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THE MARINE RECORD. ESTABLISHED 1878. Published Every Thursday by THE MARINE RECORD PUBLISHING CO., Incorporated. GEO. L. SMITH, President. C. E, RUSKIN, ‘3 : : : CAPT. JOHN SWAINSON, - cas Manager. Editor. THOS. WILLIAMS, Chicago, See ire Associate. __, CLEVELAND, CHICAGO. Western Reserve Building. Royal Insurance Building. SUBSCRIPTION. One Copy, one year, postage paid, - - $2.00. One Copy, one year, to foreign countries. - - $3.00. Invariably in advance. ' ADVERTISING, Rates given on application. All communications should be addressed to the Cleveland office, THE MARINE RECORD PUBLISHING CO., Western Reserve Building, Cleveland, Ohio. Entered at Cleveland Postoffice as second-class mail matter. CLEVELAND, O., MAY 13, 1897. The poor rate of freight on coal from Ohio ports to the head of the lakes or Lake Michigan ought to make owners feel like tying up their vessels. The figure of 20 cents and| 25 cents per ton f. 0. b. cannot begin to pay ordinary disbursements for the trip, and shipowners ought to get together and hold up a fair living rate. oro It would on the face of it seem to be a good thing pla- cing the surfmen at life saving stations under the civil service rules, yet care should be taken to give the keeper full control of his crew under all circumstances. There may be a slight danger of overstepping this limit if the men consider that they cannot be discharged or suspended by the keeper until a long drawn out inquiry is held. We be- lieve that the keeper of the station. should have all the authority of the master of a ship, otherwise, discipline will not be observed. ee et One of the most important railway transportation deals ever consummated in the northwest is announced by the Wisconsin Central. By the contracts made it is able to offer the only route from St. Paul and Minneapolis to Liverpool, London, Hamburg, Rotterdam and all other important European ports, with through bills of lading. The advantage of issuing through bills of lading from the initial point of shipment to a European destina- tion is something that has long been vainly sought for by the Minneapolis and St. Paul millers and other exporters. The fact that the Chesapeake & Ohio road operates its own line of steamers from Newport News to European ports has made the establishment of this line possible. The only other line in America owning a steamship line to Europe is the Pennsylvania Co., which is known to be very cautious and backward about making too close alliances with western roads. This being the case, it is probable that the Wisconsin Central will long enjoy the benefits it has earned by the inauguration of the first line of the kind in the history of railroading in the north- west. The negotiations for the establishment of this line were carried on by the general freight agent of the Wisconsin Central,and it is due to his efforts that the deal has been brought to a successful termination. In this connection it may be mentioned that the_ Canadian Pacific and the South Shore have been perfecting a scheme during the summer as well as the winter, which will no doubt be beneficial to the head of the lakes mill- ers. They expect to put a boat line between St. Ignace and Owen Sound on Georgian Bay. They are making a strong bid for the through freight traffic of the head of the lakes both east and west, anda big:slash in through rates is looked for. A DEPARTMENT OF TRADE. There is said to be a prospect that a new cabinet posi- tion will be created during the present Administration by the addition of a Department of Commerce and Manu- factures to those already existing. While as a general thing the creation of new offices should) not be encour- aged there seems good reason for a consolidation -of existing bureaus into such a department as is proposed. It is intended to include, by transfer from the Treasury Department, such bureaus as the Life Saving Service, Lighthouse Board, Marine Hospital Service, Steamboat Inspection and Navigation Bureaus, United States Coast and Geodetic Survey and Bureau of Statistics, none of which have any logical connection with the national fi- nances. It is also intended to transfer from the De- partment of State the Bureau of Consular Service and the Bureau of Statistics, the latter to be consolidated with the bureau of the same name from the Treasury De- partment, Although a part of the diplomatic establish- ment, it is claimed that the consular service relates wholly to commercial.subjects and should be classified with the other bureaus named. It is believed that a Secretary of Commerce and Man- ufactures would greatly relieve the Secretary of the Treas- ury, who is now burdened with a mass of detail work. The last Department established was that of Agricul- ture and it cannot be said that anything it has ever done has established its usefulness. But the work of a Depart- ment of Commerce and Manufactures seems already to be mapped out for it and it might prove to have a larger field. : oi ACCUMULATIONS OF METALLIC DEPOSITS. No less a scientist than Prof. Nordeknsjold, the Swed- ish savant, has been endeavoring to prove by experiments, a means of settling the question of the earth’s increase in volume, and equatorial diameter. number of tests on snow made in the north of Europe, goes to show that quantities of iron are found after the snow has been melted. Another point in favor of the earth’s accumulation of foreign matter is based upon the showers of meteoric substances, etc. As a matter of fact, opposed to theory, we can hardly imagine the professor’s logic weighty enough to be taken on board while latitude and longitude are positive measures, and it will be a question in the minds of many, whether there is not a counteracting waste going on in the economy of this uni- verse to compensate for the additional weight of a few meteors which may occasionally land on this planet. In this connection it may be worthy of notice to men- tion the general absence of meteoric showefs, or meteor- ites falling in thickly populated districts. Nor are there any well authenticated records of mariners meeting the phenomena on the wide expanse of waters; while we do not remember a single instance where any large boulders in the shape of meteorites, or aerolites have deposited their burden on the chain of lakes. Hence, it may be argued that the extension of the earth's geography from this cause, is extremely problematical, while on the other hand it is just possible that matter is sent forth into space from this earth, and deposited in the form of aerolites on other worlds. However, be this as it may, twenty cen- turies have made but little, if any, change in the geograph- ical divisions of this snhere, and it is a long winded study to look for cause in the absence of effect. oe The volume of freight handled on the lakes grows larger year by year. In fact, the expansion has been very rapid. The lower rates, which now rule are the result, first of a reduction of railway freight rates during the season of navigation, and second, of a large increase in vessel tonnage, introducing more active competition for the business handled by water.. The lake traffic largely affects the commerce of states which contain half the total population of the United States, and its competition with the railways has caused an enormous saving. This saving is not only on freight actually carried by water, but on that moved by the railroad systems with which the water route competes. The vessel interests of the great. lakes are thus entitled to all possible consideration on the part of the people and of the government, for on their pros- perity depends an annual saving of millions to the farm- ers of the West on grain moved to the seaboard, and to all who are interested, as producers, sellers and consumers of other freight in which the lake line$:are concerned. The result from a’ ORE CONTRACTS. The Illinois Steel Co. has closed all contracts for this season’s supply of iron ore, according to authentic re- ports. The purchases amount to 1,000,000 tons, in addi- tion to 300,000 tons not delivered on last year’s contracts, making 1,300,000 tons in all. Alli of the ore will come from Marquette, Menominee and Mesaba ranges. There will be no Vermillion or Gogebic ore. The Minnesota Iron Co. will ship 600,000 tons, but it will be Mesaba ore. The Norrie mine, it is said, relies on the Illinois Steel Co. to be one of its best customers, but not a pound of Norrie ore has been purchased. The Norrie has now put its men on half time and is curtailing its output. This is regarded as confirming the report of the Illinois Steel Co.’s pur- chases. The Pioneer mine at Ely, although it has closed opera- tions probably for the season, will nevertheless ship 200,000 tons of ore this year. The Pioneer is a member of the recognized ore pool and it has been allotted 200,000 tons. Last year the mine did not ship its full allotment, and consequently it can, under the agreement, ship not only what is failed to ship of last year’s allotment. There are but two mines on the Mesaba range shipping ore to the docks in Duluth, the Mountain Iron’ and Oliver. the Adams being the last to quit. Mining will not be resumed in any of them until the furnaces have used up much of the heavy stock in hand at the opening of navi- gation this year. i OO oS A NEW TRANSPORTATION LINE. The following circular, just issued, indicates a large increase of business for the Great Lakes line: Announcement is hereby made of the formation of a line for the transportation of freight between St. Paul, Minneapolis, Minnesota Transfer and Newport News, Va., via Manitowoc, Great Lakes Steamship Co., Cleve- land; Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Rail- way and Chesapeake & Ohio Railway. At Newport News connection is made with the Chesa- peake & Ohio Steamship Co. (limited), to Liverpool and London. Also with the United States Shipping Co. to Hamburg, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Glasgow, Dublin, Belfast, Antwerp, Leith and Bristol. lading will be issued to these and other important points in Great Britain and the continent. The attention of shippers is respectfully invited to the advantages offered by this line, and the hope ex- pressed that it will meet with encouragement. At the close of navigation the line will be continued by sub- stituting the break-bulk and car terry service from Mani- towoc in connection with the Flint & Pere Marquette and Ann Arbor railways, connecting with the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railway via Toledo. rr rr TRAFFIC ASSOCIATION. Arrangements have nearly been completed between the Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad and the Western Traf- fic Association whereby the former will handle freight from the northwest to the east by its car ferry service across the lake. The agreement is in force now as far as the broken bulk of freight is concerned. At present the car ferry connects at Manitowoc only with the Wisconsin Central Road. By the new arrangement the northwest- ern road, which is the only other line entering Manito- woc, will also turn its cars over to the Flint & Pere Marquette. The only thing that prevents the perfection of the plan is the question of rates, which has not as yet been agreed upon. There are three routes between the north- west and the east. The rate by the way of Chicago is the highest and that by way of Mackinaw the lowest. The traffic association wants the rate by the Flint & Pere Marquette to to be the same as the lowest, while the lat- ter company has insisted upon a rate above that by way of Mackinaw.. It is thought an agreement will soon be reached by which the Flint & Pere Marquette will get all the freight for the East that reaches to Manitowoc. oo oo or AIDS TO NAVIGATION. The sundry civil bill makes the following appropria- tions for the great lakes outside the regular appropria- tions to maintain established institutions: Ballard’s Reef light vessel and two float lights, $1,500; Grand Marais light and bell, $2,000; Chequamegon, point light, Lake Superior, $1,500; two revenue steamers, $200,000; surveys and charts, $27,000; total, $232,000. All of the Consolidated mines have closed down, Through bills of -