say, the one who actually holds title of the land abutting on the lake shore. An appeal has been taken and the mayor felt that this case should be brought to a definite conclusion before any real progress can be made in the enterprise. If the rght of ownership should be estab- lished in the state, he felt that the city would have no difficulty in having the state transfer the right to the city and that the city would have no other object than to further the utmost devel- opment of the lake front for commercial purposes. It was generally concluded that the first thing to do was to expedite this particular case through the various courts. In a general discussion on the subject it was felt that the Baltimore & Ohio, the Erie and the Wheeling and Lake Erie railroads would take advantage of the new terminal. October Lake Levels The United States Lake Survey reports the stages of the Great Lakes for the month of October, 1914, as follows: Feet above Lakes. mean sea level. Superior 4622.00. 602.75 Michigan Haro 3... 0d. 580.28 Brie Sa 572.10 OGIO ia ee Se 245.59 Lake Superior is 0.05 foot lower than last month, 0.27 foot lower than a year ago, 0.03 foot above the average stage of October of the last ten years, 0.81 foot below the high stage of October, 1869, and 1.17 feet above the low stage of October, 1879. Average stages of the ' was 477 last ten years indicate that. the Novem- ber level will be 0.2 foot lower. Lakes Michigan-Huron are 0.20. foot lower than last month, 0.44 foot lower than a year ago, 0.38 foot below the average stage of October of the last ten years, 2.66 feet below the high stage of October, 1876, and 0.68 foot above the low stage of October, 1911. Aver- age stages of the last ten years indicate that the November level will be 0.3 foot lower. Lake Erie is 0.27 foot lower than last month, 0.33 foot lower than a year ago, 0.08 foot below the average stage of October of the last ten years, 1.60 feet below the high stage of October, 1885, and 1.30 feet above the low stage of October, 1895. Average stages of the last ten years indicate that the Novem- ber level will be 0.3 foot lower. Lake Ontario is 0.50 foot lower than last month, 0.70 foot lower than a year ago, 0.41 foot below the average stage of October of the last ten years, 2.22 feet below the high stage of October, 1861, and 1.92 feet above the low stage of October, 1895. Average stages of the last ten years indicate that the No- vember level will be 0.3 foot lower. Grain Shortage The vexing question of grain shortage which has irritated vessel owners for years is now in a fair way to be set- tled. For the first time the vessel own- ers have attacked the subject. jointly through the Lake Carriers' Association, the Dominion Marine Association and the Association of Lake Lines. The practice of the grain shippers has. been to hold the vessel liable for any short- age in the grain cargo on the assump- tion that the bill of lading was not otherwise a bankable document. Vessel owners have therefore made up the dif- ference in cash out of their own pock- ets. Of course they got the benefit of over runs but it was no comfort to the vessel owner to know that someone else was profiting by his misfortune. The whole subject has been a sore spot with grain carriers for years but it was only until the past summer that the subject attacked with _ spirit. Several shortages occurred which left the ves- - sel owner absolutely nothing for his ser- vices after wages and provisions and other costs of operation had been met. In fact an actual deficit was not uncom- mon. It became imperative that some- thing should be done to remedy a con- dition for which the vessel owner was in no way responsible. Committees were appointed to find a solution as follows: Lake Carriers' Association: William Livingstone, Harvey D. Goulder, W. H.