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. : ; | ; RUARY 20, 1902. BUFFALO HARBOR IMPROVEMENTS. A special committee composed of prominent citizens of Buffalo, advocate harbor improvements at a total ‘cost of $428,000. It is thought the entire work can be done in one year and the general sentiment was that the expense hould be met in one lump and not on the installment plan. capt. J. J. H. Brown pointed out numerous advantages re- “if more attention was paid to the harbor and less to the parks, the city would’ be much richer. As an instance of ‘money spent by boats-he said the North Land and North West which are wintering in Buffalo, would spend $350,000 in this city for new boilers, remodeling of cabins and new furniture. Capt. Brown says every vessel that comes to Buffalo during a ‘season spends at least $1,200 every time - she comes into port. _ Capt. Brown presented the following figures: The total number of vessels that entered the ports of Superior and Duluth in 1895 was 5,505. ‘Their registered tonnage was 5,665,752 tons. The total number of vessels entering the same ports _ 2,990,205 tons, or 21 per cent. vessels and 52.07 per cent. in tonnage. _ The total number of vessels that entered Chicago proper in 1895 was 7,557. Their total net registered tonnage was 4,585,385. The total number of vessels that entered Chicago in 1901 was 8,430. Their total net registered tonnage was 6,900,999; tons, or 11% per cent. in vessels and. 50% per cent. in ton- nage. The total number of vessels that entered Cleveland in 1895 was 3,345. ‘The total net registered tonnage was 2,287,- O73. - The total number) ofvessels that entered Cleveland in IQ0I was 3697. Their total net registered tonnage was 4,- 057,095, showing an increase since 1895 of 552 vessels and 1,770,022 tons, or 16 per cent. in vessels and 77 per cent. in __ tonnage. The total number of vessels that entered Buffalo in 1895 was 4,758. Their total net registered tonnage was 4,684- 997 tons. ; The total numbet of vessels that entered Buffalo in 1901 was 5,564. Their total net registered tonnage was 5,170,420, showing an increase since 1895 of only 806 vessels and 485,- 432, Or 17 per cent. vessels and 10.3 per cent, in ton- nage. oo or or LAUNCH OF THE GREYHOUND, The novel sight of a mid-winter launching, with ice two feet thick, which had to be cut out of the slip in order to allow the boat to be launched, was witnessed at’ the Wyandotte yards of the American Ship Building. Co., fon Saturday last, when the new White Star Line steamer, Greyhound, took her initial dip. ea The launch was a success in every way, and although the boat had a drop of four feet and rolled after leaving the ways, she straightened up, and, aside from a small dent in one of her plates when she struck the opposite side of the slip, no mishaps attended the mid-winter launch. She measures 300 feet in length, and, over guards, is sixty-eight feet ‘wide. ‘The engines will be of the. walking beam type. The feathering type of side propelling wheels will be used, and.in this. way the jar and tremor common to boats will be absolutely done away with. Steam will be supplied by three boilers. The exterior of the new Greyhound’s upper works: will be of pine, painted white. ‘The-interior will be finished in hardwood cabinet, work, quartersawed oak being used on the main deck, mahogany in the dining room and grand saloon, and chestnut and stained malachite in the gentle- men’s smoking room on the hurricane deck. The new boat will have ‘a ladies’ parlor, or observatory, on the hur- ricane deck which.will be trimmed in white and gold, ‘This is an entirely new feature. The carrying capacity of the new Greyhound will be 3,000, which is about’ double the capacity of any other passenger ‘steamer that has ever run out of Toledo. ——$—$——$—$————— OS THE GREAT LAKES TOWING CO. The annual meeting of the stockholders. of the Great Lakes Towing-Co. was held in New Jersey on Wednesday. All the old directors were re-elected as follows: Gen. George A. Garretson, W. G. Mather, L. C. Hanna, H. G. Dalton, C. E. Grover and T. F. Newman, Cleveland; L. M. Bowers, Binghamton; C. W. Elphicke, Chicago; Jas. Ash, Edward Smith. Buffalo; C. D. Thompson, Port Huron; Capt. James.Davidson, Bay City; A. B. Wolvin, Duluth and W: T. Coleman Carpenter, Jersey City. ‘The directors will meet here next Wednesday and elect officers. It is not expected that there will be any change made in the officials’ of: the company. They are as_ follows: President and- treasurer, Mr. ‘T. F. Newman, Cleveland; vice president, Capt. James Davidson, Bay City; second vice president, Capt. A. B. Wolvin, Duluth; third- vice president, Mr. Edward Smith, Buffalo; general manager, _C. H. Sinclair, Cleveland; secretary. Mr. M. H.Wardwell, Cleveland; executive committee, G. A. Garretson, chair- man; Capt. James Davidson, A. B. Wolvin, L. M. Bowers, C. E. Grover, H. G, Dalton, T. F. Newman; counsel, «James H. Hoyt, Esq} Harvey D:. Goulder, Esq. ulting to the city from harbor improvements and claimed, ; ‘in 1901 was 6,681. Their net registered tonnage was 8,655,- ' 957; showing an increase since 1895 of 1,176 vessels and- showing an increase since 1895 of 1873 vessels and 2,315,614, THE MARINE RECORD. LAKE FREIGHT SITUATION. Another block of iron ore was covered this week for the season's movement. ‘This consisted of 75,000 tons, for the movement of which the rate was 80 cents between Duluth ‘ This is therefore identical«with) the rate, and Ohio ports. which has prevailed hitherto in the transactions of like nature. Prior to this time,a, block of 50,000 tons. had been covered, demanding a ‘movement from Escanaba to. Ohio ports on the basis of 60 cents; Marquette paying 70°: cents, which was:the expected rate from these points, the , freights out of Duluth being taken .into. consideration. This charter, with those which were made the latter part of last week and on Monday. of this week, make an aggre- ok of about 2,000,000 tons covered for’movement to this ate. With all this, however, there has been nothing yet to indicate what will be the attitude of the U. S. Steel Cor- poration toward the rate question, and some of the biggest shippers have as yet done nothing. ‘This fact is in part explained by the lack of ore sales, but it is also apparent that some of the companies are waiting upon the Steel Corporation to make some charters, so that the rate will be permanently established... Aside from this there is plenty of time, and the shippers do not believe in rushing matters too fast. Consequently the ore freight market is about as dull as it possibly can be and there is no indi- cation of,a change in the situation, as neither side shows any. sign of closing up the 5 cent gap. The vesselmen say that it is up to the shippers and that if they want to do any business they will have to pay last year’s rates. On the other hand, the ore men claim that there is nothing in the outlook to change their position and that the condi- tions are the same as they were two weeks ago when they decided that season chartering should be done on the basis of 75 cents from the head of Lake Superior. The shippers that have chartered are pretty well provided with season tonnage and until the other dealers come into the market the indications are that there will not be much doing unless there is a break in the ranks of the vesselmen. ‘The latter claim that there is no chance of that taking place. The rates offered: by the big shippers are 75 cents from the head of Lake Superior, 65 cents from Marquette and 55 cents from Escanaba. All the figuring that has been done by the ore men on the coming season has been done on the basis’ of 22,000,000 tons as the total output, which is an increase.of a little more than 1,500,000 tons over last year. It.is expected that all the shippers will move more ore than they did in 1901 and it is known that one firm has sold 1,200,000 tons more than*it shipped last year. Ves- selmen are banking on a movement of 24,000,000 tons and wagers: ‘have been made that the shipment will exceed 23,000,000 tons. A meeting of the lake coal shippers will be held the ‘latter part of the week, when prices will probably be fixed and after that the shippers will be in shape to talk freights. Very little attention has been paid to the coal end of the business, and it. is not likely that chartering in that trade will be heavy until more tonnage is lined up for ore. On season contracts vesselmen are talking 4o cents to the head of Lake Superior and 50 cents to Milwaukee. Prices for fuel will probably be fixed at the meeting this week. Lumber shippers are doing some figuring but it cannot be learned that any deals have been closed. A dispatch from Duluth says: ‘The prospective rate for the trans- portation of lumber by Take at the opening of navigation is $2.50, per. 1,000 feet. But it is not as easy to forecast the lumber rate as it used to.be before so many of the big consignees had provided themselves with boats of their own. The consignees owning enough tonnage to handle the greater, part of their lumber would naturally like to see a high rate in order to place their competitors who do not own boats, at a disadvantage in the matter of prices and profits on lumber at points of destination. The $2.50 rate is profitable for the vesselmen. There was some inquiry this week for grain carriers at the head of Lake Superior and owners were offered 24 cents on wheat to Chicago or Buffalo. Some business was done at that figure, which, vesselmen say, with the differ- ence in unloading charges is equal to 90 cents on ore. A Duluth broker. wired that the elevators at that port have 13,000,000 bushels of grain in store and that the houses Last year at this time the The at Ft. William are filled. : Duluth elevators had 11,500,000 bushels in_ store. Chicago! market is quiet and very little chartering is being done. I “ICE CONDITIONS. The last snow and ice bulletin of the Weather Bureau, gives the thickness of ice.at various lake points as follows: Alpena, 12.5 inches; Detroit, 14.5 inches; Escanaba, 20 inches; Grand, Haven, 5 inches; Houghton, 16 inches; Marquette, 6 inches; Port Huron, 11 inches; Sault Ste. Marie, 18 inches; Duluth, 20.5 inches; Oswego, 14.5 inches; Sandusky, 15 inches; Toledo, 7 inches; Erie, 10.5 inches; Buffalo, 12 inches; Ashland, 23 inches; Green Bay, .16 inches; Washburn, 14. At. Cleveland the harbor ice ranges from.1o inches to 6 feet, being greatly windrowed; averages 2 feet 6 inches; no ice in the river. As compared with the corresponding period of 1901, there is considerable more ice throughout the lake region and in the western rivers, but in New England there is decidedly ~ legs. assembled. to. witness “such “an ‘event. co a Meena ae er )--8 the boat started down the ways, the christening bottle -was smashed against her side by Miss Dorothy Moore, the LAUNCH OF THE SULTANA. The steamer Sultana was launched last Saturday at the — West Superior yards«of the American Ship Building Co.,— in the presence of one of the largest crowds that has ever little daughter of Mr. and Mrs: W. S.Moore, of Duluth, andthe huge steamer was christened the “Sultana.” The christening bottle was decorated with yellow and blue ribbons, ithe colors of the University of Michigan.. These colors will be used on the private sional pennants of the . boat, with the letter “D” in the center. ane ee one The Sultana is the property of the Duluth Steamship | Co., of which G. A. Tomlinson, of Duluth, is president; and of which many Duluth people are members. For that reason Duluth was well represented in the crowd of spec- tators that gathered to view the launch, also the members of the Duluth Board of Trade. Bae The steamer will be completed and ready to go in service — by the time navigation opens in the spring. She will be used in the grain trade. The Sultana when completed wil cost $230,000, and will be one of the best equipped boats on the lakes. She is 366 feet long, 48 feet beam, and 28 feet deep. ae ———— a oe oe FLOTSAM, JETSAM AND LAGAN. Capt. Andrew Campbell has been appointed nineiee of the steamer Philadelphia, of the Algoma Central Steamship Co. Soundings taken in the harbor at Duluth on Monday, showed ice from sixteen to twenty-five inches thick, while the lake ice is about five inches in thickness. The ice field in the lake extends out as far as the eye can reach from Duluth. On February 10, 1900, the harbor ice aver- aged 21.5 inches thick, and on the same date, 1901, it was 23.5 inches thick. A bit of ancient history in the form of a bill of lading has been exhibited recently in the office of Brown & Co., of Buffalo. It is dated October 28, 1863. ‘The vessel is the barque Superior. A. S$. Gotham, master, and her cargo’. consisted of 19.500 bushels of wheat shipped from Chi- cago by E. K. Bruce, and consigned to P. L. Sternberg & Co., Buffalo. The freight was “only” ten and one-half cents a bushel. A general conference between the Longshoremen’s union at the head of Lake Superior and the committee of the, Lumber Carriers’ Association, to fix wages for the coming season of navigation, was held at Ashland. ‘It will depend upon the result of this conference whether or not there will be expensive strikes on the Lake Superior lumber docks next season. form rate of wages for the entire Lake Superior region. The men have been receiving generally about 50 cents an hour for their work. fa A work of more than ordinary importance and interest has been recently inaugurated by the Division of Hydro- graphy of the United States Geological Survey in a sys- tematic investigation throughout the country of river pollu- tion from city sewerage and other like causes. An attempt will be made to discover the present extent of such pollu- tion from city sewage and other like causes. An attempt Analysis will be made of the watér of all the important rivers, especially such as are used for municipal and domestic supply. The investigation is part of the general study of the country’s resources, to which one of the divis- ions of the Geological Survey is devoted. Trouble between captains, mates and engineers on the boats of the steel corporation fleet is anticipated by Milwau- kee vesselmen who hold positions with the corporation. That there is a big lot of trouble brewing is the claim of the Milwaukee men, and it is all on account of a threatened conflict between the captains and engineers as to responsi- bility. ‘The two departments have been connected in times past, the vesselmen say. so that no trouble was possible, but under the new civil service rules there ‘is certain to be a persistent conflict between the two branches, which it is feared will result in ill-feeling on the boats. The fact that the captains will not be allowed to pick their own’ mates with the freedom before allowed, will be another troublesome factor. Sir W. H. Preece, formerly chief electrician to the Brit- ish Post Office, has been engaged for some time past upon a study of the macnetic influences upon the compass of the Manacles Rocks off the coast of Cornwall, and upon which the steamships “Mohegan” and “Paris” were wrecked. Sir William Preece states as the results of his investigation that if any navigator sets his course from Cherbourg to the Lizard: without knowing the variation of the magnet that has occurred during the last. five or six years he would run upon the Manacles. The variation was bringing the nee- dle nearer to the North Pole, and in ten years it’ varied a whole degree. The difference of a degree in a magnet sig- nified an error of one mile in a course of sixty miles,.so that unless the captain’s observations were maintained with all accuracy and care, if the Admiralty did not correct their charts from time to time, and if captains of ships did not make themselves acquainted with these different er- rors, then sooner or later..disaster was certain to occur. ’ The lumber carriers are desirous of a uni- .—