The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

THE MARINE RECORD. Freee aye NOVEMBER 21, 1901. Seabee tt aK KK, BUFFALO. Special Correspondence to The Marine Record. There is an easy grain blockade here now with a 1,000,000 bushels afloat and elevators filled, besides more coming in daily. After being aground for a couple of days in the draw of the Michigan street bridge, the Plankinton was lightered and floated again on Wednesday night. Hingston & Woods will remove their repair yard from the, foot of Genesee street to Stony Point, where they: have a $700,000 contract to build docks and a canal forthe steel plant. Capt. George Mcl,eod, the well known marine inspector for ‘Smith, Davis & Co., is very ill at his home, No. 1149 Niagara street. His friends who are legion, hope for his speedy: recovery Insurance policies expire on December 5 on vessels. leav- ing port at, on, or after that date. Underwriters carry the risk on vessels on the lakes at that time, but any further extension must be made by private agreement. The Independent Towing Co., of Lancaster, was incorpo- rated at Albany last week 10 operate.on the Great Lakes, with a capital: of $50,000. ‘The directors are E. N. Mc- Curcheon, I. J. Boland and Margaret Lautenslager, all of Buffalo. It is reported that clam shell ore unloading machines, patterned after those in use at Chicago, will be erected this winter on the Angeline and Mahoning and Shenango docks at Ashtabula. The installation of these machines will throw several hundred ore shovelers out of labor. The grain blockade which has been feared for a few weeks past is now here and elevators can’t handle the cargoes al- ready afloat. A better railroad car supply and canal facili- ties would of course do much to’ release grain from the ele- yators, but not much can be expected: from either source. It is possible that the burned steamer City of Genoa, owned by Gilchrist, ‘of Cleveland, will make another trip this fall. The repair work has been rushed as fast as possible and she will be ready for work next week. Her owner is a hustler and it is not likely that he will now put her into ‘winter quarters. - The passenger steamer Puritan will be put in condition for business next spring as soon as the insurance company will pay the fire loss. Cost.of repairs has been estimated at $14,- 500, but the underwriters want to compromise at $12,000. This hackling and begging after a loss takes place is not for’ the best interests of insurance companies. ‘The following meteorological observations are furnished by the office of the U. S. Weather Bureau, Buffalo, for the week ending Noy, 20." Prevailing wind directions during the week West; highest velocity 48 miles West on 16th. Mean temperature for the week, 33 degrees; highest tem- perature, 38 degrees, on 20th; lowest, 26 degrees, on 20th. The first vessels to go into winter quarters at Tonawanda are the steamer St. Louis and barges Champion and Buck- eye State. They tied up at Shepard & Morse’s dock and will remain there until the opening of navigation next spring. They wintered at Marine City last winter. The barge Wil- liam B. Ogden of the Weston tow is also preparing to go * into winter quarters. The notion has prevailed that freight on cargo was the velvet for boat owners; it is being found out that passengers pay their way, walk aboard, walk ashore and leave their spondoolicks. The blue ribbon of the Atlantic is only fought for on account of the passenger trade, and lake passenger boats de beginning to find out that passengers, not cargo, is wanted. Many old lake sailors will be sorry to learn of the death of Capt. James Edgecomb. Deceased was one of the old- time captains, having served as master for many vessels dur- ing the past thirty years. He was mate of the steamer ‘Colo- rado when her boilers blew up off Windmill Point in 1883. Failing health forced the old captain to retire and remain ashore during the past eight years. ey “Now. it is the dredgemen that are on a strike. Messrs, Hingston & Woods are being proceeded against.. It appears at one of the men had put a claim in to the firm for. two days’ pay to which he claimed to be entitled. He did not receive the money, and reported the matter to his organiza” tion. The result was that the men on a barge attached to a dredger, being operated at the foot of Main street, quit work, as well as the crew of another Hingston & Woods parge:at Stony Point. It is expected that the difference will be settled with the union and the workman granted his claim. Cage aren: ‘Several’ of the big steamers turned out of lake shipyards recently ate classed in’ the November supplement of. Inland Lloyds register. The list includes the Chicago, owned by: the’ Western Transit Company, Buffalo, - 3,195 tons and valued at $240,000; Christopher, Milwaukee Tugboat’ line, 4,280 tons; $235,000; F. T. Heffelfinger; Peavey Steamship Company; Duluth, 4,807 -tons, $270,000; Hugamo,, Morley, and others, Detroit, $180,000; William S. ‘Mack, Mrs. Wil- liam S. Mack, Cleveland, 3,720 tons, $295,000; Henry -Stein- _ brenner.and: others,: Cleveland, 4,719 tons, $260,000;°F. B. Wells, Peavey Steamship Company, Duluth, 4,897 tons, $270,000. ‘ at aye The Lake Erie Boiler Works, Richard..Hammond, pro-_; prietor, have just completed and delivered at the Morse Iron Works & Dry Dock Co., in South Brooklyn, three double end marine boilers of the Scotch type, for the U. S. Army transprt Crook. Each boiler is 14 ft. in diameter and 20 ft. long,-and has been built for a working pressure of 120 lbs. to the sq. in. ‘The boiler company have also de- livered four boilers to the Southern Pacific Co.. of New Orleans. Each of these boilers is 11% ft. long by 11 ft. in diameter, and 185 lbs. working pressure. The company’s shops are filled with orders from all parts of the country. The Lake Erie Boiler Works has long borne the reputation of being the best equipped plant in America for the man- ufacture of marine and stationary boilers, and the pro-’ ducts of this famous: works are to be found in our best steamers everywhere. ri oo oo CHICAGO. * Special Corresporxdence to The Marine Record. Buffalo sent in nearly 40,0d0 tons of coal last week at a 7o-cent freight rate to lower docks and 80 cents up the South Branch. It seems that more bituminous ought to come this way. : The tug Champion left Grand Haven on Monday for Buffalo, with the steel dredge recently built by Johnson Bros. for the Buffalo Dredging Company. The dredge is the largest on the lakes. C. D. Howard, agent for the Canada-Atlantic Transit Co. at Milwaukee, died on Tuesday. Mr. Howard stood high in vessel.circles.and his death has caused general, regret among men doing business with him in the past. Insurance expires Dec. 5 at noon. Any boat leaving port previous to that hour is entitled to. complete the trip. The majority of owners of insured boats figure the last trip as near, the 5th as possible, and in this manner the acttial sea- son of navigation is frequently extended several days. * The Iroquois Iron Co, has laid up its.steamers Fred Mercur and H. E. Packer for the winter. These are ‘the first large boats to go into winter quarters this fall. The two boats. have been running all.summer between. Escan- aba and the iron company’s dock, and have finished: their work for the year. : The Canada-Atlantic Railway. cotnpany finds its 1,500,- ooo ‘bushel elevator at Depot Harbor insufficient for its traffic between Duluth and Chicago and that point, and has decided to build a 2,000,000 bushel.annex. ‘his route is getting a liberal share of the grain of the northwest, and its business is growing every year. Marine men aré already preparing petitions to their Con- gressmen asking for their aid in having large appropriations incorporated in the next.river and harbor bill for work on the east shore of Lake Michigan. The situation is. worse than it has been for some time, owing to the fact that not so much .work was done this year because of the failure of the last river and harbor ball to. pass. With a couple of the best lodges of lake engineers in with the Federation of Labor, and others to join, the lake ves- sels can, be’tied up at any time that owners try to impose on any labor or skill connected with shipping. The chief engineer of a line boat assured me yesterday that there would be something doing this winter and that they would not be trod upon any longer by owners growing rich out of their labor. ‘ The port of. Holland has been abandoned by the Gra- ham & Morton boats for the rest of the season. Soundings show only nine feet of water, where sixteen feet, was dredged this summer. In St. Joseph harbor the sand ‘is piling in.until, there is.only fourteen feet where there was thirty feet. last summer. .The steamer Puritan: will be laid up at the end of the week and the Soo City will run two weeks longer. : The Chicago shipyards have built a fleet of ocean going ships that are now on the Atlantic. , There is said to be a number of senators. and representatives in favor of -the scheme, to make it. possible to build government ships on the lakes, ,The proposed ship subsidy bill involves the claim that they need government contracts to enable them to carry the force and the machinery. to succeed in constructing ships for. freight .and passenger business., The president is said to-take a favorable view of the matter, but does not think this is the right time to urge the change on Great Britain. When the new Hay-Pauncefote treaty is agreed on and con- firméd’it will then be in order, he thinks, to take up the negotiations of another agreement. Senator Hanna, who is interested in large manufacturing plants along the lakes, is pressing the matter and the interests of Chicago are insis- tent on the right to bid on ships that are to be built for the navy in the next few years. CLEVELAND. “ Special Correspondence to 1he Marine Record,,: whe Chattering is slow for this time of the season, Ratés are at.2!4 cents on wheat and a 14 cent less on corn to Buffalo, ma ieapt: Charles Hinslea has been. appointed to the icom- mand ofthe ‘steamer C. B. Lockwood, vice’ Capt. J.C, Dobson ‘résigned. Harbormastér Lynch notified, all parties that the Central Viaduct was in Some way damaged and could not be swung for possibly a day or two: Every effort is being madei-to repair the break. fe : : Pe " ‘It is now evident that considerable coal will come for- ward next winter by rail» From what I learn the supply of bituminous is less than in previous seasons, but the stores of anthracite are fairly up to the usual. As regards lake service, I find that engineers are the only men in question these -times:— Masters and pilots are to be had by the bushel, and at any old time of asking, but every consideration must be given the engine drivers. The announcement is made that E. P. Lannahan, an in- surance adjuster of Chicago, has-decided to make Cleveland his future home:and will move-here at. once. _He will be connected with the office of Capt--W. W.:Brown, which is located in the Williamson building. . ae, B. W. Bartlett, who was a member-of the local life saving crew, died at his home at Pulaski, N. Y., Monday, of ty- phoid fever. He was only sick a few days and did not leave the life saving station until the latter part of last week. . He was one of the best men in the service. ~~ é The members of the executive commitee of the Ameri- can Ship Building Co. andthe Great Lakes Towing Co., met here on Wednesday, but no business of importance was transacted. Mr. W. L. Brown, of Chicago, president. of the Aimerican Ship Building Co., and Capt. Edward Smith of Buffaio, and Mr. L. M. Bowers, of Binghamton, N. Y., who are intcrested in hoth companies, were here. - : The new stec! steamer Frank W. Osborne, building for J. C. Gilchrist and others, was launched from the Lorain vards cf the American Ship Building Co., on Saturday. As she slid into No. 2 slip she was christened by Miss Helen ' Miller, of Cleveland. ‘The second Gilchrist steamer will be launched in two weeks, and will. be christened Frank \V. Hart after a member of the Gilchrist company. ° The local idea is to tax the country to furnish funds to- wards building a boulevard across the entire city front. Senator Hanna is opposed to private steals of this sort, well ‘knowing that no harbor of refuge can be made by an ex; tension of a government breakwater. It is a shame’ that Congressman Burton should, with the assistance of a Cham- ber of Commerce committee, endeavor to influence the dis- trict engineer to recommend so infamous a project involv- ing $3,000,000. The Cleveland Pneumatic Tool Co., manufacturers of pneumatic tools and appliances, have issued their catalogue “D” showing their line of pneumatic hammers, drills, etc. Tnese tools are of the highest grade and are’ attracting the attention of all those who wish to keep tip with the advan- cing tendencies of the times in mechanical lines. This catalogue is handsomely illustrated, printed on fine ‘paper, and is an altogether creditable presentation of ‘the company’s line of manufactures. care The following meteorological observations are furnished by the office of the U. S. Weather Bureau, Cleveland, for the week ending November 20th: Prevailing wind direc- tions for the week, southwest; highest velocity, 60 miles from west to the r4th. Mean temperature for the week, 35; highest temperature, 40 on the 18th; lowest 29 on the 16th; sunrise and sunset data computed for local time, Nov. 22nd, sun rises, 6:58; sets, 4:34; Nov. 25th, sun rises, 7:01; sets, 4:32; Nov. 28th, sun rises, 7:05; sets, 4:31. George Uhler, the president of the lake and coast marine engineers’ society, warns lake engineers against, entering into any contract for work. next season. Bringing this to the attention of one of our most conservative and wide- minded vessel owners he said that Uhler was quite right, wages should rule from month to month, or even on each trip. The men on the lakes are only fitted to drive their own engines, while men from the coast ‘can work either on salt or. fresh water, and it was simply a question of supply and demand, so that there was no reason. for making any sort of season wage contracts. r, At the regular meeting of the Cleveland Naval Reserves, held ‘on Mor.day night, the great majority of the members of the battalion ‘signified their desire to enter the national naval reserve, which will probably be authorized ‘by Con- gress this winter. None ‘of the members were opposed to the plan, although it is understood that some will'sever their connection with the battalion when it enters, the: federal service. Capt. Wirt, Lieuts. Doyal and Semon,., Ensigns Harris and Revere, and Assistant Surgeon Glass signified their intention of joining the national reserves. Capt. Wirt will report to the adjutant general of the, state that. he can promise 159 men, The local officers of the Pittsburg Steamship Co.’ received orders to lay up the two barges Roebling and Manila. The former is unloading in Conneaut and as soon as’ discharged will be laid up. The Manila is to winter in Lorain. The order is an indication that the season for the larger size¢