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1878. ESTABLISHED PuBLIisHED EvERY THURSDAY Av 144 SuPERRIOR ST., (LEADER BUILDING), CLEVELAND, O. GEO, L. SMITH, IRVING B. SMITH, § WILLIAM L. McCORMICK, PROPRIETORS. E\DITOR. BRANCH OFFICE, CuHicaco, ILL, - - - - -238 Lake Street. THOMAS WILLIAMS, Associate Editor, SUBSCRIPTION. One copy, one year, postage paid, - - $2.00 $3.00. One copy, one year, to foreign countries, - Invariably in advance. ADVERTISING. Rates given on application. All communications should be addressed to SMITH & SMITH, 144 Superior Street, CLEVELAND, O. Entered at Cleveland Postoffice as Second-Class Mail Matiter. CLEVELAND, O., FEBRUARY 6, 1896. TuHE largest vessel launched in Great Britain during 1895 was the Dranian, measuring 2,958 tons gross. The gross tonnage of the lake schooners Malta and Marcia is 2,237.48 each, a very encouraging comparison. rrr eo i _ Tue detail. work of continuing the fight against the ‘Detroit River bridge has been put into the hands of an able committee, consisting of H. Coulby, Capt. George P. McKay, M. A. Bradley, Capt. James Stone, H. A. Hawgood, and Capt. J. B. Hall. They will act with ‘General Counsel H. D, Goulder and other officers of the Lake Carriers’ Association and will watch for any left- hand moves on the part of the raiJroads. re i In his effort before a Congressional committee on be- half of the Detroit bridge bill the other day, Hon. Ros- well G. Horr, the hired advocate of the Detroit delega- tion, pointed out, with theatrical emphasis, the alleged ‘inconsistency of Buffalo people in protesting against a bridge over Detroit river and advocating one over Niag ara river. The comparison is,too absurd to merit atten- tion, and a man who spends his time in such talk is dis- honest both to the committee whose time he is wasting, and to his employers, whose money he is not earning. qe ee THE bill introduced by Congressman Wilson, of New York,which provides for protection for vessels from unnec- essary libeling, seems as good a thing in that direction as can be expected, as it gives to the libelant all the secur- ity he could obtain under the old plan of bonding in indi- vidual suits. The Wilson bill provides for a permanent bond for each ship to be filed with the United States Mar- shal in whose district she is enrolled, so that when a _ ves- sel is libeled on trifling claims she need not be delayed. Notice of suit is to be handed to owner, master, or other person in charge, through the eustom house. —_ rr 8 em it THE Detroit Evening News prints an alleged cartoon on the bridge question. It purports to be asuggestion _ for bridge design, the bridge resting on the back of a razor-back porcine. This is inscribed, “Dedicated to the Hog Carriers’ Association.” The artist’s imprint bears a striking resemblance to ‘‘Loafer.” The bridge, as de- signed, however, has two piers in the river, and this style will not be accepted by the Lake Carriers, even as a joke. The Lake Carriers have done nothing that any business concern might properly do towards protecting its own interests, but the Detroit papers, which have changed front during the last few weeks with remarkable alac- rity, are trying to convey the impression that the bridge advocates are working against a single interest, whereas, the rights of the bulk of the commerce from the North- west are at stake. THE MARINE RECORD. FOG BELLS ON BARGES. ! When the White law was passed a year ago, prescrib- ing a series of “rules of the road” for the Great Lakes, one of its provisions was that every vessel towing behind a steamer or another vessel shall beequipped with a good and efficient bell, which shall be struck in series of four strokes during thick or foggy weather, in the manner in which four bells, indicating the time of day, are struck at sea. As soon as vessels began to fit out in the spring there was a clamor for a decision by the Supervising In- spector General as to what should constitute a “good and efficient bell.” Certain widths were prescribed, but little or nothing was said as to the material which should com- pose the bells, and the result is a wide diversity in the quality of bells on vessels hailing from different districts, some barges sounding clear resonant bells of as high a grade as a country church bell, and can be heard for sey- eral miles across the water;while others are equipped with cast-iron affairs which can be heard scarcely the vessel’s own length, giving the indistinct clatter of an ancient cowbell. One instance is known where a bell of the lat- ter variety was broken to pieces by the first stroke the fi rst time the vessel got into thick weather. Now it 'may be thought strange that when the vessel men of the lakes had more to do with formulating these rules than had any one else, they should resort to such subterfuges to save a few dollars to their own great risk; and it must not beimagined that such has been the case on many of the larger and better class of barges. Again, the owners and masters have been perfectly fair in many cases, but were either taken advantage of by dealers, or else had their really good bells removed and sold by en- terprising wharf rats and river thieves, poor articles be- ing substituted. But all the same, the inspectors of the different districts do not, judging pby results, appear to have clung to any single standard of excellence, and it is not impossible that some boats whose enrollments have been changed from one district to another may find their bells rejected by inspectors this year, after having under- gone a season’s service. THE REcoRD is indebted to the courtesy of Senator Calvin 8. Brice, of Ohio, for a limited number of copies of the report of the Senate Committee on Interstate Com- merce upon the resolution directing inquiry and inyesti- gation respecting the possibility of regulating lake levels by means of dams. It is an able argument in favor of the damming project, and is about 20,000 words in length. It quotes liberally from authorities in civil engineering, geology, ete., including Mr. George T. Wisner, of Detroit; Thomas T. Johnson, artist and chief engineer of the Chicago drainage canal; G. W. Blasdel, of Waverly, O.; D. Farrand Henry, of Detroit; and Joseph R. Oldham, of Cleveland, the latter recommending “a large and system- atic scheme for replanting trees on all available lands bordering on the Great Lakes,”’ as an adjunct to dams. The REcoRD would be glad to furnish some of these copies to those interested upon application. pobeae seth USAT T SRE) ISL SE GONE TO THE OTHER SHORE, Andrew Wehrle, Sr., for 40 years a resident of Middle Bass Island, died January 12, at Sandusky, aged 63 years. He owned an interest in several’ passenger steamers running out of Sandusky, and was engaged in the coal business at Sandusky with his sons, Andrew and Herman. ‘They and one other child survive him. Capt. William G. Traverse, who was formerly in command of the steamer Progress, died at Los Angeles, Cal., recently, at the age of 57 years. He had gone to California to regain health. EEE a —eEE VESSEL TRANSFERS. Michael Freimann, a Green Bay hotel man, has pur: chased the excursion steamer City of Green Bay for $3,000, Rieboldt, Wolter & Co., the Sheboygan dry-dock firm, have accepted the schooner Quickstep in payment for wrecking bill and repairs on her. She is for sale. C. R. Jones and others have purchased the schooner Charles Wall from the Richard Winslow estate. The consideration is not stated. e-_-_-__ ~S——-0 — Rn Capt. John Stewart, of the steamer City of Milwaukee, is studying out a machine for discharging package . freight from steamers so as to effect a great saving in cost of handling. -valued at $17,722,351; shipments, COMMERCE OF: THE RECORD is : Pig Maj. Clinton B. Seale Engineer Corps, U. S. A., for the following figures re- lating to the commerce of Duluth and Superior, which were collected by him in accordance with an act of February 21, 1891, from reports made by the masters of all vessels visiting those ports. These were required under penalty and especial care was taken to see that no master forgot the obligation. Especial reliance, may, therefore, be placed upon these returns, as the op- portunities which sometimes allow of evasion of the customs authorities were not open under Major Sears’ supervision as was shown by certain complaints made at the Lake Carriers’ annual meeting. At Duluth 3,123 steam and 594 sailing and other ves- sels entered the canal during 1895, a total of 3,717 ves- sels with an aggregate registered tonnage of 3,596,148. There departed 3,074 steam and 607 sailing and other vessels, a total of 3,681 vessels, with a tonnage of 3,567,- 342. The total of entries and departures were 7,398 vessels, with a registered tonnage of 7,163,490. Freight receipts at Duluth were 809,125 net tons, 2,938,945 net tons, valued at $29,973,509; total receipts and shipments, 3,748,070 net tons, valued at $47,695,860. Passengers ar- rived to the number of 17,851, and 16,267 departed, a total of 34,118. The valuations given here and in the tabulated statement below are based on average whole- sale prices on board vessels for shipments, and on dock for receipts. At Superior, the arrivals were 1,438 steam and 281 sailing and other vessels, a total of 1,719, and a total registered tonnage of 1,980,656. There departed 1,396 steam and 303 other vessels, a total of 1,699 vessels of 2,062,336. The total entries and departures weré 3,418 vessels of 4,042,992 tons. Freight receipts were 1,226,- 340 net tons, valued at $9,721,161, and shipments were 1,436,941 tons, valued at $38,590,731. The total of re-- ceipts and Shipments is 2,663,281 tons, valued at $48,311,- 892. Passengers arriving were 781, and departing 903, a total of 1,684. An itemized statement follows: RECEIPTS. DULUTH. SUPERIOR. Net Net Trem. Tons. VALUE. Tons. VALUE. Conly Hard. cho ser wegen 245,675) $ 1,166,956)| 482,934) $2,993,937 Coal, soft.. 4 a3 336,007 947 540 633,115 1,785,384 Building stone.. 5,707 36,525 2,050) . 13,120 Saltese sesase: 18,772 85,413 15,416 70,143 Macutnary Scleeseieiseasniniecs piae 10,026 2,506,500 1,549 387,250 PROMS Mant Cais. Se gkie~ siete s 39,069 1,230,674 21,477 676,525 il 545 15,788 23,913 693,483 106,455) 10,645,500 87,275 3,727,500 #136, 132 952,924 *8 571 59,997 547 43,760|1 ccc ee 26 973 84,966 3,944 12,499 Lard... 0.0.2 sees rece cees 19,349 5,805 4,667 1,400 Total cnc caken secoeceees 809,125) $17,772,351! 1,226,340 $9,721,161 SHIPMENTS DULUTH. SUPERIOR. i Nev Ner Trem. rons VALUE, Tons. VALUE. UNO AOL scares ae 1 595,057) $ 1,866,217 114,022} $ 133,406 Oopperk .iziakatictenas cece 5,629} 1,125,800 35,341) 7,068,200 FIOUL,.....2.. sessse. s++| 407,003} 19,210,099]) 509/954 —15‘08s'e30 WHEAT tac nes « 475,688) 9,897,100; 616,828} 12,716,935 Other grain... 65,058) 1,276,137 85,135] 1,669,953 Structural iron. a 1,061 46,684 280 12,320 WOOL: eer eniei ite onideas vic on 334 73,582 3,571 785,715 TQ DOIG vine sasiase wes aise 372,038} 1,860,190 71,215 356.070 Miss Mdsecid 22sec. 17 077 1,7v7,700 7,595 759,500 Dota eerie Tee edhe | $29,974,509]| 1,436,941 $38,590,731 SuMMary ror DuLuTH AND SupeErior. No. vessels arriving....... 5,486, registered tonnage., 5,576,80. No. vessels departing..... 5,380, registered tonnage.. Peso are Total arriv. and depart... 10,816, registered tonnage.... 11,206,482 Receipt freight. net tons 2,035,465, valuation.............. $27,448,512 Shipments frt , net tons 4,375,886, valuation .............. 68,564,240 Total freight, net tons.. 6,411, ‘351, Valuation coves: Cees $96, 007, 752 Difference in favor of the Great North West ..........0... $41,120,728 * This is M feet, and not included in total of net tons. De The annual report of the Ontario Department of Trade and Commerce shows that the total tonnage of vessels of various nations which enteredand cleared at Canadain ports last year was 10,976,729 tons as com- pared with 10,608,611 in 1893, and 11,280,536 in 1894, The tonnage of all Canadian vessels is 2,054,024, which is third in the list, Great Britain being first with 3,994,-~ 224 tons, and the United States second with 3,707,851 tons. This isa decrease in Canadian tonnage and an increase in United States tonnage as compared with 1893 and 1894.