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Fie gis SiG EF NOVEMBER 8, I900. THE ST. LAWRENCE ROUTE TO THE COAST. . The following article is taken from a recent issue of the Toronto Globe:. A-year ago the business men of New York commenced to realize that the export grain and provision trade at that port: was permanently declining at a rapid rate, and that other American ports on the Atlantic seaboard and Gulf of Mexico were cutting in. At first the cause of the divergence of the trdde was generally stated to be due to the decadence of the Erie canal. Last spring an investigation was made, and it was discovered that the most prominent shippers in Chicago of grain and provisions were securing better rates to Boston and Montreal than tothe other. seaports. ‘This discovery puta wet blanket upon the agitation in New York for the enlargement of the Erie canal, inasmuch as the fact was ese tablished that. trade is being so. distributed that New York can no longer expect to be the controlling port. .A short time ago business. men commenced to realize that the Buffalo route has.ceased to control the grain transporta- tion.trade. The trade is being diverted to Erie and Fairport on. Lake Erie, to Georgian Bay and Montreal. There is certainty rather than fear that the decline of the grain trade at Buffalo is permanent, for the strongest competition is by American routes. The result is that interest in Buffalo in the enlargement of the Erie canal has gone by the board. One feature of the situation that is giving serious discussion is that there is so little grain that few canal boats can get cargoes, although willing to take them at the low price going. There is plenty of westbound package freight offered canal boats at New York at high rates, but not high enough to.be profitable if the boats have to go east without cargo. Up to this year there was no questoning the idea that the most advantageous route for western grain and produce to the seaboard was that by way of Buffalo, which permits the longest distance of carriage by deep-draught vessels, with transfer.to canal or minimum of grade railroad. But the one. disadvantage of this, route lies at New Vork harbor, where the unprogressive facilities for transfer to ocean ves- sels have developedinto a burdensome expense. Other sea- ports, such as Boston and Newport News, have not this dis- advantage, and thus it has become possible to shorten some- what, the distance of the lake carriage in deep-draft vessels and transfer the grain at Erie and Fairport. Competition in transportation, which was never greater, supplied a reason for the grain trade being so promptly diverted from the Buf- falo route. Next in popularity at present is the Georgian Bay route, permitting short distance carriage of grain in deep draft ves- sels, with. long haul by rail. Bidders for business by this route have as their greatest advantage their combination of enterprise and determination. That method is proving in- creasingly successful. When it is so extended that the route will be equipped with achain of mammoth elevators from the grain fields to the threshold of the British market, busi- ness will be established upon too strong a foundation to be displaced for many years. Reports from Chicago this sea- ' $on are that cargoes of grain are being secured for the Geor- gian Bay route much more readily than for the other routes. ,Although the St. Lawrence route permitting the maxi- mum distance of carriage by deep-draft vessels in competi- tion with a deep artificial waterway to the seaboard, opened up for business at the beginning of this season, there is no radical increase as yet inshipments by that route. It is evi- dent that the completion of the projected terminal facilities is essential to the securing of the great volume of business that is promised for that route. ‘These facilities will doubt- less be availiable at the opening of next season. Considering the previous history of these three established routes, it is more surprising that the Buffalo route should be so heavy a loser of trade this season than that the Georgian Bay route should beso heavy a gainer. As the St. Lawrence route, with the completion of terminal equipment, will have the greatest advantage next season, it stands to reason that the Buffalo route will be harder’hit than will the Georgian Bay route. The result must beto throw the bulk of the through trade to Canadian routes in the near future. Of the two projected routes for competition with the three estab- lished routes, that of the air line from Collingwood to To- ronto has considerable advantage, in that it can be construct- ed and put in operation in a year’s time, and have a good Start in establishing business. The other route, that of the Ship canalfrom Chicago to the Gulf of Mexico, is one that is not likely to be in operation for at least ten years, and probably twenty years, such is the magnitude of the under- taking, THE MARINE RECORD. LEVEL OF LAKE SUPERIOR. According to J. H. Darling, U.S. Assistant Engineer, Corps of Engineers, U.S. A., the mean level of Lake Su- perior in October, by the U. S. gauge at Marquette, was 1.79 feet above low water datum. This iso.o8 higher than for the preceding month, whereas under normal conditions the water should have fallen 0,04 ft. from September to October. The stage for last month was 0.17 foot higher than in Oc- tober 1899, a year ago, and is 0.99 higher than the average October stage for the 26 years from 1872 to 1897. So it will be seen that this year’s stage has finally come up to and exceeded the corresponding stage for last year, which was a high one; and it promises to hold up well for the re- mainder of this season. United States Forecast Officer Richardson gives the rain- fall for the month as 3.07 inches, which is 0.41 in excess of the normal for October. ——<$—<——— ra SHIPBUILDING RETURNS. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER OF NAVIGATION, October 31, 1900. The Bureau of Navigation reports 112 vessels of 38,562 gross tons were built in the United States and officially num- bered during the month of October, 1900, as follows: WOOD. STEEL. TOTAL, SAIL. STEAM SAIL. | STEAM. e Gross 2 |Gross 2 |Gross| 2 Gross g Gross Atlantic and Gulf ..... 52| 8,474/16|' 659]| 1|1,120] 6|12,690)} 75/22,943 Paeifie..7.. a Ole SIZ Ble S55 lees I} 1,584]! 12] 5,852 Greatsbakessalonls chen esiiscsiael| auilkocniee 5} 8,534] 5} 8,534 West’n RiversjI1| 182| 8} 48o]|..|..... Ij} §62|| 20) 1,233 Totaly tree: 71|12,369|27|1,703}|: I/1, 120)13/23,370||/112/38,562 The largest steel steam vessels included in these figures are: Name. Gross Tons. Where Built. Owner. American....5,591 Chester, Pa: Amer-Hawaiian S. S. Co. Olena gs sie 5,989, Philadel’a, Pa. Oceanic S. S. Co. Howard L. Shaw ....4,901 Wyandotte, Mich. John Shaw Transit Co. The foregoing figures do not include craft without motive power of theirown. From other sources than construction one vessel of 2,674 gross tons was added to the merchant fleet as follows: Rig. Name. Gross Tons, Why Officially Numbered. StaSicn saeens Norfolk 2,674 Foreign Wreck. E. T. CHAMBERLAIN, Commissioner. ee EASTERN FREIGHT REPORT. Messrs. Funch, Edye & Co., New York, in their weekly report of the condition of the Eastern freight market, state as follows: The principal feature of the freight business for the past week has been the continued large amount of tonnage taken for grain, and shippers seem still prepared to make further commitments on the basis of current rates, even up to February loading. Steamers that can make sure November loading command aslight premium. In cotton chartering the only fixture of interest is one reported from Savannah to the Mediterranean, for which destination there has been some inquiry during the last few days. In other directions, however, charterers decline to treat for further tonnage and in some cases have paid considerable sums to cancel charters previously arranged. The demand for timber steamers con- tinues very limited, the time chartered vessels previously taken by these shippers having supplied their present wants. For coal a steamer is reported having been closed for Medi- terranean ports at about 17s. 6d, at which figure shippers may possibly be able to do further chartering, although the demand is not at all brisk. Vessels for long voyages have been more freely offered since our last and the downward tendency has in conse- quence been more fully developed, especially so, as char- terers are unwilling to pay even present rates in the hope of obtaining further concessions ere long. NT THE Bethlehem Steel Co., South Bethlehem, Pa., opens up a new agency in San Francisco in charge of The Abner, Doble Co., corner Fremont and Howard streets. The Beth- lehem Steel Co. is now one of the most prominent industries in the United States. : 9 SHIPPING AND MARINE JUDICIALIDECISIONS. (COLLABORATED SPECIALLY FOR THE MARINE RECORD.) Collision—Suit for Damages—Findings of Master.—The findings of a master as to the cost of restoring a vessel in- juredin collision, based on conflicting testimony, will not be disturbed unless there is a clear error or mistake. In re Merritt & Chapman Derrick and Wrecking Co., 103 Fed. Rep. (U. S.) 988. ; Limitation of Liability—Bill of Lading.—A provision ina bill of lading limiting a carrier’s liability to the value of the goods at the place of shipment does not relieve it from greater liability from a loss occurring through the negli- gence of the shipperin using an unseaworthy vessel. Lowen- stein vs. Lombard, Ayres & Co., 58 N. E. Rep. (N. Y.) 44. Measure of Damages.—Where the owner sold a vessel in- jured in collision in her damaged state he is not entitled to recover damages, in a suit for the collision, because she was not restored to her for:ner condition by the repairs made by the purchaser, when it appears that the reason was because the repairing was not properly done. In re Merritt & Chap- man Derrick and Wrecking Co., 103 Fed. Rep. (U. S.) 988, Contract of Insurance.—A person contracting with a car-_ rier through its agent, for the transportation of goods, is not chargeable with notice of limitation of the agent’s right to contract, when he isa general agent of the company in charge of its business at the place where the contract is made, and the contract is the kind usually made by such agents. Lowenstein vs. Lombard, Ayres & Co., 58S. E. Rep. (N. Y.) 44. Notice of Agent’s Authority.—A statement in the blanks and literature issued by the agent of a steamship company that insurance on consigned goods was free when the value was declared before the sailing of the steamer does not charge a skipper having knowledge thereof with notice that the agent has no authority to insure goods without such valuation. Lowenstein vs. Lombard, Ayres & Co., 58 N. E. Rep. (N. Y.) 44. Injury to Cargo in Loading—Liability of Ship.—A pro- vision of a charter requiring the charterer to supply the slings for loading cargo'is complied with by furnishing the proper rope from which the slings are made, and the vessel is liable for an injury to the cargo in loading caused by an improper splicing of the slings by the seamen, who are fur- nished by the owner. Dene S. S. Co., Limited vs, Munson, et al., 103 Fed. Rep. (U. S.) 983. Measure of Damages.—Where plaintiff made a contract at Mobile for the transportation and insurance of certain goods from New York to Mobile, a bill of lading afterwards given to his consignor when the goods were shipped, limiting the carrier’s liability to the value of the goods at the place of shipment, did not supercede the oral contract, and the measure of damages was the value of the goods at the place of delivery. Lowenstein vs. Lombard, Ayres & Co., 58 N. E. Rep. (N. Y.) 44. Evidence of other Transactions—Where, in an action by a shipper against a steamship company on an alleged con- tract of insurance on goods lost at sea, the contract was oral, and the agent of the steamship company denied having dispensed with the valuation of the goods, but the plaintiff testified that the agent said that his line was doing business on the same terms as others, evidence is admissible of con- tracts made by the agent with other persons, before and at the same time, in which the valuation of the goods was not required, as showing the terms on which the company was doing business. Lowenstein vs. Lombard, Ayres & Co., 58 N. E. Rep. (N. Y.) 44. Shipping—Construction of Charter—Injury to Ship from Cargo of Asphalt.—Under a time charter of a steamer to be employed in such lawful trades between ports of the United States and the West Indies or Caribbean Sea as the char- terers might direct, the owners warranting her to be “tight, staunch and strong, and every way fitted for the service,” the owner cannot recover from the charterers for injury to the vessel from bringing a cargo of ashphalt from Trinidad, which was loaded under directions of the master; for while such cargo is peculiar and requires special fittings and sub- jects the surrounding parts of the vessel to more than the usual lateral pressure when shipped in bulk, it is not only lawful merchandise, but constitutes one of the chief articles of export from the island, and was clearly within the terms of the charter, which placed the risk of the sufficiency of the vessel upon the owner. Dene S.S. Co., Limited: vs. Munson, et al., 103 Fed. Rep. (U. S.) 983. —_———— OO or THE respective degrees of completion of the sea-going torpedo-boat destroyers Lawrence and Macdonough on Oct. 3, as reported by Admiral Hichborn, were 98 per cent. for the former and 96 for the Macdonough. ‘The latter was named in honor of Thomas Macdonough, who commanded the squadron in Lake Champlain in 1814, which defeated the British squadron. In 1804 he was one of the Decatur party that re-captured the Philadelphia from the Moors. One of his sons is still living, a successful and highly re- spected citizen of New York city. The Lawrence was named after Capt. James Lawrence, of the ill-fated Chesapeake, who was the author of the immortal order, ‘Don’t give up the ship.