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THE MARINE RECORD. I is with Some degreee of pridé’that’we note the two j foremost sea-ports working in unison, or rather arriv- ing at. the same conclusion at about the same time. With this. issue we annonnce the plans and specifica- ‘tions complete for a first class steam pilot boat for New York and we are in a position to state that the first of the two steam pilot vessels, built by Messrs. Murdock & Murray, Port Glasgow, for the Mersey or Liverpool Pilot service arrived there on the 19th of November. _ Liverpool had, or perhaps yet has, a splendid fleet of sailing pilot boats, and it must have gone very hard with those accustomed to handle and pin their faith on canvas to give up to the idea of steam. The same can also be said of New York, but instead of one we should ‘ advise the ‘Mother Carey’s chickens” who cruise around Sandy Hook and as far east as the Georges to contract for another steam pilot boat at an early date. : <a AN inquiry relative to the conduct of the officers of the local steamboat inspection service at New York is being held this week before Supervising Inspectors M. J. Galvin, E. P. Chancellor and W. H. Murdaugh. The court convened on Tuesday, and it is likely to be several days before the decision arrived at in the case can be made public. Whichever way the inquiry may turn, it is a foregone conclusion that one or more of the officials will be dismissed from the service, while the position of others will be made less secure than before the inquiry started. It seems very strange that these government officials, holding excellent berths and drawing fairly liberal salaries, could not get along with their business without bringing in tales on one another. A little gos- sip and a slight lack of office discipline must account for the regretable features now being inquired into. TEED Ir is of great importance that the officers of the Lake Carriers’ Association bear in mind that on the opening day of the next session of Congress there is a special order in the Senate to bring up the bill for the erection of a bridge across the Detroit River. If all interests are of the same mind as formerly, work is again cut out to offset the spanning of the river in the interests of the railroad companies. It is believed in certain circles that a bridge will eventually be thrown across the river at some point. Should such a result ever transpire the locality where there is the least danger to vessel traffic, om account of a bridge being located, ought to be carefully looked after now, and this, too, more especially for future guidance, in assenting toa fighting against proposed positions. ae NIAGARA is harnessed and her tremendous power transmitted to Buffalo as well as the surrounding districts. The distance covered by the line between Buffalo and the Falls is 27 miles, and the expert elec- tricians who have the work in charge estimate that the loss of energy will be less than 10 per cent. and may not much exceed five. The power, it is said, will sell in Buffalo for $36 a horse-power per annum, and under its contract with the city the company must increase its capacity 10,000 horse-power per year until the maximum of 50,000 horse-power has been reached. Now what is the matter with sea coast ports utilizing the rise and fall of tides in a similar manner or where there is a strong current in the various rivers of the country, not to speak of the power of'the ‘‘Father. of Waters.” ie, = Ox, this change of administration is a terror, especially do we find it so in the steamboat inspection service. The local inspectors were placed under the civil service rules some months ago but even this does not deter or prevent the bee from getting into the bonnets of politi- cal aspirants and office seekers, as men are after the scalps of present incumbents. With the supervising inspectors it is somewhat different, as that office is appointive and pays a neat $3,000 a year with only a modicum of Pil penalty and no labor to speak “of. The present lake staff is Al, of course there are just ‘tas good fish in the sea as ever was caught,”’ but it is not bad advice to leave well enough alone. To READERS outside of the lake trade the term ‘‘wild,”’ such as wild boats, wild charters, etc., will no doubt sound rather strange. The term is applied in the same sense as tramp steamer is used on the coast and ocean. Another exclusively lake term is ‘“‘package freight,’’ meaning general cargo, although the word freight is indiscriminately used instead. of or when cargo is meant. ‘The foregoing is railroad parlance adapted to ‘suit or to be understood in the lake marine trade, nn WEEKLY FREIGHT REPORT. The close of navigation is a severe disappointment to vessel owners in so far as freights are concerned. There has seldom been so quiet a closing and such low freights offered for the last trip as is now evident, and the general impression is that the “jig is up’? for the year, although Al vessels can have their insurance extended to the 10th of the month. The western blizzard which prevailed last: week caught the north shore and the head of Lake Superior, thus freezing ore in the pockets and stopping shipments. ‘The grain crop being short, coupled with earlier brisk shipments, and other causes, all tended to place the freight market where it has been for the past week, that is, void, defunct, nil, no rate quotable out of Duluth, but the nominal figure of two cents offered; even Chicago rates are dull and keep low. There has been a fair jag of coal to go west and a good deal carried through the week at three times the price paid during the summer months—however, » there is but little use of carrying coal west without hay- ing a return cargo, and these conditions together with the hard, cold snap and stormy weather, serve to chase even the best tonnage into winter quarters. Yet, there _is ample time for a week of fairly mild, steady weather, and it is quite possible that the boats now ice-bound at Port Arthur, on Lake Superior, will be able to thread their way down through Mud Lake to clear water on the lower lakes. Duluth to Buffalo is placed at two cents on wheat, with but little chartering, as there is no grain to come forward, although there is 16,000,000 bushels in store at Minneapolis. The Port Arthur shipments would no doubt have been lively for ten days at least if the cold snap had not come along and froze up the Kamistiquia River, thus preventing vessels from reaching the grain elevators, and a charter at 3% cents Fort William to ‘Chicago has had to be canceled. Chicago rates have fluctuated during the week from 13{ cents to 2 cents on corn, 24% on'wheat, and corn is now quoted at 2 cents as a basis for new charters, with a strong effort being made to make it 2% cents, vessels expecting to return there with a coal cargo kos navigation closes. Ore shipments are, of course, all through with and nothing more can be expected this season from that pro- duct. cents. Coal rates are the ouly encouraging feature of the freight market, but it is now too late to take advan- tage of this improvement. Buffalo to Lake Michigan and to hold during the winter if required, anthracite 60 cents; last charters to Lake Superior 50:cents. From Ohio ports on bituminous, 50 cents to Lake Michigan, though 60 cents was paid Ashtabula to Milwaukee, and quoted as the Lake Superior rate with few takers, as there is nothing to return with, and this week will about see the last of coal cargoes for the season. MICHIGAN PORT STATISTICS. The Treasury Department, Washington, D. C., has completed the annual statement of customs business for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1896... The details of the five Michigan ports areas follows: : DeErTROIT.—Vessels entered, 5,129; entries of merchan- dise, 24,535; documents issued to vessels, 503; duties and tonnage tax, $779,378; aggregate receipts, $792,535; value of exports, foreign, $79,506; domestic, $10,623,442; expenses, $81,137; persons employed, 72; cost to collect a dollar, .102. : GRAND RaApips.—Enutries of merchandise, 716; duties and tonnage tax, $15,589; aggregate receipts, $15,596; expenses, $2,670; persons employed 2; cost to collect a dollar, 1.71. Port HuRON. —Vessels entered, 3,882; vessels cleared, 4,003; entries of merchandise, 5,156; documents issued to vessels, 535; duties and tonnage tax, $50,099; aggre- gate receipts, $57,933; value of exports, foreign, $31,576; domestic, $6,927,036; expenses,. $48,795; persons em- ployed, 48; cost to collect a doltar, .842. 5 GRAND HAVEN.— Vessels entered, 5,979; vessels cleared, 5,908; entries of merchandise,. 17; documents issued to vessels, 540; duties and tonnage: tax, $1,791; aggregate receipts, $1,986; value of exports, domestic, $87,540; ex- Last charters from-Marquette were made at 95 - penses, $6, 653; persons. emalerhe 13. Cost ton couse 5 dollar, 3.349, iva ri MARQUETTE. tetyels entered, 9,067 reste ‘cle’ tea, 9,007; entries of mérchandise,. 1,5995: “dod i mt 4 to vessels, 226; duties and tonnage tax, 2,747; aggre- gate receipts, $14,341; value of exports, ‘foreign, $4,200; domestic, $5,262,693; expenses, $21,561; persons em- ployed, 23; cost to collect a dollar, 1.50, WORK AT THE SHIPYARDS. The Chicago Ship Building Co. filled up with con- tracts for new tonnage within two or three weeks: That company now has orders for five large vessels « with a further report that figuring was being done oma>. large steel tow-barge for the Milwaukee Tug Boat Co. while plans and specifications have been“ tade ‘ont: for such a craft, the contract has not yet “been “signed. . The Globe Iron Works Co. besides comp'eting the new revenue cutter, are laying the kee’s for three 4 5000. ton ~ steel schooners. The Cleveland Ship Building Co.. are.. at work on two 400 foot cargo steamers. Gapin James Davidson, of Bay City, as we have announced, is building three wooden vessels, one-steamer and two schooners, figuring on other new work and.shas already booked some extensive repair and rebuilding jobs. FE. W. Wheeler & Co., are laying low but nrore work i is eer tain to be placed at that yard in a very short ‘time, | "the report that; Capt. Blodgett was to have a vessel’ built * there has not been verified, however, when the contract is signed it will be for a steamer fitted for the Welland _ Canal and Lake Ontario trade. The American Steel Barge Co. count upon over $300,000 worth of work this winter and will depart from the whaleback model or type to the extent of building a.400 foot Schooner ae ged tow-barge on ordinary lines on the chaunét: ‘plate’ ”* system and up to the latest requiréments of ‘that’ class of tonnage. The Union’Dry Dock Co., Buffalo, have under construction a. steel’ oil’- tanker for” the Standard Oil Co., and some’: father extensive” ‘refitting and rebuilding work for the winter, but foe § this we are safe in placing contracts for’ tiew work At °S the Union in the near future. The U:'S: Light\Hbiise' ud Board advertise in this issue of THe REcorD fér prof? * posals. on the building of a fleet of five vessels viz.: three light-ships .and two steam tenders. sea, number of these vessels as well as other | depart-— : mental tonnage has been turned out from- lake shipyards it is not unlikely that private orders will” be supplemented by the awarding of at least, a portion, of the government work to lake yards. : Reet a ee RBS RIOD !F SHIPMENTS OF IRON ORE. ee Hi The ore shipping season is practically | over ‘and it” is: ee now. possible to secnre estimatés. The aggregate ore cf tonnage sent forward this year from the head of the lakes—Duluth, Two Harbors and Superior—has been es greater by nearly 150,000 tons than in any previous. nua year.. The total ore shipments from Lake Superior will, ay be fully a million tons less than last year. The ‘ship- all ments from Duluth, Two Harbors and’ Superior this HOF season will be 3,976,711 tons as compared with 3 3,829,922 .. tons last year, indicating an increase of 146, 789 tons. ses At the opening of navigation it was figured tial 12,000,000 tons of iron ore would be sent forward during the season but the depression that came soon after the season opened paralyzed the iron industry. The’ production of pig iron and steel was reduced to about — half the capacity of the country and prices descended Ss a level never before known. The ore shipping continued active until the season was pretty well advanced and then slackened up as there was no sign of improve- ment until it was to late too affect the season’ s business to any appreciable extent. Instead of 12,000,000 tons therefore the:season’s entire shipments of iron ore from Lake Superior will not... exceed 9,350,000 tons, a decrease of over.aanillion tons::<* as compared with last year’s shipments, and -two and. sx: three quarter millions under.the estimates madé in then >: early spring of the shipments for this year.. Had the:- * full estimate of ore been forwarded this season: would». have been one of the most prosperous: for vrescienen inves = in the history.of the lakes. Tae passenger sicneien City of Buffalo, of the C, & Baizox Line,.made the run from the Cleveland breakwater-to:> +, Detroit in 5 hours and 57 minutes, from: Cleveland:-te; «2. the Dummy light in 2 hours and 21 minutes. «~ eas | i +o eho 77 8X