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KKK KKK CLEVELAND. Special Correspondence to the Marine Record: Capt..James Calbick, Chicago, visited this port on vessel business on Monday. : I learn that the Snider-Hughes Co., of this city, has an or- der for 77 steam pumps, 20 of which are to be shipped to Shanghai and 27 to Hong Kong. Mr. Newman has resigned as local manager of the Amer- ican Ship Building Co. He will probably go East and take charge of one of the shipyards on the coast, The Acme Machinery Co., manufacturers of automatic bolt cutters, bolt and rivet headers, etc., has just completed a two-story, fire-proof extension, 50x140 feet, which will be used asa machine shop. The extension will employ about sixty extra workmen. That irrepressible general passenger agent of the Cleve- land & Buffalo line, Mr. Herman, is now out with an illus- trated card entitled ‘‘Gathering up for the Season.’’ The card shows a smiling and charming young lady gathering up the four boats of the fleet in her arms and giving notice that it is all off for the season in the freight and passenger service. Mr. Herman isa hustler; he is also original, and _ a daisy where passenger business by lake is concerned. - Maj. Blount, in charge of Toledo harbor, recently ap- proved plans for the extension of the dock line on the west side of the Maumee river from 30 to 165 feet towards the channel. It develops that 90 per cent. of this reclaimed land will belong to the heirs of original owners who retained riparian rights. The reclaimed ground is valued at $1, 500,- ooo, The foregoing has been widely announced, but I would suggest that there is no “‘Major”’ in charge of Toledo harbor. There is, however, a ci-devant insurance agent who delights in villifying the marine interests, including build- _ ers, owners, brokers, managers, masters and pilots. Mr. Blount seems to be more than pushing. It is learned that the Pittsburg, Bessemer & Lake Erie has over 400,000 tons of ore in stock at Conneaut harbor, enough to supply traffic for about five regular daily freight trains for the winter. There is enough ore at the docks to load 2,000 trains of 2,000 tons each, or about 5,000 4o-ton ‘cars. In addition to the ore, the company has arranged to _ handle a large amount of freight from the Carnegie Works __ which will be delivered to the connecting lines. The road has been handling a very heavy traffic for seven months, and the surplus ore which accumulated during the period of - navigation at the Conneaut docks will supply a good source ~ of révenue until the lakes are open again. _ The late weather forecast official at this port is thus spoken _ of ina Havana daily: The weather in Cuba is usually the ‘most stable thing one encounters. The clerk of the sky- operations seems to occasionally come around, adjust the machine to rain, drought or wind, and then go of on a raid in other regions with his cyclones, blizzards and deluges. Nevertheless there are times when the machinery clogs, or - spurts, and there isa vaudeville performance of iluvias, vientos and tempestas. The American government has un- dertaken to establish its unrivaled weather report system in the West Indies for the benefit of the island people and _ the foreign visitors. The work was entrusted to Capt. W. _ B. Stockman, one of the most skilled, accurate and trusted - meterological scientists of the National Bureau, and he has _ performed his labors with an intelligence and effectiveness worthy of the highest praise. His reports have won ready * recognition as the most reliable published in Cuba, and his reassuring telegrams against various storm and hurricane alarms have been most yaluable to both landsmen and mariners. The Havana Journal presents these admirable and _ trustworthy observations daily for the benefit of the public. The following data, covering a period of 28 years, have been compiled from the Weather Bureau records at Cleve- land, Ohio. Month of December for 28 years, temperature: _ Mean or normal temperature, 31; the warmest month was that of 1889, with an average of 42°; the coldest month was that of 1876, with an average of 20°; the highest temperature was 68°, on December 31, 1875; the lowest temperature was 12°, on Dec. 22, 1872; average date on which first killing frost occurred in autumn, Oct. 11: average date on which last killing frost occurred in spring, May 1. Precipitation _ (rain and melted snow): Average for the month, 2.63 inches; average number of days with .o1 of an inch or more, 16; the greatest monthly precipitation was 4.50 inches in 1873; the least monthly precipitation was 0.84 inches in 1871; the greatest amount of precipitation recorded in any 24 con- ecutive hours was 1.87 inches, on Dec. 12, 1873; the greatest ‘amount of snow fall recorded in any 24 consecutive hours record extending to winter of 1884-85 only) was 6.6 inches, on Dec. 3, 1893. Clouds and weather, average number of ‘clear days, 3; partly cloudy days, 9; cloudy days, 19. Wind, ‘the prevailing winds have been from the southwest; the ighest velocity of the wind was 48 miles from the north- vest, on Dec. 18, 1896. THE MARINE RECORD. DULUTH-—SUPERIOR. Special Correspondence to The Marine Record. The tug B. B. Inman is now undergoing repairs for fire damage. She was only partially burned. The Bessemer line steamer Douglas Houghton will load about 250,000 bushels of wheat this-week. This is an indi- . cation that the ore-carrying season is nearly over. One of the deals pending in Duluth at present is the pros- pective transfer of the Marinette Iron Works at West Duluth. The work of taking an inventory of the plant is now in progress. Beginning Dec. 1, the rate on soft coal from the head of the lakes to St. Paul aud Minneapolis will go up from 75 to go cents aton. The rate on hard coal will not be dis- turbed, at least for the present. Itis likely that the coal companies will make this an excuse to put up the price of - soft coal 30 to 4o cents a ton. The local steamboat inspectors have suspended Capt. Al- bert Kent, of the tug Industry, on account of the collision which took place between the Lake Michigan and Lake Su- perior liner Peerless and the schooner Stewart last Septem- ber, in which the Peerless was sunk. The Industry was towing the Peerless at the time. The masters of the tug towing the Stewart and the tug towing a raft were exhoner- ated. A dispatch from Chicago says that it is expected all poli- cies on At lake steamers will be extended to Dec. 5 for steel and wood, without extra cost for premiums after Nov. 30. There are a few policies extending from last season to Dec. 12. For Az boats and sail and tow barges, insurance will expire Nov. 30. Many of the boats that are now clearing for the lower lakes will not come back to Lake Superior this season. In the Menominee district, Oglebay, Norton & Co., Cleve- land, have taken a May prospect. The deal has been in consideration for some time, but is now closed. This gives this company four mines, Alpha, May, Hollister and Bristol, besides some prospects, all near Crystal Falls. The Minne- sota Iron Co. are examining the Porter lands near Crystal Falls, on which they have had options for some months at a 5-cent royalty. The average freight rate during 1898, Duluth to New York and common points, lake and rail, was a little less than 1734 cents per 100 pounds. The tariff rate was as high as 17% cents, and as low as I5cents. With the rate of 17% cents the proportion that goes for terminal and rail charges at and east of Buffalo is 10.71 cents, leaving 6.79 cents for the lake haul. The all rail rate during the winter of 1897-1898 was about 25 cents per 100 pounds on the average. The maximum rate was 30 cents, and the minimum 22% cents. Major Clinton B. Sears, Corps of Engineers, U. S. A., has received word from the Secretary of War, that the pro- posed new harbor lines for the Duluth-Superior harbor have been approved. The major planned the new harbor lines and public hearings were held in Duluth and Superior a few weeks ago, to hear protests from property owners. Col. Bar- low, of New York, who is in charge of this division, pre- sided at the hearings and recommended that the harbor lines be adopted. as planned by Major Sears, who is one of the’ most skillful and scientific men in the service of the Corps of Engineers, U. S. A. During the season of 1898 the coal brought to the head of of the lakes amounted to 2,250,000 tons. Of this amount there remained on the docks at the close of navigation I,200,000 tons, 300,000 tons of anthracite and 900,000 tons of bituminous. The average valuation of the soft coal on the dock is $2.25 perton. ‘Thus the 900,000 tons on the dock represented an investment of $2,025,000, The average valuation of the anthracite is $3.75, or an investment of $1,125,000 for the 300,000 tons. The amount invested in coal on the docks at the head of the lakes at the close of navigation is thus shown to have been $3,150,000. The shipments of ore from Minnesota for the season have been so increased by the continued mild weather that it is likely that they will reach close to 8,000,000 grosstons. For this month nearly 1,000,000 tons will be shipped from Duluth, Two Harborsand Superior, which is more than double the November record of any preceding year. The season will end in shipping from the Duluth & Iron Range road, 3,900,- ooo tons, Duluth, Missabe & Northern, 3,300,000 tons, Kastern Minnesota, 875,000 tons. The Gogebic range is shipping heavily but the Marquette and Menominee are easing up for the year but will be more than brisk next season. The Daily Commercial Record shows how we stand here in the following report. Record breaking ore shipments from a Lake Superior ore dock on the 20th of November gives one an idea of present weather conditions and inci- dentally throws some light on the capacity of the lake fleet. This was done Sunday when the Two Harbors docks loaded 42,000 tons of ore into several boats in 11 hours. There is little or no doubt now that the season’s ore shipments will reach 17,500,000 tons, or I,500,000 tons more than the esti- mate made in August, and this excess of 1,500,000 tons is just equal to the total grain shipments from this port during the record breaking months of September, October and November of 1898, and one-third more than the total Lake Superior grain shipments for the same three months this year. We do not want to be understood as intimating that there is anything weak jn the present situation, on the contrary, it is exceptionally strong. There is any amount of ore offering and grain markets are ina healthy condition and will pay the going rate of freight, whatever that may be. NOVEMBER 30, 1899. It is learned that remedies for New York’s gradual slump — from the position of America’s premier grain export city were asked of representative Chicago dealers this week by a - committee from the Empire state. The concensus of opinion among the merchants who appeared before the delegation, was that the metropolis’ hopes for renewed western trade lay in the reconstruction of the Erie canal and the granting © of railroad and transfer rates that at least would equal those of other Atlantic ports. } ) after a brief sojourn left for Minneapolis, thence they. will proceed to this port where they will complete the western end of their itinerary. It is their purpose to secure the re- quired data and prepare their report in time for the coming session of the New York state legislature. The commission consists of the following: Charles Schiener, chairman; Benjamin F. Fairchild, counsel; Alexander R. Smith, Andrew H. Greer, C. C. Shayne and Hugh Kelly.. The first three named have undertaken the task of securing the information and suggestions in the West while the others are confining their inquiry to New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio. .It may be said that the inquiry isa mostinclusive _ one and all that can be, will be brought out. In Minneapolis, this week, Judge Lochren, of the United — States court, will hear the case of Capt. W. H. Singer against the steamer Arthur Orr and cargo. It is a suit for salvage in connection with the rescue of the steamer and her cargo from the rocks at Baptism river last November. Capt. Singer claims salvage to the amount of $18,000. The under- writers wished to settle with him on the same basis that they settled with the Inman Tug Co, The latter was paid so much a day for the use of the company’s tugs and no effort was made to collect salvage. Capt. Singer considered that he had a clear case of salvage and demanded it. On the basis of settlement made with the Inman Tug Co., Capt. Singer’s claim would have been inside of $2,500. H. R. Spencer, of Duluth, will represent the steamer Arthur Orr in the case to-day at Minneapolis, and Davis, Hollister & Hicks will represent Capt. Singer. D. G. Cash will repre- sent the cargo of the steamer under controversy. The claim for salvage is based largely on the exposure of valuable tug and wrecking property on the north shore for a considerable time during a time of year when storms may be expected to take place frequently. The libel of Capt. Singer declares that the work of rescuing the ship and cargo was very haz- ardous. It is not expected that Judge Lochren will deliver judgment for several days after the hearing of the case. oO or CHICAGO. Special Correspondence to The Marine Record. A winter route is to be kept open between Milwaukee and St. Joseph, and active transportation carried on. Capt. Stewart, of the steamer City of Milwaukee, an- nounces that he will sail for England on December 11 to investigate the steamer recently built at the Parsons yards, and fitted with the turbine engines. The steamer has a record of 42 miles an hour. The Chicago Steam Engine Works, 64 Michigan street, manufacturers of marine and stationary engines and cast- ings of all kinds, are enjoying a prosperous year. They are figuring on several contracts at present and yet have a lot of work on hand, but the idea is to keep going and have orders well ahead. _ After eight years’ experience in the use of oil as fuel the South Chicago plant of the Illinois Steel Co. will return to the use of gas in itsfurnaces. Large brick conduits for the passage of the burning gas from the iron mains to the furnace beds are now being built and the completion of the work is expected before the end of the month. According to the Bureau of Coal Statistics, receipts of anthracite coal by lake at Chicago from November 1 to November Io, as compared with those of last year, show a decrease ; rail receipts have increased. Shipments have also increased. Bituminous coal receipts at Chicago for the same period and- comparison as above have increased on every grade while the increase for the year to date on all kinds - amounts to nearly 1,250,000 tons. Shipments have also greatly increased. As the season of lake navigation draws toa close for 1899, it is apparent that stocks of dock coal on the western lakes will be very much less than they were a year ago. November opened with a stock in Chicago of about 345,000 tons, or half the amount of a year ago, of which 80,000 tons only was chestnut.—less than 25 per cent. As there is but less than one week more for vessels to leave Erie ports with regular underwriters’ lake insurance it will be seen that the shortage of anthracite will be large. Quite a fair proportion of coal received this month at Chicago has been forwarded to the country and more would have been had the car snpply been better. a COLLINGWOOD, ONT. Special Correspondence to The Marine Record. At a largely attended meeting of the Board of Trade, held here, the proposition to grant a bonus of $50,000 to the proposed steel shipbuilding company wasendorsed. Voting | qwill take place on the 30th. The close of navigation is now in sight. The last steamers of the Northern Navigation Co. will leave here for ports on the ‘Soo’ route and Fort William and Duluth on Saturday, the 25th. ‘The fall trade has been one continual rush, every steamer leaving port with a full load. This company has decided to increase their tonnage by building a large freight steamer, during the ensuing winter. : The members of the commission