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THE MARINE RECORD. Mh Oe SHIPBUILDING. The Union Iron Works has just been awarded the contract _ fortwo of the largest freight steamers ever built in the '-_- United States. The vessels are for the American Hawaiian Steam Navigation Company, with headquarters at New York, in which Dearborn & Co. and Filbert & Co. are interested. The company is to ply its craft between New York, Phila- delphia, San Francisco and Honolulu, with the probability of extending the route. The first steamer is to be turned out in April, 1900, and the second one at a later date. Each will have a carrying capacity of 8,500 tons. The first vessel will be 410 feet long with 51 feet beam and a depth of 32 feet. Her engines are to develop 2,500 horse-power. The Polson Iron Works, Toronto, Ont., are building a 14- knot propeller, 100 x 21 x 7, for the Ottawa River Naviga- tion Co., to carry 300 passengers; a 15-knot steel passenger steamer, 112 x 22% x 6, to be named Majestic, for the Rich- elieu River Navigation Co., and a composite steam cutter, 36x 9x3, for G. Gooderham, Toronto, as tender for his yacht. The Burlee Dry Dock company, Newport News, Va., has just accepted contracts for a large sea-going tug, to be built of steel, Other contracts are three steel barges, a 12,000 horse-power marine engine, and a number of harbor barges and boats. The plant is so crowded with work, that several boats were sent to the McWilliam dry dock. Hall Bros., Port Blakely, Washington, have laid the keels for two 4-masted schooners, each to carry about _goo,000 feet lumber and be ready to launch by July 1. i A company has been organized at Seaford, Del., with $20,- ooo capital to establish a new marine railway there and go into vessel building also. The two revenue cutters to be built under appropriations by the last Congress are to be forthe Great Lakes. Each $165,000 and for the Pacific Coast $225,000. A steam yacht too feet long, 18 feet beam and 5% feet draft, with ten knots speed, is to be built by F. W. Ofeldt & Sons, 25th street, South Brooklyn, for Wm. Gillette, dra- matic auther. The New England Shipbuilding Co., Bath, Me., has con- tracted to build a 5-masted schooner for Fall River parties. The R. M. Spedden Co., of Baltimore, Md., has received a contract from the Government for the construction of a steel despatch boat for use in the Patapsco river. She will be built for the use of the Quartermaster’s Department of the United States Army stationed at Fort McHenry, as a supply and dispatch boat between Fort McHenry and the new bat- teries at North and Pawkins Points. She will be 90 ft. in length, 18 ft. breadth of beam, and 1o ft. depth of hold. She will be driven by a compound engine, with cylinders 12 and 24in. in diameter. There will be a dining and galley saloon forward and two staterooms aft. A large room will be placed aft the wheel-house on the roof of the deck-house. Government shipbuilding was practically inaugurated in Richmond on March 11, by the laying of the keel of the torpedo boat Shubrick, at the recently established plant of the W. R. Trigg Shipbuilding Co. This boat is one of three of a similar design, the others being the Thornton and Stockton. ‘These and two torpedo boat destroyers, the Dale and Decatur, will all be constructed together, the prelimi- nary work for all of them being’well under way. James Davidson, W. Bay City, Mich., will soon begin to ‘build a 120-foot tug boat for Port Huron owners. The Jenks Shipbuilding Co., which has established a steel shipbuilding plant at Port Huron, will build a steel freight steamer 240 feet long, 43 feet beam and 27 feet depth. R. C. Brittain, Saugatuck, Mich, has launched a new Ioo- foot steamer for service between Saugatuck and Milwaukee, in the fruit trade. The New England Ship Building Co., of Bath, Me., has just closed a contract to build a large five-masted schooner for Capt. Chase and others, of Fall River, Mass. There are two other five-masters building at Bath, one at the yard of Percy & Small and the other at Gardiner G. Deering’s. The former will be launched in May. Work on the new vessel will begin as soon as the material arrives. The New Eng- land Ship Building Co. already have coal barges for the Con- solidated Coal Co., of Baltimore, under construction at their yards. : : James & Tarr, of Essex, will build for Fred L. Davis, of Gloucester, Mass., a new schooner of 108 tons. She will be launched about June 1, and will be engage in the Bank cod- fishery under command of Capt. John McDonald, now of the schooner Gladstone. The organization has been effected in Portland, Me., of a new steamship company. It seems to be composed of the leading members of the other steamship companies of the city, the Maine, the Portland and International, and the fil- ing of the certificate of corporation caused some curiosity among those who knew about the matter. Hon. Charles F. Libby, when interrogated about the ‘matter, said that it had not taken definite shape as yet, and was really not a matter of importance. The new company is known as the Portland Consolidated Steamship Company. ‘The articles of incor- poration show that the company is to carry freight and pas- sengers upon the high seas, and from port to port in this and other states, to purchase and acquire steamboat property, and is authorized to issue $500,000 worth of stock; nothing, however, has as yet been paidin. ‘he directors are John Englis of New York City, Joseph S. Ricker of Portland, J. S. Winslow of Portland, Charles F. Libby of Portland, Charles M. Englis ot New York City, Horatio Hall of New York City, Leander W. Fobes of Portland and John F. Lis- comb of Portland. The clerk is John F. Liscomb, the presi- dent is John Englis and the treasurer is John F. Liscomb. It is shrewdly guessed that the new company will proceed with the building of the new steamer, which it is proposed to name the Governor Dingley, and that when the legal questions arising from the loss of the Portland are settled, the new organization will merge into the Portland Steam- ship Company again. Paul Le Roux, the shipbuilder at Albany, N. Y., has secured the contract for building the new passenger steamer for the Albany and Castleton line. The steamer will be 120 feet long and 25 feet beam. She will have two decks, a ladies’ cabin, a freight cabin, and will be run by a 4% com- pound engine. The steamer will cost in the neighborhood of $32,000 and will be the first passenger steamer constructed at Albany in 20 years. The machinery will be constructed by Nicholson, of Albany. Work on the new boat will be commenced next week, and it is expected that she will be completed early in July. The Albany and Castleton line will then have three boats, the Black, the Evans and the new steamer. The New Baltimore and Albany line has dis- banded, and the Lotta and Elaine are now running in south- ern waters. The Black and the new boat will take the place of these two boats. Mr. Le Roux will increase his force of men next week and work on the steamer will be rushed. Samuel Ayres & Sons, of Nyack, N. Y., has received a contract for the construction of a fine sloop yacht for Mal- colm Graham, a well-known business man of New York City. The yacht will be 46 feet over all and 14 feet beam, and will be finished in the best style. The yacht will be used for cruising by Mr. Graham. Ayres & Son are also about finish- ing the work on a handsome cruiser for the Rev. Thomas Dixon, of;Brooklyn. The boat will have a naphtha engine. The work on the handsomie little cruising yacht will soon be completed. ee ICE IN RIVERS AND HARBORS. As to the condition of ice in rivers and the Great- Lakes, with reference to resumption of navigation, the following special reports are received from Weather Bureau officials: Albany, N. Y., March 21.—Floating ice in Hudson; gorge at Stockport moved out 16th; navigation to Castleton opened 18th. Ice in Mohawk has not moved far; is cracked and badly rotted. Buffalo, N. Y., March 18.—Ice fields have been much loosened during the week and moved up and down the ‘Lake according to direction and force of wind. Ice has become much discolored, and some large fields have moved down Niagara River; still visible as far as the eye can reach from about two miles above outer lighthouse. Fire tug, out on lake on 16th, reported ice about 7 to 8 inches thick. Cleveland, Ohio, March 18.—While ice has diminished materially during week, extensive fields still appear with onshore winds. Harbors along south shore are generally open, and a passenger steamer is announced to start from Detroit for Cleveland on the 22d, which indicates that lecal navigatian will be resumed here about the same time as last season, General navigation is not expected before April 10, nine days later than last season. Detroit, Mich., March 18.—Detroit river free from Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie; ice packed solid from mouth of river to Point Pelee; in Lake St. Clair ice packed solid in the flats, with loose ice floating in lake; steamer will endeavor to cut passage through flats on 19th. The Detroit and Cleveland line will start steamer for Cleveland before March 23. Port Huron, March 18.—The conditions have changed but little during past week. Off Tawas Point, where at this time last year there was practically no ice, lake is closed as far as the eye can reach. Vesselmen at Bay City do not ex- pect resumption of navigation on Lake Huron before April 20. No open water in sight at Sand Beach. Ice jam in St. Clair river now located near head of Lake St. Clair. Chicago, Ill., March 18.—There is no ice visible over the southern end of Lake Michigan, and vessel masters report that there is almost no ice on the west shore of Lake Michi- gan between Chicago and Sheboygan, but that there is some between Sheboygan and Manitowoc. Boats will begin to run from Chicago to Grand Haven about April 1. Gen- eral navigation will not open until the Straits of Mackinac are clear, which will probably be about April 20. The dis- playman at Mackinac reports: ‘‘Heavy winter weather, with sleet and snow increasing thickness and strength of ice; prospects of opening very late.”’ Grand Haven, Mich., March 18.—The harbor remains clear of ice, but anice field about five miles in width and composed of very large cakes of great hardness is reported to extend nearly parallel with the shore about 15 miles out, — offering some obstruction to navigation. Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., March 18.—The week has been unusually cold and the:ice continued to increase in thick- ness. It will require the most favorable weather from now on to enable boats to get through Straits by April 20. Marquette, Mich., March 18.—The ice field is now a solid white sheet and extends in all directions as far as can be - seen. There has been no movement of ice during week; it has increased about two inches in thickness. All ice will readily break up and move out with a high southerly wind. Some local vesselmen predict navigation will open about April 20. Escanaba, Mich., March 20.—Navigation will probably not open before April 15. Milwaukee, Wis., March 18.—The river and harbor of this port now free from ice and boats running regularly. Ves- selmen report some floating fragments along the shore to north, but not enough to interfere with navigation. Prep- arations being made for resumption of navigation about April 15. Duluth, Minn., March 18.—Harbor ice varies from 8 to 38 inches thick; average 30 inches. It is reported that outside ice extends along north shore nearly to Grand Maris; thence as far out as visiou reaches; thickness, 8 to 18 inches. The outlook appears to continue favorable for reopening of gen- eral navigation between lower lakes and this port from May I to 10, about fifteen to twenty days later than last season. NN THE CRAIG SHIP BUILDING CO. CONTRACT FOR A STEEL STEAMER, WORK AT THE TOLEDO SHIPYARD. t The Craig Ship Building Co. announce that another keel will be laid at the Toledo yard of that company immediately after the launch of the steel steamer for the Porto Rico Steamship Co. (Miller, Bull & Knowlton) of New York, now nearing completon. Material for this second steamer was provided for some time ago. She will be built with a view to transfer to the Atlantic seaboard. The Miller, Bull & Knowlton steamer will be a very powerful vessel in propor- tion to dimension. She is to be 220 by 32 by 13 feet, and will have triple-expansion engines of 22, 37 and 61 inches diame- ter, with a common stroke of thirty-six inches, steam being supplied at 175 pounds pressure, from two cylindrical boilers, 12 feet in diameter and 11% feet long. To be placed in the general cargo trade. The wooden steamer Preston is being lengthened forty-eight feet, and it is expected that this will give her a capacity of a million feet of dry pine ona . draught of twelve feet. Other improvements include steel - arches, as well as steel keelsons, and steel plates under the rail from house to house on both sides; also new stacks and boiler breeching, with new boiler house. The Gettysburg is also receiving a general overhauling and extensive repairs, including steel arches, etc. ——_—— DT OO APPOINTMENTS OF MASTERS ANDENGINEERS. THE MERCHANTS LINE, Montreal, Can.—Steamer Cuba, master, Hy Chestnut; engineer, Wm. Kennedy. Melbourne, master, Fred Elliott; engineer, Thos. Milne. THE CANADA ATLANTIC /(RANSIT Co.—Steamer Briton, master, Jas. B. Watts; engineer, W.R. Donaldson. Ger- man, master, D. Carrier; engineer, J. H. Gilbo. Grecian, master, Wm. Baxter; engineer, Thos. Kelly. Saxon, mas- ter, Alex Birnie; engineer, Geo. E. Averill Roman, mas- ter, A.J. Greenlay; engineer, S. A. Wells. (See page 9). foes