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4 NEWS AROUND THE LAKES. rr ee BUFFALO, N.Y. Special Correspondence to The Marine Recora. Seaboard is a trifle wild when it states that the Wal- lula was rebuilt in 1892 at a cost of nearly $200,000. Somebody has been lavish in the use of cyphers. The Wallula was valued at only $70,000. The plan to float the stranded barge C. L. Young off the reef at the mouth of the harbor has not worked yet, and she is hanging on there yet, with the captain not willing to let the lumber be taken out of the hold lest the boat should refuse to float after that. It must be pleasant to the owner of the lumber to wait so long for his goods. Only a few of the lumber boats are going up after loads now. The Curtis tow is about all that has gone out of here for some days. The Ogemaw tow is here with final loads. Had lumbermen been eager enough for more stock they could have got boats by raising the freight, but this they failed to do. Itis a good deal to be able to note that the Union Dry- Dock is to fall into line again with a new 500-foot dock. It will be built right away, and adjoining the others and ought to be ready for next season. A dock less than 400 feet long is a plaything these days, but it ought to be sometime before the fleet outgrows a 500-foot one. Coal freights made a jump to 60 cents to Lake Michi- gan and 50 cents to Lake Superior, much to the astonish- ment. of the general marine public. It appears that there was a scarcity of boats all at once and rather more coal was discovered than had been looked for, so quite a fleet was putin. This ought to make business more lively this week than was anticipated. _ Then if present plans work the Union yard will launch the Standard Oil barge in about a month and begin work on a duplicate of the Ramapo for the Union Steamboat Co. With these two new ones, the Owego and Chemung changed over into heavy carriers and the New York and Rochester rebuilt the Union Line fleet of eight boats will take a new place among the others. _The.sensation of the week was,.of course, the strand- ‘ing of the Union Transit Liner Moran, on Sturgeon Point, last Friday night. She got off all right, without apparent injury, but the risk was great, especially as the wind came about during Saturday and might have finished her if she had not escaped beforehand. There is no explanation of the accident. Someone blundered, of course, but who it was is not to be told. Possibly it was the compass. Erastus Wiman, Chauncy Dutton and Alexander R. Smith are names associated with the ‘‘gigantic’’ canal- poudt Comvination which is to take advantage of Hrie canal improvements, and which “‘is just ready to be floated,’ with steam canalboats, storage warehouses, Niagara electric power, etc. ‘These names, as well as others referred to as promoters of this scheme, have been heard of before in connection with big enterprises, but only in newspapers. - There is a serious casting about on the part of the line managers, to find wild boats to charter. It is not every boat that is fitted to carry package freight, and some of them are in other business. There is now mtich more flour than the line boats can bring down this fall, and the millers are so eager to get everything cleaned up that they are urging any departure from the usual methods that will promise to do the work. Since the election there has been a great increase of west- bound freight also, so that the lines are in a fair way to be running till they freeze in. The stranding of the steamer Moran on Sturgeon Point set line managers to speculating on the unrelia- bility of the average sailor at this time of the year. The men, as a rule, don’t care whether they go out on an- other trip or not, and if they have no appointment for next season to take care of they will disregard all rules of conduct till they are on board, at least. No one sup- poses that there was anything wrong with the captain, mate or engineer of the Moran, for they have a future at stake, but that is not saying much for some of the others. Itis feared that the Moran may be in need of an inspection when she gets to Duluth, so Capt. Killeran has gone up to look her over. Rie Se The big Corrigan barge Aurania did not take ont all the coal there was atthe Tifft Farm last Sunday, nor the 5,200 tons that she cleared, but she loaded 4,752 net tons on an eyen draft of 15 feet 414 inches, which is a great feat, even fora Buffalo dock, especially as the load was taken in 244 hours. And here is Oswego boast- ing of loading 1,300 tons on the Monteagle the other day in 344 hours and wondering what Buffalo has to say to it. Well, this is what Buffalo says: The rate is more than five times that of Oswego. ‘The Aurania’s load is by far the largest ever taken at any Buffalo coal dock and is no doubt the largest coal cargo ever loaded on the lakes. It goes to the Lehigh dock at South Chicago. The grain cargo*s gave out as the week went on, but ‘the waiting boats did not all get to elevator for all that. They were all bunched for the Lehigh elevators and the cars gave out pretty badly and of course no other road must be allowed to touch any of them on any ac- count, so several of. them waited half a week or more. The Craig was the only one that had been in any length of time that is still waiting. But the grain season is close to the end unless Duluth starts up. Last week’s THE MarinE RECORD. receipts were considerably more than 5,000,000 bushels, which ought to be enough for the time of year. : The canal is doing its full share in carrying off the grain, having taken out over 300,000 bushels last Satur- day, but this is the end of the boating season. There have ‘been some profits, especially as the rate, though low, has been uniform all the season, with only a slight rise near the cloce As soon as the water can be drawn off in December the work of deepening will begin. This will be a great thing for the boatmen at once, in spite of the fact that they will not be able to build any larger boats yet. This end of the caval has always been very expensive to the boatmen, as the rock is so high in the bottom of the canal most of the way to Lockport that striking and going down is a common thing with boats carrying full loads of wheat, especially when the water islow inthelake. A boatman says that $50,000 worth of boats and cargo has been lost or injured on this sec- tion during the present season. JOHN CHAMBERLIN. : CHICAGO, ILL. Special Correspondence to The Marine Record. At Miller Bros.’ shipyard the steasmer Desmond was in dock for recalking all over; the tug Frank Edward was in for a new shaft and the schooner C. J. Magill is in fora new center-board box, new deck frames and new deck. Chief Engineer W. L. Miller, who has been with Capt. A. E. Johnson on the steamer Westcott, which has gone into winter quarters, has been given the position of chief engineer on the steamer Pueblo. The schooner F. W. Gifford, Capt. G. E. Kohnert, and the steamer Mary McGregor are here waiting to unload their cargoes of bituminous coal at the Dunham Tow- ing and Wrecking Co.’s new coal dock. | John Maurice, compass adjuster, adjusted the com- pass of the Graham & Morton Co.’s steamer City of Louisville on Tuesday. His job previous to this one on the firetug Yosemite was a complete success, although her compass prior‘to adjusting deviated 16 points from its true course. Capt. C. EK. Kirtland has resigned command of the Huron Line steamer City of Fremont, and is succeeded temporarily by Capt. Michael Morgan, who had charge of the steamer A. B. Taylor. The permanent command of the City of Fremont has been tendered and accepted by Capt. James Fraser, another veteran lake navigator, who spent many yeats inthe employ of thelate Capt. KE. M. Peck, of Detroit. The large steel steamer Cresent City, now under way at the yard of the Chicago Ship Building Co., will be equipped with a quadruple expansion engine and Babcox 1,928, Wilcox boilers, guaranteed 250 pounds eteam pressure The cylinders of the engine are to he 19, 41 and 60 inches in diameter and stroke 42 inches. The engine isto built at the shipbuilding company’s works and will be the first introduced on the lakes on a steamer of large size. On Friday evening last the O. B. Green Dredging Co., which has the government contract for dredging the river, while at work between Fifth avenue and La Salle street, brought upwith the scoop an old-fashioned sate. It was lined. on the inside with wood and had a key lock. The fireman on the Yosemite examined the relic and said it undoubtedly belonged to the old steamer Giobe. This steamer blew up in the river in 1861, at about the same spot where the safe was found. She hada cargo of apples, and that was lost with all the other contents of the craft. Nothing was found in the safe, which the Green company will keep as a relic. The Globe was “ one of the old-time side-wheelers which plied between Buffalo and Chicago, and had been converted into a screw-wheel steamer only a few seasons prior to the explosion which ended her existence. : WILLIAMS. CLEVELAND, O. Special Correspondence to The Marine Record. The Yakima wasin the Ship Owners’ dry-dock this week, for two new blades to her propeller. Capt. Holmes, who was master of the Wilson Liner Wallula, will probably spend the winter in Mexico. The river is to be improved at a cost of $231,000, and as soon as the preliminary arrangements are concluded, work will be started. The Cleveland Ship Building Co. will build a Scotch- type boiler for the steamer Robert Wallace, to be put in during the winter. ‘This will replace a fire-box boiler. Capt. McQueen, who through the nervousness of his wife was reported off duty for a couple of weeks, is still keeping to windward, and is in active service out of Chicago. The manager of the Lake Michigan Car Ferry Trans- portation Co. denies that the tug S.M. Fisher is to be lengthened this winter. In his denial, however, he says that the Chicago Ship Building Co. will be consulted if a change is made. The steamers Bessemer and Siemens, built by the Globe Iron Works Co. for the Rockefeller fleet, are both powerful and speedy. The Bessemer has made fourteen miles an hour light, and has been towing one of the big barges, the Nasmyth, right along at an average speed better than eleven and one-half miles. It has heen known for some time that Mr. Philip J. Minch was courting as strenuously as possible one of Cleveland’s fairest daughters, Now that ‘‘the cat is out of the bag,’’ Ismay announce that the genial Philip is to marry Miss Charlotte May Hansheer, and in doing so the best day’s work of his life has been accomplished. That passenger agent of the D. & C. Line isa daisy. In announcing #he discontinuance of the passenger service on the Lake Huron route he has got out special cards electrotyped so as to show the “‘Iyine of the Trol- ley.” It seems early for the D. & C. Line to close down on Lake Huron trips, but I suppose receipts qual- ify transportation services. y Vesselmen object to the manner in which ‘‘bridge hours’: are regulated. Thesteamer J.J. Hill was one hour anda half passing through two bridgesa few days ago. The ‘‘bridge hours’? had been changed without the knowledge of the tugmen, and the captain on one bridge was working by standard time while the man in charge of the other bridge regulated himself by sun time. The steamer Grand Traverse was sunk ina coll’sion on October 19, 1896, near Colchester Reef light-house, Lake Erie. Nothing can be seen of the sunken steamer except the spars and smoke stack. Lights have been placed on the wreck by the underwriters. The wreck is a dangerous menace to navigation for it lies in the main channel of commerce. The wreck lies 14 miles N. 4% W. from Colchester Reef light-house, in 35 feet of water. 3 : Capt: M. J. Galvin, Supervising Inspector of steam- boats for this district, which includes Buffalo and Cleve- land, was in the city this week on an official tour. The captain expressed himself as being well satisfied with the business and conduct of the local office, nor do I think he could do otherwise, because Messrs. DeWolf and McGrath are among the most efficient men in the service, so far, at least, as my observation may go. Furthermore, it is not generally known that the local inspectors are now under the rules of the civil service and out of political interference so long as they prop- erly conduct themselves. Capt. Galvin found the Cleveland officials working just as the department has ordered, and he was pleased to find everything in ship- shape order at the offices here. It is sometimes said that Cleveland is too strict in the examination of can- didates for licenses. I don’t think so, nor would any other reasonable person. ‘The more striet the officials can be at this time will be, as it is, for the betterment of the lake marine, and: Capt. DeWolf as well as Mr. McGrath are, if anything, not yet strict enough, al- though it should be said in their tavor that this district is without doubt the best on the lakes, or I might take an exception, perhaps, to Buffalo, where I know that examinations are strictly conducted under the locals there, viz., Captains Edward M. Marion, F. Ll. R. Pope, and boiler inspectors Joseph G. Schumacher and George C. Neal. ‘ DETROIT, MICH. » Special Correspondence to The Marine Record. The Pilgrim and Douglass will lay up on the 26th inst. They have done a fair business all season, and all fall have had heavy Lake Huron freights. The steamer Arthur Orr ran aground on Bois Blanc Island Monday night, but was relieved without injury Tuesday forenoon by the wrecker Saginaw. Capt. Arthur J. Fox, of the Frank E. Kirby, has again laid up his steamer. The captain, though greatly improved in health, is still not strong and his voice is very weak yet. : The Aurania struck Monday night, when passing the Lime Kiln Crossing, and is reported as having filled a compartment forward. Diver John Quinn made the ex- amination on Tuesday afternoon. The end of the season of 1896 is at hand, and since election many are the expressions of renewed confidence and hope among those Detroiters who have vessel prop- erty. L. C. Waldo has expressed himself as confident of a better season next year, and believes the great ore piles now encumbering the Lake Krie docks will dwindle greatly before navigation opens. Waldo A. Avery does not take such a nopeful view, and says he has decided to let the Curry remain as she is for next year. Last sum- mer he declared his intention of lengthening her to 500 feet and building a consort 450 feet long to tow with her, the two to carry. 15,000 tons of iron ore. Thomas Adams is very sanguine, and says he has several offers of contracts for next year. Mr. Adams is personally a very pleasant and genial man to meet and it may be his personal qualities which have brought him such offers. Parker & Millen have just closed a fairly successful season and are non-committal on next year’s business. W. A. Livingstone thinks only moderate prosperity will come, and views the situation conservatively. John Stevenson has done a large business, considering the times, and looks forward to added business next year. The D. & C. Line will try to make McKinley and 1897 prove the banner year in their history. But among all vessel owners and agents there is a remarkable feeling of restored confidence.. L. C. Waldo, in telling THE RECORD something about what he looked forward to in case the Bryan principles had obtained, said: ‘I do not like even to admit what fears | had. That all business would have been crippled I firmly believe, and that more serious complications and dangers might have resulted was quite possible, even to open warfare. It is the greatest election, the greatest.victory since the civil war.”’ 4 A. G. McDonald, president of the Killarney Fish Co., will probably’ try to secure the office of fish commis-