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MARINE REVIEW Published’every Thursday at 418-19 Perry- Payne Bldg., by the Marine Review Pub. Co. NOL, 3X1; CLEVELAND, O., JAN. 25, 1900. es hate No. 4 a year. LAUNCH OF THE FIRST 500-FOOTER. The first 500-foot freighter for service on the great lakes was launched at the Lorain ship yard of the American Ship Building Co. on Saturday last, and General Manager James C. Wallace was favored with a very distinguished company at a sumptuous repast that followed the launch- ing. The guests included President John W. Gates and other leading officers of the American Steel & Wire Co., as well as Mrs. Gates, who christened the steamer. A large party of officers of the ship building company, as well as some of the-vessel owners, who were in attendance at the Detroit meeting of the Lake Carriers’ Association, also visited Cleveland so as to join in the launching ceremony. This steamer is the first of four big carriers building: for the American Steamship Co. (con- trolled by American Steel & Wire interests) and which will each carry about 9,000 net tons per trip. The second of them, to be named for James J. Hill of the Great Northern R’y, will be launched in a couple of weeks. The Gates is a steel, bulk freight steamer and is within a few inches of 500 feet over all. The length on keel is 478 feet, beam molded 52 feet, and depth 30 feet. Steel is used for masts, deck houses, and in fact in almost every part of the vessel, wood being dispensed with whenever possible. The Gates has thirteen water-tight compartments and has a capacity for 3,500 tons of water ballast. There are five longitudinal girders on each side of the center line of the hull. The between-deck beams are spaced 8 feet apart throughout the length of the cargo holds, and con- sist of 15-inch heavy channels attached to 15-inch channel bent frames, similarly spaced, and these in connection with spar deck beams and channel floors, make a succession of continuous heavy members 8 feet apart throughout the length of the ship. These in turn are strongly con- NEW GRAIN ELEVATORS. The Barnett & Record Co., 541 the Rookery, Chicago, has practically completed all arrangements for beginning work on the first of the grain elevators at Montreal that is to be operated by the Conners’ syndicate. The actual work will begin within the next few days, as the contract calls for the completion of the structure within five months. This first plant will consist of a main building and one or two annexes. The main struct- ure will have a capacity of 1,000,000 bushels, while the annexes will pro- vide storage for at least 2,000,000 bushels additional. Steel, concrete and wood will be the principal materials used: The bins, which willbe of concrete, will be of the Pierre Monier type, of which E. Lee Heiden- reich of Chicago is the American representative. The buildings will be as near fire-proof as possible, and the entire plant when completed will cost about $700,000. It is expected that it will be ready for use about November next. As readers of the Review know, the improvements recently made on the Calumet river at South Chicago are such as to insure the location of some of the principal elevators on that stream in the future. One of these. building for McReynolds & Co., and situated at One Hundred and Sixth street and the Calumet river, is now nearing completion. It has a storage capacity of 1,500,000 bushels. On the river at Ninety- Eighth street W. H. Merritt & Co. are also building an elevator, the capacity of which will be 500,000 bushels. Both structures are of the latest type and provided with every improvement. They will be com- pleted within about six weeks or two months. The McReynolds elevator is 251 feet in length, 119 feet in width and 117 feet in height. Under pres- sure it will be possible to unload 400 cars of grain every twenty-four STEAMER JOHN W. GATES—FIRST 500-FOOT FREIGHTER FOR THE GREAT LAKES. nected and braced longitudinally by stringers and girders, making the ship exceptionally strong. There are fifteen cargo hatches, 30 by 8 feet in the clear, spaced 24 feet centers. The cargo hoids are divided into six compartments by water-tight bulkheads and steel doors. The vessel will be fitted with a quadruple expansion engine, with cylinders of 16%, 2514, 88% and 60 inches in diameter and 40 inches stroke. These engines will drive a wheel 14 feet in diameter and 15% feet pitch. Steam will be supplied from Babcock & Wilcox water tube boilers having 140 square feet of grate surface, 6,800 square feet of heating surface and working at 250 pounds pressure. The boilers are fitted with Learmonth purifiers. Crowe patent furnace and a forced draft system. The coal bunkers will have a capacity of 300 tons. The auxiliaries include Globe steam steering gear, Globe steam capstan windlass, American Ship Building Company’s winding machines for handling wire mooring lines, International com- pany’s anchors and a complete electric light plant, operated by compound engines. The Gates will have three steel pole masts, with pilot house and texas adjoining the forecastle, and a raised quarterdeck over machinery and boiler space. The chart house and pilot house, as well as captain’s quarters, one stateroom and rooms for mates, wheelsmen, watchmen, firemen, deckhands, etc., will all be in the upper forward part of the vessel. Two deckhouses amidships ,will be devoted entirely to passengers. Quarters for engineers, oilers, steward, as well as engineers’ stcrerooms, kitchen, crew’s mess rooms, dining room, etc., will be situ- ated below the quarterdeck aft. The Gates will be commanded by Capt. Ralph Lyons, who has been at the head of the list of captains in the Wolvin fleet for a long time past, and Andrew Haas will be chief engineer. Writing of hemp supply and prices in the last issue of the Review, Mr. H. F. Lyman of the Upson-Walton Co., Cleveland, said that “the first 100,000 bales or more shipped after the Manila hemp ports are opened must be that already sold, so that it will be July or August before any hemp arrives that is now unsold.” In type the figures were 10,000 bales instead of 100,000 bales as written by Mr. Lyman. : hours. The lower portion of the building will be of steel, and the bins and upper part of wood. The elevators now on the Calumet river have a capacity of between 12,000,000 and 15,000,000 bushels, and those on the Chicago river have an aggregate capacity of probably 50,000,000 bushels. A STRONG LETTER FROM THE TRIGG COMPANY. Washington, D. C., Jan. 24—The house committee on merchant marine and fisheries, in its consideration of the measure generally known as the shipping bill or subsidy bill, has requested for its use as soon as practicable a statement from the bureau of navigation, treasury depart- ment, showing: First, the ship building establishments on the seaboard of the United States in which steel vessels are built; second, the number of men employed in each establishment; third, the capital invested; fourth, a list of the steel merchant vessels now being constructed at each estab- lishment, showing gross tonnage (speed, if practicable), and for whom building. This information, which will undoubtedly be very carefully compiled by the commissioner of navigation, Mr. E. T. Chamberlain, should prove very interesting. One of the first answers to this inquiry is from Mr. 'L. T. Myers, vice-president of the Wm. R. Trigg Co., Rich- mond, Va., who says: “We now employ 700 men in the construction of steel vessels, and we are building war vessels only, having now under way six for the United States navy. Encouraged by the prospect of the shipping “or sub- sidy law, we have under consideration the enlargement of our plant, so as to treble its present capacity. Our board of directors believes that with proper subsidy, the increase in ship building in this country will be enor- mous, and this company desires to be in position to reap some of the benefits. If the subsidy bill passes, we shall expect to reorganize the company on a capital of $2,000,000 and give employment to 3,000 men.” Members of the Lake Superior Mining Institute will give special at- tention at their annual meeting this year to properties on the Menominee range of Michigan. The meetings will begin at Iron Mountain, Mich., Feb. 6.