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INNA | Qs AN fq") im | @ &3 MD =) REAT. activity marked the closing G of the 1916 navigation season on the Great Lakes. Weather condi- tions early in December were more fa- vorable than usual, affording the fleet better dispatch than ordinarily obtained during the closing days. Some cargoes were loaded after Dec. 12, but these were carried almost exclusively by ves- sels operating without insurance. Ex- cellent freight rates were paid on all commodities. Ore rates ranged from 55 cents to $1, while one charter was re- ported at $1.25 on a cargo to the head of the lakes. On grain from the head of the lakes to Buffalo, shippers bid 44 cents. This bid, however, did not guarantee full loads by midnight Dec. 12. Some coal charters were made at 75 cents to Lake Superior, $1 from Buffalo to the head of the lakes on hard coal, $1.25 to the Soo, and $1 on medium sized vessels to Milwaukee. ** * * The demand for ocean tonnage con- tinues unabated, the American Ship Building Co., Cleveland, having booked three additional contracts for salt water steamers early in December. The vessels will be Welland canal size and will come out during the last half of 1917. The Toledo Ship Build- ing Co. also closed contracts with eastern parties for two additional steamers of Welland canal size. vessels will be duplicates of the four now building by the Toledo company for A. R. Lewis, of New York, for 1917 delivery. nae Sate The three mammoth steamers of the Shenango Steamship & Transporta- tion Co., Co,. J. M. ScHOONMAKER, SHENANGO and WILLIAM P. SNYDER JrR., are moored at Buffalo for the winter, all of them carrying storage grain. The combined tonnage of all three vessels aggregates 1,344,844 bushels, valued at $2,692,266. SHENANGO’S cargo of 445,000 bushels of flax at $3 per bushel, rep- resents the most valuable cargo that entered the port of Buffalo during 1916. * * * The Canadian steamer VALCARTIER was recently purchased by the Sault Shipping Co., Ltd., from the Lake Com- merce, Ltd., ‘Toronto, Ont. She will be delivered to her new owners after the close of navigation and will be operated under the management of the Algoma Steel Corporation, Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. VALCARTIER was formerly the American steamer WurtiAM HENRY Mack, of the Jenkins fleet. She has a carrying capacity of about 5,000 gross tons. eee eA Tug men at Toledo are fighting the proposed ordinance to charge lake freighters dockage for wintering in Bay These, What's Doing and Who's Doing It il 000000 = By A. A. Eiben View Park harbor at Toledo. The tow- ing companies contend that if the ordi- nance goes into effect, the larger lake vessels will not moor there, resulting in a considerable loss of business. to the tugs. elie ke The wrecking steamer Favorite has been ordered to the stranded steamer CarOLINA, of the Goodrich Transporta- tion Co. CaroLina stranded on _ the rocks seven miles south of the entrance to Sturgeon Bay canal entrance, Lake Michigan. Her bottom is badly dam- aged and her tank tops are gone. Heavy weather has hampered wrecking opera- tions on the vessel. * 2K x The new steamer Sir Trevor Dawson arrived at Buffalo Dec. 8 on her first trip, carrying a cargo of 406,221 bushels of winter storage grain. She was com- manded by Capt. Henry Hinslea, of Cleveland. oe me Captain Frank Harmon, 79 years old, died at his home in Toledo on Dec. 4. Capt. Harmon sailed on the Great Lakes in the aad days of navigation as master of Mary A. GREEN. * * * The steamer J. P. MorGan, of the Pittsburgh Steamship Co.’s_ fleet, was placed in dry dock at the yard of the Toledo Ship Building Co., Toledo, early in December. MorcGaAn suffered severe damage when she ran ashore at Macki- naw in November. About 40 plates had to be replaced. * * *K It is estimated that grain receipts at Buffalo for the season of 1916 will be about 5,000,000 bushels less than in 1915. The figures up to and including Nov. 30 were 155,368,934 bushels for 1916, compared with 161,491,385 bushels in 1915, a decrease of 6,122,451 bushels. * * * According to figures compiled by - the Tomlinson Co., Duluth, receipts of coal at Duluth-Superior for the season of 1916 up to Dec. 1 were 8,959,600 tons, an increase of 907,489 tons over the corresponding period in 1915, which were 8,052,111 tons. * * Ok Statistics compiled by the chamber -of commerce, Milwaukee, disclose a shortage of coal receipts at that port on Dec. 1. The 1916 figures show a decrease of 229,555 tons of hard coal, compared with 1915, while soft coal fell behind over 200,000 tons. * * * Michael Klinkenburg, assistant engi- neer on the steamer WiLLI1AM NOortTING- HAM, of the Great Lakes Steamship Co.’s fleet, filed suit against the steam- 33 ship company, in the Chicago district court, on Nov. 28, asking $6,000 damages for personal injuries. Within half an hour after the claim was filed, attor- neys for the defendant appeared before Judge George A. Carpenter, stating that the claim was just and paying the amount demanded. Mr. Klinkenburg lost an arm as the result of an accident which occurred at Sandusky on July 7, 1916. ee Capt. Charles Ahlstrom, second mate on the steamer THomas SHAUGHNESSY, who was struck by a piece of ore while the vessel was loading at Superior, died at St. Mary’s hospital in that city. * 7K * The wooden steamer MoHEGAN has been sold for service on the coast by keep; Graves & Co., Buffalo. MoHEGAN was built in 1894, and was operated in the lumber. trade on the Great Lakes. * * * Negotiations are being made for the purchase of the steamer AmMeErRICcA, of the Crosby Transportation Co.’s fleet, by salt water interests. CoNEsSTOGA and Tuomas Davinson, of the Crosby line, also have been offered for sale, and if sold, it is likely that these vessels will be replaced by two steamers rfow en- gaged in Pacific coast trade, JEFFERSON and DaupHIN. A deal for the purchase of the latter two vessels is reported pending. On the Chesapeake By Hollis F. Bennett The Baltimore & Carolina Steamship Co. proposes to operate a new line of shallow-draft steamers between Balti- more, Norfolk and points on Pamlico and Albemarle sounds by way of the Chesapeake and Albemarle canal. The new wooden. steamer SARAH WEEMS, nearing completion at the yards of M. Mitchell Davis & Sons, Solomous island, Md., will inaugurate the new _ service. All freight between the above points is now carried by barges and sailing ves- sels. The new line will give regular service and obviate costly delays. a See C. C. Paul & Co.’s new four-mast schooner under construction at Milford, Del., is to be named Arrrep F. Paut, after one of the members of the firm. x * * The Baltimore tug ALBATRoss broke her tail shaft off Chincoteague, Va., last month, and was towed back to Norfolk by the tug DeriaAnce. The tug REsoLuTE proceeded with the ALBATRoss tow. os The American steamship SipertrA, re- ported ashore and breaking up on the “downs” in the English channel, was