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not chartered any outside craft, but it will probably do so. Manager Evans is at the seaboard iow, and will no doubt settle the matter before he returns. Lumbermen who are in the lake trade are at work on _ anew form of marine insurance policy. For some rea- -son it appears that the policies have not covered the deck loads, strange as it may appear. It will be some “time before the matter is arranged, but the Albany members of the trade have signed the form that has been prepared, and there is not much to do but to ob- tain the consent of the agents, who are supposed to be agreeable to the plan. Our marine insurance men are not a little put out on -account of the capture of the Duluth flour and grain _ tisks by the British & Foreign’ Co. They do not seem to have been caught napping, for one of them remarked on reading the announcement that he thought it would turn out that way. ‘There appears to have been a feel- ing of timidity over possible losses, such as were sus- tained by the British company last season, and a desire to let the foreigners have a second taste of the same bitter dose that caused the lake underwriters to hold back. There is not difference enough between 12%c and 15c, the old and new ratio, to save the company from loss. Louis Pfohl & Son are looking sharply after all sorts of damaged or wrecked lake freight on the lakes. They have been after a lumber cargo of the barge Levi Raw- son at Marine City, where she is sunk loaded, but they. find that there are salvage claims in the way. ‘The Rawson was abandoned in mid-lake and picked up by a local tug, which brought her inside and let her settle on the bottom. When she delivers her cargo in Toledo there will have to be an adjustment and all claims will be paid, but till that is done the cargo is not a very safe thing to handle. The winter cargoes of the fleet laid up here are com- ing out in remarkably fine shape with the exception of the wheat from the Adriatic, which merely suffered from a bursted pipe. Most of them overrun consider- ably. The Stone was over 202 bushels on her barley, the Grover 84, and the Roumania 92 on her wheat. ‘The Italia, Lyon and John F. Eddy are still to come ont. Hand & Johnson Tug Line appointments are as fol- lows: Tugs—Cascade, Capt. P. Linn, Engineer T. Riley: Hebard, Capt. A. Walters, Engineer J. Reilly; Davis, Capt. J. Gray, Engineer H. Bullard; Babcock, Capt. J. Doyle, Enginneer M. Upper; Danforth, Capt. J. Whalen, Engineers J. Byers; Conneaut, Capt. J. Lawson, Engineer C. Schryver; Byers, Capt. J. Hazen, Engineer J. Frates. ; One of the owners of the Globe is A. R. Atkins. There are others interested in the steamer besides Mr. Gordon and Mr. Atkins, but it is stated that the builders retained nothing in her. Itis of course arranged. that she will be sailed by Capt. Campau, who was appointed before the sale, but the trade that she will enter is still to be settled. E ‘ Harvey Beeson was down from Chicago a day or two ago, looking after the interest of his year book. There has not been a season in a long time when marine men were so scarce. It is time that captains and engineers were thick and out-of-town vessel owners were thick, but they are very far between so far. One a day is a large average. ; Manager F.. P. Gordon, of the lake insurance broker- age office of Johnson and Higgins, is getting very un- easy over the failure of the new Guaranty Building to getinto shape for its tenants. It’s a bad joke on the signal service people for the building to hang fire so long. On the supposition that the building was about complete the office was moved in from the Board of Trade Building on the first of the month, much against the will of the owners who were deserted. A visit to the building to-day found everything in the usual un- finished state, and the men in charge with a promise that the elevators would begin to carry passengers ‘‘in a few days,’’ when it is stated that the signal office is on the fourteenth floor, with a tower to climb on the roof of that, a person can get some idea of the fun it must be to run the weather business these days. Vessel brokers are of the opinion that there will not be any coal rates made this week. They cannot get shippers to talk rates at all and nearly all the coal in stock is in one or two hands. Harbor No. 41 of the American Association of Masters and Pilots was organized Sunday at the tug pilots’ rooms. ‘The following officers were elected; captain, G. H. Vroman: first pilot, John Dissett; second pilot, James Kinney; captain’s clerk, J. P. Foritaine; purser, Samuel M. Sloan; chaplain, Thomas Doyle; trustee, Charles Maytham, Charles Nash, ond H. H. Vroman. The Northern Steamship Co., has leased property with about 1,500 feet frontage, facing on the Blackwell canal and Ganson street and owned by the Pennsylva- nia Coal Co. They wlll erect a large freight house. The Northern line has never had a freight house of its own and has had to “peddle” considerably. It is fig- ured that the new plan will give each of the six freigh- boats three more trips a season. The passenger steamt ers will land as heretofore at the foot of Main street. The lake underwriters are in session at the Iroquois and have given out that they will continue for two days before coming to an understanding on the season’s hull rates. ‘The proceedings today were largely informal, as there was need of a general exchange of views before any final action can be taken. All but one or two gen- eral agencies are directly represented. Those in atten- dance are J. J. Clark and A. H. McDowell of Detroit, THE MARINE RECORD. C. W. Elphicke, J. J. Rardon, J. S. Wall and J. C. Gads- den of Chicago; EF. R. Bigelow of St. Paul, David Vance of Milwaukee; James J. Riley of New York; and W. J. Sandrock and H. S. Sill of Buffalo. There is every prospect of an agreement that is generally satisfactory. J. J. Clark is chairman of the meeting. There are re- ports of some hull business being done at low rates al- ready, but it is certain that nothing like the sweeping business done last year before the hull meeting was held has been transacted. The Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg Railway has its new fuel pockets on the slip above the Blackwell bridge at Michigan street well under way and will make some- thing of an innovation in thus handling soft coal after the fashion of hard. Vessel men say that fuel is bound to be very cheap this season on account of the increased competition. JOHN CHAMBERLIN. DULUTH AND SUPERIOR. ABOUT 100,000 TONS EACH OF HARD AND SOFT COAL AT THE HEAD OF THE LAKES MAY 1.—vESSEL AGENTS AND THE FOREIGN UNDERWRITERS—NOT MUCH ICE. Spectal Correspondence to The Marine Record. DuLuTH, Minn., March 24. W. A. Prime, the representative of the British and Foreign syndicate, has left Duluth for the Hast, after having made a satisfactory closing up of the deal for wheat cargo insurance for the coming season. The syndicate, it is claimed has secured a rate slightly in advance of the rates prevailing last year. The vessel agents here do not feel that they have any grievance against the syndicate, but they are very sore at the shippers. In speaking of the matter, a promi- nent vessel agent said to the MARINE RECORD corres- pondent: ‘There is no reason why the British and Foreign syn- dicate should have the business. If the shippers would only allow us to make a living, and it would cost them nothing to do so, we could write the insurance. If the shippers were making anything out of the deal, we would mot complain; but it does not make a cent’s differ- ence to them who writes the insurance. In fact, it costs them more to let the syndicate do the business than if the vessel agent did it. We, of course, got a commission for all the insurance we wrote on cargoes, but the shipper didn’t pay it, as he sold his wheat C. I. F. (cost, insurance%and freight) in Buffalo, or to what- ever port it was shipped, and eventually the consumer had to pay-this commission. How much difference did it make to the consumer when the syndicate took hold of the business last year? “Under the new system the syndicate gets all the business, the shipper. does all the work for nothing, and we get left. If the shippers would only do the right thing—which would not cost them one cent—we would make a living, American companies would do the business, and every one here would be better satisfied.’’ The machinery of the Northern Steamship Co.’s pas- senger steamers, North Land and North West, is being overhauled to see what repairs are necessary. ‘This is preparatory to fitting up the boats for the season, which will be begun in a short time. Several new discoveries of iron have been made re- cently, on the Vermillion range, and they are showing up excellently. A movement is on foot to build a railroad from the Atkokan range to the head of navigation at Rainy Lake Such a road will complete the connection between Port Arthur and the Lake of the Woods and Rainy Lake making tributary to Port Arthur 400 square miles of territory, rich in iron, gold, pine and agricultural lands. Captain Major, owner of the Hattie Lloyd, has pur- chased the little steamer Belle, of Chicago, and will bring her to Duluth at the opening of navigation to run in connection with the Hattie asa ferry. The Belle can do 13 miles an hour. It is estimated that about 200,000 tons of coal will be on hand at the head of the lakes May 1, and that the stocks will be about evenly divided as to anthracite and bituminous. At the same time last year there was half a million tons.on hand, of which about two-thirds was anthracite. The small amount on hand this year is re- garded as practically a clean-up for the opening of nay- igation. ‘ There is every evidence that the ice field on Lake Su- perior, in this vicinlty, will break up early. A wide strip of blue water is plainly visible a few miles from the harbor. Work upon the several barges in course of construc- tiou at the American Seeel Barge Co’s yards has been suspended temporarily, until the arrival of material from Pittsburg. ‘The boats being constructed on build- ers’ account are practically completed, and will proba- bly be launched about May 1. The McCord Mumber Co., is pushing the work of con- struction of its docks opposite the mill, and it is expected that at at the opening of navigation the company will have a dock with lumber storage capacity for 2,000,000 feet. The company expects to cut from 26,000.000 to 30,000,000 feet of lumber the coming season. Howard James has been appointed purchasing agent of the Northern Steamship Co., with headquarters in Duluth. : Some lumber charters have been made, but on the basis of an unknown opening rate, the consideration in| & the first cargo to establish the freight. Shippers, of course, predict a weak opening, while vessel men are taking a brighter view of things. In this ‘connection it is stated that one vessel owner has signified a willing- ness to charter at $1.50, but $1.75 or better seems: to: be the prevailing sentiment. Eph Bod The largest trade for cargo shipment reported this year, is a sale by Mitchell & McClure.of 2,000,000 feet of good stock, in the log, for the éastern market. Elis EK. BEEBE. COLLINGWOOD. PREPARATIONS FOR NAVIGATION BEGINNING, NOTWITH- STANDING THE IMMENSE FIELD OF ICE.—A NEW. STHAM YACHT, . ey Special Correspondence to The Marine Record, ' COLLINGWOOD, On’t., March 27. Mariners are beginning to prepare for an approach- ing season of navigation. The engineers of the North Shore Navigation Co. and the Great Northern Transit Co. have commenced work. re The steamer John J. Long, owned by Messrs J. & C. Noble, will run on the Killarney and Detroit route, the same as in last season. Se Se sd Mrs. William Lockerbie, wife of the chief engineer.-of the C. P. R. steamer Athabasca, died at Owen Sound on Thursday. Her remains were brought hére and inter- red on Sunday. race Rubs motes te The fishing fleet which will leave here this spring will» be as large as in former years. .,. .». Se EE The ice on the harbor is thicker now than at any. time . during the winter, and extends out into the bay, as far~ as can be seen. It shows no signs of moving yet.’ Messrs. Watts & Sons have secured an order for a steam yacht for a hunting club which owns a reserve among the islands on the east shore of Georgian - Bay. , The dimensions are: Length of keel, 36 feet; length over all, 40 feet; beam, 9 feet. A Fitzgibbons boiler 3x6 feet’ will supply steam to a 6x8 inch Inglis engine, ‘The: contracts call for completion on May.1.. re ne Pp eat The C. P. R. steamers Manitoba, Alberta and Ath- . basca, are being fitted out. The Alberta will goon the Windsor and Fort William route and the Manitoba-and © Alberta will run between Owen Sound and Fort Wil- liam, neice DETROIT. — bag oS SU WRECKING FIRM BRANCHING OU1—LONGSHOREMEN FIX HON DREMEN FIX. RATES. a Special Correspondence to The Marine Record. . Pe eS PR SS TRO, a eo owe gE oP ae ee DETROIT, March 24. __ Harris W. Baker and C..A. Chamberlin have bought — the tug Champion from the Grummond estate, and will fit her out in the best possible manner for wrecking and lake towing purposes. The ‘tocal longshoremen have fixed the following schedule for 1896: Iron ore, 15c per ton; unloading’ stone,. ; 20c per cord; cordwood over the rail, 25¢ per cord, hold 9 feet or less, over 9 feet 20c per cord; piling in yard, 25c per cord, loading and unloading scrap iron, 35¢ per: -’ ton. Wrecking, 40c per hour from start to return;?” ordinary hour work, 30c. D. & C. officials count upon sending the City of De-. troit out next Saturday morning, unless the condition _ of the ice changes for the worse. The Union Transit Co, has leased Bissell’s big: wharf, foot of First street. AO Ribs 35 AES Henry W. Botsford, Capt. Carey and J. EK. Miller'& Sons, have purchased the tug Sumner, and will‘con-* vert it into a steam barge for carrying coal from Cleve-"' ' land to this port. SPSPEUA HAS HOER UY TT D2 i - eed OBITUARY. ie sh as CAPT. DAVID Z. CLOW, ‘ * i Cuicaco, March 24. : Capt. David Z. Clow, aged 74 years, died at his home at Crystal Lake last Thursday at noon, of blood poison- ing. Capt. Clow commenced sailing‘on ‘the lakes'many < “ years ago. He built the schooner Honest John at Oak ~ Creek, Wis., in 1848 and sailed her}; about six weeks. ; when he sold her. Hethen went to Chambers Island; Green Bay, Wis., and commenced-to build the schooner Sarah Clow, which took him-'13 years to complete. She was built from timber cut off his farm and whip-sawed out. He sailed her during the war and then sold her. He then built the schooner. Lewis Day at the same ~ place and under the same conditions.. After the loss of ~ the Lewis Day, Capt. Clow sailed and owned the schooner: A. P. Nichols, which was lost on Pilot Island in the.fall, . of 1893, when he gave up sailing. Capt. Clow was: much respected among his fellow’ men as a sterling, honest man of good repute. He leaves five sons.and . two daughters. ‘Two of his sons follow their father’s. occupation of sailing. Capt. Oscar:Clow, his eldest son, is in the employ of the Spaulding, Lumber Co,,. and also... does good work as a ship builder during the: winter... months at this port. Ps ciagy ago: Saag ~-WILEIAMS. $e i