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THE MARINE RECORD. NEWS AROUND THE LAKES. Boe; BUFFALO. THE Hargor THERE Not LIKELY To OPEN BEFORE THE , 201H—SomE QUEER StTorins Wrre anp WrtHout . FounparTion. ae BUFFALO, April 7. (Coal men say they are not going to look for tonnage now, and it may be the very last of the month before ‘they are ready. Vessel men are in no hurry, except on general principles. They would like to see everything ‘tied up till May. Brokers do not appear to be inclined to Oppose the proposition to makea lower rate oncoal to South Chicago than the Chicago River, as they see the force of the argument, so no one need be surprised to find South Chicago and Milwaukee taking a lower rate than Chicago proper, whether the old port likes it or not. With Hedstrom, the Lehigh and the Reading all located on the Calumet, that is the coming port, no mat- ter who says nay. Buffalo harbor is blockaded with ice again. ‘The wind has driven it down so far that there is no getting out, even to go down the river. For. the past week there has been signs of a breaking up, in spite of the cold weather. The ice was full of seams and the north shore was open some miles up; but if the’ blocking is as complete as it seems to be, it will take more to open nav- igation than seemed probable last week. There is the usual delayin the season’s dredging of the harbor by the city. Just so sure as the dredgers get ready to go to work someone will interpose and the mat- ter will drag along till the season is half gone before the workis done. ‘This year it is the manner of spread- ing the assessment. Already some weeks have been wasted:and it is likely to be months before the snarl is untangled. ~~ Ronn Capt. Soper, the harbor master, is into the cause of early dredging all over,and will get it started if the thing can be done. He called on some brokers a day or two ago, to drum them out for a meeting on the subject at city hall and struck avery different phase of business. “Captain” said one of them, ‘‘I want to congratulate Grover Cleveland on looking exactly like you. He is bigger ‘and balder than you are, but that is all the differ- ence. I saw him last week and thought of it.’’ , The fake lines have apparently closed the taking of outside boats for the season, The Anchor line has the Nicholas again; the Clover-leaf line the Blanchard and F.-& P. M: No 5; the Lackawanna line the Cuba, Flor- ida, Wyoming and-Orr; the Northern line, the Weed; the Soo line, the Nebraska, Gould, Pridgeon and Dyer; the Western line, the Gratwick (steel), Gilbert and Kear. sarge. oie beipic are given to finding fault with the press for-telling stories that should be kept in the background, but the fact is thatif half the yarns heard in marine circles were repatedin print there would be a small rev- olution started at once. There is a vessel undergoing repairs here that has always been pointed at by lake men as amenacetoallon board. Alake captain took occasion the other day to fire at her in her peculiar style. “T see they are fixing her up,’”’ he said. ‘‘Well it is time. Many a time I have met her plowing her way. up Lake Huron with four motions on her, just like arattlesnake. If they can take that out of her they will do well at this age, for she is not so young as she used to be.” E The various dockmen are doing the still-hunt act as the.best way. of-getting their organizations started again. The going to pieces of the shovelers, union two years ago about cleaned them out, but now the shovel- ers aré organized again andthe elevator men are fol- lowing suit, with prospect of more branches to come. They-will not give out any reports of proceedings, pre- ferring to gather strength quietly. Some little hope of a good lumber rate has been in- spired by the report that Duluth is still demanding the same $2.25 to Buffalo that was the asking price during the winter. It was supposed that it conld not be ob- tained, but it may be possible after all. Dealers here are quite indifferent to rates, asa rule, as they are not. in need of lumber. It-is reported that the Western line crews are under orders to be ready to sail on the 18th. The agreement was not to sail before that date, but there is no doubt that some of the lines will begin opera- tion by that time if there is any chance of getting out then. : The confident statement that the Northern Steamship Company was preparing to build two big grain eleva- tors on the property lately acquired here should. be passed around as a happy instance-of the rapid growth of imaginative quantities: Somewhere, in remarking on the new terminal facilitles of the company here, I stated that the company would.need an elevator as well as a warehouse. That appears to have been the whole story. If President Hill does not hurry back from, Europe and stop this thing the accommodating newspapers will have his new dock front so loaded down with improvements that he will never be able to find it again. d Teenie of the tug people are scandalized. ‘There are three or four in the harbor lines that are on duty most of the time, winter or summer, while the others come down once in a while and look at their shadows, like the bear on the 2d of February and then go back for an- other six weeks or so. The other day one of them dis- covered that an enterprising ship-store man had actu- ally built a storm house in front of his place, right in sight of thetug offices. One captain said that if the fellow didn’t know any more than to encourage cold weather in that way some one ought to go and tear the thing down. The people of Niagara Falls will have an opportunity to spend $100,000 for lands and docks on Niagara River above the Falls, by a bill which has passed the State Assembly. It creates a Board of Harbor Commissioners at Niagara Falls, and authorizes them to expend $100,- 000 for the building of docks, piers, wharves, slips, basins and bridges along the river. 1,060 feet long, another 1,380 feet, and the third 600 feet. The city will have forty yearsin which to pay for these improvements. The traffic department of the Northern Steamship Co. has removed its offices from No. 60 Main street to the Birge Building, corner Main and Seneca streets, Buffalo. The lake people who started the story that the Buffalo elevators would not hold all the grain that is to come down from Chicago on the first fleet could not have counted very straight. The elevators are about empty, and the fleet has been larger than it is now. : JOHN CHAMBERLIN. CHICAGO. : TAE SCHOGNER MARCIA SADLY EMAARRASSED BY LOW WATEK—MASTERS ANE ENGINEERS RAPIDLY JOINING THEIR Boats. Special Correspondence to The Marine Record, CHICAGO, April 8. The large grain fleet in winter quarters here, are be- ing fitted out, and the engineer are busy getting the machinery ready for a start as soon as navigation opens. Many capstans havearrived this week. Among the ar- rivals are Capt. D. Nicholson, of the Tom Adams; Capt. Williani*Cowan, of the John Mitchell; Capt. B. Nelson, of the William F. Sauber; Capt. E. Gatfield, of the Harvey Brown; Capt. C. Chamberlin, of the K. M. Peck; Capt. Girardin, of the Kirby; Capt. Parsons, of the Wm. H. Gratwick; Capt. Rae. of the Zenith City; Capt. Townsend of the Kdward Smith No. 2; Capt. Miller of the Edward Smith No. 1; Capt. John McNeil of the Thos. Cranage; Capt. N. Miner, of the Iron Duke; Capt. _W. Irwin of the Iron Chief; Capt. Wm. Millen of the Tron King. The U.S. local inspectors of hulls and boilers are very busy. They have inspected already this season, 40 steamers and tugs. The schooner Isabella Sands, Capt. August Johnson, which arrived Monday morning with salt from Manistee was the first sailing vessel to arrive here this seasor. The schooner Winnie Wing which left here Saturday afternoon for Manistee was the first sail vessel to leave this port this Season. The steambarge Maggie Marshall which arrived here April first with salt from Manistee was the first arrival this season of the coarse freight carrier. C. W. Elphicke & Co. chartered the steamer J. J. Hill for wheat to Buffalo at 2c. the schooner Manda for 165,000 bu. corn, South Chicagoto Buffalo, at 1%c; whaleback 117, for 96,000 bushels wheat to Buffalo at 134c; schooner Malta, for 123,000 bushels, wheat to Buf- falo at 1%c schooner Marcia for 124,000 bushels wheat to Buffalo at 1%c; schooner C. P. Minch, oats to Port Huron at 1%c. Se ules The Dunham Tug Company towed the steamer Omaha loaded, to Milwaukee to fit out; the U.S. Revenue Cut- ter Calumet to Miller Brothers’ dry-dock; the steamer W. F. Sauber to South Chicago. The Independent tug line towed the schooner Winnie Wing—the first schooner to leave Chicago this season, out on Saturday, and the schooner Isabella Sands—the first schooner to arrive here this season,—in on Monday. The schooner Marcia has had a tough experience since loading at Armours A. and B. elevators. Shehad about 13,000 bushels of her cargo of wheat unloaded be- fore getting away from the dock, then she got aroundin the draw of Division street bridge and remained there several days, entirely putting a stopto all traffic. She is now aground in the Ogden canal, opposite Miller Brothers shipyard, where she is likely to remain until the water in the river rises or some more of her cargo is lightered. The L. M. & lL. S. Trans. Co.’s steamers Peerless and City of Duluth will be put in the passenger and freight trade this season between Chicago and Lake Superior ports, and their steamers City of Traverse and Jay Gould will carry freight only. The company’s steamer Manitou will make onetrip to Duluth and all points on Lake Superior this season before going on her route be- tween Chicago and Mackinaw. The Goodrich Trans.Co.’s side-wheel steamer Chicago, arrived here Friday from Manitowoc on her first trip this season. She has taken the place of the Company’s steamer City of Livingston, which is getting her spring overhauled at Manitowoc. The steamer Glenn, of the Williams Transportation Co., South Haven, experienced a rough time when try- ing to get out of South Haven on Friday evening in con- sequence of the low water on the bar at the entrance to the pier. The Glenn grounded on the bar and swung around against the sonth pier, which was heavily clad « One dock is to be. with ice, and stove in her bulwarks between the main railand upper deck, nearly her whole length on the port slde, and broke severalstanchions. The Glennran back, and after receiving repairs left again for Chicago where she arrived Saturday afternoon on her first trip this season. f The Goodrich Transportation Co.’s steamer Atlanta, Capt. William Nicholson arrived here Sunday. from Manitowoc on her first trip, this season. She left Mon- day evening for Grand Haven and Muskegon.’ She will make tri-weekly trips until itis necessary to put on a daily line, when the steamer City of Racine will join er. The steamer Denver, light, arrived here Monday from Milwaukee to load grain. eve Shas The Northern Michigan Line steamer City of Charle- voix, Capt. Wm. Finucan, left here on the 4th for. north- ern Michigan ports on her first trip this season. THOMAS WILLIAMS. CLEVELAND. THE NEW HARBOR OF MASTERS AND PILOTS ORGANIZES AND CHOOSES OFFICERS—LOW WATER IN THE CUVA- HOGA. re os ‘CLEVELAND, April 9, Capt. Samuel W. Gould has closed his navigation school for the season, after a very interesting and suc- cessful term. Se Capt. H. J. Kendall is here from Port Huron to fit out the steamer H. J. Kendall. f oe The steambarge Cleveland, towing the Eureka and Magnet, were the first arrivals from a distance this year. They came inon Monday and will load coal for the rivers. ; NBC rae The Cuddy-Mullen Co. and the Morris Coal Co. have combined in a corporation to be known asthe Cleveland: Fuel Co., handling all steamboat fuel business that is to be done by lighter in Cleveland. The Cuddy-Mullen Co, | is already in possession of a lighter that is to be taken over by the new company, and another lighter’ ‘will be ° built at once. These lighters will be available for work on the Northern Line passenger ships whenever it may © be inconvenient to fuel the big steamers from chutes. __- The water inthe main river is very low, and at one coal dock on the west side of the river, above Main street’ bridge, boats are able to load to only 12. feet. Some dredging needs to be done at once. Pete Harbor 42, American Association of Masters and Pilots, was formed here last Saturday. evening, with’ about fifty charter members, most of whom had been: members of the lately dissolved harbor of lake pilots... Capt. W. A. Collier was ‘elected captain; Alex McLaugh- lin, first officer; Thomas Allen, ‘second officer; C.K. Benham, purser. C the former harbor No, 94 Superior street. Capt.’ Ben- jamin Perkins, of Camden, N. J., who organized the lodge on belief of the Grand Harbor, went to Toledo, where everything was in readiness for him, and found Harbor No. 43 there Tuesday evening. A private ‘tele- gram from Chicago, received this (Thursday) morning stated that the first annual ball of Chicago Harbor, the pioneer lake organization of the American Association of Masters and pilots, held Wednesday night, was a pro- nounced success, the attendance being very large. : fa The Cleveland Tug Company has moved its offices . from No. 1 Front street to No. 23 River street. The old block will be partially rebuilt and remodeled. Chaun- cey A. Morgan, thenew manager, is now busy fitting ° out the tugs for the season. : Capt. W. S. Mack and Capt. George P. McKay left for Detroit Wednesday night to arrange for lighting and staking the new channel at Ballard’s reef and to arrange with Capt. Andrew Hackett and Duff & Gatfield for: the ' maintenance of other private lights. : 3 Capt. C. EK. Motley, keeper of the life-saving station. a here, received instructions to put his créw into commis- sion on the 8th inst. This is the first crew to begin ser: : vice on this lake. : = : we IN GENERAL. Floods in Toronto did some damage-to shipping last’ week. Lake Huron Life-saving stations will open on the 16th inst. The Maytham and Hand Tug lines, of Buffalo, have announced a cut of 10 per cent on their rates this sea- ‘son. ‘ Capt. P. Doherty, keeper of the life-saving station, has just finished a new boat for that station. It was bhilt in Collingwood, and is modern in every way. A large force of men began work last Monday at Hu- ron, making preparations for the improvements to be made by the W. & lL. EK. R’y Co. and the Huron Dock Company. The Ashtabula life-saving crew will goon duty Fri- day. Capt. Walworth has enlisted the following men- No. 1, George Wilson; No. 2, Gardner Johnson; No. 3, Irwin Hinnan; No. 4, Gilbert Rofbins; No. 5, Clinton Bentley; No. 6, Will Frazier; No. 7, Stephen Vail. The schooner Good Intent, said to be the oldest: craft registered in the official list of merghant vessels, is about ready to start out on her eighty-fourth year of cruising, from Belfast, Me., where she has been tied up during the winter. The harbor will retain the. rooms: of © *