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THE MARINE RECORD. OCTOBER 31. IgOI. nt KKK BUFFALO. Special Correspondence to The Marine Record. The new Western Transit liner Chicago is now ready for service and will leave here this week on her maiden trip. She has been given everything that a modern craft should have and is a splendidly finished craft in every particular. Although it has been stated that 70 cents had been paid on one or two Lake Michigan cargoes of coal, the general rate was held to be 60cents. Other shippers are determined in their efforts not to pay the advance. Itis reasonably cer- tain, however, that the 70 cent rate will obtain within the next few days. The wooden steamer Birckhead caught fire Tuesday while lying at Black Rock and was damaged to the extent of $1,000. Mr. William F. Warren, of Tonawanda, owner of the Birckhead, attributes the loss to the explosion of a lamp. The fire department got the blaze under control before the lumber cargo was damaged. Members of the Tug Firemen’s and Linemen’s Protective Association are making great preparations for their second annual ball, which takes place in St. Stephen’s Hall, on Monday evening, December 23d. They have over a month in which to work up an interest, and the committee are con- fident that it will be a most successful affair. The well-known and reliable firm of Jenkins Bros., New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and Boston, were awarded special honors at the Pan-American Exposition for their ex- cellence of manufacture in valves, packings and rubber specialties, The firm is one of the best doing business in the country, and it is a pleasure to note the perfection of its industries in the manufacturing world. I hear from Tonawanda that the canal rate on lumber to Albany has now jumped to $1.75 per 1,000 feet. Yesterday was the first day that the new rate was paid this season. An addition of fifteen cents was made to the old rate of $1.60 that has prevailed during the last two months. The cause in this advance rate is due to the probability of canal boats catching a $2.10 rate to New York City. The Northtown, of the Northwestern line of Chicago, ar- rived on Wednesday, having on board, in addition to her through cargo of 3,000 barrels of glucose and 2,300 bags of cornmeal for New York, 40,000 bushels of grain for unload- ing here. The Northtown will proceed by way of the St. Lawrence and go into the coast trade for the winter. Her three sister ships will go in the same trade, as they are not adapted for economical carrying on the lakes, although built for ocean, lake and canal traffic. A libel was served this week on the steamer Saranac of the Lehigh Valley Transit Co. by deputy U. S. marshal Sturm. Homer Warren and the Great Lakes Towing Co., owner of the tug Erie. The libelis the outgrowth of a collision at the entrance to the harbor some time ago. The tug was towing the Saranac when the two cellided with the Homer Warren, damaging all three somewhat. The Saranac libeled the tug Erie and the Homer Warren for damages, and the two vessels libeled the Saranac on counter charges. Information is received at the Western Transit Co.’s office to the effect that another body of the Hudson’s crew, which foundered in Lake Superior with all hands has been found. The body was found three-quarters of a mile from Tobacco river, on the opposite side of Keweenaw point from where the Hudson sunk. A description furnished by J. C. Thomp- son, the Western Transit Co.’s agent, is as follows: Weight about 150 pounds, five feet eight inches in height, light hair, large light mustache and three or four teeth of the upper jaw missing. Inthe pockets of the clothes were found a scarf pin, two knives and three English coins. Around the body was a life preserver marked ‘‘Steamer Hudson.’’ body was badly decomposed, —_— Oe Oa The lumber rate from the head of the lakes, which was advanced to $3a week ago, is firm and cargoes are more plentiful than vessels, Chartering has been brisk since the rate was advanced, * vail. It was brought by F. C. Andrews, owner of the. The CLEVELAND. Special Correspondence to The Marine Record. Capt. F. A. Fick will take charge of one of the new Tom- linson line steamers. He was, for the past few seasons, in the Fedora. Capt. W. W. Brown has returned from his trip to Buffalo, where he has been looking after repairs to the W. H. Grat- wick. The estimated damage is about $25,000. The steam- er will be dischaiged, dry docked and put in as good con- dition as formerly. It is certain that in some few instances $1.10 was paid on ore, the going rate is still quoted at $1 and business is yet being done at that figure. The 3 cent rate on grain from Lake Superior is equal to $1.10 on ore and that rate may pre- The Escanaba figure is at 70 cents. A meeting of the directors of the Cleveland & Buffalo Transit Co. was held here on Wednesday and the regular quarterly dividend of 14% per cent., payable Nov. I, was declared. Much credit must be given Manager Newman for his great successin establishing the line and making it a paying property. Catalogue D, pneumatic tools, hammers, riveters and drills, contains a finely illustrated account of the productions of the Cleveland Pneumatic Tool Co., Cleveland. The tools are described in detail and there are many half-tones show- ing the appliances at work on steel structures, dies, castings, boilers, etc. The firm manufactures air hoists, holders-on and painting machines, in addition to those already mention- ed. The following meteorological observationsare furnished by the office of the U. S. Weather Bureau for the week ending Oct. 30: Prevailing wind direction during the week, S. E.; highest velocity, 24 miles, from S. .E., on Oct. 29. Mean temperature for the week, 53; highest temperature, 76, on Oct. 30; lowest, 36, on the 25th. Sunrise and sunset data computed for local time: Nov. 1, sun rises at 6:33, sets at 4:55; Nov. 4, sun rises at 6:37, sets at 4:52; Nov. 7, sun rises at 6:40, sets at 4:48. The demand made by the seamen for an advance of 25 cents per day was met by owners this week. The Lake Car- riers’ Association took no action on the matter. The mas- ters and owners were notified of the action taken by the union, Monday night, and it was decided that the season was so short that no meeting of the Lake Carriers would be called and that each owner make his own arrangements with the men. Seamen on steamers and consorts will be paid $1.75 a day and the rate fixed for sailing vessels is $2 per day. A member of the Lake Carriers’ Association said that no fall schedule of wages was adopted because the card has been higher all season than is usually paid and it was thought the men were satisfied. A dispatch having been received from Chicago indicating that sailors are asking $2 on board steamboats and barges, it is learned that owners of vessel property will now abandon the system in vogue of paying the men all the season through, and will discharge them as soon as the boats get to the docks, and will hire others when they want to go out. Thus if a boat lies at a dock for four or five, or even more days the men who worked upon her will be out that much pay. This system was formerly in vogue generally on the lakes, and the reform was only worked when the Vessel Owners’ Association was formed. This system was generally found to pay the men better in the long run as well as to keep steady men under pay all the season. The new idea may permit of a higher rate per day, but there will be much lesser earnings in the aggregate. This is a hard old blow to be given this port, and might perhaps be looked into by a committee of the Chamber of Commerce, at least it ought not quite to go unchalanged: “Complaint is made, and it must be of some proportions or it would not be reproduced in the columns of the Black Dia- mond, that a certain oil and grease concern of Cleveland, O., has made and is making requests for prices on anthracite, and, upon receipt of quotations, places an order. Upon re- ceipt of the coal and when payment is demanded, this firm offers oil or grease in settlement of the account. It appears to the writer that this is a most peculiar method of doing business, is more than absurd, and one not justified, because in this twentieth century cash or its equivalent is the only recognized medium of settlement of indebtedness. The idea of telling a seller to accept oil or grease as payment for coal, or to take his goods away, appears to the writer to belong to some backwoods settlement, and not to a firm ina live, progressive city, such as Cleveland, O. Eastern coal firms will please note.’’ DETROIT. Special Correspondence to the Marine Record. The crew of the steamer Seattle, Capt. Still, were dis- charged here on Monday after making a general kick. A new crew was shipped, or at least five of the body of men, and the vessel proceeded with her fresh hands. The Limekiln Crossing brings up a number of vessels and it is figured that in the past sixty days, wrecking, lightering assistance and repairs will foot’ up about $150,o00for this locality alone. This gateway to the Northwest seems to be somewhat inadequate to the needs of commerce. : A new chart in colors of Fairport Harbor, Ohio, has just been issued and is now onsale at the U.S. Lake Survey office, 33 Campau building, Detroit, Mich., at 12 cents per copy; also a new chart in colors of Muskegon Harber, Lake Michigan, including Muskegon Lake, at 15 cents per copy. Capt. Foley, who was in charge of the steamer Bon Voy- age, when she burned on Lake Superior, costing the lives of several passengers. whose license was suspended by the steamboat inspectors at Marquette has filed notice of an appeal of his case before Supervising Inspector Westcott, here. As arepresentative of the underwriters, Capt. Tuttle, of Cleveland, did excellent work in floating the steamers Vega and City of Cleveland, this week, he is, however, very sore on the condition of the Linekiln Crossing and the Govern- ment work being carried on there, as it might be done much better. The following meteorological observations are furnished by the office of the U. S. Weather Bureau, Detroit, for the week ending Oct. 29th: Prevailing wind directions for the week, N. E; highest velocity, 30 miles, west, at 2:22 p.m., 23d. Mean temperature for the weck, 52°; highest temperature, 78°, on 23d; lowest, 35°, on 25th. President Wellington R. Burt, of the Ann Arbor railway, said recently: ‘‘The contract for the Ann Arbor’s new car ferry has not been let. We expect to let it in the near future, but the announcement that the boat has been contracted for is not true. The Ann Arbor needs a new ferry on account of the growth of its large increase in trans-lake business, and a new boat will soon be under construction.’’ The steamer City of Cleveland was placed in drydock on Wednesday and an examination of the hull showed a hole in the bottom plating amidships under the shaft, four feet in diameter, besides numerous dents extending to the keel. Fifteen plates on the starboard side must be removed and a couple on the port side will be taken off. The steamer will be in dock a week and she can be ready for service again a few days later if the management desire. Two scows have’been built by Frank Perry, of Sault Ste. Marie, for the transportation of pulp wood across Green Bay. Heretofore the wood has been rafted and hauled by tugs. The speed in this way, however, is about one and a half miles an hour, and there must have been serious losses’ on account of storms. The scows are much more speedy, and, as they can carry 400 cords each, they promise to show a better business. The innovation makes possible the filling of some large contracts which it was feared would have to go over to next season. Mr. Walter Oades, says: ‘‘I noticed in the RECoRD of the 24th that you said the Lady Francis was the largest yacht in the world driven by a gasoline engine. If I am not mis- taken the yacht Ivy, of Detroit, is larger than the Lady Francis, being 66 feet long, 11 feet 6 inches wide and draw- ing five feet, or is 4 feet molded depth, as she has a slug of afoot. The Ivy’s frames are much heavier and she is built stronger than the Lady Francis. The latter yacht was built of light stuff, but furnished with mahogany so as to make her look well. The Ivy, when she comes out in the spring will be driven by a 60 horse-power Wolverine engine. She now has a 36 horse-power which drives her 10 miles an hour. It is now on the boards that the Grand Trunk railway sys- tem, the Botsford-Jenks Co., of Port Huron, has completed the details of a scheme that will give that road a continuous chain of connections for the shipment of grain from Duluth and Port Arthur elevators to Leith, Scotland, where’ a new elevator has just been finished. A steel shipbuilding plant will be constructed at St. Clair, Mich., and eight boats built to carry the grain from Duluth to this point, where a new elevator will be built. The grain will be carried to Portland, Me , via the G. T. R. and trans- ported from there to Leith in steamers owned by the Grand Trunk system. The new company will also look for other shipbuilding contracts and intend to enter the field as skilled and expert shipbuilders in all departments including, of course, engines and boilers.