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THE MARINE RECORD. SHIP BUILDING AND REPAIRS. ‘ FIRST OF THE NEW FLEET. 75 There i is a decided lullin ship building this week, as, Figures which were being made have come to naught forthe present, A tug isto be built for the Standard Oil Co, for ocean going purposes, and lake builders, “among others, have been asked to bid. The contract willhardly come to the lakes, however, as the lake builders are so badly handicapped by low water be- tween the lakes and the coast, where she is to be deliv- ered. It is pretty well settled that the American Steel _ Barge Co. will build two more boats, but work on these _ will not begin until late in the summer. _ The outlook for next season’s work is pretty fair, but depends somewhat on the freight rates paid this season. Low water should result in some good to the ship build- ers, both as regards repair work and in its effect in re- ducing by about 10 per cent the aggregate Carrying ca- _ pacity of the present lake fleet. _ The first of the new steamships for the Rockefeller line, the Sir Harry Bessemer, will be launched at the Globe shiSyard in about ten days. She will therefore be delivered to her owners very little later than the con- tract date, May 15. She was laid down just four months ago to the day, and is a fine example of what lake yards can do in the way of hurry-up work. The steamer W. D. Rees, of the Wilson Transit Co.’s fleet, was the first ship of the new fleet to move. She left the Cleveland shipyard Wednesday and went to Fairport to load coal. There was not the slightest hitch in her machinery, and the trial trip was in all re- spects a grand success. The Chase Machine Co. have a gang aboard her, covering her boiler with sectional asbestos and galvanized iron. NAMES OF THE BESSEMER CO.’S VESSELS. As the RECORD announced soine weeks ago, the fleet of the Bessemer Steamship Co. will be named in honor of men, both in this country and Europe, who have done most toward the advancement of -the iron Sciences. The steamer building at the Globe yards, the first out of the new fleet, will be named the Sir Henry Bessemer. The other names will be in honor of the following per- sons: James Nasmyth, inventor of the steam hammer, Sir William Siemens, inventor of the1egenerating fur- naces; Sir Isaac Lothian Bell, who conducted important chemical and metallurgical investigations in iron; Sir William Fairbairn, inventor of tubular s'eel structure and of iron vessels; John Ericsson, inventor of the screw propeller, the monitor, etc.; Robert Fulton, inventor of the steamboat; George Stephenson, inventor of the loco- motive; James Watt, inventor of the steam engine, Alexander L,. Holley, inventor of improvements in Bes- semer and other processess; George H. Corliss, inventor of improvements in steam engines; Alfred Krupp, de- _ signer and manufacturer of heavy steel ordnance. The Pittsburgh and Washburn, purchased some time ago, by this company, will be renamed in honor of Henry Cort, inventor of the puddling furnace, and James B. Neilson, inventor of the hot blast. The barges 102 and 103 will be named after Sir Joseph Whitworth; - inventor of the process of casting steel under pressure; and John Scott Russell, who made notable improve- ments in naval architecture. GENERAL REPAIR WORK. Port Huron.—The Tempest and Seattle were in Dunford & Alverson’s lower dry-dock for minor re- pairs. The Colorado will go into dock for some slight repairs, and will at the same time receive two new trout wheels. The owners expect big time from her this season. Work onthe Cahoon and Brainard is being pushed as fast af possible, to have the ready as soon as _ navigation opens. Burraro.—The tug Acme has gone into Mills’ dry- ‘dock for a new wheel, and the barge Hattie for recalk- “ing and general repairs. “SruRGEON Bay.—The work of putting in new stan- - chions, covering board, bulwarks, and rail on the port bow of the tug Nelson has been completed. In addition to her other repairs the schooner Wm. Aldrich has re- ceived a new rudder. Cuicaco.—At Miller Bros.’ shipyard the steamer razil is in dock for some new steel plates on her bot- om; the steamer J. W. Wescott for a general overhaul- * compared with the expectations held out last week.’ S a ing and extensive repairs and re-calking. The steamer A. R. Colborne was in for repairs to her stern-bearings; the revenue cutter Calumet for overhauling and clean- ing and painting bottom; the schooner yachts Foxteeth and Crusader and sloop yacht Druid for repairs and cleaning and painting bottoms. Tor“p0.—The steamer Aztec was in Craig’s dry-dock last week for a new wheel and calking. ‘This dock has been busy all winter, the boats repaired including the S. C. Reynolds, George J. Gould, Volunteer, Norwalk, Ira H. Owen, Nipigon, Melbourne and John Owen. At Gilmore’s dock several of Breyman’s scows are in for a overhauling. The Mongaugon is getting new stanchions . tail, covering board, etc., and some inside work. The St. Peter is receiving some new bulwarks, and ihe W. P. Barkalow some new hatches. MILWAUKEE.—The rebuild of the Cormorant is about completed, having cost nearly $14,000. he steamer Raleigh is having the upper part of her hull thoroughly rebuilt and strengthened. Her engines are being over- hauled, steam piping renewed, etc. Her repairs will exceed $18,000. The E)lfin-Mere is exchanging her three masts for two polespars. The J. D. Marshall has been getting extensive repairs, which are about finished. The C. H. Starke will get new 22x26 engine, besides other renewals. ‘The City of Venice andtug Hagerman have also been largely repaired. NOTES. The stern post for the tug S. M. Fischer, building at Craigs for the W. & M. people, is a neat piece of work. It was turned out by the Bass Foundry Co., of Fort Wayne, Ind. The splendid new racing yacht being built by George Craig, of Craig’s shipyaed, is nearing completion. She has been taken from the house in which she was built and will soon be placed in the water. She certainly has the look of a very fast craft‘ and if she does not show a clean pair of heels in her class to her competiters, fine lines and beautiful model count for nothing. She is 55 feet over all in length, 33 feet water line, 14 feet beam and will have a draft of 7 feet. She will be registered in the Ohio Yacht Club. The City of Toledo is at Detroit having her machin- ery thoroughly overhauled. A new steam steerer is be- ing installed. The schooner Sweetheart hashad her spars replaced with new ones at Buffalo. The Ashtabula tugs: William D., Sunol and Kunkle Bros., are being fitted with hydraulic steering gear. David Bell, of Buffalo, has the new steel yacht which he is building for George Moon, of that city, allin frame and plated. She’ will be launched about the last of April. Capt. Daniel McLeod, manager of the Inland Lloyds Register, directs attention to two typographical errors in the book. The valuation of the steel steamer Marina should be $160,000 instead of $100,000, and that of the wooden steamer Roumania should be $95,000 instead of $85,000. The steamer Louise has been receiving extensive re- pairs at John E. Monk’s dry-dock at Sandusky. A. S. Hayward, of Detroit, has been awarded the con- tract for buoy service in LakeH. St. Clair for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1897. His bid was $6.30. . The Lake Erie Boiler Works, Buffalo, have furnished a new steel bolier to the New York tug Komak. It was installed at Thomas Marvel & Co.’s yaré, Newburgh. - Considerable repair work has been done on the schooner Josephine Dresden at Racine. —_ rr + oe > A number of our subscribers have already directed that their addresses be changed, upon the opening of navigation, so that the RECORD will be sent to them in care of the vessel on which they will be engaged, via the DETROIT RIVER MARINE POSTOFFICE. service will be continued this season, and made even This river more efficient than last year, and we call the attention of our subscribers to this arrangement as according a certain and reasonably prompt delivery of the REcorRD, week by week, to those engaged in the traffic up and down the ijakes. ——_—— or oe a SUBSCRIBER:—The manager of: the Rockefeller fleet (Bessemer Steamship Company) is Mr. lL. M. Bowers. His address is Wade Building, Cleveland. MAXIMUM DRAFT.—LIMEKILN CROSSING. A few weeks ago we wrote to Lieut. J..B. Cavanaugh, Corps of Engineers, U. S.:A., who fills ‘the post of the late Gen. O, M. Poe at Detroit, asking “his views as to the maximum draft at which vessels may load at the opening of navigation when bound to Lake Superior or Lake Michigan. His reply follows: To the Editor of The Marine Record: DrErTROIT Micu., April 15, 1896. In reply to your letter in reference to the maximum draft to which vessels should load at the opening of navigation between Buffalo and Duluth and Buffalo and Chicago, I have to say that, as far as Lake Superior is concerned the limiting draft will be found at Sailors’ Encampment, and here the conditions are practically the same as they were at the close of navigation last year; therefore, the maximum draft should not exceed that used at the close of navigation last year, i.e., about 14 feet. Between Buffalo and Chicago the maxi- mum draft is limited to that which can be safely carried through the Detroit River. The channel from Ballard’s Reef to Limekiln Crossing has been cleared toa depth of 18 feet at the normal stage, which gives, at the pres- ent stage, not more than 16 feet of water. Below the Limekiln Crossing in the Amherstburg reach, the channel is full of obstructions, having over them, at the normal stage, but 18 feet or at present but.16 feet, and there are also two or three with very little more than 17 feet at the normal stage, or, at the present time, between 15 and 15% feet of water. In view of these facts I would say that the maximum draft for this trade should not exceed 14% feet. One of the most serious obstructions is just below the Limekiln Crossing, near the center of the channel. At the normal stage it has over it but 17.4 feet of water or, at the present stage, about 15.5. No further trouble will be experienced in Lake St. Clair, as the lower 15,000 feet of the improved channel, extending from the head of the Detroit River into Lake St. Clair, beyond the 18 ft. curve, has been thrown open to navigation. All boats should use the Kast half of the channel at the foot of Lake Huron, for, at the present stage of water, the KHastern half givesa clear channel 18 feet deep and 1200 feet wide. I had intended writing at an earlier date, but have been very busy, and also wished to include in the letter the results of an examination of the obstruction at the foot of the Limekila Crossing, which examination was completed to-day. Very respectfully, J. B. CAVANAUGH, Second Lieut., Corps of Engineers, U.S. A. _ EEE Oe ea «NORTHERN LINE INSURANCE. The remarks of Fairplay characterizing as so insuffi- cient the slight increase in the rates of premium charged by foreign companies over last year were pub- lished in THR RECORD last week. Now Fairplay again comes to the front with the statement ‘that while the in- creased rate has been paid, the valuations have been lowered, and in the case of the Northern Ljine fleet, the premiums paid aggregate not much more than last year. The figures given are as follows: In 1895 the six cargo boats of the Northern Line, valued at $160,000 each, were covered at 52s. 6d. per cent per annum (or about 25% per cent U. S. money), the aggregate premium be- ing about $25,200. Added to this were the two passen- ger boats, valued at $500,000 each, at 45s per cent (or about 134 per cent U.S. money), the premium being about $17,000, and the total for the eight ships $42,700. This year the six freight boats of the line are valued at $140,000 each, or all at $84,000 on which is paid 34% per cent premium, or $27,300; the second passenger ships are given a valuation of $400,000 each, on which 2 per centis paid as premium for both of $16,000, the aggre- gate for the first being $43,300, or only $600 more for the entire fleet than in 1895. ———EE Be Secretary Keep of the Lake Carriers’ Association, reports that in all probability a number of Pintsch gas buoys will be secured for Detroit River and the Sault; also for the bad passage above the St. Clair Flats Canal and at the ent ance to Green Bay, off Long Island Jait Point. Some have already teen ordered for the St. Lawrence River. As the buoys are charged only oncea season, the light house tenders can easily care for them.