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Pe ep TS ESS THE MARINE RECORD. CLEVELAND. Special Correspondence to The Marine Record. Capt. David Vance, of Milwaukee, visited this port on Thursday. The first cargo of the large steel steamer John W. Gates was 7,600 tons. The Cleveland Steel Canal Boat Co. started their little fleet for Buffalo, where they arrived safely on Thursday last. ~ The Weather Bureau will erect signal staffs at all the ports within this district, from which day and night signals will be exhibited during the season of navigation. Operations have commenced for the release of the schooner Sophia Minch, which went ashore near Ashtabula in the fall of 1898. It is said that the hull is badly sanded up. Mr. Robert Curr, superintendent of construction and hull surveyor for the Bessemer line, left here on the last new boat built for the company bound to Duluth. Mr. Curr expects that for the next sixty days his time will chiefly be spent between Chicago and ports at the head of Lake Superior. Many masters and pilots engaged in the lake service will be sorry to learn that Capt. John McArthur, of the steamer Italia, was compelled to relinquish command of his boat on the trip down, owing toasevere attack of inflammatory rheumatism. Capt. McArthur will probably have to lay up for a few weeks. “It is said that the Maythams, of Buffalo, have decided to carry their opposition to the Great Lakes Towing Co., directly into this port and will send three tugs here to act with the Independent Towing Co. in opposition to the syndicate line. If this is done the trust will have an organ- ized opposition of six to seven tugs in this port. The Lake Traffic Association closed a three days’ session here on Thursday last. No definite action as to rates was taken, but an ironclad agreement was entered into to main- tain rates all through this territory, including the routes from the mines to lake ports and the cross-lake lines. When the agreement was drawn up there was not a dissenting vote to it, It appears that vessels drawing 17 feet have been ground- ing on abar at the entrance to Ashtabulaharbor. No time should be lost in dredging about five feet, even ifit has to be done at private expense, with a view to being reimbursed by the government ata later date. In any case, the entrance should not be allowed to silt up so as to give the porta bad name, A General Manager T. F. Newman of the Cleveland & Buf- falo Transit Co., has decided to fuel the steamers City of Buffalo and City of Erie with hard coal. The city officials asked Mr. Newman to make the change. Thecost of the fuel will of course be much greater, but the steamers can be kept cleaner, and Mr. Newman appears to be satisfied that it will pay in the end. Men engaged in the marine business as well as his nu- merous other friends and acquaintances, were pleased this week to again meet Capt. John Mitchell, who has been spending the winter months abroad. He is the picture of rugged health and says that he has enjoyed every mivute of the time since he left here the first of the year. On his trip he has been to Egypt, and the Paris Exposition. The many friends of Mr. Robert Logan, naval architect and consulting engineer, will be pleased to learn that he is convalescent and rapidly gaining his old time rugged consti- tution. The most careful nursing and almost constant med- ical attention, coupled with a fine well developed physique finally gained the day and it is possible that after the lapse of another week or two he may again be at business with his old time vigor. Official numbers have been assigned this week to 11,682 tous hailing from Cleveland. The General Orlando M. Poe is officially known as No, 86,501. Her tonnage is 5,657 gross and 3,892net, built and hailing from Cleveland. The Jas. J. Hill is known on the official records at the Bureau of Navi- gation, Treasury Department, Washington, D. C., as No. 77,- 409. Her tonnage is 6,025 gross and 4,578 net, built at Lo- rain, O., and hailing from Cleveland. ‘The City of Alpena, of the D. & C. line, which runs regu- larly between Detroit and Mackinaw, will make the trip to Cleveland Friday night, and willlie here all day Saturday. As this is the first time she has ever been in this port, andas the possibilities are that she will not be back for some time, the officers of the company have decided to permit an in- spection of her by the public, which will be held all day Saturday up to the time of her departure. She has been practically rebuilt during the winter just closed, something ike $50,000 having been spent on her. BUFFALO. Special Correspondence to The Marine Record. Nearly 78,000 tons of coal was shipped last week, Chicago taking 32,000 tons. Lake survey charts will be on sale hereafter at the office of Major Symons, D. S. Morgan building. The Donnelly Contracting Co. will build a large scow for use in the construction of the north breakwater. Charles Schmidt, formerly chief clerk C. & B. line at this port, has been promoted to the position of local freight agent. : Among the first arrivals here may be named the fleet owned by the Cleveland Steel Canal Boat Co. They reached port on Thursday last. - Yachting will be on the boom here this summer, in fact it’s on the boom now, judging from all the talk I hear about jibbooms, main booms, etc. Philadelphia Board of Trade has petitioned Congress against the bill for the acquirement and enlargement of the Erie canal by the United States. James Shanahan, who is a naval veteran of the Civil War, has been appointed deputy inspector of customs and assigned to duty as night clearance clerk. Inspector N. B. Conger of the Weather Bureau, visited here this week on business for the department. He expectsto be in Detroit towards the end of the week. Freight rates have ruled as follows: Chicago, 75 cents; Duluth, 50 cents; Milwaukee, 70 cents; Toledo, 4o cents; Manitowoc, 70 cents; Waukegan, 80 cents; Green Bay, 70 cents, soft coal on contract. It will be a matter of deep regret should there be any more labor disputes on the docks here during the season, although it must be said that all interests don’t seem to be quite working in harmony just at present. Officials of the American Ship Building Co. have looked over the plant of the Buffalo Dry Dock Co., and have de- cided to construct two 600-foot docks in the newly acquired property. These dock will accommodate the largest vessels on the lakes, Vice-President Farrington, of the Northern Steamship Co., says there is nothing in the report that his company will operate a line of passenger boats between Chicago and Buf- falo. Mr. Farrington knows of no arrangements for the construction of two steamers similar to the North West and the North Land for the proposed route. The International ’Longshoremen’s Association has issued a phamplet under the title, ‘‘The Finish of the Stevedore- Saloon-Bossism of the Port of Buffalo.’ It details the re- port of the special committee to the Lake Carriers’ Associa- tion while in convention at Detroit in January last, and also before the committee on grain handling in Cleveland. Edward Smith, president of the Buffalo Dry Dock Co., lately absorbed by the American Ship Building Co., will manage the Buffalo plant for another year. Capt. John An- derson and A. C. Adams, who were in personal charge of the works before the sale, and John Humble, the shipbuilder, have been permanently emuployed by the trust in their old capacities. Freight loaded by any of the contractor’s men here will not be unloaded at the upper lake ports, where there is a union, until the fine imposed on the vessel is paid. Itisnot believed that the vessel owners will consent to pay such fines very long, as the amount usually imposed in such cases is - from $100 to $500. As the principal movement of package freight is from Buffalo westward, it is believed by the freight handlers that Mr. Barter’s action in telegraphing all other ports is the best thing that could be done to bring the vessel- men totime. Mr. Barter is secretary of the International Longshoremen’s Association and his instructions cover 23 ports. Dr. J. B. Stoner, who has been in charge of the marine hos- pital service at this port for a little over two years, received orders from Surgeon General Wyman of the United States Marine Hospital Service to proceedto St. John, N. B., as medical inspector of immigrants, for duty in the office of the United States Commissioner of Immigration for Canada, the order to take effect upon being relieved by Surgeon Eugene Wasden. Dr. Wasden took charge of the service at this portaccordingly. He hasrecently been on special duty at the Pasteur Institute at Paris, was ordered back to Washington, and as he had several years’ service in the South he was given the Buffalo appointment when Dr. Stoner was required at the port of St. John. J. B. Donnelly, president of the Donnelly Contracting Co., this city, recently returned from Cleveland, bringing in his pocket contracts for over $1,000,000 of Government work in the harbors of Ashtabula and Lorain. The contracts on which the Donnelly Co., was the lowest bidder are for the extension of the Government break waters in the two harbors mentioned. The bid of the Donnelly Contracting Co., for the work at Ashtabula was $410,692, and for the Lorain work, $635,519. The company has four years in which to com- plete the work. The Donnelly Contracting Co., now has on hand more than $1,600,000 of United States Government and State work,including harbor work at Fairport, Conneaut, Hrie, Buffalo and Cape Vincent. The company bids only on State and Government work, and has recently spent nearly $100,- 000 in making additions to its plant, which is now one of the best on the lakes. MAY I0, 1900. DULUTH—SUPERIOR. Special Correspondence to The Marine Record. A new company known asthe Maytham Towing & Wreck- ing Co., has entered the field at the head of the lakes as a rival of the Great Lakes Towing & Wrecking Co. The new steamer now being built for the Canada-Atlantic Transit Co., has been named the Ottawa. She is nearing completion in the yards at Toronto, and it is expected that she will be ready for service the latter part of this month. Lumber rates seem to be fixed at $3 per M. feet. This rate is the highest opening rate that has been paid from the head of the lakes for many years. Last year the opening was considered strong at $2. The highest rate paid was $5.25, and for most of the season it was around $4. It is reported that the Northwestern Coal Co. is going to build the other half of the large dock it has planned in Al- louez Bay. The present dock only represents one-half of the proposed dock although at present one of the largest docks in the United States. Itis said, however, that the company 1s not going to build for its own use, but for one of the railroads —probably the Milwaukee road. Davis & Comstock, lumber shippers, take pride in the fact that they loaded the first boats for Chicago and the first for Cleveland, to visit: the head of the lakes this year. The John Spry and Johnson loaded lumber for Chicago at the Scofield mill, at West Superior, and the Mills and tow load- ed lumber at McCord’s for Cleveland. This gives Davis & Comstock the first boats for Lake Michigan and the first for Lake Erie. Whaleback 115, which went ashore on Pie Island last fall, is to be examined and if not too badly damaged is to be hauled off and put in drydock. She was being towed through a heavy snow storm along the north shore of Lake Superior, when the tow line parted and she drove ashore. The crew had a hard experience before reaching a station on ‘the Canadian Pacific road. Tonnage is tonnage these days and it is cheaper to patch up an old hull than to build a new one it can also be usually done in much less time, especially the way the steel market is just now. Lumber shippers cling to the idea that a $2.50 rate is about right, although tonnage would be taken at $2.75. Vessels are holding for $3 with little chartering so far. A broker very pertinently states the vessel’s side of it in this way: “The $3 rate at the opening this year is little better than the $2 rate at the opening last year, and for these reasons: The expense of handling the product is a great deal more than last season; the price of fuel is $1.10 a ton higher than last spring; labor on board is 20 per cent higher, dock labor will be 20 per cent higher, oil and other supplies are from 20 to 33 per cent higher than last spring.”’ General Manager Harris, of the Lake Superior & Ishpem- ing railroad, estimates shipments of fully 3,000,coo tons of ore from the port of Marquette this year, his figures being based on a careful estimate of the probable output of every mine on the Marquette range this season. Similar estimates covering all five ranges of Lake Superior iron district in the states of Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, show proba- ble shipments of 20,000,000 tons this year,or more than double the largest previous annual production of any year previous to 1895. In my judgment, this year’s iron ore output of Lake Superior mines will unquestionably yield, and very likely exceed, 20,000,000 tons. i 2 oe SAGINAW. Special Correspondence to the Marine Record. _Col. Lydecker was in the city last week, and approved the city engineer’s plan for a jack-knife bridge at Genesee Ave. Capt. Chas. Maeles, owner of the tug Gladiator has char- tered his tug to Toledo parties for log towing for the season. The steam barge Ed. Shores, Capt. Mike Madden, and tow, left the river Thursday for their first trip to Lake Su- - perior. Capt. William Gordon has been awarded the contract for taking careof the buoys in the Saginaw river for the year ending June 30, Igol. The steam barges A. A. Turner and Maine and their con- sorts are chartered for six tripsto Duluth. Lumber to come here for the Thershon Box Factory, Eddy Bros., of Bay City, this week concluded the pur- chase of the steam barge Langell Boys and barge Comstock. They will be used to carry their own lumber. Horace Smith, U. S. Inspector in charge of dredging on Saginaw river, has arrived and got things moving, two dredges will be employed during the season and a general cleaning up will be the program. Capt. Mike Maher, ex- boiler inspector will be Mr. Smith’s assistant. : Some of our barge owners here at Bay City who i the winter blowed themselves in great shape on eee with the expectation of getting rich this season, are a sight to behold. Faces as long as the moral law as it were, and bill to be paid (after first trip) that would give you the night- mare. Capt. John Ballor, master of the tug Andrew McLean who has been missing since Tuesday last, was fished out of the river Sunday morning. It is said the captain was around Tuesday night on business until 2 o’clock a. m., and it is supposed that he fell from the high dock and struck his head on the rail, stunning him and causing his drowning. He leaves a wife and four children at West Bay City. Se ee ERE AY Mee hm ar aE are Ms a % ¢ :