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kk aK KK DETROIT. Special Correspondence to The Marine Record. Sidney Bickford, for the last five years general agent of the White Star line, of Detroit, has been appointed gen- eral agent of the Algoma Central Steamship Co.; with headquarters at Detroit A special dispatch from Washington says that the Sen- ate yesterday passed Senator McMillan’s bill providing for “the establishment of a life-saving station near Eagle Har- bor, Keweenaw Point. For many years there has been an urgent demand for a station at this point, which is near where the steamer Hudson and her entire crew were lost last September. A The Bay City longshoremen’s union has fixed a ‘scale for the present season. They will charge 50 cents an hour, with 10 cents an hour additional for overtime. A member of the union says its membership has dwindled from 800 a few years ago to about 100, on account of the loss of the lumber trade. “he principal work done by the union is the unloading of lumber laden craft which come here from Canada and Lake Superior ports. A dispatch from Sault Ste. Marie says it is a settled fact that the tug trust will have strong opposition there this season with Capt. R. P. Thompson, for several seasons jocal manager for the “G.” tugs at that port, in charge of the opposition fleet. If a statement recently given out that the tug trust lost $10,000 on its “Soo” business last season is correct, then the proposed opposition will in all prob- ability prove an expensive matter all around. The reports from the regular and display stations of the ‘weather bureau on the lakes indicate that there has been steady decrease in the ice conditions during the latter part of the week, and that the cold weather of the fore part of the week has been nearly offset. The present indica- tions are that the ice at the Straits of Mackinac will break up between April 5 and 10, and the St. Mary’s river can be opened up by April 10 if the present warm weather continues. : - The meeting between President Livingstone and Secre- tary Brown, of the Lake Carriers’ Association and the -Clergue interests, representing the “Soo” power canal, will be held in Washington some time during the latter part of this week. ‘The Lake Carriers are going to oppose the canal, but Mr. Clergue’s interests will be represented at the ‘time the matter is taken up before Congress, and will endeavor to show that the power canal will not lower the lake levels nor interfere in any way with the safe naviga- tion of the lakes. - The steamer Arundell left on Monday morning, on the first trip of the season from Detroit to Port Huron. She ll make a round trip every day until business demands the addition of a larger steamer. On Sunday, a run was made to Algonac, and about 150 people, mostly Flats’ cot- tagers, took advantage of the early opening of the up- river route to inspect thier property. Stops were made at the Old Club, Rushmere, Mervue, Star Island House, ‘Marshland, Riverside, Damer’s, Trautz’s, Joe Bedore’s and other private and public landings, including Grande Pointe. The only ice seen was a little at the piers at the ship canal, where a stop was made to land the light-keeper. _ Work on the canals at the Sault Ste. Marie preparatory to the opening of navigation has been commenced. Capt. Ripley is of the opinion that there will be an early opening this year. With the exception of about a month the canal force has been kept busy during the winter and there has been a large amount of work done. The hydraulic hinery has all been thoroughly overhauled and many rovements and changes made. Mr. Ripley is pleased at action of the Rivers and Harbors Committee in recom- mending four million for the West Neebish channel, the amount recommended. It is not likely that the appro- jation will be available for use this year, as the appro- priation bill is usually the last to be passed. If there is 1 early adjournment of Congress it might be possible et the work under way this fall, but this is doubtful. tempt was made to get into the appropriation the sum 1,750,000 for deepening the St. Mary’s river to 21 feet, amount estimated for the work. This improvement is necessary until the completion of the West Neebish el, and there will be no difficulty in getting the ap- lation for the purpose when needed. The project ning the canal is another matter that will be brought ttention of Congress at this session. It is not nec- i appropriation to start the work, as there is and. All that is necessary is to authorize THE MARINE RECORD. MARCH 27, 1902 CHICAGO. Special Correspondence to The Marine Record. Capt. Dennis Sullivan will manage the steamers W..#H. Wolf and Fred Pabst this season. steamers Mercur and Packer, owned and operated by the company, will probably be put on the run between Escan- aba and Lake Erie ports, and sold later. A new lake line between Kenosha and Chicago is being planned, to take the place of the service formerly fur- nished by the Barry line. Capt. Crosby, who has been in command of the steamer C. H. Starke, will have charge of the line, and it is stated that he has Detroit capital benind him. The following meteorological observations are furnished by the office of the U. S. Weather Bureau, Chicago for the week ending noon, March 26. Prevailing wind directions for the week northeast; highest velocity 37 miles, from the east on the 25th; mean temperature for the week, 40; highest temperature, 47 on the 25th; lowest, 35 on the 2oth. One line has announced a reduction in its fare from Chicago to Grand Haven of 50 per cent. By the new tariff the fare will be $r each wav, as compared with $2.25 for many years past. This makes the lake and rail rate to Grand Rapids $1.50, said to be about the cheapest trans- portation in the United States. Marine insurance will’run on for another year on sub- stantially the same lines as last season. The rates will be the same, the policy is practically the same, and there will be no change in the companies or in the combinations which ruled in 1901. The only material difference will be a greater difficulty in securing insurance on low grade vessels. ied There was practically nothing doing in grain charters yesterday. Not even the usual amount of figuring be- tween shippers and vessel agents occurred, and it seems that last week spent the force of business in early grain charters. Rates are nominally 134 cents on wheat to Lake Erie. ‘There is little or no cash business, and very little grain is being worked here for export. With every boat which wintered in Chicago empty of grain cargoes except one, shippers offered but 14% cents on corn to Buffalo, to go at the opening of navigation. Even at that rate there was but one small cargo on the market. So far as known, vesselmen did not take it, owners preferring not to have their boats tied up at all to taking grain at so low a figure to open the season. Capt. John Cullnan, for many years master of the tug J. T. Morford here, will be sent to Lake Superior the coming season as local manager of the tug trust fleet at either Ashland or Marquette. Capt. Cullnan has had the reputation of being the best tugman in Chicago, if not on the entire chain of lakes, and his promotion has been warmly welcomed by shipmasters and vessel owners. A wireless telegraph system, giving connection between vessels in midlake and the mainland, may soon be an appli- ance on lake-going steamers. The managers of one of the companies are considering the fitting of all boats, passenger and freight, with sending and receiving stations of the Marconi pattern. With this in view, they will make tests of the system within a few weeks. Discussion of the plans has been coing on for some time. Officials have become convinced of the value of the contrivance. If the tests are successful the boats probably will be equipped with telegraph stations before summer navigation season is well under way. y The steamer Luzon, owned by E. D. Carter, of Erie, will be launched at the yards of the Chicago Ship Building Co., at South Chicago, next Saturday. The Luzon is a steel steamer, 366 feet long over all, with 48 feet beam and 28 feet depth of hold. Her carrying capacity measures 5,000 gross tons of iron ore. John Prindiville & Sons have chartered her for the season to the Algoma Central Co. They have also placed the steel steamer Panay, 5,500 tons’ capacity, launched recently at South Chicago, with the same interests. Both boats will be used in the iron ore trade between Michipicoten, Ont., and Ohio ports. The Luzon will be ready to go into commission about April 25. S. J. Dunkley, the wealthy fruit shipper, of Kalamazoo, Mich., and owner of the Dunkley Transportation Co., has bought out the Williams ‘Transportation Co., and the steamer City of Kalamazoo, Glenn and H. W. Williams. The purchase, according to advices, is backed by the Mich- igan Central railroad. What effect this will have upon the future of the steamer Darius Cole, which is now the property of the Star-Cole Co., is not known, but Mr. Dunkley was instrumental in clearing up the difficulty be- ‘tween the Williams Co. and the Star-Cole Co., so that by returning the outstanding notes to the Williams Co., the former owners come into possession of her, and it has been announced that while her future has not been decided, she will be sent back to Detroit next June. The drainage trustees have lost another suit in the United States District Court, wherein Judge Kohlsaat held they were at fault in blockading the navigable chan- nel of the Chicago river. It was what is known as the Amazon case, where that boat got stuck in the railroad bridge at Taylor street. James Corrigan, the owner, sued the drainage district for damages aggregating $4,000 on th grounds that the district had not maintained a channel re- quired by the. War Department. Damages amounting to some $3,500 were awarded. With the three suits decided against the drainage district in the United States District Court, vesselmen say that they need have no longer muc' fear about obstruction in the south branch. The amounts — awarded in all three cases fully cover damages and lost time. , The Indiana Steamship Co., capital $70,000, and the Chicago Steamship Co., capital $80,000 have been incorpor- ated under the laws of Indiana. The former company — will operate the steamer Black Rock, and the latter the City — of London. ‘The object of the incorporation under the Indiana laws is to escape high taxation in Lllinois. Under the law put through the Indiana Legis- lature last winter, largely through the efforts of Capt. J. G. Keith, of this city, vessels hailing from that state pay a tonnage tax of only 3c per ton. Directors of the company owning the Black Rock are: William Anderson, Wil- — liam G. Keith, Robert J. Dunham, Thomas J. Johnson, and _ J. F. Gallagher. The directors owning the City of Lon- don are: William Anderson,-William G. Keith, Robert J. Dunham, George E.Marcy, and J. F Gallaher. All are © Chicago residents. The Iroquois Iron Co., of South Chicago, which received 200,000 tons of ore last season, has increased its capacity fully one-third. To provide this increase the company — has chartered the steel steamers Kennebec and Kanawha. © The latter is now nearing completion at Port Huron. The The. Northern Steamship Co. has taken advantage of the consolidation of the Dunkley and Williams lines by acquiring the dock property and offices of the former com- pany, for a landing place for its two big steamers next summer. Since being frozen out of their last season’s — dockage by the Manitou people, the Northern line Bas i canvassed the available dockage in the Chicago river with- out much success until the present opportunity presented” itself. The new dock is just through Rush street bridge, and but a few hundred feet away from the wharf used by the line last summer. The Dunkley line has not yet abandoned the offices, but will.move into those now oc- cupied by the Williams line before the opening of the sea- son. Holders of more than two-thirds of the capital stock of the Graham & Morton ‘I‘rnsportation Co. have expressed a desire to abandon the corporate enterprise, surrender their Illinois charter, franchises and corporate name, and dis- solve the corporation, and have submitted this desire in writing to the company. A stockholders’ meeting has been called for March 20, in the offices at Chicago, at which time this decision will be ratified by vote. President J. H. Graham, of the company, said: “The action simply means that our twenty-five year franchise in Illinois ex- pires next December, and that we have decided to reorgan- ize under the laws of Indiana. ‘The reasons for this change I cannot make public until after our meeting next week. The capitalization in Indiana will be the same as in Llinois, or $50,000, This is merely nominal, or 3 cents per ton on the tonnage of the boats employed by the com- pany. ‘There will be no change whatever in the officers, owners or management.” ‘The present officers are: J. H Graham, president, and J. S. Norton vice president and secretary. ‘The directors are these two and ‘Theodore C. Keller, who represents’ the heirs of Andrew Crawford, © a former large owner of stock of the company. The Gra- ham & Morton Co, last year operated six passenger and freight steamers between St. Joseph, Benton Harbor, Sau- gatuck, Holland and Chicago. This year the company has added an additional steamer, the C. W. Moore, to its fleet, and has already put the latter boat in operation between Chicago and St. Joseph. The company’s regular spring — passenger schedule goes into effect next Saturday. a own oe Me Ea One of the choicest bits of sea narrative that has floated — in on the tide lately is the new novel entitled “A Lady Skipper.” ‘The author is Capt. W. J. Ward, of the staff of the Syren and Shippng, the well known maritime journal of London. “A Lady Skipper” tells in a fascinating and shipshape way the story of a young woman, Cissy Marshall, who dons the togs of her deceased twin brother, and ships on his papers, under his name, of course, as Capt. Conrad Marshall. Cissy had acquired sufficient knowledge — of the sea to make this deception not only possible, but — easv. and so the skipperess in trousers, in due course found herself in command of a deep sea vessel. With that sufficient basis an admirable story is built up, full of action and color of the sea. ‘There have been but few nautical romances that have been more happily handled. “A Lady — Skipper” is nautical but nice. Only that she falls away — and marries her second mate after the voyage is over. We recommend the story to our readers. — eo The Canadian Pacific has decided to increase its elevator — capacity at Fort William from 5,550,000 bushels to 8,000,000 or 10,000,000 bushels. At present there can be put away in the company’s four elevators at Fort William 5,550,000 bushels, and to this capacity it is proposed to add the clean- ing elevator 1,000,000 bushels, the addition to the steel tank elevator B, 1,500,000 and are annex to elevators B 2,000,000, which will bring up the total capacity at Fort William to 100,000,0000 bushels. :