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~~ CORRESPONDENCE. ~ 4a-We do not hold ourselves responsible in any way for the views or _ opinions expressed by our correspondents. It is our desire that all ‘sides of any question affecting the interests or welfare of the lake ma- rine should be fairly represented in THE MARINE RECORD. WINTER NAVIGATION OF THE LAKES. 3 PELEER ISLAND, February 6th, 1899. To the Editor of The Marine Record: Bor many years this very important question has been ‘discussed with more or less intensity and then suffered to drop into indifference again. I think I may opine that in the minds of practical men its entire feasibility is fully ad- mitted. Since Captain William Clinton, of Windsor, Ontario, nearly 30 years ago built the ferry steamer Victoria, after which the other Detroit River ferries have been modeled and improved, the fact of winter navigation has been fully established. © But with the enormous growth of the lake marine, new “and extended necessities have arisen, and the imperative need of such service is conceded. If there existed across or through the Great Lakes natural ~ winter channels like that which is open to-day from Wheatley, Ontario, via Point Pelee, Pelee Island and Kelley’s Island to Sandusky, Ohio, to the eastward of the Islands, entirely free of ice all winter long, simply because the ice is held up the lake by the chain of islands, then this winter ~ navigation would be but a simple problem. ~~ If, then, we may say that this question is no longer a mat- ter of doubt, the only question remaining is the financial “one! ‘‘will it pay?” Ithink so. By the building of a few powerful steamers, with bows very like the ordinary whale- “back, but especially strengthened to_stand the strain of ice- breaking, and with a beam somewhat greater than her con- sorts, so as to give room for their ready passage in her wake, a steamer or heavy steamers, can be built which will head ‘the van and be the pilots of their fleets. _ As all the nautical world knows, the modern ice-breaker ~ does not cut, she simply rides the ice down, by and under ' her receding stem, as she glides over and bears it down be- “neath her. - The ponderous hulls which crowd our waters with only - slight modifications, can be made to work both winter and summer, and the additional expense, especially if these _ vessels lead fleets of freghters, will not be a bar to success. Ses F. B. M.CorMIcK. —_— | Te COMBINED GAS AND BELL BUOY. : NEw York, February 6, 1899. _TLo-the. Editor of the Marine Record: Dear Sir:—I- have read with very much interest your communication on ‘‘Practical aids to lake navigation,”’ signed by a MARINE RECORD subscriber, which appeared in your issue of January 5th, and also the letter from John Maurice which was published in the RECORD of February 2d, on the same subject, and in which he refers to the -earlier communication from ‘‘Subscriber.”’ The inference is readily gained by one reading Mr. Maurice’s letter that Pintsch gas lighted buoys are not efficient aids in thick or foggy weather, and I wish to com- bat that inference, for I think that the experience of the shipmasters on the Great Lakes has been such as to prove the efficiency of the gas buoys under all conditions. - In the very heavy fogs of course the light is not seen at a great distance, but we are told by navigators that there is a halo effect shown in the fog about the light which makes its location readily discernible, and furthermore, the writer has evidently overlooked the fact that we now have a com- bined gas and bell buoy which is partiularly well suited for the conditions prevailing during most heavy fogs. The bell . is rung automatically by the flow of the gas, and therefore the ringing of the bell is not dependent upon the condition of the water. When you combine a bell signal with the light, I believe you will grant the buoy becomes pretty nearly a perfect aid. Yours very truly, Won. St. JOHN. —_——————— ew OS THE Russo-Chinese Railway Company is about to give out orders for the building of six swift ocean steamers, intended for a regular line to run from the terminus of the Manchu- rian Railway to Talienwan, Port Arthur, Shanghai, and Nagasaki, and back. Twoof the boats are to be built at Newcastle, one at Greenock, one in Holland, and the other two in Germany. They will carry both passengers and goods, and sail at fortnightly intervals to begin with. The service is expected to commence in 1903. THE MARINE RECORD. RECEIPTS OF GRAIN AT THE HEAD OF THE LAKES. Grain receipts at the head of Lake Superior for the first month of 1899 show a larger business than any previous January. The shipments of wheat were heavier than in any preceding January. The total receipts of all grain amounted to 5,095,209 bushels against 2,414,818 bushels in the corre- sponding month of 1898. Wheat receipts for the month amounted to 2,932,073 bushels. The shipments were 563,017 bushels. The comparatively heavy shipments were made possible by the cut in east bound rail rates in December. The rates were restored on the first of the year, but a great deal of wheat was carried on the old rate during the month of Janu- ary on contracts that had not been completed by the first of the year. It was in the movement of corn to this market, however, that the market did shine in January. The receipts amounted to 1,133,015 bushels against 308,641 bushels for the corresponding month of last year. Theamount received on the greatest previous month in the history of the market was 845,000 bushels in March, 1898, and the next greatest amount was 486,884 bushels in February, 1898. Last month’s receipts almost equaled the combined receipts of the two previous greatest months in the history of the mar- ket. During the year of 1898 the receipts of corn at the head of the lakes amounted to 3,342,981 bushels. Last month’s business was equal to about one-third of last year’s entire receipts. — OOOO OOD ee BIDS ON DREDGING. Abstract of proposals received at Duluth, Minn.,.by Major Clinton B. Sears, Corps of Engineers, U.S. A., for dredg- ing in Portage Lake ship canals, Mich., opened Feb. 3, 1899: For Dredging. J Per cu. yd. Scow Meas’mt. a : iy C2) Not bo NAME AND ADDRESS he Og str 25 ew hos Total. OF BIDDER. os -| “om oS Bis ye om Fa oO .o Q 3 au 3 5 v Se Bau esha 5 oo°°9 Q RA a n wn P I. Duluth Dredge & Dock Co., Duluth, Minn.... 27 15 $12.00) $317,054.52 2. James Pryor, Hough- fons MICH cake vats = 24 12 10,00] 265,069.56 3. S.. O. Dixon, Racine, WAS ioe ccna utente 26 12% 12.50| 280,874.93 4. Hingston & Woods, 12.00 ButlaloeNeVeaniccres II 9 30.00] 165,476.50 5. Carkin, Stickney & 5 Crain, Detroit, Mich. . 15 II 14.00] 209,654.76 6. Lydon & Drews Co., Chicago, kisses IL.9 Be) 15.00) 182,328.73 7. John H. Gillett, Mar- qustte; MACH. macss: 17% 124% 15.00] 240,408.05 8. Arthur H. Vogel, Mil- : waukee, Wis........ ae 27 13% 15.00] 298,203.25 g. Adolph F. Bues, Mil- waukee, Wis.......... 26 13 12.00] 287,158.60 The firm of Hingston & Woods being the lowest bidders the contract will no doubt be placed in their hands. one NOTICE TO MARINERS. DEPARTMENT OF MARINE AND FISHERIES OTrawa, CANADA, January 24, 1899. DOMINION OF CANADA—ONTARIO. I, WELLERS BAY RANGE LIGHTS.—A recent examination of Wellers Bay, Lake Ontario, shows that the spit which makes north from Bald Head is gradually extending across the entrance and has reached the line of range at a point about 8,500 feet from the front light. In entering it is therefore necessary to open the lights on the starboard hand to pass the spit. A further examination of the spit and of Wellers Bay will be made after navigation opens, and fuller notice of the changed conditions will be given. 2. REMOVAL OF THE WRECK OF THE MONITOR IN RIVER St. Mary.—The United States Hydrographer has given notice that the wreck of the Monitor, which foundered on the 25th September last, just above Point aux Pins, river St. Mary, above the ‘‘Soo’’, was removed on the 30th of Novem- ber. F. GouRDEAU, Deputy Minister of Marine and Fisheries. 4@-All bearings, unless otherwise noted, are magnetic and are given from seaward, miles are nautical miles, heights are above high water and all depths are at mean low water. : , Pilots, masters, or others interested are earnestly requested to send information of dangers, changes in aids to navigation, notices of new reise or Sil: n nee ee in publications, or any other facts affecting e navigation of Canadian waters to the Chief Engi of whee and Fisheries, Ottawa, Canada. SOP EEES Me pa mnent COAST SHIPBUILDING. The Pusey and Jones Co., Wilmington, Del., has sig a contract for the construction of a steel steam yach William Hester, proprietor of the Brooklyn Daily The vessel is to be designed by Naval Architect H. C. ringham, of New York, and will be a handsome model. deck fixtures will be of the highest class used in yachts. The dimensions will be: Length, 128 feet; breath of beam, 16 feet 6 inches; depth, 9 feet ginches. She willbe fitted with a triple expansion engine, with steel shaft and bronze wheel. The boiler will be of the latest and most approve type. : The Harland & Hollingsworth Company, Wilmington Del., has received a contract to build a new steamship fa the Windsor line, to ply between Philadelphia and Boston, Following closely to the announcement that the Boston Towboat Company had placed a contract for the constr tion of a large steamer with the Maryland Steel Company Baltimore comes the news that they had ordered anothe steamer from the same builders. She will be in every par. ticular a sister ship to the one ordered several days ago Work will commence on both steamers at once, and t will be ready for delivery about October. They will m the requirements of the American Shipmasters’ rules or now known, the American Bureau of Shipping, for classifica- tion in the Record of American and Foreign Shipping an to carry a 17-year rating. The dimensions of the boats will be as follows: Length between perpendiculars, 324 feet; length over all, about 345 feet; beam, molded, 47 feet; depth molded at side, 28 feet. No wood willbe used in thei construction except where actually necessary. The hold will be divided into four large compartments by transverse, water-tight bulkheads. A cellular water bottom 4o inches deep will extend from the collision bulkhead forward to the stern-pipe bulkhead aft, forming a protection for the whole length of the ship. Amidships will be located the engines and boilers. The engines are to be of the inverted, direct: acting, triple-expansion type, with cylinders 21, 35 and 56 inches in diameter. On the main deck forward a topgallan forecastle will give accommodations for the crew. Abaft o this are to be three large hatches, and then the bridge house which is to contain a large saloon, opening out of which are to be four large staterooms. Abaft the bridge house are to be four large hatches to the after hold. At the extreme end of the main deck is to be located the towing engine house, which will contain a powerful towing machine. The vessel will also be provided with steering engines, hoisting engines — and steam capstans. On top of the bridge house is to be located a chart room, built entirely of steel. On top of the chart house is to be a pilot house, also of steel. The steamer will be provided with two steel pole masts each, fitted with cargo booms on each mast. While the steamers are being constructed for the coal carrying trade, it is likel that they will be used in general freighting between th United States ports and Cuba and Porto Rico. These ves sels will no doubt be commanded by Captain Henry Lewis, — formerly of the company’s steamer Saturn, purchased by the government during the late war, and Captain Smith, now in the steamer Orion, running in the company’s service from Newport News. ——— EASTERN FREIGHT REPORT. Business continues to narrow down, and, in addition the evident preferment of other centers of delivery to ours by importers of grain in Europe at the moment, we have to face a speculative advance in prices on our market, whi threatens to further reduce the volume of business for thi commodity and acts as an additional blow to freights. As the demand for our other exportable commodities is lik wise limited, this market, unfortunately, lacks all recupera tive power at the moment, and we can only hope for an ea revival of the enquiry for our cereals, as the means to bring about a turn for the better in the present declining tendency — of our freight market. ae Business in sailing vessels remains restricted by the con- tinued scarcity of vessels suitable for certain trades, whilst in other directions there is little or no enquiry. Only a few charters are reported for case oil to the Far East, since owners seem unwilling to accept even the lately advanced rates, and a further improvement seems therefore not un likely, whilst the demand for barrel oil to Europe apparentl has entirely subsided for the moment. There is still a! demand for general cargo tonnage to the Colonies, and ra remain quite firm, This equally applies to naval stores ar there is also some enquiry from the lumber trade for So America, but rates show no appreciable change. a