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VOL. X/X. NO. 14. INSURANCE RATES FOR 1896. The lake marine underwriters have given out the following as their rates for the season of 1896. On all but the highest classes and valuations, the ratesare an advance over those of last year: : IRON AND STEEL TONNAGE, ; Per Cent Class Rig Valuation. . - Premium AY Steam > All values 2% A1¥% be ASS 4 Al Sail Ut ge) » 4%. ~ WOODEN TONNAGE. Al Steam $100,000.and over 44 At ' ie $60,000 and over 4% Al 4g $40,000 to $60,000 434 a oe $10,000 and under 5 A1% sf $60,000 and over 5 A1% ¥ $40,000 to $60,000 5% A1% 2 $40,000 and under 52 Al Sail $30,000 and over. . Al Al a Under $30,000... 6% A1% oY $30,000 and over - * 6 A1% rs - Under $30,000 7 On total loss and general average policies. including collision, on the foregoing, a reduction of 20 per cent is allowed. t A2 Steam $50,000 to $75 000 i A2 oe $25,000 to"$59-000° T84B Ax Seay $15,000 to $25, (.00 8% AQ nS $10,000 to $15,000 = 934 A 2 x Under $10,000 13 A2% Zs $25,000 to $50 000 10% A2% i $15,000 to $25 00 ll A2% ce $10,000 to $15,000 12 A 2% . - Under.$10,000 14° Bl 4 $25 000 to $50, 000 °: WL Bl re $15 000 to $25, 000° | 12 Bl $10,000 to $15 000_ 13 Bl fy Under $10,000 nae A2 _ Sail $25,000 to $50,000 9% - : A2 tees $15,000 to $25. 000 10 A2 me $10, 000 to $15,000 L2e> AQ > ri Under $10.000 14% A2% 4 $25,000 to $50 000° *10% GU VAS a Sele $15 000 to $25,000 1273 A2% ar $10,000 to $15 000. ~ - 18% AWS * Under $10,000 16 Bl ‘t $25 000 to $50,000 12 Bl “ $15 000 to $25,000. é 146 gett B1 ‘& $10,000 to $15,000: = 16 Bl s Under $10:000 & ae Stee Rates on tugs remain unchanged. , The seven-eighths collision clause subject to $200, de- ductable average. | past, Partial loss subjéct to one-half: of one per cent. de: @uctable BNGEMR Ges Fic ats ae me ‘VISIBLE SUPPLY OF-GRAIN. As compiled for THE MarINE RECORD by George F. Stone, Secretary Guiceee Board of | Trade, Marek 28, 1896: WHEAT. . CORN. oaTS. RYE, . BARLKY , Sree aie | Bushels.,| Bushels.| Bashels, | Bushels, | Bushele, Stee 12.000 SBi N00) Scie tare Wisielodsin's 117,000 678 000 103,000 83,000) soe. e eee 197 000 £E000| 226000) esl .ce ence ay 1,222,000 385,000) ' 27,000 199,000 415,000 65,000 Si cscies sa HG 000| coos eels tee sewers 18 433 090} 6 030.000! 1,714 000 438,000 16,000 716,600} 6,169,000) 1,123,000) ,.........)....5./ fae Cincinnati, iro <* 2.000 : 42 000 Detroit. >... ... a 3,000, _ 10,000 bi afloat Bhesciencee EVca seers Duluth and Superior. 13,452,000 140,000} 1,094 000 205 6 000 274,000 ‘© afloat] 612 000|...... ...|-+-+- Pisie'eig Cave olen eniale Hotanseucseic oie Tadtenapclis® Brat oatcecs 75 000 34 000|.........- : Sane Kansas City, 1.237,000} "2,900 638,000 5. ie daa a 000 1,000 17,000} 261 000 85,000 afloat, . : ts Nghe casa Toledo.. Rae paiires cicls afloat. eee esee esl ree 16 366,000 1895..............| 74,308,000! 13,407,000) °6.185 000 267,000) 787,000. EEE THE RECORD is pained to announce the sudden death of Mr. George Williamson, senior member of the well- known firm of Williamson Bros., manufacturers of CLEVELAND, OHIO, APRIL 2, 1896, $2 PER YEAR. 10c. SINGLE COPY ‘earlier. Range line to the Mamajuda Range line. steam steerers and hoisting engines. Mr. Williamson died of heart failure last Thursday after two weeks’ ill- ness with la grippe. He was sixty-seven years of age, and the eldest of the three brothers who organized this firm thirty years ago. The business will be continued by his two brothers,one of whom,Mr. W. C. Williamson, ~ recently made a trip to the Great Lakes in the interest of the firm,which has contracts to supply steam steerers to most of the boats now building on the lakes. EEE ea THE ICE AT THE STRAITS. By Telegraph to the Record: MACKINAW City, April 2. The wind blew furiously Tuesday night, with rain and mild weather since. The ice has begun to weaken, and itis now evident that navigation will open not later than April 15, and ah heavy westerly winds may open Mrs, I. Simpson, Marine Reporter. NOTICE TO MARINERS. GRASSY ISLAND SOUTH CHANNEI, RANGE FRONT LIGHT- ; STATION. : Notice is given that, on or about April 1, 1896, a fixed white lens-lantern light will be established i in the struc ture recently erected on the west side of the main chan- nel of the Detroit River, on Grassy Island fishery, about 1,300 feet due south from the present Grassy Island light. The focal plane of the light will be 25 feet above the mean level of the river. The light will illuminate 90° . of the horizon lying between N. 62° 30’ W. (NW. by W. “Y% W.) and N. 27° 30’ BE. (NNE. % E.) ) (bearings from a vessel), or 62° 30’ to the eastward and 27° 30! to the _ westward of the range line. The light will be shown from an octagonal lantern, «with white roof, surmounting a white, square pyramidal tower on a low foundation. With Grassy Island light asarear light, this light will mark a range line for running the main channel of the Detroit River fram the Grosse Isle North Channel The point of intersection with the Grosse Isle North channel range line is east of Mamajuda Range rear light and about 350 feet to the eastward of the 18 foot contour on the west side of the channel. The point of intersection with the Mamajuda Range line is a little more than % mile to northward of the Mamajuda Range front light. GENESEE LIGHT-STATION. The light tower at Genesee light-station on the west pier at the entrance to Charlotte Harbor, Lake Ontario, will be moved 350 feet northerly to a point on the pier about 30 feet from its outer end, and the fog signal building will be moved about 850 feet to a point just to the southward of the tower. On the opening of naviga- tion, 1896, the light will be displayed and the fog signal sounded from the structures in their new positions with- out charge. rr + 6 The report of the Lighthouse Board mentions, among other items, that 12 gas lighted buoys were in service during the year ended June 30, 1895. Since that time a gas buoy has been placed in service at Hrie,Pa., and othérs in New York Harbor. The Pintsch gas buoy, whith is made by the Safety Car Heating and Lighting Co., New York, is the type used, and is the only kind practicable for this service. These buoys are in high ‘favor with the government engineers and the Light- house Board, on the score of economy and reliability. and their number is found to increase rapidly on the Great Lakes, wherein many localities circumstances render Pintsch gas buoys the very best light that can be obtained. AVAILABLE DEPTH OF WATER. Lo the Editor of The Marine Record: The best I can do, in replying to your request for my views as to the probable maximum draft for vessels trading to Lake Superior and to Lake Michigan, is to state what our official records show in relation to the stage of water that has prevailed on Lakes Huron and Michigan from last October to the present time, and then make a ‘“‘guess” as to what may follow; for I must disclaim any gift of prophecy. The daily readings of our water gauges at Sand Beach Harbor of Refuge (Lake Huron) and at Grand Haven (Lake Michigan) show the mean monthly level of water in those lakes, during the past six months, to have been as follows: 1.96 feet below zero of Sand Beach Ga alge for October, 1895 235 © ‘ November, = a'59 * «i eee en oe {ag RS December, ‘ 9.59 « & Ges “ “ “f ‘ January, 1396 340 on fee ie ‘ ““ be sit Webruary, ‘ The record for the present month is, of course, in- complete, but up to the 21st iust. it shows a mean of 2.47 feet, or 7-100 of a foot less than the mean for February; it is not improbable. that the mean for the whole month may be substantially the same as for February. The records for all past years invariably show arising stage of water during the spring months, but last year’s rise during April and May was only a little over three inches, and I see no good reason for assuming that it will be greater this year. s With this statement you can probably make as good a guess as I can, respecting the stage that may be found on Lakes Michigan and Huron at the opening of this season’s navigation; but I see no good reason to sup- pose that the available depth for harbors on the two lakes to which I have referred will be materially greater - than at the close of last season’s navigation. Ihave no authentic data concerning the éxisting or probable condition in the St. Mary’s River, or at Lake Superior ports. In connection with this general subject, I enclose you a blue print which indicates the yearly fluctuations since 1838 in the mean monthly levels of Lakes Michi- gan and Huron, as obtained from authentic records; among the most interesting features to be observed at this time are (1) how nearly last year’s stage conforms with those of 1847 and 1848, and (2) the marked changes during the period that intervened before any work was done towards the establishment of the deep water chan- nel from the head of the lakes to Buffalo. Very respect- fully, G. J. LYDECKER, Lieut. Col. of Engineers. > rrr + a + NEWLY ENROLLED TONNAGE. Following is a list of lake vessels to which official numbers and signal letters have been assigned by the ‘Commissioner of Navigation, for the week ended March 21: aoe TONNAGE. — | | Official) Rig] Name. | -| Home Port.| Where Built No. | Gross. | Net. | | 121,015 |St. s.|F Rockefel’r}2,759.86 "2,013.55 \Bufialo Buffalo 81,535 |St. s.}.W. D. Rees {3,760.29 33 |\Cleveland jCleveland 52,984 |Bge. | 137 ‘|2 480.87 |2,367.51 |Buffalo _—‘|Superior __ a leh aces else ree CEE LAUNCH OF THE IOWA. The Wm. Cramp & Sons Ship and Engine Building Co. launched Saturday, at their yard at Philadelphia, the fourth of the new first-class battleships, called the She is 360 x 72 x 24 feet, with 11,410 tons dis- She will be driven by twin-screw engines, Her contract Iowa. placement. and her speed is estimated at 16. knots. price, hull and machinery, is $3,010,000.