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THE MARINE RECORD. NEWS AROUND THE LAKES. DETROIT. Special Correspondence to the Marine Record. David Carter, general manager of the D. & C. line, has’ been quite ill, but is out again, and attending to his work. The Lake Huron division of the D. & C. line will start running on Friday next, if the Straits open and the lake is fairly clear of ice. : Harbor Master McRae has been transferred to the sant- tary squad and Wm. H. O’Neil has been appointed har- bor master of Detroit. The steamer Imperial went down the river on her first trip on Saturday, and on Monday came up fgom Pelee Island with passengers and freight. The ferry steamer Victoria, damaged by the City of Detroit, by getting jammed at her dock, has been re- paired and is again ready for service. The damages only amounted to some $300. The steamer Arundel has had very good trade this season so far from Detroit to Port Huron, and the out- look is good for a‘busy season. General Manager Biel- man says his company expect a very brisk trade this year, and there is every favorable indication so far. In spite of the fact that iron is down, the mine ranges at loggerheads, the railway freight associations trembling and not an ore contract let, the Detroit vessel men are cheer- ful, and express the opinion that the season is sure to come out all right. “There is no question about the out- come,’ is the general belief. Employes of the Northern Steamship Co. have been notified to be at Duluth this week ready to go aboard. No notice of arrival has yet been received by the North- ern steamship office here, and it is understood that there is an agreement between Jine boats to remain in port at Buffalo until April 20. Mr. Hart, agent for the North- ern steamship, says he will probably get advices about the 15th of the month. There has been a rumor current here that Smith, Davis & Co., of Buffalo, for years heavy insurance agents on vessel property, are dropping out, and that some other - firm may replace them. No information as to the new firm is obtainable, but it is believed to be either a combination of New York people, or some. English company. The local men have been losing business for years, and this spring is seeing greater combinations among great inter- ests and greater sacrifice of small ones than ever. Sinith, Davis & Co. deny that they are giving anything up, claim- ing they are in the marine insurance business to stay. J. C. Burton, once one of the heaviest marine insurance men in Detroit, has seen the business in its palmiest times, and lived to find this city almost entirely devoid of busi- ness of that nature. In fact there is not a living for an agent here any longer, so many men insure their own boats, or represent other companies. In talking over the situation to the Record the captain said: “I once took as high as $45,000 in premiums in one year, but those times are quite gone. Little by little times have changed, and business has altered, until today there is scarcely ary marine insurance business in Detroit, and I never expect to see it again. The little fellows have been crowded out until they find themselves without any business, and the great companies are engaged in fighting one another. Marine insurance in Detroit is a thing of the past. What will insurance rates be this year? asked the Record of A. A. Parker. ‘There has been a great deal of fluctu- ation this spring,’ he answered. “In the first place the English Lloyds decided to come up to four per cent on first-class business because they had some heavy ocean losses, and set their rate. Then Prime, of Chicago, repre- ' senting other companies, cut in at three per cent, took some business and then rose on his price. In the mean- time some other eastern brokers had begun cutting for their firms, to obtain business, and lastly the Lloyds, find- ing they were not getting business at their rate, cut to ‘three per cent, and are there now. As it is the rate will be rather higher as a whole, than it was expected to be two weeks ago, and lower than last year. The fact of the matter is, that marine insurance is getting badly demor- alized, and no one knows just where he stands at present.” $< BUFFALO. Special Correspondence to the Marine Record. Manager Harry Richardson, of the Frank Gilchrist fleet, reports considerable work done on the boats this win- ter. The Viking has received new floors and the S. C. Hall decks and deck frames. The barge Nellie Mason has been given new deck, rail, stanchions, and other changes and repairs. The Viking and Hall are at Chi- cago and the Mason is at Alpena. _ The schooner British Lion, which has been converted into a lighter, will be ready for any emergency during the coming season. She is intended to be used for general lightering and wrecking purposes. The lighter will be supplied with a boom capable of lifting 15 tons and with hoisting engine, buckets, etc. The British Lion was built in 1883 at Pike Creek, Ont., measuring 85 feet keel, 25 feet beam, and 7 feet depth of hold. The lighter is owned by FE. H. Maytham, of this city, and an effort will be made to get her an American register. Capt. Thomas Wilson has chartered the steamers C. _ Tower, Jr., and Olympia to the Great Lakes Steamship Co., of which John Gordon is manager. They will trade between Buffalo and Lake Michigan ports. The terms of the charter were not named. Mr. Gordon now has four good steamers in the Globe. J. W. Moore and the Wilson boats. A few coal cargoes are offered for Lake Michigan and the head of Lake Superior at 30 cents, but otherwise the market shows no life. Owners who were forced to carry some ore over from last season are now shaking hands with themselves. : Manager Drake, of the Lackawanna line, has announced the list of vessels that will be engaged in the Lacka- wanna line this season. Besides the company’s reguiar steainers—the Scranton, Lackawanna, and Russia—the fleet will include the steamers Arthur Orr, Wyoming, Florida, Chili and George J. Gould. Although not offi- cially announced, it is said that the vessels will be com- manded as follows, the majority of the captains having been sworn in: Steamer Scranton, Capt. J. H. Green; steamer Lackawanna, Capt. F. Weinheimer; steamer Rus- sia, Capt. J. D. Greene; steamer Chili, Capt. James Gib- son; steamer Florida, Capt. H. Murphy; steamer Arthur Orr, Capt. John Massey; steamer G. J. Gould, Capt. W. M. Cottrell; steamer Wyoming, captain uncertain, but James Connors was mentioned Armour is interested in the huge 2,500,000 bushel steel grain elevator which is to be built here by the Great Northern Railway. In fact, it will not be directly built by the Great Northern Railway, but jointly by Armour and Hill. The Armour people will operate it. Its steel construction and its division into thirty separate bins will obviate any necessity of carrying fire insurance. The con- struction is by Robinson, who has built all the Armour houses of late. This house will give Armour a great ad- vantage over other shippers via the Buffalo route. The other warehouses are poor affairs compared with anything considered modern in these days. They are all in a pool and have heretofore collected more toll than western ship- pers have wanted to pay. Consequently there has been considerable dissatisfaction during the past few seasons. oo eo CHICAGO. Special Correspondence to the Marine Record. Capt. Howard L. Shaw was in the city Tuesday. ‘ Capt. James W. Millen and A. A. Parker, of Detroit, were in Chicago on Tuesday. H. W. Cook & Co. chartered the schooner Lake Forest for clipped oats to Port Huron. The Dunham Towing Co. towed the schooner Cora A. to Armour’s A elevator to load wheat. The United, States revenue cutter Calumet has gone to South Chicago to be fitted ott and painted. Capt. F. A. Fick, of the steamer Fedora, stopped off at Chicago on Tuesday on his way to Duluth to join his steamer. The schooner R. Kanters arrived Saturday evening from Frankfort with slabs, having completed her first round trip this season. . The customs office at Rush street bridge was opened for the coming season’s business by Deputy Collector James Nash on April Ist. The Graham & Morton Transportation Co.’s steamer City of Louisville, Capt. Chas. McIntosh, arrived here Tuesday morning from St. Joseph with nearly 100 pas- sengers and a large quantity of merchandise. The Holland & Chicago Transportation Co.’s steamer City of Holland, Capt. George W. Pardee, arrived here from Holland Friday morning on her first trip this season. She brought over a number of passengers and consider- able merchandise. Capt. A. L. Fitch, formerly of the firm of C. W. EI- phicke & Co., has opened a vessel and insurance agency here at 12 Sherman street, room D. He has chartered the schooners Cora A and Oak Leaf for wheat to Milwaukee at 1 cent per bushel. The Goodrich Trans. Co.’s steamer Indiana was in Burger & Burger’s dry dock at Manitowoc and had her wheel fastened. The company’s steamer Sheboygan, went out of Burger’s dry dock Saturday afternoon, after receiv- ing a thorough rebuild. The Graham & Morton Transportation: Co. have char- tered the steamer Frank Woods to take the place of the steamer City of Duluth to run between St. Joseph and Milwaukee. The steamer City of Duluth will be at once fitted out by her owners, the L. M. & L. S. Trans. Co., to run on her usual route between Chicago and Duluth. Higgie & Co., vessel agents, chartered the steamer J. D. Marshall for dry maple lumber’, Traverse City to Chi- cago at 12 shillings -per M. feet; steamer Colin Campbell for pine lumber, Manistique to Chicago at to shillings per M. feet; schooner Elgin for dry maple lumber, East Jordan to Chicago at $1 per M. feet; schooner Oak Leaf for dry hemlock lumber, Manistee to Sandusky at $1.50 per M. feet. The wooden steamer City of Berlin cleared Wednesday for Port Huron with a cargo of oats. The captain an- nounced that he expected to get away early Thursday morning. The Berlin will be the first of the fleet which has loaded grain during the winter to get away. Asa gen- eral rule owners are disposed to put off starting to the last day which shippers will allow-on cargoes. Engineers of many steamers have not yet gone to work in fitting out, Bs a Bigelow, general western freight agent of the Baltimore & Ohio at this port, will have full charge of the freight traffic of the new line, while the general m ager of the steamer line will be P. H. Fleming, wh was the first Chicago agent of the Lehigh Valley 1: P. J. Klein will be freight representative at the dock: Milwaukee, and the regular freight agent of the rai at Milwaukee, C. H. Ross, will continue to look aft local business at the up-town office. Judge Grosscup has directed that an admiralty judg be entered against the fireboat Yosemite for $6,000. T judgment grew out of the sinking of the propeller City Berlin in the Chicago River, near the Lake street b in the winter of 1894. The Yosemite was on its way fire and the City of Berlin was in winter quarters. city resisted the libel filed by the Thompson Navigat Co., owners of the boat, on the ground that the city not responsible for any damages that occurred from- operations of the fire department. Judge Grosscup that at common law and by several decisions the city not liable, but under maritime laws he held that the c itself is always liable for the damages it causes to value of itself. oe as Local yachting circles heard with regret of the prob ble purchase of the Vencedor by New York yachtsme and are aggrieved at the thought of losing so attrac a boat. Should the New York deal be closed, a cha lenge through the Lincoln Park Yacht Club will be at once issued by the Berriman brothers to the Royal Can- adian Yacht Club for the championship won by the latter last August on Lake Erie. As ten months’ notice is r quired, there is no prospect of a race this summer, but the challenge will be made at once, so that ample time will be given for the construction of the new boat which is contemplated and for her completion several mont before the race takes place. In the event of the Vencedur remaining here, there is little doubt that a new boat be built, in which case the two. will be of much assista to each other in practice for the big event. oy Oe oO oe MILWAUKEE. ; Special Correspondence to the Marine Record. — This port has advertised for bids on the dredging which is to be done in the rivers this summer. Proposals wi be opened by the board of public works Thursday, April 8. It is expected that the new revenue cutter Gresham will draw fifteen feet of water and room is to be made for the government boat north of Buffalo street bridge, where © the Johnson lies. As usual, this summer the board of pub- lic works expects to maintain 16% feet of water in the harbor. City Engineer Benzenberg is of the opinion that a foot more of depth should be maintained so that the big boats with deeper draught could come in here. A complaint was also received from the North Side Coal Co., as follows: ‘‘Owing to the fact that the high water of the past week washed out part of the driveway be- tween Humboldt avenue and the dam, a great deal of ground was deposited alongside our’ dock, so that we only have a few feet of water. We were obliged to pay $300 extra freight last year because large boats could not take a full cargo on account of low draught of water. As navigation will open in a few weeks, we urgently request you to have a strong dredge at our premises as.soon as — possible. Dredge used last year was not strong enough as the bottom of the river is very hard.” ee OO CLEVELAND. Special Correspondence to the Marine Record. The new revenue cutter Walter Q. Gresham, docked in the Cleveland Dry Dock for bottom painting. Capt. J. B. Watts, of Detroit, has been appointed mas- ter of the steamer Briton in place of Capt. Stratton, who will take the McWilliams. ; The steamer William Edwards was docked this week in the Ship Owners’ Dry Dock for repairs to stern bearings, calking and minor repairs. E. C. Collins, for several years with M. A. Hanna & Co., has accepted a position with Mr. Mills in the office of the Carnegie Steel Co. The Rube Richards and the May Richards are loaded with coal for Escanaba, the charters having been made at 30 cents. They will remain in port awaiting the open- ing of the Straits. ve The contract between the Treasury Department and the > Globe Iron Works Co., for the construction of the two new revenue cutters, is executed. The company is re-— quired to give a bond of $65,000 on each vessel. e Capt. F. A. Dority, who has sailed Shenango No. 2 since the ferry line was inaugurated om ‘Lake Erie, has re-. signed his position and engaged with the F. & P. M. Co., which runs.a line of boats between Ludington and Mani-~ towoc. Chaplain Jones, of the Floating Bethel, is keeping to his usual hustling for the amelioration of the poor and distressed. I ran against him on Tuesday afternoon when he was hurrying off to preach a funeral sermon over the body of an outcast and he seems to keep up to this gai all the time. : : The C. & B. Line opened the season on Tuesday night, making a successful trip to Buffalo in nearly the usual time. The City of Buffalo will leave this port Tuesday, | Thursday and Saturday, commencing Saturday, May 1, daily trips, except Sunday, will be made, and the steamer — State of Ohio will be put on the route. On and after Sun- day, May 30, Sunday trips will be included. Shite The many friends of Mr. John F, Pankhurst, general —