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MARCH 8, 1900, license. Other things being equal and, siding with the weaker party, Capt. Gould is trying to make a living, the other fellows salaries are paid, anyhow. Ore shippers seem to be practically through with season chartering, and aside froma few small blocks at the head of the lakes, there is no ore on the market. There is some en- quiry for first trip cargoes, but the shippers are not ready to make single trip charters. Grain shippers at Milwaukee have placed a number of boats at 234 cents on corn and 1% cents on oats to Buffalo. Elsewhere the grain market is quiet. Little or no chartering for coal is being done. The freight market is in about the same condition it has been for the past few weeks. There isa small block of coal for the head of the lekes on the market at 50 cents and there does not seem to be any great rush for it. Vesselmen and ship- pers are unable to agree on a season rate to Milwaukee. The coal men are talking 60 cents, the same figure that has been paid to Manitowoc and Sheboygan. The lowest rate named by the owners is 70 cents, and some of the vesselmen will not tie up for less than 75 cents. The lumber rate from ports at the head of Lake Superior has not been fixed and vesselmen and shippers are as far apart as ever. The lum- ber men arein the market for vessel property, and a few small boats of that class changed hands during the week. Among the first and most important vessel owning firms to establish itself on a large basis at this port was the firm which was formed under the name of the Wilson Line, but Since 1890 has been doing business as the Wilson Transit Co., of which Capt. Thomas Wilson is the president and general manager. Capt. Wilson has been the chief execu- tive of the company since it was first started in the winter of 1872. In that year he built the steamer D. M. Wilson, and a few years later the Hiawatha and Minnehaha. After that Capt. Wilson took partners in his vessel business and increased his fleet by the Tacoma and the Wallula, and two years later the Missoula, Sitka, Spencer and Wadena. The next vessels built by the company were the Yakima, Spo- kane, Olympia and Yukon. At the present time the com- any’s fleet, not including two steamers now on the stocks, _ 1s as follows: Steamer Henry W. Oliver, 7,000 tons; steamer Andrew Carnegie, 6,000 tons; steamer W. D. Rees, 5,500 tons schooner David Z. Norton, 5,500 tons; steamer Yumia, 4,000 tons; steamer Spokane, 3,300 tons; schooner Yukon 3,000 tons, steamer Olympia, 2,900 tons; steamer Yakima, 2,900 tons; steamer Sitka, 2,600 tons; steamer Wallula 2,600 tons; steamer C. Tower, Jr., 2,500 tons; steamer Volunteer, 2,700 tons. The Oliver is one of the largest boats on the Great Lakes, having a length over all of 460 feet. The officers of the Wilson Trarsit Co., are as follows: President and general manager, Capt. Thomas Wilson; vice president, Robert 'McLaucblan; secretary and counsel, Harvey D. Goulder; assistant secretary, A. W. Thomas. The directorate is made up as follows: W. D. Rees, G. L.. Quayle; Thomas Wilson, Robert McLauchlan and J. EK. Upson. OO DO OS DULUTH—SUPERIOR. Spectal Correspondence to The Marine Record. The earliest opening of navigation in the ‘‘Soo’’ river was in 1858, on April 13, last year it was April 29. The latest opening is recorded on June 18, 1855. The mean for the last forty years shows about May 1, though of late years an April opening has prevailed. J. H. Hahn, of the Hahn Lumber, Co., Cleveland, has bought enough lumber to make a good sized cargo. This lumber was bought from the Bigelow Co. out of next seasons’ cut. Mr. Hahn also looked over other stocks and at Duluth Saturday he bought a million feet. Dan Brown, at one time connected with the Superior Ship Building Co., and more recently located at Newport News, has returned to Superior to become chief draughtsman of the shipbuilding company succeeding Hugh Calderwood, who has taken charge of Capt. McDougall’s new yard at Collingwood, Canada. Cleveland, Pittsburg, Chicago and Buffalo lumber dealers have closed up the purchase of an enormous quantity of stuff within the past week or so, even broken lots are snapped up and lumber is lumber these times, of course it always was, but purchasers will think they are buying a valuable product before the season is over. Mr. A. McCall, of Simcoe, Ont., has operated very extensively this season in logs and contracting with saw mills. The new ore dock at Duluth is going up fast, and when completed will add about one-fourth more to the capacity of the present docks. That capacity now is equal to handling thirteen ore cargoes every twenty-four hours when mines, trains and vessels are all making good connections. The average ore cargo from the West Duluth docks is between 3,000 and 5,000 tons, so that the present docks can handle about 50,000 tons of ore in twenty-four hours, and with the new dock thisamount can be increased by about 25 per cent. The first engine to be constructed in the new shops of the Superior Ship Building Co., Superior, of which D. E. Ford is manager, will be for the steamer of St. Lawrence canal dimensions that the Union Dry Dock Co., of Buffalo, is to build for J. F. Crosthwaite and others. The steamer is to be 258 feet over all, go feet beam, and 18% feet depth, and the engines will be triple-expansion of 20, 33 and 54 inches cylinder diameters, and a common stroke of 4o inches. There will be a surface condenser, and air pumps will be at- tached with independent circulating pumps. The boilers, to be built at the Cleveland works of the American Ship Building Co., will be 124%x12% feet, allowed 170 pounds of THE MARINE RECORD. While buyers of lumber in the east who get their stock from the manufacturing points at the head of the lakes are of the opinion that the price asked by the manufacturers is higher than they ought to pay, the manufacturers have a strong argument in the increased cost of raw material and the expense of getting it to their mills. Asan illustration of this a large operator in Douglas county, Wis., paid $6 per thousand for his timber last fall. He has made a con- tract under which his logs will cost him $12.87 delivered at the mill. Add to this the saw bill, which will not be less than $2.50 per thousand, and it is not hard to figure that. Heh peices are necessary if he is to make any profit on his stock. The capacity for handling and storing coal in Superior will be increased very considerably this spring. In fact, several of the docks arealready making preparations for ex- tensive improvements. The Philadelphia & Reading Co., which occupies the Hastern Minnesota’s dock under a lease, is figuring on erecting three new unloading towers, which will enable the company to utilize the full dock and make the capacity very much larger than at present. The Lehigh Coal & Coke Co, has been figuring on making repairs to the dock which it now leases. It is understood that it has been practically decided to make these if the company re-leases the dock next May. The portion which was burned a year ago made quite a difference in the capacity for coal handling and storing. rr DETROIT. Special Correspondence to The Marine Record. Mr. L. C. Waldo, of the Roby Transportation Co., says the chances for early navigation in the upper lakes went glimmering with the last cold spell. It will be time enough a month hence to talk of starting out. Mr. Waldo is chair- man of the Lake Carriers’ committee on grain shoveling, and he says there is no doubt but that a mutually satisfac- tory arragement will be brought about at Buffalo, prior to the opening of navigation. The railroad car ferries have lost'a lot of time this week. The Free Press, in an editorial, says: ‘‘The experience of the past few days only emphasizes a necessity that has lon been recognized and admitted. The rivershould be bridged at this point. The best interests of commerce and travel imperatively demand it. The maintenance o an antiquated system, notwithstanding its superb equipment, is detrimen- tal and inexcusable from every material point of view.’’ Capt. R. C. Brittain, of Saugatuck, has sold the steamer May Martet to Topel & McHugh, of Green Bay, Wis. \ As an indication of the prosperity of lumber carriers on Lake Michigan, it may be stated that the steam barge Marshel F. Butters, which was offered for sale for $9,000 at the close of the season of 1898, has just been chartered for the coming season for $12,c00 and all expenses paid.. Another lumber barge which was offered for sale in November, 1898, for $12,- ooo was sold on Feb. 15 for $41,coo. ; Edmund Hall, of Detroit, has bought the Minor Lumber Co:’s mill and will locate it on the north shore of Georgian Bay, near the Cutlet mill, on a site that was bought from the Cutlers. Northrop & McEwen, of Bay City, have bought the Moiles Bros.’ mill on John’s island in the Geor- gian Bay district, and will start it upin the spring. W. & A. McArthur & Co., of Cheboygan, have bought a big mill plant on the Little Current, in the Georgian Bay district, and J. & T. Charlton, of Tonawanda have bought another big plant at Collingwood, in the same region. Alger county is one of the best lumbering sections left in the peninsula, and this winter is producing the biggist log crop ever in its history. There are seventeen camps in the county operated by six concerns, which will together get out 38,500,000 feet of pine logs. The cut is divided among the concerns as follows: Manistique Lumber Co., 24,500,000; Eddy Land Co., 7,000,000; D. N. McLeod 4,000,- ooo; Grondin & Balcome 1,000,000; Frank Young 1,000,000; Charles Stone 1,000,000, The entire cut will be worked up into timber next summer in the Marias Lumber Co.’s mill, located at Grand Marias. The local board of steamboat inspectors received a notice from Washington that there was an error in the recent change in the the pilot rules, in relation to signals between the master and engineer. In the rules as amended, the signal for checking, three bells or three whistles was entire- ly omitted, doing away with that degree of speed altogether. As it is considered a very necessary one in the handling of a boat, local vessel men could not understand why it was knocked out. A circular from the Supervising Inspector General clears up the matter. It was omitted unintention- ally, through some unexplainable error. No changeis made is the signal, it remaining as before, three whistles or three bells. x The Lake Carriers’ Association asks in a bill now before Congress to be reimbursed to the extent of $20,000 for ex- penditures made during the past few years in the main- tenance of private lights at several points in the connecting channels of the lakes where lights should have been pro- vided by the government. The bill is being looked after by Senator McMillan, of Michigan, who will have the assist- ance of other members of Congress from the lake districts in trying to bring about its passage. Now it is proposed to apply this $20,000, if it is paid back to the vesselmen by the government, to the erection of a Poe memorial at Sault Ste. Marie. This suggestion will undoubtedly meet with the ap- proval of all vessel owners, as no engineer ever connected with government work in America was held higher in esteem than the late Gen. Orlando M. Poe. * they have agreed toas much as that, On this score, of course, BUFFALO. : Special Correspondence to The Marine Record. \ The grain rate for winter storage and spring delivery t Buffalo from Chicago and Milwaukee has been cut to 23/ cents on corn. ) Capt. Frank McGlynn, of the Canadian schooner Mor : Blanc, died at his home in St. Catharines, Ont., last week, of heart disease. : a RE nce Capt. Neil Murray, of St. Catharines, died at the hospital at. Windsor, on Saturday last. He was injured about three months ago by falling into the hold of his vessel. He was well known along the chain of lakes, having sailed thereon since boyhood. ot aia The firm of Rodgers, Brown & Co., bought the old Lehigh Valley liners Oceanic and Clyde, at a very moder figure ($85,000). Intending purchasers looking fur tonnage here this week, would have bid a higher price on each boat — or taking the two together. About six different peop were moseying around trying to close a scale on one boat few daysago. © The collision case in the Hay Lake cut, St. Mary’s river, of the North Star, Capt. Stewart, and the Siemens, Capt. Sunderson, is being investigated by the U. S. local inspec-_ tors for the district within which the casualty took place. _ Contrary to the general impression, the decision of the in- _ spectors in such cases in no way affects the owners or under- __ writers relative to the subsequent litigation, besides, there is always the right of appeal to the supervising inspector of the — district when the licenses are dealt with. NE f t ‘I consider the Corliss dam scheme premature,” . said Major Symons of the United States Army Engineer Corps recently. ‘‘The matter of regulating the Great Lakes will assuredly continue to engage the attention of marine men — and others interested until a practical project isevolved. To — hasten a solution of the problem, it seems to me that our — government should open negotiations with the Canadian government as quickly as possibly for the formation of an international commission. ‘The Chicago.drainage canal established, but provision is not made to so control it that the levels of the lakes will not be endangered. This action can best be taken by an international commission. The‘‘Soo” power canal is partly constructed and no doubt will becom- pleted. This canal, too, should be under control, and also the power canal now in operation on the Canadian side of the ‘‘Soo.”’ : . 4 It seems that the longshoremen are opposed to the elevator - companies handling the grain. For what reason it is not known, but they are prejudiced against it. Then they/are flatly opposed to the contract system. There have been but — three ways proposed. ‘This is that the lake carriers shall do — their own elevating, and shall deal directly with the Long- © shoremen’s Union. Some of the higher officials even claim — opinions differ. Some of the vessel men say that while the grain shoveling committee does not desire to antagonize the wishes of the International Longshoremen’s Union, they will hardly handle the business this year directly through the shovelers. They claim that a contractor will be selected, ° but he will be chosen in accordance with the desires of the © shovelers. As both sides have shown a disposition to be entirely fair in the matter, itis believed by many that the season will be gone through with without a repetition of last season’s trouble. : A In spite of the fact that large sales of lumber are being « made at all the upper lake ports and the indications are that the season’s shipments from the Lake Superior district will break all previous records, the vesselmen and shippers are still sparring over rates. Very little lumber has been cov- 9 ered by charter and the rate from ports at the head of the lakes to Lake Erie ports has not been definitely fixed. The Jumber men could, no doubt, charter a number of tows on season contracts at $3.50 from the head of Lake Superior. They do not appear to be in a hurry to take tonnage at that figure. Vesselmen will not tie up for less and the rate is no nearer settled now than it wasa month ago. There is an indication that much lumber tonnage will still change hands before the opening of navigation, as buyers are very eager. This has set up the ideas of owners and asa rule they are asking as much for their vessels as they cost when they were new. This of course is just asit should bein view of the season’s outlook for freight rates. Robert Learmonth, when he resigned his position’ last Thursday as chief engineer of the Anchor Line, had no idea of the surprise awaiting him. He had rented a business office in the White building, and when arranging for furnish- ing it, he was met by the engineers of the Anchor Line and escorted into the office of the Steamboat Inspection Service. There he was told the engineers so appreciated his inter- ae course with them during the seventeen years he had been es their chief that they had furnished his office as a gift. Mr. ~ A Learmonth managed a short reply in thanks, but it took all his nerve to keep up. The office is furnished with roll-top desk, swing chair, dictionary stand, etc. Mr. Learmonth has resided in Buffalo over forty years and was thirty years of age when he left Scotland to settle here. Preceding’ his connection with the Anchor Line, he was superintendent of the old rolling mill of Pratt & Company, at Black Rock, and afterwards in the government Steamboat Inspection Service. i His successor as chief engineer of the Anchor Lineis Charles = J. Fox, first engineer of steamer Mahoning, and who has . been with the Anchor Line for seventeen years, 4 } fe Ps