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* -neaut and Port Dover Line. - Slauson and John Mark, Manistique to THE MARINE RECORD. NEWS AROUND THE LAKES. DETROIT. Special Correspondence to the Marine Record. Great credit is due the Dry Dock Engine Works for their splendid work on the engine of the steamer State of Ohio. The machinery was a complete wreck, yet the stab completed all repairs from June 4th to July 2d. _ Mr, C. B. Calder is superintendent of the Dry Dock Engine Works. Arrangements have been made for the establishment of a line of car ferries connceting Sandusky, Detroit, and Windsor,’ Ont. The companies interested in the project are the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and the Moreton Track and Storage Company, Limited, of Detroit. The details of the new and important enterprise has been arranged, but the deal has not yet been consummated. Within a few days the Detroit Co. and the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad will sign the contract. The new project means the expansion of the railroad company and will make it a competitor in Michigan and Canadian territory. The railroad connections will place the Baltimore & Ohio Co. in a position to draw traffic from the railroads reaching to Lake Michigan, and from there Wisconsin and Minnesota by the aid of car ferries. The establishment of the Lake Erie car ferries is significant in many respects, one of which is the opening of a direct and short line from the Pittsburg and Ohio coal fields to Detroit and Michigan. The Lake Shore Railroad and other companies reaching Detroit will be forced to suffer a loss of traffic. At pres- ent there is only one car ferry line on Lake Erie, the Con- The Baltimore & Ohio Rail- road has magnificent dock facilities at Sandusky, much better than it controls at Cleveland or Fairport. The Bal- timore & Ohio Co. will have no financial interest in the ferry company, but will have a traffic arrangement which it is expected will be mutually beneficial. Railroad and through that line with the Wabash, the De- troit, Lansing & Northern, the Flint & Pere Marquette, - and other railroads leading from Detroit and Windsor. Two car ferries with a capacity of twenty-eight cars each will be placed in service at once and such additional barges will be furnished as the business may demand. his traffic arrangement will give to the Baltimore & Ohio entrance into a very large territory north of Sandusky and Toledo which hitherto it has not extensively operated in. De- troit and the territory adjacent will also be the gainers by having another direct and short route to the Atlantic Ocean, the Baltimore & Ohio’s port being Baltimore. i a oo CHICAGO. Special. Correspondence to the Marine Record. Capt. John Prindiville chartered the steamer Nahant for oats to. Sarnia at $ of a cent. J. J. Rardon & Co. chartered the steamer Phenix for corn to Port Huron at 1 cent. - Albert D. Houghton, of Alexandria Bay, N. Y., chief en- gineer of the Vermont Line steamer A. McVittie, was joined in matrimony with Bertha J. Brown, of Davenport, Towa, on June 2oth last, at the Trinity Episcopal Church, Davenport, Iowa. I wish the newly-wedded couple much happiness and it is certain to result. The schooner Trueman Moss is at the shipyard derrick, having her main mast taken out and replaced by a new one; the schooner George W. Naghtin is in dock, having her bottom and decks re-calked; the steam yacht Sentinel for a new wheel and bottom cleaning and painting; the tue Tacoma for repairs to stern bearing and to have a leak stopped; the steamer Atlanta was in for a new wheel. On Saturday afternoon a large steel dump scow was launched at the shipyard of the Chicago Ship Building Co, at South Chicago. The scow was built for the Star Con- struction and Dredging Co., of Chicago, and is one of the largest in use. Its dimensions are 126 feet in length, 30 feet beam and 11 feet deep. Its capacity is 650 yards of earth and it has six water-tight bulkheads. H. W. Cook & Co. chartered the steamer W. B. Mor- ley for clipped oats to Buffalo at 1 cent; the steamer John Otis and schooner L. B. Shephard for lumber, Menominee to Chicago, at $1.00 per M. feet; the steamer Westover and consort Bliss and schooners Horace Taber, Minnie Chicago, and steamer Charles Rietz, St. Ignace to Chicago, for lumber at $1.00 per M. feet. The owners of excursion steamers running out of this port will have good reason to remember the 3d, 4th and 5th of July this year, as there never was such an exodus of pleasure seekers carried on their fine steamers on any three consecutive days before. The Goodrich Transpor- tation Co.’s steamers Virginia, Indiana, City of Racine, Atlanta and Iowa were taxed to their full capacity, as were also the Graham and Morton steamers City of Chi- ‘cago and City of Milwaukee; the Holland Line steamers Soo City and City of Holland; the Williams Line steamers City of Kalamazoo and W. H. Williams, and the steamer City of Grand Rapids. The L. M. & L. S. Transporta- tion Co.’s steamer Manitou and the N. M. Line steamers - Petoskey and Chicago also received a large share of the patronage of the pleasure seekers. To the whaleback ~ steamer Christopher Columbus must be awarded the palm for carrying the largest number of passengers, she having carried nearly 10,000 people from Chicago to Milwaukee and back in her four round trips during the three days. At Detroit and © * Windsor the ferry line will connect with the Grand Trunk BUFFALO. Special Correspondence to the Marine Record. Advices are that while there are no special features of interest, the movement of anthracite coal westward is small, and that the freght rates are such that boats are car- rying it to destinationat cost. Bituminous coal is fairly active and thought there are no changes in quotations, dealers are firm and stocks are lighter than usual. The shipments of coal westward by lake from Buffalo for the week ending June 25th, aggregated only 42,543 net tons, distributed as follows: 11,850 tons to Chicago, 8,500 tons to Milwaukee, 11,600 tons to Duluth, 2,580 tons to Toledo. 3,200 tons to Superior, 1,500 tons to Saginaw, 1238 tons to Fort Williams, 1,000 tons to Green Bay, 675 tons to Ke- nosha, and 400 tons to Sault Ste. Marie. The low rates of freight remain unchanged. oe oe oro CLEVELAND. Special Correspondence to The Marine Record. The Wilson Liner Wallula, docked at the Ship Owners’ Dry Dockthis week, for survey and all necessary repairs as recommended by the inspectors of damage. A yacht has reached here under the command or charge of Capt. Holmes, late of the Wilson Transit Co., who in- tends taking her around the world. Across the Atlantic touching Scotland cruising south to London, Liverpool. Havre, through the gut of Gibraltar to the Suez and across to Bombay, Calcutta, Japan, and across the Pacific to ’Frisco, thence through Mayellan Straits up our eastern coast to New York and back home to the lakes. It is understood that considerable money is backing the expe- dition. _]_—$$ aaa ae i ee THE CHICAGO NAVIGATION SCHOOL. The following letter to Mr. McCurdy from My. Wilson will explain itself: Mr. Geo. L. McCurdy, ; tith Floor, Royal Insurance Building, City. Chicago, Ill., June 16, 1897Dear Sir:—Referring to our conversation the other day relative to my school in navigation, I have the honor to forward herewith a pros- pectus of same, which will explain itself. The school was organized during the winter of ‘95-’96 at the earnest solicitation o fa number of vessel captains and others, and while it might have been called an experiment at the time, it proved so successful that during this last winter I had as many pupils as I could handle. In all, I had some sixty-five (65) pupils, twenty-five (25) of whom were captains and mates. I was more than gratified to have had so many of the latter, as at first it appeared very hard indeed to get many of them interested, however, like in all professions in life a few saw the benefits to be de- rived and they were not slow to back up their convictions even at the expense of being called down by some of their brother captains for taking up new fangled ideas in their profession. They would be informed why we are not considered navigators on the lakes, we are pilots, why then take up the study. Yes they are pilots, and the finest in the world, and while that branch of the science which is absolutely necessary for the captain on the ocean may not have to be known by his brother captainson the lakes, yet there are some parts of it which is of utmost, importance to him, and that of the compass is paarmount.. A captain should know his compass, as a mother does her child, whether he be on the Atlantic, or the Inland Lakes? Upon its ac- curacy depends the safety of the ship and crew, hence it is necessary for each and every captain to thoroughly un- derstand the phenamena pecuilar to the compass, namely, Variation and Deviation. During these days when our vessels are constructed out of steel and iron, thus causing them to become hugh magnets in themselves independent of the magnetisth of the earth, and possibly part of the cargo, the captain should readily understand how to de- termine each error and knowing same apply it properly to secure his compass course from the point of departure to the port of destination. Although an expert compass ad- juster may have adjusted the compass of the vessel, he cannot completely correct it, and the captain will always find an error from the iron in his ship (Deviation), and he should be able t odetect just how much he has for the course he is sailing, and allow for it to reach his port of destination in safety. Some will say experience is all that is required of the lake captain, but it js strictly true? It is all right to pick up and guide him, if he is off his course he puts his helm over and continues on his proper course, had he known what caused him to be off and allowed for it in the first place all would be well, but let-himbeenveloped in a fog, and what is the result—he plunks along and the first thing he knows he is ashore on some shoal or beach. Some who are unfortunate enough to havethus damaged their vessel thousand of dollars will immediately say their com- pass is out. Why in name of common sense shouldn't it be out? But that does not relieve the captain for having run her ashore; he should have known just how much it was out and made proper allowance for the error. The captains on the lakes are as a class a very intelli- gent body of men, and it is not difficult for them to pick up this subject in a short time. I know whereof I speak from the captains I have had in my classes in the past, as well as those whom I have come in contact with in the Hydrographic Office. It is not necessary for them to tend my school to gain this information, T am. pleased to have them call at the Hydrographic Office dui ing office hours, and I will deem it a pleasure to give th all the assistance in my power free of charge. Th what the government pays me for. If they wish to my school evenings, well and good. You will see that every hour which the meu who intrusted with lives and valuable property, devote to_ systematic study of that branch of the science of na tion which is absolutely necessary for the lake reg adds just so much to the safety of all who sail the lal either as passengers or members of crews, as well as the vessel herself and the cargo she carries. The kind proposition you made the other day re to giving a certain amount in prizes to captains and mé passing the best examination, after the school term, have an excellent effect. I respectfully request—if ; will, to put same in writing, as I can use it to grea vantage. Very respectfully, W. J. WILSO} The following is a reply to Mr. Wilson’s letter by McCurdy: S Insurance Agency of George L. McCurdy, Royal Insurance Building. W. J. Wilson, Esq., ; U. S. Hydrographic Office, City. Chicago, Ill., June 17, 1897——Dear Sir:—Your favo1 the 16th inst. received, giving me particulars of — School of Navigation, which I read with interest. : In regard to my proposition to you, if you will reco lect it, I said I would set aside the sum of $250 as p for the masters who passed the best examination. expect you, of course, to advertise this fact so that work will not be limited and that good results can t reached. By so doing we can make a continuous prope sition year by year. I would suggest, however, that th amount, $250, be divided among the mates as well as th masters, and I have an idea that you may get better r sults from the mates, who wish to be promoted, than yo’ will possibly from some of the masters who have bee serving a long time. So I think it would be a good id if you would make four prizes for masters and four prize for mates; the first prize to be $50 and the other prizes $25 each. This will give to each class then two first prizes of $50 each and six other prizes of $25 each. I shall stipu- late, however, that the examinations shall be subject to — the supervision of Capt. F. D. Herriman, Surveyor Gen- — eral of Great Lakes Register, and that the examinations be made during the winter or at such time as may be thought will be the most expedient. These are the only — stipulations I care to make; the rest of the details to be — left entirely with you, except that I would impress upon your mind to give this as much publicity as possible so that the best results may be reached. Yours truly, 7 (Signed) GEO. L. McCurdy, 5 Agent. Mr. McCurdy’s estimable and far-reaching departure is oe mene commended by everybody interested in th subject. CODED Sette OO Seas Sc aM Te ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS. The explorations of both Lieut. Peary and Dr; Nan having demonstrated that the most practical route to north pole is along the coast of Greenland, there is ey dently to be a race for Arctic honors in that section of the frozen North. Lieut. Peary, as has been heretofore an nounced, will make a trip northward along the Greenlan coast, this summer, to prepare the way for his expedition next year. His intention is to make arrangements with a family of Esquimaux to go north with him and establish stations along the line, to cover their needs on the return trip. This plan has been endorsed as the’ best possible method of making a dash across the Arctic sea to the pole from the northermost point of land. : It is announced from Norway that Capt. Sverdrup, wh was Dr. Nansen’s lieutenant in command of the Fram, w next summer take the Fram northward again, penetrati: Smith’s Sound and Robeson Channel as far north as po: sible along the northwest coast of Greenland. The ca: extends northward, and to survey the northwest, no ot ) The success of the Fram’s mai expedition has given her a prestige that will develop expectations among those who are interested in Arcti aa as as to the results of her second voyage not ward. 4 Capt. Sverdrup is a tried Arctic explorer, with th perience gained by his command of the Fram durin Nansen’s absence from the ship, but the ice condition probably give the stanch Norwegian exploring ship n experiences. She may not receive any. “pinches” as, ev: as those which are graphically described by De in the account of the Fram’s first voyage, but she will counter more difficult stretches of sea along the west: of Greenland, and in the current-swept channels « which a ship must proceed northward in that..part . frozen sea. However, the grit and determination $ by the Fram’s crew will contribute largely toward ‘suee however great the difficulties, and if Capt. Sverdgup « induce his old crew to accompany him he will probabh able to make a new record along the Greenland coast.