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” “NEWS AROUND THE LAKES. ’ CHICAGO. THE MARCIA HARD AGROUND WITH 136,000. BUSHELS OF WHEAT IN. CHICAGO RIVER—PORT MOVEMENTS; : - ae? “> * “CHICAGO, March 31, ' The Dunham Tug Co, towed the schooner Annabel ‘Wilson and the steamer Lewiston to Armour’s elevator; the schooner Annie M. Peterson to the Galena elevator; the:schooner H. D. Alverson to the Indiana elevator; the schooner D. P. Dobbins to Armour’s D elevator; the steamer Peerless to Miller Bros.’ dry-dock. The first annual reception and ball to be given by the members of the American Association of Masters and Pilots, Chicago Harbor, at the Medinah Hall on Wed- nesday evening April 8, promises to be a great success. James L,. Higgie, jr., receiver for the Chicago vessel owtiers Towing Co., has’sold the tug Calumet to Messrs. Graham and Helmert of Marquette. Consideration $5,100. , Me . , The Holland & Chicago line have appointed the fol- lowing officers to their steamer. Soo City—captain, M. J. Driscoll; chief engineer, Byron Hopkins; clerk, F. M. Hubbard. Steamer City of ._Holland—captain, George Pardee; chief engineer, Frank Snider; clerk, Frank J. Carlin,.. The steamer Soo City goes into., commission. this week... es ae Capt. Simon O’Day and Chief Engineer John lL. Muz- zey arrived here last week and are fitting out the steamer Isabella J. Boyce. gs ae yt The Independent Tug Line towed the schooner Marcia and Malta steamer City of Naples and Whaleback No. 117 to Armours A:& B elevators, the schooner Louis A. Burton tothe basin. i . “The schooner Marcia, which took on 136,000 bushels of wheat last week at Armour’s A & B elevator,. will probably have to unload a portion of her cargo, as the united efforts of the I..T. line’s powerful tugs, William Dickinson and Charnley, have failed to tow her from the elevator dock. »:. Pie _ THOMAS WILLIAMS. ~~ u : BUFFALO. : ‘THE ICE GOES OUT OF ‘THE CREEK AND THE DRY-DOCKS “= RESUME BUSINESS—INQUIRY FOR FLOUR STEAMERS. | Sate PET HA F Biss - Buffalo, Maré# 30. Still no business. Vessel men are standing” about with'their hands extended, but shippers are not putting anytHing in them yet. This holding back is getting: to be very wearisome. Coal’shippers declare that it* ‘will be the end of April or:close to it before they will watt any tonnage. Lumber shippers are saying nothing. © Still there is activity of some sort. Vessel owners are plenty and the meeting of lake underwriters last week kept them here-three or four days. They were very slow with the work and did not issue the complete policy form last week at all. Of course vessel men who own the low class craft are complaining that the tower- ing height of 18 per cent. on which the last of them are set is prohibitive, which it was probably intended to be. When it is publicly stated that steel vessels cost t he companies 5.85 per cent. last season the gap between 18 and 3% does seem to be an exceedingly wide, not to say arbitrary one. In spiteof the low water, insurance men are not looking for many early losses, they say.” The supposition is, that. vessels will be more careful than they were last spring. ‘ 4 ~ Vessel meri are laughing at the joke played on the in- nocent public by the Western line in announcing its ap- pointments. Thesteamers Empire State and Idaho are “filed away’? as the aldermen would say, up the creek, where they are likely to stay till sold, but appointments were made for them the same as the rest. On examina- tion it was found that the two shore men who take care of the boats for the company were named for captains and that the “J. Smith’? and ‘‘W. Brown’’ who appear as engineers are entirely fictitious. It wasa rare stroke of genius. : ““It'was the 29thof March before. the ice finallyfwent out of the creek and it left. the outer harbor and lake as solidly locked up in the ice as at any time this winter. There is at once a rush of vessels for the dry-docks, which have been emply for some weeks, partly on ac- count-of the frozen condition of the dock approaches and partly because it was thought that there would be time enough to do the work after the ice went out. There is sticking on the ceiling of the ship-broker’s office of Brown & Co., the number 24, which is to note the fact that Joseph B. Rodgers, the junior member of the firm, was married on that day. ‘he bride is Miss Ida Cowen, of this city. A trip to the seaboard is now in progress. ear j Manager Henry, of the Lehigh line, denies that .the wooden boats of that line have been offered for sale, as was given out some time ago, He says that someone asked for a price on one of them, and it was given, and they would probably all be sold if satisfactory prices could be got for them, but they are no more for sale “than any boat is. This is the way the Anchor line:boats were offered for sale. Somebody is very officious. There is already negotiation for anfew good-sized steamers to bring down flour from Duluth. ‘Fhey will have to be nominally in some line, but they will be handled by outsiders, the line sanction being necessary THE MARINE RECORD. to secure them the benefit of the throughrate. Western flour shippers are anything but satisfied with the rates made, and this isa move to get a better one, if the thing can be done. They are already saying that the rate is going to cut them out of the export business. Manager Bullard, of the Union line. went to Florida about three ‘weeks ago in search of better weather. He went down from New York by water and encountered a firece gale all the way to Jacksonville. It was expected that he would be back this week, but word comes back instead that it is cold down there and he will stay an- other week. The talk of bringing down some of the side-tracked Chicago-tugs to start an opposition line here, and per- haps on Lake Erie generally, has been revived. When the Chicago deal was made there was word to that effect. but nothing came of it. Now it is reported that there is a Chicago man on the spot looking into the chances. It will pay him to think twice before he makes the trial. Several good men and true have made a dismal failure of it after waisting a season at it. Following are the appointments of Maytham’s tug line; Tug Fabian—Captain, H. Vroman; engineer, George Fratis. Gee—Captain, Charles Nash; engineer, John O’Connor. Acme—Captain, Thomas Doyle; en- gineer, F. Upper. Cheney—Captain, John Glover; en- gineer, W. Lennox. Maytham-—Captain, John Farrell; engineer, Timothy Higgins. Kelderhouse—Captain, Al. McMinn; engineer, Thomas Higgins. Photographs of the steamer Cormorant have been sent down from Milwaukee to show what an elegant job of new work has been done on her. It is said by her owners, the Niagara paper company, that she will be about as good as new when she comes out for business. The St. Louis of the same line, is receiving extensive repairs at Tonawanda. JOHN CHAMBERLIN. PORT HURON. WARM WEATHER AND RAIN SHOW THEIR EFFECT ON THE ICE AND THE BOATS —APPOINTMENTS OF ENGINEERS. Special Carrespondence to The Marine Record. oe” Port Huron, March 30: “The wind blew a gale from the south Saturday and Sunday nights, with avery warm rain. The ice went out of Black River. Saturday, and if this weather con- tinues it will sooritfinish up theice. There is still lots of ice in Lake Huron. The barges Favorite and K EK Tyson will tow behind the Maggie Duncan. The Port Huron & Sarnia Ferry Co. have issued a souvenir pamphlet describing the attractions of Stag Island .as a pleasure resort. It contains numerous views and a neat descriptive articles. Port Huron Lodge, of the Shipmasters’ Association, has received a letter from Mrs. Lydia Geel, acknow- ledging the prompt payment of $1,000, the insurance claim for the death of her late husband, Capt. Cum- mings S. Geel. It has been definitely settled that the Arundel will go to Bay City on May 15. A report from Lexington Monday says there is lots of ice, both up and down as far as the eye can see. p _.'The steamer Britannic came out of the dry-dock Snn- day and was towed to Marine City by the ferry Conger. - The steamer Mary will make regular trips between here and Algonac. The wind continues southwest and it will blow the ice over to Canada without paying its export duty. During the coming season Port Huron engineers will be located as follows: Arthur Armson, chief, Linden; Fred Bonner, second, Madagascar; Wilbur P. Boynton, chief, Canisteo; George H.. Bowen, chief on new steam- barge. now building here; Irwin G. Buzzard. chief, Maggie Duncan; Thomas Birch, chief, Colorado; Robert B. Buchanon, chief, Servia; Joseph Cadotte, chief, Thomson Tug Line; James H. Countryman, chief, John . V. Moran; Duncan Campbell, second, John Spry; James Crochett, second, Mary Groh; Edward Cottrell, second, T. D. Stimson; John Dillon, chief, steamyacht Pene- lope; Harvey Depuy, chief, Pawnee; Robert Doman, second, J.C. Ford; Edward Egan, chief, K. W. Oglebay; James H. Fitzgerald, Dry-Dock Iron Works; Fred Fitzgerald, chief, Madagascar; Peter Finney, chief, tug W. B. Castle; J. H. Green, second, I. W. Stepben- son; John Gibson, second, Norwalk; Ed Gripton, second, Linden; Edward Harvey, chief, tug C. Ll. Boynton; George W. Ingham, second, Thompson Tug Line; Den- nis Kerrigan, chief, tug George Stauber; John Kinrie, chief, Port Huron and Sarnia Ferry Line; George A. Miller; chief, Kalkaska; Gilbert McSilland, chief, tug C. D. Thompson;'S. G. Merrill, chief, F. W. Fletcher; B. Frank Miller, power-house, Chicago; Edward Moore, chief, tug Jim Pullar; James J. McCarthy, second, Rhoda Stewart; Harry Odette, power-house, Cleveland; Charles Odette, second, Simon Langell; James M. Oag, second, John V. Moran; L. C. Purdy, chief, T. D. Stim- ‘son; John Parron, second, H. J. Kendall; Edward H. Parry, second, Gogebic; Henry C. Percival, second, Pawnee; Anthony Rein, chief. Simon Langell; Charles Rice, second, Garden City; Harry Rondeau, second, Maggie. Duncan; James ‘Southgate, chief, Rhoda Stewart; Herman Schmidt, second, Cleveland; Thomas Treleaven, chief, Cleveland; G.: W.’Thorn, chief, Ger- manic; Clinton J. Trumbull, second, Canisteo; Albert Turner, second, on new boat building at Jenks’ yard; Everett Van Liew, chief, B. W. Arnold; Leverette Van Liew, chief, Lora; Thomas Welch, chief, Iosco; Ansel P. Williams, chief, J. C. Ford; Andrew J. Wilson, Norwalk. es Capt. B. B. Inman, of Duluth, contemplates trans- forming the Belle Cross, in winter quarters here, intoa wrecker and stationing her at the Sault. In that case he will use one of her old lumber barges as a lighter to go with her. KENDAL, M. R. Co. DULUTH AND SUPERIOR. Ick BREAKING UP VERY RAPIDLY—OPENING OF NAVIGA- TION SET FOR APRIL, 26 TO May 1.—LAKE AND-RAIL, RATES. Spectal Correspondence to The Marine Recora.. DuLuTH, MINN , March 31. The blue waters of Lake Superior are now plainly visible for miles. The ice, which is rotting very fast, now extends only from the harbor to Kighteenth avenue east, a distance of about a mile What ice there is has been so badly honeycombed by the warm rains and the sun of the past few days that the first good wind will carry it away. The ferry steamer Oden broke the ice in the bay Mon- day, making her first trip, Duluth to Superior and re- turn. This is the Oden’s first trip this season and opens navigation on the bay. : General Manager Farrington, of the Northern Steam- ship Co , has given out the Jake and rail rates for the coming season. The rates go into effect April9. A comparison of the rates on the various classes last vear and this year are as follows: 1 ged 1896—New- York to Duluth, with usual differences from seaboard cities, 70, 60, 50, 35, 30, and 25 cents. 1895—From same to same, 90, 75, 58, 41, 34, and 30 cents. SES: 1896—New York to St. Paul, 84, 74, 57, 41, 35, 30 cénts. 1895—$1.04, 89, 71, 48, 39, 35 cents. re The same through rates will prevail to St. Paul, lake- and-rail, via Lake Michigan ports as via Duluth. The east bound tariff, Duluth to New York, remains the same as last year, namely: 75, 65, .0, 35, 30, and 25 cents. . The rate on flour, Duluth to New York, is 20 cents; from Lake Michigan roris, 17% cents; and 25 cents from the Twin Cities. The report sent out from Chicago that the flour ra'e to New York from that port is 20 cents, is incorrect. The work of fitting out the vessels wintering in the port of Duluth is now in full swing. Among the ves-els upon which prep:rations for the coming season have lately been begun are the steamers Colgate Hoyt, Trevor and Samuel Mather, and the barges 105 and 126. The Emily P. Weed is now ready for sea, she having been put in good shape at the close of navigation. Vessel agents now look for the opening of navigation from Aprii 25 to May 1. : 1 ; Bey The tug Eveleth caine down from Two Harbors last week, but did not attempt to break through the ice into the harbor. She came to the edge of the ice, uriloaded her cargo and returned down the north shore. - There will be but few improyementson the Duluth and Superior docks this year. All of the companies are pro- vided with up to date machinery for handling coal, and have sheds for the storage of their hard coal, so there is not much need for making expenditures in those lines. And the dock capacity is sufficient to accommodate the Northwest for several years. The Great Northern Rail- way has just purchased 250,000 tons of coal at Cleve- land for use on its lines. : A syndicate has just been formed to develop the iron deposits which have been discovered in the vicinity of Duluth. A large amount of money has been subscribed and operations will be commenced immediately. Those interested are very enthusiastic over the prospects. ELuis E. BEEBE. CLEVELAND. : A STRONG REPORT IN FAVOR OF WIDENING THE RIVER —MASTERS’ AND PILOTS’ CHANGE. j CLEVELAND, March 31. The report of Col. Jared A. Smith, Engineer Corps, U.S. A., tmpon the proposition to widen the channel of the Cuyahoga River near its mouth. His- report: is strongly in its favor. His estimates for the work, cribs and concrete, are as follows, Renewing piers 1,800 feet north of Lake Shore Railroad bridge, $180,000; 260 feet south of bridge, $26,000: dredging, 200,000 cubic yards, $40,000; contingencies of engineering, $14,000; total for pier work, $260,000; on west arm of breakwater, $544,000; sheathing surface of cribs, $23,494; contingencies, $32,506; total, $600,000. ‘Total for Cleveland, 600,000. Col. Smith also reports, by request, upon Conneaut harbor improvements, and submitted estimates for pier extension, construction of breakwater, and dredging to a depth of 20 feet, is estimated at $610,000, including what has already been expended—80,000. At a special meeting*of the local branch of the Lake Pilots’ association held Wednesday evening it was de- cided to join the National Association of Masters and Pilots of Steam Vessels, S. W. Gould, William Somer- ville and Samuel Thurston were appointed a committee to tarn the property of the local association over to the national organization. Harbor No. 42 will be organized Saturday evening by B. F. Perkins, grand secretary of the national association.