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1903.] MARINE REVIEW AND MARINE RECORD. _ NORTHWESTERN GRAIN SITUA TION—DULUTH ITEMS. Duluth, Minn. Mar. 4—Grain stocks at the head of Lake Superior aggregate 11,000,000 bu., of which wheat forms ‘just about half and flax one-third. Of oats there is about I,- 000,000 bu. and the rest is barley and rye, Oats is being brought in in quantity for spring shipment by lake. The receipts of wheat and flax will be large this and next month, and the probability is that by the opening of navigation there will be 13,000,cco bu. of all grains here. There is no activity among shippers, though they are selling some Manitoba wheat for spring shipment. On the crop of 1902 there has been received at the head of the lakes 58,200,000 bu. grain, against 55,400,000 bu. for the same period of the preceding year. There has been shipped during the same periods 44,- 600,000 bu. this year and 42,700,000 bu. the year before; this | notwithstanding that wheat occupies a lesser place this year _ than last, the increase in flax and other grains making up the difference. Saw mills at the head of the lakes are turning out lumber rapidly, day and night, and there was never so much winter activity at mills as now. Five are at work. The. daily receipts of logs by rail at mill docks of this city amount to about 2,000,000 ft., much of which is for immediate sawing. The Canadian Pacific will erect at its lake terminus in Fort William one of the largest and most modern coal handl- ing plants on the upper lakes. A contract for the work has been given the American Bridge Co. and Jas. Clarke, who has been in charge of the erection of similar plants in the- lake copper country, will have charge of construction. The plant will be of steel throughout. Engine crews of “second class” ships of the Pittsburg fleet in winter quarters at the head of Lake Superior have arrived and are now outfitting. Work on the first class ships is well along. No steps have been taken this winter looking to the rais- ing of the sunken Thos. Wilson, whaleback, wrecked last summer. It is generally believed that the purchasers of the vessel will do nothing, and that the wreck is again for sale. This, however, the Wielands, who apparently bought the ship, deny vigorously. Ice has not formed during the winter strong enough to permit of work on the vessel, and there is now no chance for freezing weather long enough to make ice. Head of the lake coal docks will receive important and extensive additions the coming summer. The Northwestern Fuel Co. will complete the hard coal section of its new dock on the lower bay and will improve No. 2 dock by the re- building of 600 ft. of its length. The Pioneer and Ohio coal companies and the Boston Coal Dock & Wharf Co. will all improve their docks on the Duluth side of the bay, and there is good reason for expecting the erection of a large new dock on the Duluth side during the coming two years. The docks of the Philadelphia & Reading and St. Paul & West- ern, on the Superior side, will both be enlarged and rebuilt. Indications are for a banner coal movement during the coming season. The government will for the first time do some work in Port Wing, Wis., the coming season. Port Wing has a saw mill and some other industries. The place is about 28 miles east of Duluth on the south shore of the lake. All previous work in the way of harbor improvements has been by the lumber companies ‘interested there. A harbor there will be very convenient for small craft in stress of weather. The Great Northern road is to build new shops and roundhouse at the ore docks, Superior, and will run the docks from a central electrical plant, to be installed this season. The new dock is well along and will probably be ready when it is wanted. GENERAL STATISTICS OF LAKE COMMERCE. Statistics of ore traffic on the great lakes, covered through railway reports, and the statistics of Lake Superior commerce, as reported through the canals at Sault Ste. Marie, are very reliable, and it is fortunate that we have even these measures of lake commerce as a whole, but as explained many times in these columns, it is impossible, in view of the customs regulations, to obtain a complete report of traffic throughout the entire chain of lakes. The treasury bureau of statistics has of late made an effort along this line, but its figures can not be accepted as complete with the assur- ance that attends the partial reports of lake commerce from the Sault and from the railways engaged in the ore trade. They are given for what they are worth. The treasury bureau reports that commerce on the lakes between domestic ports for the entire calendar year 1902 resulted in freight receipts amounting to 54,074,729 net tons, compared with 45,679,019 net tons for 1901. Iron ore and minerals constitute ap- proximately half of this freight tonnage. In 1902 there were 27,898,424 tons of ore and minerals received at lake ports from domestic sources; in I90I, 20,770,447 gross tons. Coal contributed 8,256,117 net tons to the receipts of 1902, and 9,205,764 tons in tIgo1. The total figures for arrivals and clearances of vessels in the coasting trade on the great lakes 23 for 1902 are given in net registered tons as follows: Arrivals, 74,009,251 tons; clearances, 74,807,718 tons. The maximum movement occurred in August, when arrivals totaled 10,598,- “176 tons and clearances 10,848,384 tons. CHICAGO NAUTICAL SCHOOL. The fourth annual dinner of the Alumni Association of the Chicago Nautical School was held at the Hamilton club in Chicago, Feb. 24. Among those present were: F. E. Porter, late commodore Columbia Yacht Club; Henry A. Aranson, Capt. Fred D. Weimar, J. R. Lynn, Jr., W. H. Elliott, P. F. Edelhagen, Wells Egar, John J. Rossman, Capt. S. H. Walle, Capt. K. A. Jensen, Capt. J. F. Hansen, Capt. John K. Olsen, D. A. King, J. P. Erick, Capt. A. B.- Swansen, Capt. J. E. Kohnert, F. B. Weaver, Judge G. W. Underwood, J. H. Sellen, F. T. Lindman, F. W. Humphrey, Lieut. J. E. Reinberg, revenue cutter service, S ie Babcock, Judge Charles G. Neeley, Henry D. Hatch, W. J. ‘ilson. The annual election of officers resulted as follows: Presi- dent, W. D. Hamilton; vice-president, C. S. Babcock; treasurer, F. B. Weaver; directors, Capt. Travis, Lieut. E. R. Mason and F. E. Porter. Speeches were made, poems recited and a general good time was had. Lieut. Wilson reported that seventy-four pupils had taken one or more courses during the year and also that the prospects for the new course in engineering were ex- tremely favorable. The alumni present resolved to double the attendance during the next year if possible. ‘The meeting ad- journed with three cheers for the school and for Lieut. Wilson. AROUND THE GREAT LAKES, Vessel men are expecting that hull insurance will be gener- ally cn about last year’s basis. Capt. Chas R. Ward, who was well known around the lakes in the days of sailing vessels, died in Detroit a few days ago. Anna C. Minch is the name selected for the large freight steamer building at the Cleveland yard of the American Ship Building Co: for Henry Steinbrenner and others of Cleveland. Gen. Supt. Ripley of the ship canal at Sault Ste. Marie estimates that 40,000,000 tons of freight will pass through the canals during the present year. This is 4,000,000 tons in ex- cess of 1902. : It is announced from Buffalo that work is progressing favor- ably on the Inland Lloyds vessel register, which is to contain this year ratings and valuations for Canadian lake vessels as well as those of the United States, and that the book will be out on time. ‘1 .e International Brotherhood of Steam Shovel & Dredge Engineers has become affiliated with the International Long- shoremen, Marine & Transport Workers’ Association. It is quite likely that the International Pile Drivers’ Mutual Protec- tive Association will also join the big general organization. Taking the loss of the Bannockburn as the subject of their text, some of tne Canadian newspapers are advocating load line legislation for the great lakes. ‘The loss of such a vessel shows the trying conditions to which lake navigation is subject and the need of stringent laws to prevent overloading, sailing with in- sufficient crews or venturing out in an unseaworthy condition. Negotiations are under way to include engineers who are not’ members of the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association into an organization in affiliation with the International Long- shoremen, Marine & Transport Workers’ Association. Applica- tion for a charter for a Cleveland branch has been made and branches have already Seen organized at Detroit and Ashtabula. Maj. J. G. Warren, United States engineer at Milwaukee, announces that before the end of the coming season the Marinette harbor work will have been completed as far as the present ap- propriations will permit. The project is being undertaken with a view to a harbor of refuge off the Twin Cities. At present the work consists chiefly of dredging the Menominee river to a uni- form depth of 21 ft. At the annual meeting of the stockholders of the Cleveland & Buffalo Transit Co., Tuesday, Mr. C. A. Harris was elected a director, making the number eight, instead of seven, as hereto- fore. The other directors elected were Messrs. M. A. Bradley, George W. Gardner, Harvey D. Goulder. D. Shurmer, R. C. Moody, George W. Avery and T. F. Newman. ‘The directors will elect officers next week. Mr. Edwin T. Douglas, assistant general manager of the Western Transit Co., nas been appointed to take charge of the six steamers recently purchased by a syndicate of railways frou the Northern Steamship Co. It is understood that no plan has, as yet, been formulated for the operation of the boats and that Mr. Douglas’ appointment is to care for them while the organization is being perfected. The steamer S. N. Parent, first of the three canal-size steamers building at Wyandotte for the Great Lakes & St. Law- rence Transportation Co., of which A. B. Wolvin of Duluth is general manager. Thisis launch No.151 fromthe Wyandotte yard. Capt. J. A. Duncanson will sail the Parent. It is said that a very large business for next year has already been secured for the ten steamers of this kind building at different works of the American Ship Building Co. for the Great Lakes & St. Lawrence company.