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THE MARINE RECORD seemingly human foresight of the frigate bird. Notwith- _ standing the fact that vices or virtues may be transmitted to posterity throughout the animal kingdom, yét there are characteristics in the lower creation which in many cases could not be classed in'this: category a8‘clearly as it might be to the natural instinct of preservation. Hence if the frigate bird had) ‘tut received one reasonfi frigate bird had but received one lesson in the earlier stages of life it would hdve a wholesome dread of re- peating the experience and guide itself accordingly, prob- ably submitting a portion of this knowledge to its off- spring. OO SE The thanks of The Record are due the Globe Iron Works Co. for a courteous-irvitation to attend the launch of the large steel schooner Antrim, on Saturday morn- ing, at 11 o’clock, standard time. eae oe LAUNCH OF THE W. LE BARON JENNY. The large schooner, tow barge or consort W. Le Baron Jenny; builtto the order of the Bessemer Steamship Co., was successfully launched from the yards of F. W. Wheeler & Co., West Bay City, on Thursday afternoon last, and it is expected that she will be ready for work, May to. The W. Le Baron Jenny is 380 feet over all, 366 feet be- tween perpendiculars, 44 feet beam molded and 26 feet depth, with a carrying capacity of 3,950 gross tons on a draft of 14 feet 6 inches. She has main deck beams, but no laid deck, except at forward and after ends, spar deck complete and forecastle deck forward arranged with a steel Howse for towing machinery. All accommodations for officers are in a steel deckhouse aft. There are 11 hatches 24 feet between centers. The double bottom is 4 feet 6 of ‘which are three longitudinals on each side of center keelson, supporting inner bottom. Collison bulk heads forward and aft in the ship extend up to the spar deck. The is divided into three compartments by two bulk- f 2 also extending to spar deck. The boat has a Wil- liamson steam steering engine, deck hoist amidship, a Providence steam windlass and a capstan forward. Re- versible capstans aft as well as amidship, two stockless 3,- 500-pound anchors forward and one stockless 1,200-pound kédg / anchor aft. She is fully equipped with the neces- sary pumps for water ballast, steam and fire service, and an electric lighting plant with sufficient capacity to light all cabins, holds and decks. ‘The spars, which are not yet in position, will be of steel, and the foremast will be used as a funnel for the donkey boiler which is located forward under the forecastle. ‘Special attention has been given to details and to making the new schooner extra strong. The owners have been represented during the building by Robert Logan, marine engineer and surveyor, Cleveland. _—™—™————sX—X—~—=h a or ss THE WEST SUPERIOR SHIPYARD. _A dispatch from West Superior says: It is said Capt. Joseph Kidd, who recently announced his withdrawal from the superintendency of the American Steel Barge Co., will ‘be succeeded by D. E. Ford, of New York. It is said ‘the Rockefeller interest in the large company is being a peered all of the.time. The plant of the Amer- an. Steel Barge Co. is regarded as one of the most com- : aa on the lakes and is generally desirable property. In addition to its complete facilities for shipbuilding and re- pair work, it possesses the only dry dock at the upper end of the lakes, which is so taxed with work that the advisa- bility of putting in another dock alongside the present one being considered. Capt. Alex. McDougall, the man- ager of the barge company, says that this dock will sure- ly be built within a year. John D. Rockefeller’s inter- est in the property is in the form of bonds, which are held by a New York trust company which he controls. On Saturday last the two whaleback barges built by the Erie Basin Dry Dock Co., Brooklyn, N. Y., and docked this winter for lengthening, 61 feet 4 ach ea, were re- launched within a few minutes of each other. The record of the yard shows that previous to the re-launching on day thirty-nine whalebacks, three oil tank boats. one nd the tow barge “Constitution” have been launched the barge works, within a space of eight years. his i is the third time that a double launch has occurred this yard. On November 15, 1890, the first vessel built Superior yards was launched at 3:30 in the after- thirty minutes after her, Barge No. 109 slid into - On April 28, 1891, Barges 110 and III were , inches deep, built with cross floors of flanged plates on top ° launched within ten minutes of each other, going in at 3:15 and 3:25 p. m. On June 21, 1891, the steel tug Islay was launched at 3 0’clock. At 3:30 the whaleback steamer Pillsbury, of the Soo Line, followed at 3:42 by the whale- back Washburn. All vessels were launched in forty min- utes. But this is not the only record held by the: American Steel Barge Co. In the spring of 1892, commencing on April 10, the company completed and launched within eight weeks of each other, eight big freight carriers. _Dur- ing that year the company built eight steamers and three barges and in the year following, 1893, they built seven barges and two steamers, including the World’s Fair ves- sel, Christopher Columbus. —— ——— WEEKLY FREIGHT REPORT. There is anything but an encouraging outlook in the freight market at this time and even the most sanguine have to admit that rates cannot be mentioned, in fact there - are none. Corn, from Chicago to Buffalo, at 18 cents, oats I cent, and wheat 14 cents; wheat, Duluth to Buffalo, at 12 cents, with light offerings, coal up at 25 cents, and 20 cents respectively, is enough to keep boats tied up waiting for orders. There is, however, a hopeful feeling for the near future and it is thought that along towards the end of the month the entire fleet will be pegging away and finding some- thing to do. A Marquette ore charter was taken this week at 50 cents to run up to September 1, and Escanaba cargoes at 40 cents. ———— SD GERMAN SHIPBUILDING. The acme of German shipbuilding is represented by the new German express steamer Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, built at the Vulcan Works, Stettin, and it would appear that the new vessel will prove no unworthy compeer to the splendid boats now crossing and recrossing the Atlantic. The ship indicates about 28,000-horsepower, providing for a minimum speed of 22 knots. The chief dimensions are, “between perpendiculars 625 feet, 66 beam, and 43 feet molded depth. The twin-screw engines are of the four- cylinder triple expansion type, with cylinders of 52, 90, and two of 97 inches diameter, with a stroke of 69 inches. The Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse is considered the finest vessel ever built in Germany. i LIFE SAVING WORK. The Sheboygan life saving crew made a very plucky rescue last week, in taking the crew off the little schooner Woolin, stranded néar the North Point Light House in Thursday’s gale. The schooner had lost all her canvas and dragged her anchors until she was finally beached. The crew remained aboard until rescued by the life savers. The master and owner of the Woolin was Capt. Webb. He has been castaway three times and had not a cent of insur- ance this trip. Much credit is due Capt. Nequith, keeper of the Sheboygan life saving station and his crew. The Two River crew was also called out and after row- ing five miles north of the station, brought back the crew of the wrecked schooner Lookout, consisting of seven hands. Dry clothing and food was given them and all but the master went on to Chicago. This vessel will also prove a total loss. Capt. Joseph Dionne is keeper of the Two Rivers life station and he has an excellent crew. SS EASTERN FREIGHT REPORT. Messrs. Funch, Edye & Co., New York, in their regular weekly report to The Record, announce that their list of figures for the present week to some extent reflects the dullness overhanging this market in the reduced number of trades effected. Charters for full cargoes of grain con- tinue at the rates last quoted; an item of interest is con- tained in the fixture of a vessel with a cargo of grain from Philadelphia to Alexandria. Baltimore today reports en- gagement of a boat of 17,000 quarters for Belfast at the reduced figure of 2s 14d, the lowest charter so far closed this year. The charter reported for Shanghai equally in- dicates some reduction, and the demand for time boats has for the moment entirely petered out. The only trade commanding better rates is in timber charters from the Gulf, which more than hold their own. Our market for sailing vessels shows no improvement since last week, but, with a moderate demand and con- tinued scarcity of tonnage, rates are firm and unchanged, COMMERCIAL TRANSPORTATION CON. FF The Commercial Transportation Co.,; which ° is’ F cOri-* posed of Duluth- Superior mills, is making: active prep- arations for the present season of: navigation=”” The com- pany has been organized to operate in connection with the Erie canal and is essentially an independent lake transpor- tation line controlled by the millers at the head of the lakes. The Duluth News-Tribune says: “It is understoods 3 that the company is now.making arrangements to charter” boats for the season to transport the products of the mills of the members of the company from this point to Buffalo. “It is understood to be the purpose of the Commercial Transportation Co. to charter two boats for the season and to charter other boats for single trips, or a’ num- ber of trips, as they may be needed. It is expected that the head of the lakes mills will have two boats a week out of Duluth and Superior. John Williams has been’ em- ployed by the company as agent at Duluth. “The Commercial Transportation Co. is the result of what the millers-claim to be unjust discrimination by the lake and rail lines in favor of grain-as against” grain products. ,The millers they say were paying more than they ought for the transportation of flour as compared with wheat, and began casting about for relief. The Com- mercial Transportation Co, with independent boats to Buffalo and the Wiman*canal line. from there to Ney York, has been the result. The operations of the line will be watched with interest this season. That a great amount _ of flour will be diverted from the lake and rail lines i is cer- tain, providing it is.an average season for flour busit er " The canal project, however, is not-as far advanced as ee ought to be if the Wiman branch is to cut any figure this season, yet there are-other boats in the canal trade, and temporary or season arrangements could ‘easily bé made. Sa TRYING TO SAVE TIME. An investigation was held last week in Duluth by the local steamboat inspection board into the manner in which the steamers Simon Langell and Elfinmere entered the canal last Wednesday. Capt. Black, of the Langell, and Capt. Wilson, of the Elfinmere, were notified by In- spectors Mom glith and Chalk that their presence was desired for the purpose of making an official inquiry. This is the first occasion of the kind that has called for an investigation in Duluth harbor. It is said the cap- tains of the Simon Langell and the Elfinmere each under- stood that a day or a day and a half of delay was meant~ for the boat that was last to get through the’ piers, and that was the incentive to race. Each boat was consigned = — to the same dock, and it was plain that oné or the other of the boats would have to wait. There was no personal feeling between the two captains; it was ‘simply a desire to save time for their respective owners that they struggled” for place. The forefoot of the Simon Langell is damaged, but Figeee will take dry dock survey to ascertain if she is damaged t further than that. She will have no opportunity of getting into dry dock for several days. It was certainly too late in the race for a dock, to begin a spurt at the entrance to the port, the speediest vessel ought to have been ahead long before the canal was reached. It is difficult to see what an inquiry can bring | out in a case of this sort, the facts are plain enough and legitimate enough, too, for that matter, so what the local © inspectors can do about it seems a little hard to unravel. Although both licenses have been suspended for thirty days. Ol TO LOCATE SOUND. | : Several of the Boston lines of steamers have been mak- | ing trials, with varying success, of the invention known as the aurophone, which is used for determining the location of sound at sea; more especially the whistles of approaching steamers, bell and whistling buoys, and fog whistles. The experience of the Boston boats indicate that there is a good deal in the adjustment of the machine, for while somé of them have had very good success with it, others have been unable to obtain any satisfactory results. The Plant» steamer Halifax, which is now laid up, was able to locate the sound of almost any. fog-signal very accurately, while the officers of the Gate City say that with theirs they were unable to do much more than they could: with their own” ears. When the machine can be made to work well it is an. invaluable aid to navigation, especially for coastwise ves- . sels, for. any seafaring man will readily state that the in- ability to accurately place fog-signals is one of the greatest. dangers of the sea, especially along the New England coast, where the fogs are thick at certain seasons of the year, and: it is difficult to run courses accurately without depending, on the signals, and the immense traffic going up and down makes the possibility of a collision in a fog a very real one.