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Avucus? 8, Igor. THE MARINE RECORD. LAKE FREIGHTS. Iron ore charters and freights are just where they have been all season. It appears that too much can’t be trans- ported to lower lake’ ports and the freight rates are immov- able, although detention at discharging ports is being exper- ienced. Coal rates advanced a neat to cents this week; Buffalo to Milwaukee-Chicago, as noted in our last report and 60 cents was paid on one cargo, (south branch.) Ohio ports are paying the standing figure of 4o cents with a slight indica tion of an advance. Lake Superior ports, 35 cents. Shippers seem content to pay $2.50 per M feet on lumber from the head of the lakes, preparatory to a 50 cent advance on September rst. There isa little more grain out of Chicago but Georgian Bay ports have the call on 13 cents, as offered to Buffalo. Atlantic tonnage is fairly greedy at Montreal and ready to take anything carried over the Canadian route. In July, last year, Chicago shipped 13,521,310 bushels of corn, and last month only, 2,554,343 bushels of corn were shipped out of that port. Duluth and other grain shipping ports show a falling off compared with last year. While the figures for July are favorable to the shippers, they also show that there cannot be any let up in the movement if last year’s total is tobe reached. Duluth reports an outlook for the briskest shipments of grain from this on ever recorded, as 100,000,- ooo bushels will be harvested more than ever before. oor oo ERIE CANAL ENLARGEMENT. The executive committee of the canal association of Greater New York has just reached an important conclusion in regard to its future work. The committee has been waver- ing on the question whether the promise of a deep waterway from the lakes to the seaboard entirely under national con- trol did not offer better prospects of prompt attainment than a 1,000-ton barge canal. The cause of the wavering was the publication of the detailed report of the deep waterways commission. This report has now been thoroughly digested and studied by the committee and it has been formally decided that the interests of New York will be better served by a 1,coo-ton ‘barge canal than by the larger project. —_#_ —$2 Sa an MORE SHIPBUILDING CONTRACTS. The American Ship Building Co. closed contracts this week for the construction of two steel cargo steamers of about 6,500 tons to the order of Henry A. and W.A.Hawgood, Cleve land, for early delivery next spring. This order makes a list of twenty new vessels now in the hands of the American Ship Building Co. with inquiries on hand for other tonnage. Notwithstanding the expression of a couple of months ago that the combined yards would hardly find work enough to keep them going during the winter, there was never a moment when sufficient orders were not insight to make shipbuilding brisk until well along into next summer. es ie ne THAT is a sort of waste of words, though telecast act.of Congress, which says that ‘‘the Commiissioner of Navi- gation, under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, shall have general superintendence of the commercial marine and seamen of the United States so far as vessels and seamen are not under existing laws, subject to the supervision of any other officer of the government.” Local steamboat inspectors are the men who say. whether a fellow is liable to get a loaded or light vessel in trouble, or other- wise, sail or steam, if the former is 7oo tons or over. A host of local inspectors nullifies to a great extent the posi- tion and duties of the Commissioner of Navigation. A spirit of emulation and a pride of profession, which now appears to be entirely lacking, must by some means be engendered in the mercantile marine, and we look to the heads of the service to bring about such a wished for and vitally neces- ary peaM sy oc es!) ee Tut Supervising Inspector General of the Steamboat In- spection Service must surely be holding over all action in the matter of wreck inquiries until the dreary winter months set in, those concerning loss of life in particular. The “Bon Ami, Baltimore and Sagamore cases call aloud from “‘Fiddler’s Green.’’? Let us have an impartial inquiry re- garding the causes leading up to the loss of these vessels, their crews, and, or, passengers, also, anent their equipment at last inspection, etc., etc. Blunders are being continually perpetrated, which, through the inaction of the head of the Steamboat Inspection Service are being constantly repeated. Forewarned is forearmed but theiris neither warning or arming during a protracted period of somnolency. A LIGHT-SHIP. BURNED. The schooner Smith & Post, fitted asa light-ship on south- east shoal, Point au Pelee, was burned to the water’s edge on Wednesday. This aid to navigation was fitted up and placed in position July 1 by the Lake Carriers’ Association. It will be neces- sary to observe the utmost caution until some other warning is placed in position. . a Fun kop kick bee VESSELS. CLASSED. Vessels classed and rated this week i the. American Bureau of Shipping, New York, in the ‘Record of American and Foreign Shipping,’’ are as follows: PW ae Screw steamer Arapahoe, schooner Frededick’ w. Day, Schooner Joseph G. Ray, 3-masted schooner Navarino, 3-masted schooner Mary E..Morse, 3-masted schooner, George F. Phillips, British half brig Harry Stewart, British schooner Clarence A. Shafner, British schooner Eliza Mae, British 3- masted schooner J. W. Hutt, British 3-masted schooner Alexandra, British 3-masted shooner-Marion Louise, British barkentine St. Croix, LSS LAKE SUPERIOR LEVELS. Mr, J. H. Darling, U.S. Assistant Engineer, at Duluth, reports that the mean level of Lake Superior in July, 1901, by the U. S. gauge at Houghton, Mich., was 1.35 feet above Low Water Datum. This iso.41 ft. higher than for the pre- ceeding month, and this rise is 0.20 ft. greater than the nor- mal, which iso.21 ft. from Juneto July. This increased A CANADIAN LAKE SURVEY. The hydrographic survey on Lake: ‘Huron, which is being conducted by the Marine Depertment, will be completed this season. The work is under the direction of Mr. Fred. Anderson, on board the steamer Bayfield. The. last survey of Jake Huron was made sixty years aZ0 when the _ vessels on the inland waters did not draw more than twelve feet. It was done rather hurriedly, and the soundings were neither numerous nor complete. Next season a survey of Lake Superior will be undertaken, if the government will provide a new steamer, the Bayfield being unfitted for such exposed waters. A hydrographic survey of Lake Winnipeg is now proceeding under Mr. Stewart’s direction and will also be finished before the close of navigation. SUN’S AMPLITUDES. The following approximate amplitudes of the Sun’s rising or setting will be given each week inthis column during the season of navigation. A second bearing may be taken by compass at sunset, by reversing the east bearing given for the nearest latitude, as the change in declination fora few hours makes but a slight difference in the true bearing of. the Sun’s setting. The bearing may be taken when the Sun’s center is on the horizon, rising or setting. The ele- ments which may be obtained by taking these amplitudes are the quantities known as local attraction, variation and MONTHLY SHIPBUILDING RETURNS. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER OF NAVIGATION, July 31, Igor. The Bureau of Navigation reports 112 vessels of 16,120 gross tons were built in the United States and officially num- bered during the month of July, ‘1901, as follows: woop. STEEL. ‘TOTAT,. SAIL. STEAM SAIL STEAM as No. Gross, No. Gross No. Gross No. Gross No. Gress. | Atlantic and Gulf............... Nallenag 2,161 27 TC (6 | Lael ee 5 4,751 65 8.278 Pace eee ete. ee Le sae 4 2,597 6 Te || Grae. ever atnnatehepet el liagees tet | inearel sau eases Io 3,354 Great Lakes............- bieecerareiraa 3 107 9 ARB IK eiseesecilne ace a> eropay 2 2,814 14 3,363 Western Rivers ............0..055 6 114 15 08 ea alec e eer aes 2 43 23 1,125 Rotalicc see. ae Nees & 46 4,979 57 3, SB ss | teeeewacellle saat aie 9 7,608 II2 |° 16,120 The largest steel steam vessels included in these figures are: Arapahoe, 3378 gross tons, built at Philadelphia, Pa., Owned by Clyde S. S. Co. built at Cleveland, O., owned by American Ship Building Co. The foregoing figures do not include craft without motive power of their own. one vessel of 170 gross tons was added to the merchant fleet, viz: schooner Salvor, Foreign Wreck. Pere Marquette 17, 2,775 gross tons, From other sources than construy: ion rate in rise is evidently due to the heavy rainfall in the lat- ter part of June, as noted in a previous report. The rainfall at Duluth for July was 4.39 inches, as reported by U.S. Forecast Officer Richardson, this being only 0.67 inch in ex- cess of the normal rainfall. : The stage of water last month was 0.52 ft. higher than in July, 1900, a year ago, and is 0.60 feet higher than the aver- age July stage for a period of 26 years, from 1872 to 1897. orc MAILING LETTERS ON THE HIGH SEAS. The following official notice has been received by the Canadian Postoffice Department : All persons on board British ships on the high seas. are entitled to send their letters prepaid by means of British stamps. Such letters should be handed to the master or any officer he may appoint to receive them, and should be prepaid at the following rates: 1d. the half-ounce, if ad- dressed to the United Kingdom or any British colony or possession (except the Commonwealth of Australia, Rho- desia, and the Bechuanaland Protectorate) ; 2¥d. the half- ounce if addressed to a foreign country or to.one of the three British possessions mentioned above. The officers dealing with the letters should tie them in a bundle, distinctly labelled —“Posted on board the British ship oh the high seas”’—and on arrival at a foreign or colonial port this bundle should not be posted in the or- dinary way, but should be handed over the counter of a postoffice ; if possible, the head office. Letters written in foreign’ or colonial waters (as for in- stance, in Canadian waters) should be prepaid by means of local stamps at local rates, and should be posted in the or- dinary manner: deviation, or the total difference between compass and true, or geographical bearings. LAKE ERIE AND S. END LAKE MICHIGAN, LAT. 42° N. Date. Amplitude. Bearing P’ts. Bearing Comp. Aug.: 9....E. 22°N. =N.6 HE. =EH.N..E. : Aug: 33.,..1. 20° N, == N. OM: Ro". by Nv 2 ON; Aug. 16....E. 19° N. = N. 6% EH. = HE. by N. %'N. AND CENTRAL PORTION LAT. 44° N, LAKE ONTARIO, S. END HURON LAKE MICHIGAN, Date. Amplitude. .Bearing P’ts. Bearing Comp. Aug.’ 9:...E..23° New N.6 EK. = E.N.E: Aug. 13....E. 21° N. = N.6% HE. = E. by N. % N Aug. 16....E. 20° N, =N.6% E.=E, by N. % N. N. END LAKES HURON AND MICHIGAN, LAT. 46° N Date, Amplitude. Bearing P’ts.. Bearing Comp. , Aug. °9.0..H. 23° Nv=N.6 EF. = EN iE. Aug. 13....E. 229 N. =N. 6% E. = E. by N. %.N. Aug. 16....E. 20° N. =N. 6% E. = E. by N. % N. LAKE SUPERIOR, LAT. 48° N Date. Amplitude. Bearing P’ts. Bzaring Comp. Aug. 9.;,..E,.24° N.= N. 5% E. =N. E. by E. % E. Aug. 13....E. 23° N.=N.6 H.=E.N. E. Aug. 16....E. 21° N. = 6% E. = E. by N: % N. With a cétitpase correct magnetic, the difference between the observed and true bearing or amplitude will be the vari- ation for the locality.’ Should there be any deviation on the course the vessel is heading at the time of taking the bear- ing, the difference between the observed and the true ampli- tude after the variation is applied will be the amount of de- viation on that course. If the correct magnetic bearing is to the right of the compass bearing, the deviation is easterly, if to the left, the deviation is westerly.