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ESA Le oy Activities in the Mari Latest News from Ships and Shipyards il 0000000000000 SSS <os SSS IONITIUUEAUUTAUTU TUT WSS ES SS QUILL UUUUUUL UL LU << WO REAT LAKES' shipyards, which made such a splendid showing last year in turning out tonnage for the Emergency Fleet corporation, have not relaxed efforts, even though urgent ton- nage needs for war demands are fast giving place to peace requirements. At the present time, the production of ships all over the lake district is progressing efficiently. Out of a total of 61 ships turned over to the Emergency Fleet' cor- poration in April, Great Lakes' yards de- livered 44, equal to 72.5 per cent. On ac- count of canal restrictions, the percent- age of tonnage was lower but, notwith- standing, amounted to 40 per cent of the total tonnage turned over to the govern- ment during April. Vessels built on the Great Lakes for deep-water service range from' 3500 to 4200 tons. With but one exception, every vessel delivered in April was ahead of contract date, the average being 6614 days ahead of schedule. Henry . Penton, Emergency Fleet district man- ager for the Great Lakes' district, states that the remarkable showing made by lake yards is due to team work all along the line. - x ee When the steamer CHEROKEE recently hit a bridge at the Welland canal, she sustained damage to the extent of $25,- 000. She has been towed to Buffalo for repairs. * K K When the steamer M. A. REEB strand- ed at Detour late last season she sus- tained damage that cost the underwriters $185,000 to repair. The REEB was re- paired at Buffalo. ok * Eo The steamer Sonoma, which recently went aground in the channel at the en- trance of Buffalo harbor, was released after she had lightered 10,000 bushels of grain. She was not damaged to the ex- tent of causing her to leak. Se While making for Lake Erie, the steamer Howarp, in ballast, went ashore recently, approximately a mile east of Cape Vincent, Lake Ontario. ee The American Shipbuilding Co., Cleve- land, will be clear of government con- tracts by October. This company has orders for 111 steel vessels for 1919 de- 'livery. A. G. Smith, operating manager of the company, states that the company is ahead of schedules and that the last keels at all yards of the company will be laid by June. The company is building vessels for deep-water service at its Su- perior, Wis., South Chicago, Detroit, Lorain, O., Cleveland and Buffalo yards. ke The shipping board has rejected bids on four Great Lakes' vessels, the ADRIAN to complete June. IsELin, Lucius W. Ropstnson, F. P. Jones and the A. D. MacTirr. The bids were opened recently at Washington. The shipping board will dispose of all vessels in the future through the medium of private negotiation. It is said that this can be done by authority of the President. OE oe It will take approximately three weeks repairs on the steamer SHIRAS which damaged 25 plates when she piled up on Rockefeller reef, Lake Michigan, recently. She is now in dry- dock at South Chicago. * 2k 2K The Lorain, O., yard of the American Shipbuilding Co., recently launched hull No. 761, building for the Emergency Fleet corporation. The vessel is expected to leave for salt water some time in * ** k The Lehigh Valley Transportation Co., Buffalo, will operate five vessels in Lake Michigan trade this season. This is the result of an appeal made by shippers of Lake Michigan ports to Director General Hines of the United States railroad ad- ministration. Three boats for this trade have been chartered from the Great Lakes Transit Corp. They are the DELos W. Cooke, the MILwAuKEE and the F. R. Unperwoop. The other steamers in the line are the MAucH CHUNK and the WILKESBARRE. ee ok Capt. Walter Brooks, formerly of De- troit and Buffalo, recently organized a company. in New York known as the Nacirema Steamship Co. Fifteen wooden steamers have. been purchased from the shipping board to form the nucleus of the company's fleet. These vessels were purchased for $650,000 each. Captain Brooks formerly was employed by Bo- land & Cornelius, Buffalo. The vessels will be used in the New York, New Orleans and Havana trade. 2K * ~ The first lumber cargo for the season to arrive in Cleveland was brought m by the C. H. Braptey from Lake Su- perior. The early lumber movement, it is said, will be light. ee ee Due to the exceptionally mild winter, navigation opened at the Soo the earliest it has in the last 41 years. The vessel to open navigation was the steamer E. W. Pareny of the Pittsburgh fleet which 'docked at Kemp's fuel dock on the even- ing of April 9. The Parcny was the first vessel of the fleet of winter storage grain vessels from Georgian bay ports to break through the ice in Hay and Mud lakes. She made the run almost on regu- 309 lar time. For many years past, the open- ing of navigation has entailed a large amount of ice breaking but due to the mild winter, such difficulty was not en- countered. While the demand for ore tonnage is expected to be light during the first part of the season, tonnage de- mands in general are favorable as shown in the Soo canal report for April pub- lished elsewhere in this issue. Lake ves- sels are not hampered for lack of crews this season due to the fact that there are more men out of employment who are anxious to sign on than there has been for many years previously. * % * ' The steamer F. E. House, which left Duluth recently, had to put back on account of a broken eccentric. The steamer G. G. Crawrorp likewise sus- tained a similar accident which com- pelled her to turn back to Duluth. When the steamer KEARSARGE arrived in Du- luth recently, in ballast, it was found necessary to send her to the shipyards to have a few rivets tightened. eK ok The steamer Munisinc, which went aground at Byng inlet, late last fall, is in drydock at Duluth to repair dam- age to her bottom. : oe ee The steamer STEINBRENNER while. shifting to elevator K, Duluth, rammed the corner of the Hanna coal dock at Superior. She damaged a plate on her starboard bow, 2 feet above the water- line. Repairs were immediately made. Wee Ne The first boat to arrive at Green Bay, Wis., from a lower lake port this. season was the steamer PENOBSCOT. k * * The first ore cargo to arrive at Lo- rain, O., this season was brought in by the steamer Joun W. Gates. The vessel was towed to the National Tube dock. . oe ee : At a recent meeting in Pittsburgh, it was decided not to make any change in the ore-handling charge at Lake Erie ports this season. Ore prices are fixed, based on a reduction of 20 cents in the lake freight rate. There was some talk of advancing the handling rate 5 cents a ton. This would have brought the handling rate to 15 cents a ton. Furnace men will get the benefit of the cut in. the lake rate. a With all her machinery, boilers and other equipment aboard, and her super- structure complete, the steamer LAKE I'ucarp was recently launched in Buf- falo, at the plant of the Buffalo Dry- dock Co. When she struck the water