Maritime History of the Great Lakes

Marine Record (Cleveland, OH), June 19, 1902, p. 7

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JUNE 19 1902. THE MARINE RECORD. CHIQAGO, who sailed the steamer Hadley given command of the. Davidson Capt. ‘Fred ‘C.’ Hart, last. season, has been steamer. Shenandoah. Capt. Allan Mcintyre, “of* the » steamer Manitou, has arranged a hood, screen, or as he calls, it, a visor for the electric search light. The visor keeps the reflection of the light from showing anywhére on the decks of the steamer and is thought to be quite an improvement. ° The, Shipowners’ Drydock Co. converted the Australia trom atow barge to a steamer during the past winter. On the trial trip last Saturday- the machinery of the vessel worked perfectly and a speed of ten miles an hour was reached. ena Australia is owned by Capt. James Corrigan, Cleve- an The Sir Thomas Lipton Cup. has arrived in Chicago and been turned over by the custom house authorities to the officers of the Columbia Yacht Club. The _ trophy, which is to remain in the possession of the club fer con- tests on July 4, 5 and 7, is a beautiful specimen of work, and valued at $730. The following meteorological observations are fur- nished by the office of the U. S. Weather Bureau, Chicago. for the week ending June 18. .. Prevailing wind direction for the week N.E.; highest velocity 42 miles, from the N.W. on the 12th; mean temperature for the week, 68°; ot temperature, g1° on the 12th; lowest, 51° on the Trt All of the owners of the independent tugs here have agreed to adopt a.twelve-hour day for their captains and engineers atthe same scale of wages that they have here- tofore received. Business Agent Dalton says that four additional tugs are to be brought here soon, provided the present owners and the new-comers will agree to pool on towing and thus avoid possible dissensions in the com: petition for business." ° Capt. Donald McLean, of this city, is the designer of an engine room signal or telegraph for which superior claims are made, It is understood that the Graham & Morton ‘line will. be fitted out with the new appliance. Satisfac- tory tests.have been made during the past six weeks on the steamer Puritan, and Capt. Boswell has no hesita- tion in saying that it is practical, effective and invaluable for service in Chicago river, and as things go now, in- cluding the strong current experienced at times, there is no better place on the lakes to-test an invention of this gort.| The tug Shields, owned by Capt. Louis Hohman, pre- siding officer of the L. T. P. A., had her upper works wrecked and smokestack laid low by. coal passers at the Peabody docks. It was thought that she had a non- union crew on board as she had no “union crew” burgee in sight. There are now seven tugs in service. The others are the James Hay, also belonging to Presiderit Hohman; the Bradwell and John F. May, owned by Judge. Bradwell ; the Success and Tom Brown, of the Harmon. fleet, and the Robbie Dunham, of the Howard Transportation Co. City bridges will not last another month if the tug- men’s strike. is continued for that length of time, accord- ing to Harbor Engineer Burke. Vessels, unable to se- cure tugs, and having to move under their own steam, are crashing into the bridges and sending large slices io. the bottom ‘of the river almost daily. In April Colo- nel Burke found that there had been more collisions of ’ vessels with bridges than ever before, and his record for April and May shows sixty-eight accidents. In previous years the-collisions usually averaged fifteen a month during the navigation season. Colonel. Burke would like to call off the tugmen’s strike in order to save the bridges, but his efforts in this direction. have met with failure. _ Vessel owners and representatives ‘of vessel property trading here were in conference with the city council com- imttee on harbors, viaducts, and bridges on -Monday, for the purpose of drawing up an ordinance establishing rules ete., for navigation of “the Chicago river. Attorney Chas. E. Kremer, Esq. represented the vessel interests. City Engineer Ericson and Harbor Engineer Burke were pres- ent for the city, and General Ernst represented the gov- ernment engineer's office. Among the important’ revis- Bis ions made by the vesselmen were rules providing large Be» red lights on the bridges at night and the red ball, now ‘in- vogue, for day, use. In the latter instance it was so arranged that the bridge tender will be kept more closely fo his duties, a point on which vesselmen have long been ‘given reason. to complain. ~The pool of the lumber tonnage on -the lakes to con- tr ol the rates of freight has been in operation long enough tO assure owners that it’ will not be broken. Boats are ‘still being withdrawn from the lumber trade, although the necessity for such action is not so urgent now as it ‘was two weeks ago, the supply of boats in the trade be- ing. now about ‘equal to the demand. The new cut is dry- ing. on the docks in the upper lake region. While there is a slightly increased call for tonnage, the trade is not expected to improve sufficiently to draw the boats out of ordinary. much before July 1 After that date, the movement of lumber will be heavy, so that if the rates ‘are not broken before that time it looks like a season ‘cf sustained freights, even if it is obtained by the tem- porary laying up of a certain portion of the fleet. CLEVELAND. ‘Mr. L. M. Bowers, who represents John D.’ iets on the lakes, was in the city yesterday, A meeting of the ‘directors of, the Ambbteat ‘Ship Building Co. was held here on Wednesday. Only ‘outline bersaniess was"tranpacted si) 4 } ‘A’ meeting ‘of the? executive bodtd of the Great’ Lakes Towing Co. was held here on Wedtesday afternoon. President Newman said that no business ‘of importance was transacted. “The ‘steel cargo steamer, J. M. Jenks, 4644¢::gross: and 4381 net tons, built. at Lorain and hailing! jfrom! Cleveland, has been granted official numbers by the Treasury Depart- ment, Washington. :: The bridge rules for Cuyahoga river are not yet in force, although meeting with considerable. approval. It is likely that. the matter will be again taken up on the settlement of the tug strile. No obstruction has been found by hie U. S. Buptneee survey party between Fairport and Ashtabula as reported by ‘several vessels. Vvidently no reliable bearings. were taken in the locality by the captains of the boats after striking bottom. The tug strike situation has not changed. There is every prospect of settlement soon on terms that are agree- able to both sides of the controversy, and the hope is being cherished that nothing will intervene to affect the results in the least. The negotiations are of such a nature that it may take a week or ten days to bring something definite cut of the prevailing conditions. _The twin screw steamer North West, which was due here from Buffalo, on Wednesday: morning at 8:30, did not get in until 7 o'clock at night. The delay was caused by, her boilers nct working right. She left for Chicago at 9 o'clock. The boilers on the two big Northern boats were changed during the winter. The Belleville water tube boilers were taken out and replaced. by Scotch boilers. Major Dan C. Kingman, Corps of Engineers, U. S. A,, in charge of ‘the conservancy and improvement’ of rivers and harbors within this district, will shortly advertise for bids for the work to be done at the several adjoining ports. It is known that the necessary delay in placing contracts will permit of a good deal of fine weather to pass over,! but every possible advantage will be taken of the balance of the season and an early start next spring. Mr. Norman B. Conger, Inspector U. S. Weather Bureau and marine agent, stationed at Detroit, is visiting this port on the usual inspection tour, he reports the local station in excellent order, and compliments Mr. Kenealy on the superior average of Cleveland’s weather predic- tions. Mr. .Conger reached here on Wednesday and will likely remain till towards the end of the week, among other duties he will call upon vessel owners and managers of lake fleets. Work on the railroad car ferry, particulars of which was given last week, will be started as soon as the material for her construction is at the shipyards and a large force of men will be kept busy on her until she is completed. Her cost is estimated at $400,000. Work on the Pere Marquette 18 is being rushed and she will be ready for service next October. Mr. Robert Logan, of this city, designed the Pere Marquette and he is superin- tending her construction in the interests of her owners. The local inspectors of steamboats find it decidedly un- certain when they will: be able to hear the complaints against the tugmen concerning the alleged formation of a conspiracy to injure commerce. They say that. the boats which need to be inspected are coming. in almost daily and it is necessary to handle them while in_ port. The activity along this line is depriving the inspectors of any time in which to hear the complaints against the men. Judge Wing, of the United States District Court will also rule upon their authority for the wholesale cancella- tion of licenses. The men yesterday, through O. C. Pinney, Esq., their counsel, presented to Judge Wing, of the United States District Court, their case for an injunction to restrain the inspectors from hearing the cases against the tug men for violating the laws under which they hold their licenses. In this action the constitutionality of the law under which the men hold their licenses was questioned. Judge Wing did not give his-decision in the case but has taken the mat- ter under advisement and will make his ruling in a short time. [he men were providing against a possible deter- mination of the inspectors to presently conduct a hearing and bring them to trial. The announcement is made by the Cleveland & Toledo Line that daily, service between this port and the islands will be resumed next Thursday. This order carries with it also the double daily service between Cleveland and Toledo, as the boats. meet at Put-in-Bay. The Detroit & Cleveland Navigation Co. now handles the two’ boats on the Georgian Bay route. The Pittsburg took, besides a good load of freight, a large list ‘of pas- sengers for this time of the year. The City of the Straits watt’ be over. here next Thursday and will make her first trip| up the lakes. After that it will be a regular semi- weekly schedule until well along in the fall and the excur- sion. season is over. William R. Fitch, who was appointed by City Treasurer Mr. H. D. Coffinberry Monday to succeed W. R. -Kissick. as second: assistant in his off of Cleveland. Fog juries Ps a Street. ee accident, Wi oo necessit retirement from business. fot some ine well” and favorably known in lake marine is ‘ah upright and conscientious’ citizen with “a host of | friends, and, as an able financier, will be of invaluable as- sistance to his former and present ‘chief. Mr. Fitch was secretary and treasurer when Mr. Coffinberty was _ Presi- dent of the Cleveland Ship Building Co. Lieutenant Commander Wirt, Ohio Naval Recie turned on Monday from Baltimore, Md., where he at- tended the meeting of the National “Association “of iF Militia of the United States, Thirty or forty “delega es” were in attendance. The association recommended — the encouragement and building, up of the naval militi association also recommended the naval bill now 1 Congress, which, if passed, will make the naval militia subject to the call. of. the President in time of,war. The bill also authorizes the Secretary of War to loan United States ships to the naval militia for training purposes. The Toledo battalion of the Ohio Naval Reserves have been defeated in their effort to obtain temporary posses- sion of the Hawk for annual training purposes. Re- cently Governor Nash received a request from Lieutenant Commander Welbon, of the Toledo battalion of the Naval reserves, for the use of the Hawk from the latter part of the navigable season of 1902 to the end of the first half of the season of 1903. Governor Nash referred the requi- sition to Lieutenant Commander Wirt; of the Cleveland Battalion. The requisition has apparently been shelved by Lieutenant Commander, Wirt, as he claims that to give the Hawk to the Toledo battalion would be a violation of the. intérnational agreement entered into between the United States and Great Britain, in which it was stipula- ie that the boat was for the use of the Cleveland: bat. talion. by ih e © $$ LUMBER RATES, RAILROAD—LAKES. 4 Since the railroads have ordered reductions in’ freight rates on lumber from Duluth to Chicago, vessel’ interests have been doing considerable figuring, and the tnanitnous conclusion is that cuts made by the rail lines will not affect the $2.50 per 1,coo feet lake rate which vessel men have worked so hard to maintain. On a basis of 8 cents.per 100 pounds the rail rate now quoted on Lake Superior lumber, the average. white pine, vesselmen say, will run about 2,700 pounds to 1,000 feet, or $2.16 per 1,000. This is 34 cents less than the lake rate, but the shippers must. pay in the neighborhood of 50 cents per 1,000 for loading the material, and about 10 cents for unléading. at destination with his yard help. In addition, there.is a charge of $2 per car for switching, which the shippers must also stand., The lake rate, in: cludes both loading and unloading charges... Vesselmen say there is further disadvantage of. shipping by rail. Much of the lumber cut now is a large per cent. Norway pine, which weighs heavily, some running up to 3,000. pounds per 1,000 feet,:and this will increase the rail rate materially. Even if the rail ‘rates were anywhere near equal, it is said the lake carriers ought to. ~et the business. When lumber is ready to ship it must be sent forward rapidly to. make room on the docks for new piles, and the rail- roads have not the facilities to handle it. This is shown in’ the fact that average Lake - Superior cargoes of lumber’ aré mote than 600,000 : feet, which’ is equivalent to about fifty car Joads:’ ~The railroads, ‘accord: ing to these figures, would be badly rushed in. taking away six to a dozen such cargoes a day, am amount in the ag- gregate frequently handled from the’ various ' ports. le, The railroad lines get a good business in “shorts” ‘and upper grade lumber, and a liberal amount of straight’ pine, but to say the lower rates will ‘detract from the lake ship- ments appears to be all wrong. ; i oo ee par bs BEESON’S MARINE DIRECTORY. . The 15th annual edition of Beeson’s Marine. Direct ory of the North- Western Lakes for 1902, has just been issued, and is doubtless in the hands’ of sybseribers at this date. io ‘The work: is in its usual excellent fori,’ and: contains 258 pages of valuable statistical matter. The list of iron’ore carriers, giving the average cargo and the draft of water of the vessels is one of the new features. The names and tonnage of Canadian steam and sailing vessels is volumin- ous and complete, and the record of: engines and boilers in service on the lakes’ craft has been brought up to’ date, as also the lists of names, places of business, etc,, of all lake vessel owners. Another noteworthy feature to the pages of the Directory is a collaboration of cases and. judicial decisions, digests of maritime law occupying, twelve pages and arranget under the respective headings to which the decisions relate. It is the general cpinion _, that Beeson’s’ Marine Directory increases in the value of its contents each year, and that it is now found necessary to have a copy of the latest issue conveniently at hand in the offices ‘of those who are interested in any way in the lake marine. ~ tit:

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