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a eS THE MARINE RECORD. fp _ Kk kkk & - BUFFALO. oe Special Correspondence to The Marine Record. The steamer Thomas Maytham drydocked this week for a new wheel. AA The steamer S. S. Curry, which was banged around a good deal during the recent freshet in Buffalo creek, isin dry dock at the Union yards undergoing complete repairs. Of the winter grain fleet at Chicago and South Chicago, , there are now loaded 59 boats, with'a total capacity of 4,778,642 bushels. Four boats witha capacity of nearly 500,000 bushels are chartered and will go to the elevators in a few days. _ W.L. McKay, for the past year anda half stationed at the Weather Bureau as observer, has left Buffaloto enter upon the duties of assistant forecaster at Springfield, Il]. Charles L. Talma, his successor, is expected to arrive in Buffalo within a day or two. Already a few engineers are showing up here from out ‘ports, and, as usual, they will have their assistants and afew firemen kept at work in getting their engines ready to turn over at the break of the ice. There ought to be a good long busy season ahead of everyone this year and none better deserve their earnings than those who handle the boats. eee Bids were opened this week by Commander Franklin ; Hanford, inspector 10th Lighthouse District, for supplies for the season. The bidders were: Frank Williams & Co., of Buffalo, for coal; McWilliams & Co., of Detroit, for provis- ions, A. R. Hinkley of Cape Vincent, for buoy service in St. Lawrence river; Joseph B. Blake of Buffalo, for buoy - service in Niagara river. The bids were forwarded to Wash ington. - There is still very little sign of business here beyond the limited amount that is in progress at the drydocks and about the elevators that have winter cargoes to handle. ‘The Buffalo drydock is engaged on raising the decks of the Majestic. The Tom Adams is getting an overhauling with new floors, etc. The D. C. Whitney is also receiving a thorough overhauling. Though she :was built in 1882 the ad builders say she is very sound and strong. ; The J. N. Hahn Co., Cleveland, having bought the steamer _ James H. Shrigley, Capt. Ben Tripp, are making thorough and somewhat extensive repairs on her. She is getting 16 -new deck beams, all new decks and other new upper works, as well as being calked. The Shrigley will. have for her ’ consort in the lumber trade the schooner Shawnee, Capt. W. E. Moore, and they will be employed exclusively in the work of their owners. John S. Kelly is engineer of the . $Shrigley. President D. J. Keefe, of the Longshoremen’s Association, is a busy man just now and has accomplished tremendous results already this year for the benefit of labor, gaining _ better hours and increased pay and at the same time giving _ to capital the knowledge that this year there would be no trouble where agreements binding on all sides were signed. - The employed are aware of what splendid fights President Keefe has won, and all along the lakes the men are united and _ solidified in their organization as never before. Although the Anchor line officials do not care to say as yet anything of the reported offer of the three passenger boats of the line to the Barrys of Chicago, it is predicted by those who are acquainted with the inside of the line that any good offer for them will be taken by the line managers, for it is known that the change in management really means a general effort to get rid of the smaller steamers of the’ line and make way for building larger ones. ‘senger steamers are just what the Barry line could use to great advantage on Lake Michigan, =~ The Courier said editorially this week in regard to the grain handling question: ‘‘After careful examination of ~ the matter in all its bearings, the Lake Carriers’ Association has decided that the grain handling at this port during the - coming season will be done under the direction of the cor- - poration itself, instead of through the contract system. The ' association has appointed as superintendent, at a salary of ~ $5,000 a year, Thomas W, Kennedy, who will employ the nen required and attend to the details of the business. Mr. Kennedy is an estimable citizen who is qualified, for his ee secrousiple position by extended experience and proved _ ability to manage men with tactful consideration. His Aig selection was approyed by all parties concerned, so that he may begin the season with an unclouded prospect. Our _ citizens generally will hope that under the arrangement _ effected, the business of the docks this summer may be per- formed without friction, or interference with the great com- merce of Buffalo.’’ Mr. W. J. Connors reports that the contract to build the _ syndicate’s great elevator and warehouse in Montreal has » Besides, these pas- been awarded to James Stewart & Co. of St. Louis, Mo. The plans were drawn by the Barnett & Record Co. of Minneap- olis, who will act as supervising architects as well. The elevator warehouse will cost $1,000,000, and will be largely of steel construction, and as nearly fire-proof as it is possible to make it. It will have storage capacity for 3,000,000 bushels of grain, and will be almost a duplicate of the Fitch- burg Railroad Co.’s elevator in Boston. The syndicate will also build extensive docks in Montreal, also docks and elevator at Port Colborne: Mr. Conners appears to be well pleased over the settlement of the grain shoveling problem at the port of Buffalo, ‘‘I have known Thomas W. Kennedy, the new superintendent, since boyhood,’ said Mr. Conners, “and he is a clear-headed, capable, popular man. He is the one man in all Buffalo for thisplace. He is steady, straight- forward, as honest as a sunbeam, and I believe he will give general satisfaction, both to the lake carriers and -to the scoopers. a oo DULUTH-—SUPERIOR. Special Correspondence to The Marine Record. Some of the largest vessels that float on. the Great Lakes were enrolled at the Custom House this week and Duluth thereby becomes the second largest, if not the largest, home port for vessels on the Great Lakes. The vessels belong to the Bessemer Steamship Co., Rockefeller’s fleet, and were recently acquired from the American Steel Barge Co., giv- ing the Bessemer people a total of 54 vessels, the largest fleet on the inlandseas. The new enrollments bring the number of vessels enrolled at Duluth up to 272, with an ap- proximate net tonnage of 230,000 tons. Cleveland in 1897 had the largest enrollment and heaviest tonnage, the number of vessels being 282 and the tonnage 279,932. The principal growth of enrolled tonnage on the lakes has been at Duluth for a. number of years. f President James C. Wallace and General-Manager W. L,. Brown, of the American Ship Building Co., were in Duluth this week as guests of Capt. A. B. Wolvin. These gentlemen came to the head of the lakes to personally inspect the work and plant of the American Steel Barge Co., at West Superior. President Wallace said that there is no special significance in their visit, it being the customary winter one of inspection. All the shipbuilding plants under the con- trol of the company, he said, are full of orders and rushed with work, Regarding the machinists’ strike Mr. Wallace was reticent. Of course, he admitted, that should the strike spread to any proportion as threatened, it would be a serious thing for the shipbuilding interests, but Mr. Wallace hopes that by tact and slight mutual concessions that the danger of a general strike may be averted. C. K. Keith, of the United States geological survey, has arrived in Duluth to make preparations for the work of mak- ing the geological survey of the Mesaba range. The work will be accomplished the coming summer and will begin in the latter part of the next month or the first of May. Mr. Keith says that the United States has made geological sur- veys of all the Lake Superior ranges except the Mesaba, which is the most interesting in many respects and the new- est of them all. The survey of the Vermillion range was made last summer and fall and the report. will be published next spring. The report of the Menominee range will be published this spring. Mr. Keith says that the survey of the Lake Superior iron ranges will be very exhaustive when it has been completed and the reports published. Maps ac- company the reports showing the outcroppings and locations in a very thorough manner. Mr. Keith says that it is not the purpose of the geological survey to inform people where to dig foriron ore, but to bound the limits of the ore-bearing territory as nearly as possible. In making surveys special attention is given toiron ore bearing formation. Mr. Keith says the mining companies have been very kind and helpful and have saved much time and labor. He says also that the geological reports cannot fail to be of value to practical mining men. Chairman Burton, of the House/Rivers and Harbors Com- mittee, has notified interested parties asking if they could appear before his committee April 4 to attend the hearing which will be held on the Sheldon bill, which seeks to grant authority to the power canal company that is building a canal from a point above the falls in Sault Ste. Marie river to a point below them. It will be recalled that a hearing on this project was held some three or four weeks ago and was largely attended by representatives of the lakes marine interests and the power canal corporations. It is feared that the construction of the canal will injure the level in the ship. canal, and as no authority was ever granted the company to begin operations, every safeguard will be thrown around the works to prevent it from interfering with navigation. Some interests, it appears, are not pleased with the provisions of the Sheldon bill, which gives the Secretary of War the right at any time to shut off the water when it becomes apparent that the level in the ship canal is not being maintained. It is feared that this will lead to litigation, and that eventually ‘much damage might be done before the proper remedial works are constructed. According to some of the plans pro- posed, a commission, composed of three government en- gineers and three civil engineers, may be appointed to be on the ground when the water is turned into the canal, and if any injury to navigation results, the water will at once be turned off. It is probable that at the hearing an under- standing will be reached which will be satisfactory to all concerned. MARCH 22, 1900. CLEVELAND. Special Correspondence to the Marine Record. The engineers of the Bessemer steamers will start to work fitting out next month. The steamer Queen of the West is loading coal at the fast ; plant in the outer harbor for Sheboygan. | Robert J. Dunham has resigned the position of secretary of the Chicago branch of the Great Lakes Towing Co.’s bus- oe iness. Engineers are now leaving this port daily to get the larger class of boats in readiness for the earliest opening of naviga- tion. There will be no leisure or time lost this summer. Mr. Baines, of Baines Bros., Elk street, Buffalo, visited this port during the week and called upon a number of his patrons. The Baines Bros. make a specialty of vessel sup- HA plies, as provision merchants. The many friends and business associates of Mr. Robert Logan will be pleased to learn, that, while he is still seriously ill, there is a marked improvement in his condition, though it will take some time for him to pull through. It is a pleasure to learn that Chicago is going to have a good, live marine daily, or rather, that the Chicago Journal will devote a portion of its space to marine news, a depar- ture which is certain to please a greatly increased number of its readers. Capt. H. Warwick, representing the well known ship chandlery firm of Howard H. Baker & Co., Buffalo, spent Tuesday in the city visiting his marine associates and busi- ness friends. From what I could learn, Capt. Warwick is a steady, faithful worker in his business. An open theeting of the Master and Pilots’ Association will be held at the lodge rooms on Superior street Saturday evening. John C. Silver of Providence, grand captain, and Benjamin F. Perkins of Camden N. J., grand captain’s clerk of the association will address the meeting. Ed. J. Kendall was five miles up Lake Huron March 18, and measured the ice. It’ is a-solid blueice 14 inches thick and there is ice as far as the eye can see, with beautiful, large icebergs, 30 feet high, along the shore. It will take lots of soft weather to have any impression on it. The J. N. Hahn Co., lumber importers and users, are among the several manufacturing firms that purchased their own tonnage this winter. Mr. J. N. Hahn, general manager of the company, is now putting the steamer Shrigley and schooner Shawnee in tip top order at Buffalo ready fora brisk season’s work. Mr. E. W. Radder, of this city, is quite an enthusiastic yachtsman, and is even now considering how good a show- ing the Interlake Yachting Association can, or should make, at the centennial to be held in Toledo in 1902. In begin- ning work so well ahead, Capt. Radder shows his fore- thought and desire for the yachtsmen to make a good show- ing. Nene There is some inquiry for grain tonnage at Duluth and Ft. William and some chartering is being done for boats to load during the first ten days of navigation at 34 cents to: Georgian Bay, and 3%4 cents to Buffalo, which is equal to: about $1.30 0n ore. A number of vessels are under charter HS a trip or two, and there is not much tonnage on the mar- ket. 5 . Vesselmen are making preparations already for the open- ing of navigation, and in some cases engineers and captains hhave been sent for. There will be no time lost this spring, for the most profitable season in many years awaits, afhd the first sign of weakening ice at the Straits will find a squadron of grain carriers waiting for a chance to force a passage through. Members of the American Association of Masters and Pilots of Steam Vessels on the Great Lakes are trying to or- ganize a system of insurance similar to that of the Ship- masters Association. The plan is to confine the matter to the lake harbors, of which there are seven—Buffalo, Cleve- land, Detroit, Bay City, Port Huron, Duluth and Chicago. A committee of the Cleveland harbor, consisting of Capts. Lee Brogan, C. A. Benham and Wm. F. Allen has the sub- ject im hand. This is what I heard from a man seeking a license a little west of here. ‘‘If you were to call at the local inspector of steamboat’s office here you would find a clear page, as far as anyone taking out an original license for the past 50 days. First one of the board went off for a 30 days’ leave, and all comers were informed that he could not be examined alone, as soon as the first half returned the second half went off and the same excuse was given. All those who prepared themselves for a voluntary examination, myself included, were obliged to go to other lake ports for examination, which is rather expensive when a fellow has not too much money. The question arises, what are local inspectors for?_ Even if they are worked to death and it becomes necessary for them to take a leave of absence for a month, I can’t see why the one on duty could not examine a poor d—— and | thus save him a few dollars. It looks to me asif that ser- vice needs a thorough overhauling and that quickly.” Now * lets all procesh. | EAD mee: ee -—— a i ee _ From Milwaukee it is announced that Capt. J. G. Warren, light-house engineer, is about to advertise for the charter of a steamer to serve as light-house tender in that district, the work in that district isincreasing very much.