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ITH the sailing of the steamer PETER H. Crowertt from New Orleans re- cently, the Carribean and Southern Steamship Co. inaugurated a new service between the Crescent city and South American ports. Promises to support the line have been received from shippers of Chicago, Davenport, Memphis, Kansas City and New Orleans. The line has been operating ships out of New York and Mobile into Latin- American waters for several years. It recently enlarged its capital and has informed the New Orleans assocation of commerce that it will make that city its home port for regular ser- vice to the east coast of South America. * * * Mayor: William Hale Thompson of Chicago, and James Pugh, a Chicago warehouse owner, are reported to have purchased a controlling in- terest in the Chicago, St. Louis and Gulf Trans- portation Co., whose steamer STEEL. C1Ty has been making regular trips from Illinois points down the Mississippi to New Orleans. The New Orleans office of the company an- nounce that several towboats and number of steel barges immediately will be put into com- mission in the river trade. A complete reor- ganization of the company is announced, and it is said that passenger steamers will be operated for tourist travel between Chicago and New Orleans during the winter months. * * * Cc. E. Smith, a St. Louis, consulting en- gineer, spent several days in New Orleans re- cently studying river terminals and docks as part of his duties as assistant to J. S. Hooke, director of public utilities, of St. Louis, in working out a comprehensive system of ter- minals and docks for that city. Several million dollars are to be spent by the Missouri port in improving its facilities, and the port works of New Orleans are being taken as models. * * * Thirty persons, marooned in the lighthouse at Leesburg, Cameron parish, La., were res- cued by the Louisiana conservation commission patrol boat Brant, during the recent storm. Ten. small power launches, which had been torn from their moorings, also were saved by Brant. All the crops in Cameron parish were swept away. Brant, after her work of rescue, carried load after load of bedding and_pro- visions to the citizens of the parish. P. D. LeBlue, conservation agent of Calcasieu parish, was in charge of the work, and was publicly commended by M. L. Alexander, president of the conservation commission, for the efficient manner in which he conducted it. * * * Although higher rail rates on sugar, molasses, beer, cabbages, crates, nails, spikes and some other commodities have been allowed to the Mississippi Valley and Edenborn lines out of New Orleans by the Louisiana state railroad commission, boat lines running to the same territory have announced that their rates will remain normal. Rail increases in many in- stances amount to as much as 70 per cent. The keeping down of the water rates has driven a number of shippers to patronize the steamer lines to the exclusion of the rail- roads. The changes in rail rates went into _ effect Sept. 15. Cancellation of package or parcel rates is authorized and the railroads are allowed to collect on the 100-pound basis. The new rates affect freight for Baton Rouge, Bayou Sara and the Kenner district. In the Bayou Sara section and all the way up the river to the capital are a number of towns whose mer- chants are directly affected by the increase in By H. H. Dunn rates. All the steamers, of which there are a number plying to these towns, will maintain previous rates and will collect tariffs on a river basis, that is, from package charges to 100 pounds, * * * Legal action by members of the New Orleans Steamship Association to prevent enforcement of proposed port commission charges for wharfage and berthage are expected by Oct. 15, on which date the new rules are to go into effect. The proposed schedule, according to W. H. Hendren, manager for the Texas Transport and Ter- minal Co., cuts down the ship’s free time from 46 to 31 days; adds about 1 cent per gross ton to the wharfage cost, and makes an ad- ditional charge of 3 cents per square foot for preferential wharf space. “All the steamship agents,” said Mr. Hendren, ‘were given to understand that it was the purpose of -the Down tl ult board to adopt a set of charges which would equalize the burden and reduce the costs to the ships. That was the object of the report of the port engineering experts, and I thought it very fair. It placed the charges on the freight; and the tariffs on the steamship agents were fair, but the new schedule will work a hardship on the vessels and their owners and also will give the port a> handicap.” Traffic officials of railroad trunk lines entering New Orleans think: that the new rules are too in- definite and that they will have to be tested in the courts. According to several of these agents and to a number of the steamship representatives, the steamship men have been made scapegoats, being billed with the addi- tional charges and told to take what steps they can to reclaim them. The railroad companies are standing pat on their original refusal to absorb 5 cents per ton wharfage. ie Lakes By A. A. Eiben T is reported that a new company is be- ing organized at Duluth for the purpose of operating an independent line of pack- age freighters between Duluth and Buf- falo next year, in lieu of the service now maintained by railroad owned package freight lines. Under the provisions of the Panama canal act, effective in December, the lines now operating will be severed from railroad owner- ship and the proposed new company will sub- stitute a mew line. The names of persons identified with the new organization have not as yet been disclosed, but it is understood that they are in no way connected with a similar organization now being formed at Buffalo by W. J. Connors. It is the intention of the new Duluth company to place several vessels in commission next season on the through route, ‘even if the railroads in their appeal to the courts should be successful in delaying . or preventing enforcement of the interstate com- merce commission’s order for separation of the rail and lake lines. * * * Rumors are current of a proposed merger of lake package freight lines and the formation of a $20,000,000 corporation for the purpose of operating a fleet of 40 or more vessels on the lakes, the lines mentioned in connection with the amalgamation being the Erie, Anchor, Lehigh, Mutual and Western lines. W. Ap Connors of Buffalo is said to be the leading spirit in the new enterprise. * * * Some lake vessel managers are planning to operate their vessels after the expiration of reg- ular insurance at midnight, Nov. 30, but they will have to get pretty fair rates to pay for the extra insurance. The extra rate for sailing up to Dec. 5 is 0.5 per cent, up to Dec. 8 0.75 per cent and up to Dec. 12 1 per cent. * * * The steamer Joun J. Atsricut of the Mit- chell fleet, which has been out of commission since September, 1914, was recently fitted out in service. and is now * * * The steamer F. T. HEFFELFINGER of the Tomlinson fleet, downbound with ore, and the steamer ALLEGHENY of the Anchor line, col- lided in a dense fog near the United Fuel & Supply Co.’s dock, Detroit river. ALLEGHENY was slightly damaged above the water line, but 393 the injury to HErrELFINGER was more severe, about 20 plates being damaged, incurring a repair bill of approximately $8,000. * * * The ore shipments from Marquette docks up to Sept. 1 were 1,773,653 gross tons, a gain of 723,000 tons over the same period ° last year and the indications are that they will reach the high water mark of 1913. * * Be) The first of three steamers building for the Clyde Steamship Co., New York, at the Ecorse yard of the Great Lakes Engineering Works, Detroit, was recently launched. The new vessel is of Welland canal size and will leave for the coast as soon as she is completed. The Great Lakes company expects to deliver the three steamers by Nov. 1. * * * The usual advance in wages of men employed aboard ship will take effect Oct. 1 and aside from the licensed officers practically all of the men will receive the increase... * * * Capt. C. D. Ross, master of the steamer F. D. Unprerwoop of the Erie Railroad Lake line, was recently transferred to Lake Keuki, N. Y., to become superintendent of the Erie line at that point. R. B. Wilkinson will suc- - ceed Capt. Ross as master of UNDERWOOD. * * * The great demand for vessels on the coast continues and it is reported that a dozen Canadian lake vessels which were built abroad and are fitted for salt water service will be sold to coast parties shortly. * * * The Coast & Lakes Contracting Corporation was the lowest bidder for, repair work to the Buffalo breakwater, bids for which were re- cently opened by the government engineer at Buffalo. Dek? * * The steamer City or TrAversE of the Graham & Morton line was sold recently to a St. Joseph, Mich., concern who will dismantle her and use the hull as a dry dock for smaller craft. * * * The new freighter W. F. WuiItTe, owned by the Limestone Transportation Co., Rogers, Mich., left the Lorain shipyard ,of the Ameri- can Shipbuilding Co. Aug. 31 for Erie, where she loaded coal for Menominee, Mich.