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- DECEMBER 21, 1899. DETROIT RIVER TONNAGE. The Treasury Department has taken up for consideration the question of devising a method of obtaining at regular periods a reliable estimate of the tonnage that passes through the Detroit river. These figures are of great importance in the commercial statistics of the country, and also form the basis of representations to Congress as to the necessity for desired river and harbor improvements. The forthcoming _ report to Congress of the Chief of Engineers of the War _ Department will include an interesting sratement on this _ point by Assistant Engineer Muhlne, of Detroit, who says in Sex part : “J have made some efforts to obtain statistics from Can- ~ adian ports on Lakes Erie and Ontario. On the suggestion __ of the collectors at Port Colborne and Windsor, I applied to _ the Minister of Marine and Fisheries, Ottawa, Canada, and _ received a reply from Hon. John McDougald, Canadian _ Commissioner of Customs, stating that the records of that department contain only the arrival and departure of vessels, irrespective of the ports whence arrived or to which departed, _ and he is therefore unable to furnish the desired informa- tion. Hence Canadian vessels trading between Canadian ports on Lakes Erie and Oatario, and the Upper Lakes, through Detroit river, are not included in the summary sub- _ mitted, and it is much to be regretted that not even an _ approximate estimate of the Canadian commerce through Detroit river could be obtained for this report. : ‘The following is a summary of the number of American vessels and their tonnage passing Limekiln Crossing, Detroit river, Michigan, during the season of 1898, the freight ton- nage being estimated by adding 8 per cent. to the registered - tonnage: DOWN STREAM. Freight ae Number. Tonnage se Detroit to mouth of river... 2.0. eee. 532 118,145 Meera ake Hrie ports 3.2 ko veces 12,216 15,061,900 to Lake Ontario portsix..¥. icc... 223 257,507 3 : APOE eee Pee 12,971 15,437,612 ye UP STREAM. - From Lake Ontario POLS 6 ee os eae 271 307,488 _ From Lake Erie ports....... se eicetpes tise 13,278 15,904,595 __ From mouth of river to Detroit.......... 532 118,145 LOtales (re va ok cartes 14,081 16,330,218 Grand-Total.. 22.345 27,052 31,767,830 - “Although it cannot be contended that the above figures are absolutely correct, they submited as the best result which could be expected under the circumstances above stated, and more nearly approaching accurate statistics than any which have ever heretofore been collected or published in relation _ to the commerce of Detroit river. “Tf it should be deemed desirable to continue and improve _ the scheme herewith inaugurated in order to obtain the ~ commercial statistics of the Detroit river during the pres- ent season of navigation it is necessary to commence at an early day with the Collectors of Customs at ports on Lake _ Erie and Ontario, especially those who had not sufficient _ facilities or inclination to separate their records in a manner to afford at the close of last season such detailed information as may be required. : “Tn view of the fact that this method of collecting statistics of Detroit river involves correspondence with only about eighteen Collectors of Customs on Lake Erie and four on Lake Ontario, it may also be possible in the future to obtaiu in like manner, a list and quantities of principal commodi- ties carried to and from these ports through the Detroit - river, to the end that the freight tonnage passing that great _ waterway may be determined with a greater degree of ac- _ curacy than by the addition of 8 per cent. to the registered tonnage, as inthe above summary. The favorable replie received from Buffalo, Oswego, Lorain and other ports are so ~ encouraging as to warrant some efforts being made to induce -alithe other collectors of customs to also take a lively “interest in the matter and to regulate and separate their records with the view to furnishing commercial statistics in _ Steater detail hereafter.” Oo on ARTHUR ORR REACHED PORT. _ The officials of the Canada Atlantic Railway Co., at ie Ottawa were pleased to learn of the safety of the Arthur Orr, % the big freighter owned by the company, and reported a day _ fF two ago as wrecked on Cove Island. A telegram from Lion’s Head, North Bruce, received Sunday night, explained the situation of the vessel. The Orr, it appears, was caught THE MARINE RECORD. a in the fearful storm of the early part of last week, and was greatly buffetted. A part of the after cabin was smashed by the heavy seas, and the vessel lost her propeller blades. This occurred near Cove Island. As well as could be done in her crippled condition the big freighter was headed fora cove between the island andthe mainland. At the opportune moment the anchors were let go, and the Orr rode safely at her anchors. Tugs were sent from Parry Sound and Midland, and they towed the Orr to Depot Harbor. The captain had a most hazardous journey to reach the telegraph station, having to traverse the Georgian bay for several miles in an open boat before reaching Cape Hurd, and then tramped through the woods to Lion’s Head. ro oo ILLINOIS CANAL COMMISSION. Clarence E. Snively, president of the Illinois canal com- mission, in an interview designed to refute certain state- ments appearing in the newspapers, said: ‘‘The canal com- missioners have during all the controversy between them and the sanitary trustees endeavored to serve the interests of the state, and have acted upon the best legal advice. “T want to say that when the sanitary district of Chicago will agree to furnish six feet of water to the summit level of the canal for navigation purposes there will probably be a settlement of the remaining controversy between the state and the sanitary district. The canal commissioners invite the closest scrutiny of their official acts.’’ $$$ $$ NO RIVER AND HARBOR BILL. Chairman Burton, of the river and harbor committee, has authorized the following statement: “There will probably be no river and harbor bill at the present session. One strong argument against a bill is the fact that the engineers’ force will be occupied during the coming year with projects already provided for. In many cases plans for improvements are not even completed. In others advertisements for bids have not yet been made. Another fact of importance is the increase in the price of material in the last year. Some of the projects already authorized cannot be completed for the amounts estimated by the engineers. “Of course the demands on the treasury and the amount of revenue are facts to be taken into consideration, although I do not mean to say by that, river and harbor improvements are less important than others. It is only because contrary to usual custom the bill was passed during the last session of the last Congress. I recognize, however, that on many accounts it is preferable that the bill be considered at this session. There is so large an amount of detail and the settlement of disputed questions arising from amendments of the Senate make it desirable to have plenty of time. This is hardly possible during the short session.”’ oo ore PROSPERITY ON THE LAKES. The season of navigation now closed has been the busiest and most prosperous the Great Lakes have ever known. Everybody interested in the lake marine industry, from owners down to deck hands, has made money. There have been no disastrous storms, and so the underwriters are happy. The latter third of the season witnessed an enormous advance in the value of vessel property. Paying business for the next season is assured, for within the last week contracts for fully 10,000,000 tons of iron ore from Lake Superior have been made on basis of $1.25 per ton as against 60 cents per ton last year. With so great an advance absorption of tonnage by the ore trade profitable rates in the grain and coal trades are assured. The magnitude of the commerce of the Great Lakes is not generally appreciated. Full tonnage figures for the sea- son are not yet available, but some of those of the St. Mary’s canal are at hand, The freight passing through the locks to the end of November aggregated 24,636,553, tons, an increase over 1898 of 15 per cent. Of this 13,495,000 tons was iron ore, as against 10,000,000 tons last year. Of wheat there was 54,279,000 bushels, with 27,680,000 bushels of other grain, and 6,804,000 barrels of flour. Lumber shipments were 1,- 032,000,000 feet. Coal to the amount of 823,380 tons of an- thracite and about 3,000,000 tons of bitumious went to Lake Superior. Vast quantities of general merchandise were also carried north. The annual freight traffic through the St. Mary’s canal is more than five times that through the Suez canal. More than one-half the commercially effective steam ves- sel tonnage of the United States is on the Great Lakes. In modern commerce vessels of less than 1,000 tons register do not count for much. On the lakes there were on June 30 last, the date of the latest official report, 399 steam vessels of I,000 tons or more, aggregating 812,218 tons. On the Atlantic and Gulf coasts there were only 258 such vessels, aggregating 584,899 tons. On the Pacific coast there were only sixty-six such vessels, aggregating 131,123tons. The present fiscal year is not likely to add many vessels to the lake fleet. Owing to the great demand for steel, ship plates are hardly obtainable at prices which meet the views of builders and investors. The books of the yards are filled with orders, but unless conditions change materially not one-half the new tonnage sought for the opening of naviga- tion next spring will be in service before midsummer,—Chi- cago Inter-Ocean. OO OO" STEAMBOAT PASSENGER LINES TO COMBINE. During the past few days a report has ‘been current that J. J. Lynn, Port Huron, was organizing a syndicate to con- trol the passenger and freight business on the lower lakes. The report was that Mr. Lynn had already secured options from the Detroit & Cleveland and Cleveland & Buffalo Steam- ship companies; that he was dickering with other lines, and that his project was so comprehensive that it would even take in the huge boats of the Northern Steamship Co. In- quiry shows, however, that there is very little foundation for these rumors. Manager Carter, of the Detroit & Cleveland Navigation Co., says his line has not been approached, and is not for sale. Capt. B. W. Parker, of Parker & Millen, says the con- solidated White Star Line has received no proposition from Mr. Lynn, nor heard of any syndicate. Other vessel owners talk the same way, the only clue to Mr. Lynn’ s operations being found in connection with the Clark estate. Mr. Lynn wanted to get a price on the steamer Frank E. Kirby owned by Mrs. W. O. Ashley, Mr. Dustin and others, but Mr. Dustin informed him that the boat was not for sale, as they had no intention of giving up the Put-in-Bay route, the boat exactly suited their trade and it would cost 4o per cent. more than she was worth to build a new boat. Mr. Lynn got a price from the Clark estate last fall on the steamer Wyandotte, but was told it would hold good only ten days, as the estate must have sufficient time to build a new boat before spring. Lynn did not show up again, and the boat is now out of the market. Under the conditions of John P. Clark’s will the trustees are required to maintain a steamboat line between Detroit, Sugar Island and Hickory Island until the end of their trusteeship, which has still about thirteen years to run. S. S. Babcock, one of the trustees, says they will not sell the route until the expiration of the specified time, and then the purchaser will also have to buy Sugar and Hickory Islands. The general impression seems to be that if Mr. Lynn is pushing any scheme it is merely as a promotor—to see what prices can be obtained and then try to interest capital. It should be noted that the foregoing interviews; denials, etc., are just in line with the statements made during the early formation of the American Ship Building Co. when the several yards were brought under the one management, the result, though, was finally accomplished. Another feature in this connection is that Mr. Lynn was the original and © moving spirit in forming that syndicate, so that the fore- going may not be such a romance as some folks might think. i oOo MIRAGE ON LAKE MICHIGAN. Michigan City loomed up in mirage to the eyes of thous- ands of people along the lake front in Chicago not long ago, Its white buildings and its long sandy beach could be so plainly séen by the naked eye that the city, which is some fifty miles from Chicago, seemed as if it were no more than a few miles away. The sight lasted some hours and was first noticed about 3 o’clock in the afternoon. Spectators walking along Michigan avenue, who saw the strange appearance on the lake, and who cast their eyes southward, first thought that the far-away lake city was some of the out buildings of Hyde © Park or South Chicago. But their eyes were deceived, and in looking steadily through the smoke cast over the lake about Chicago they were convinced that it was a view of the Indiana city which met their gaze. A number of steamers but a few miles from Michigan City coming from and mak- ing for the harbor were also visible without the aid of glasses. A pall of smoke hovered about the outer harbor of Chicago, but when a gust of wind blew it away the mirage was again seen.—Chicago Chronicle.