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been condemned. For years JANUARY 25, 1900. CHICAGO. Special Correspondence to The Marine Record. Capt. James Davidson, of Bay City, and Capt. James Tay- lor, of Marine City, were in this city Tuesday. Capt. Ira B. Mansfield, of the stearer Sacramento, is here representing the Inland Lloyd’s. Capt. Fred D. Weimer will assist him in the surveys. The barge Frank Ewen was chartered for corn to Buffalo at 3% cents for storage and delivery. She was towed to South Chicago Friday, to load. m The Chicago Pneumatic Tool Co. have just received an order from the Kawasaki Docks Yards, of Kobe, Japan, for 29 tools and an electrically driven air compressor. The Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association No. 4, of Chicago, gave their twenty-fifth annual reception and ball at the Medinah Temple, Wednesday, January 17,1900. It was largely attended and was a great success in every way. he Treasury Department has promised to station a reve- nue cutter or harbor patrol at this port, on the opening of navigation, to replace the Calumet, which was sent to the Atlantic coast at the outbreak of the Spanish-American war. Several of the lake front steamers are fitting out to take excursion parties down Chicago’s new canal on Saturday and Sunday next. The current is running steadily up the river, and the water coming in from Lake Michigan has al- ready materially improved the water in the river. ' The steamer Madagascar and consorts S. M. Stephenson and Fanny Neil were chartered Monday, for corn to Buffalo at 3% cents for storage and delivery. The Stephenson and Neil went to the Indiana elevator Tuesday, and took on their cargoes. The Madagascar will load on Thursday. The Barnet Record Co., of Chicago, has secured the con- tract for the construction of theConners’ syndicate grain elevators in Montreal. S. Record, says work will commence immediately on an elevator with a capacity of 1,000,000 bushels, with annexes for another 1,000,000 bushels. Most of the steel for construction will be secured in the United States. : At Miller Brothers’ ship yard the composite steamer Nia- gara is in dock having some frames straightened, considera- ble new bottom planking and bottom calking. The barge Galatea is receiving a new forefoot and some bottom calking, the steamer Nyanza was in and had her butts calked. The steamer Oscoda received a piece of new keel and had her butts calked. A movement is on foot among the government contractors, breakwater, pier builders and dredging companies to form a trust. Promoters are said to be hard at work on the pro- ject, with every prospect iof forming a close trading ring out of the syndicate. They are of course all in it for the extra pelf to be screwed out of the government river and harbor work on the lakes. . The Shaw Electric Crane Co., of Muskegon, Mich., will have a 30-ton electric traveling crane in the United States building at Paris. The capacity of the main hoist is 30 net tons; capacity of the auxiliary hoist, 5 net tons; span, 33 ft.; voltage, 220, direct current. This crane is furnished for ex- hibit by their sales agents, Manning, Maxwell & Moore, 85 to 89 Liberty street, New York. At the yards of the Chicago Ship Building Co., the steamer Senator isin dock for repairs to bottom plating and stern- bearing. The steel barge Madeira, built by the~ Chicago Ship Building Co. for the Minnesota Steamship Co., Cleve- land, launched on Wednesday afternoon, is of the following dimensions: 450 feet over all, 50 feet beam, 29 feet molded depth, carrying capacity 8,000 tons; she will be equipped with all modern appliances. Johnson & Knudson, ship carpenters, are supplying the steamer Thomas Cranage with a new upper deck and hatch coamings; the steamer Madagascar with a new bulk-head aft and calking her deck and quick work, and some new hatch coamings; the steamer H. Luela Worthington part new deck and new houses on main deck forward and aft for the crew; the steamer Jesse Spalding some new floors; the barges Nirvana and Galatea some repairs and calking; the bark Ida Corning some new deck beamis and deck and calk- ing. Fety W. Cook, for several years vessel and insurance agent here, has gone to Jacksonville, Florida, to become manager of a line of steamers running between Jacksonville and Philadelphia. He has been succeeded here by Capt. Samuef R.'Chamberlain, who has taken Mr. Cook’s Board of Trade membership, also his schooner Bliss, and his business and office at 6 Sherman street. Capt. Chamberlain hopes to receive the patronage of some of the vessel owners, as he intends to give strict and reliable attention to all business entrusted to him. nger steamer Chief Justice Waite has at last apie eentig the Waite has been regarded as unseaworthy. Supervising Inspector C. H. Westcott, of Detroit, passed the boat last year on condition that the cap- tain would keep close to shore and not go farther away than Manhattan Beach. The Waite was originally a revenue cutter, but for many years has been on short excursion routes. Last summer the complaints of gambliug games resulted in a raid in which captain, crew, and passengers _ were arrested, but were later discharged. THE MARINE RECORD. CLEVELAND. Special Correspondence to the Marine Record: The steamer Superior City is in drydock at Lorain. of her bottom plates are damaged. _ The Lake Michigan coal rate kept at 60 cents this week, though several owners are holding for a better rate, as the majority of tonnage is fixed ahead on iron ore charters. Five The Shipmasters give their annual ball this evening in the Chamber of Commerce hall. Quitealarge number of visitors from other ports are here for the purpose of attending the reunion. The Chisholm & Moore Mfg. Co. say that the demand for their pneumatic cranes and hoists is heavier than at any time during the past year. The new additions to their plant have been put into operation. é Mr. Andrew Haas has been appointed chief engineer of the new steel steamer John W. Gates, owned by the American Steamship Co. (The American Steel and Wire Co.), Chicago. This fleet will hail from Duluth, Minn. The Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company held its annual meet- ing on Wednesday and elected the following directors: J. H. Wade, William G. Mather, J. H. McBride, E. R. Perkins, Samuel EK. Williamson, W.S. Tyler, J. H. Hoyt, Samuel Mather, Peter White. : Capt. John Mitchell and wife leave New York to-day on the steamer Augusta Victoria for Mediterranean ports. Capt. Geo. P: McKay and wife have started for Pasadena, Cal. Capt. Thos. Wilson and party will also cross the Atlantic, passages having been already engaged. Capt. Townsend has sailed in the Mitchell fleet for the past ten years. His first boat was the steamer Ed. Smith, which he took charge of in 1890. A few years later he brought the steamer R. L. Fryer out and sailed her until he took command of the steamer W. H. Gratwick. He will sail the steamer John J. McWilliams this season. Mr. Edwin S. Mills is the Cleveland representative of the Carnegie Steel Co. and the Oliver Ore Mining Co. Capt. E. Day, for several years in charge of the Conneaut ore docks and formerly superintendent of ore docks here, has been appointed by Mr. Mills as marine superintendent of their large fleet of boats, with headquarters at this port. At the annual meeting of the Wilson Transit Co. Capt. Thomas Wilson was elected president, general manager and treasurer; R. Mclaughlin, vice president; H. D. Goulder. secretary; A. W. Thompson, assistant secretary. The board of directors is as follows: Capt. Thomas Wilson, R. Mc- Laughlin, W. D. Rees, J. E. Upson and George I). Quayle. The Cleveland & Buffalo Transit Line of freight aud pas- senger steamers appears to be one of the most successful transportation companies on the lakes. Ordering new steamers built, declaring dividends, and building new freight depots seem to come along regularly as the annual routine. Mr. Newman will soon, or has already, earned the sobriquet of ‘‘ Dividend Tom.’ The Cleveland Twist Drill Co., have equipped a restaurant for the benefit of their emiployes. The company also intends to establish a free library where the men may obtain books and periodicals forhome reading. It is stated that the efforts of the company in this direction have been received with marked appreciation by itsemployes. The firm will have an exhibit at the Paris exposition. Wm. Lewis, of the firm of Lewis & Crane, lumber dealers? shippers and brokers, Seattle, Wash., is on an Eastern tour in the interests of his firm. When at this port a few days ago, Mr. Lewis informed me that they had already shipped several consignments of Washington fir East, for ship- building purposes. For decks, outside planking or spars, Douglas pine is considered excellent, as itworks easy and takes a fine finish. It is also greatly used for light and finishing work on vessels. The local managers of the Great Lakes Towing Co. are holding a re-union here this week to talk over the situation at the various ports and equalize towing charges, etc. Those in attendance from out of town are: Captain B. B. Inman, of Duluth; James Sinclair, of Chicago; C. D. Thompson, of Port Huron; R. P. Thompson, of the ‘‘Soo;’? L. F. Lauten- slager, of Buffalo; W. H. Hall, of Erie; A. S. Hand, of Con- neaut; Captain Philip Scheld, of Ashtabula; and S. E. Leonard, of Lorain. A bill has been favorably reported to Congress, appropria- ting $25,000 for a statue to Commodore Perry the hero of Lake Erie, to be erected at Put-in-Bay, O.' It is to be hoped that when the memorial has once been erected it will not be chased around, transplanted and generally hornswoggled from Dan to Beersheba like the pedestal in this ‘‘neck of the words’’ has been. I would suggest that the new statue be given good holding ground, moored all fours and given the best of ground tackle for an uphill drift. The names of John W. Gates, Isaac L. Elwood, Wm. Eden- born and James J. Hill have been selected for the four 500- foot steamers of the American Steamship Co., that are now under construction, with the expectation that they will be ready forservice by April15. These gentlemen are all prom- inently connected with the American Steamship Co., which is the vessel-owning organization closely allied with the American Steel & Wire Co., and all attended the launch of the first steamer of the fleet from the Lorain yards of the American Ship Building Co. on Saturday last, with the ex- ception of J. J. Hill. The season of navigation of the Cleveland_.& Buffalo route opened April 29th last year and closed December ist, The steamers City of Erie and City of Buffalo were operated 216 — days and made 211 round trips. During the season the two big steamers covered 80,323 miles and made 2,578 landings The City of Erie, which was sailed by Capt. John sedwards, : and the City of Buffalo, in charge of Capt. W. H. Smi went through the season without a mishap. ‘The boats” not miss a trip from the opening to the close of the season ae Capt. Thomas Wilford has been sailing for forty years and is recognized as one of the most successful masters on lakes. He brought out the steel steamer J. H. Wade in 1890, and has commanded the steamer Samuel Mitchell since 1892. Whether he feels it or not, Capt. Mitchell doesn’t look a da older, then he did a decade ago, Capt. Wilford attended the launch at Lorain on Saturday, and saw a craft put afloat that will carry as much as a fleet of twenty vessels could in ~ early days. I thought he sorter looked flabbergasted when he took an end on observation of the 500 foot tank. PE ERE A re i 2 ¢ BUFFALO. ' aoe Special Correspondence to The Marine Record. ‘ Wm. Russell, of the firm of Russell & Watson, Main St. z : left for Cleveland on Thursday on business for his firm, ~— Ear Mr. John Gordon has filed a petition in bankruptcy. A hearing will be held February 2d to pass upon the question — of liabilities and assets. Shippers of anthracite at this port, as well as at Erie, Pa, are not getting tonnage. and it now looks as if Buffalo would have to take the lead in again advancing rates, as she di last seasou. ; nite Duluth shippers are offering 34% cents on wheat at the — early opening of navigation, but it is not learned that they have secured any tonnage at this figure, as it is about 4 cents less than tbe going rate on iron ore. NaN Chief Engineer Bardol, of the Bureau of Engineering, is now at work figuring on the cost of constructing a canal from Buffalo Creek to Lake Erie, at the Tifft farm. The cost of the work, it is thought, will be about $300,000, exclusive of land damage. ‘ med On February 10, bids will be opened here for the con- struction of some very much needed additions to the light- house depot, including a building for the light-hous - engineer, and also store-houses and shops for workmen. — All will be on the. government property adjoining the life- saving station at the mouth of Buffalo creek. Announcement has been made by the Northern Steamship — Co. that it will begin running its passenger steamers, the North West and North Land, a week earlier than usual. Both steamers are wintering here, and the first wlll makea ~ trip up the lakes on Tuesday, June 5. Arriving at Duluth, — the steamer will make her first trip down the lakes, leaving that port on June 9. ed There is any amount of repair work at the Buffalo dry- — dock—more, in fact, than can be promptly turned out. The ~ drydock has 300 men on its payroll, all on repair work. The | Union drydock is trying to get at work on its steel steamer contracts and lately received’a large lot of material for the Lehigh liner so that she can be laid down at once. The wait has been a long and vexatious one, especially as it has been ~ necessary to refuse other new work on that account. Capt. M. M. Drake doesn’t think it is necessary to have a grain inspector asa permanent feature at this port. Last season Bishop Quigley appointed Timothy P. Donovan to ~ perform this function. The arrangment is considered to have ended with the season of 1899, and there is nowa clean slate fora new understanding. ‘‘I think there is enough — business ability both on the side of the men and the Lake ~ Carriers’ Association to take care of this without any inter-— mediary,’’ said Capt. Drake. A committee has been appointed to secure the establish- ment by the United States government of a life-saving sta- tiou at Dunkirk. There is no station between this portand . — Erie, a distance of ninety miles. What percentageof wrecks = this stretch of coast shows on the wreck chart is not heralded. Dunkirk wants the station, anyway, if Uncle Sam can. be cajoled into investing enough money to build and defray the annual cost of its up keep. Would Dunkirk want the station if the town had to build it? ; re oo : THE Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse of the North German Lloyd line has created another record. She arrived at Cher- burg morning of January 10, after covering a course of 3,077 _ knots from Sandy Hook in 5 days and 16 hours, atan aver- = age hourly speed of 22.63 knots, the fastest ever made by a merchant craft on a trans-Atlantic trip. The time is 2 hours and 6 minutes better then her best previous eastward voyage and .o2 of a knot better then her best previous average speed. Her daily runs were 500, 537, 523, 524, 523, and 470 knots. OO Oe THE torpedo-boat destroyer Viper, built to the order of the ae British Admiralty by the Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Co. s Limited, Wallsend-on-Tyne, has had her second preliminary as trial. The test showed a mean speed of 34.8 knots in four consecutive hours on the measured mile, the fastest run being at the rate of 35.5 knots. The speed attained was in ig excess of that required by the contract, namely 31 knots. Ky It will be seen that the latest clip exceeds 40 statute miles per hour, a breath-taking performance for old fogeys of a decade ago. ae ead eS