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JULY 3, 1902. will soon be settled, and settled properly. ‘The licenses held by masters, mates and pilots in the Atlantic and coastal service is of no more weight than those held by harbor tugmen working in a comparatively obscure creek. This feature has perhaps been overlooked by those solely interested in the question as it applies to lake tugs. ‘The local inspectors must be careful not to put a rod in pickle to chastise themselves with at a later date. ro or or ConcreEss adjourned July 1, ‘The River and Harbor Bill contains adequate and liberal appropriations though the nations’ Dads were by no means munificently extravagant. (RR I FOREIGN COMMERCE. By Water J. BarsArp, Judging by the figures for 1902 as recorded to April 30, by the Treasury Bureau of Statistics, we can safely esti- mate for the full year ending June 30. A comparison with 1892, shows great progress in our sales to the various Asiatic divisions. 1892. 1902. REI ii ar ee I ae $ 5,663,497 $25,000,000 MAA ara oes oo ee iciok ais eum eet een: 3,290,III 23,000,000 ome kone. oo ONE ae, 4,894,049 8,000,000 farivion “Mast Indies i. oF, 3,074,307 5,000,000 Mitch Mast Indies ic. 20. eee oy: 1,372,035 2,000,000 ietisciail INSIA M2 oy ie ee te tee 120,200 1,000,000 PMN Sia. See kare cee ee 19,500,000 64,000,000 We also show gocd headway in our shipments to the various divisions of Oceania. 1892. 1902. rinisn: Australasia 2.820... 8 ceo $11,386,677 $ 30,000,000 miippine: lslands. Yo... ak ke ee 60,054 5,000,000 “ILS RS SCN ae Sa aC eae Ra 3,781,627. 20,000,000 Moral to @©ceania<i-5 sc occ eee 15,572,707. 60,000,000 Total to Asia and Oceania ....... 35,000,000 124,000,000 These figures show a gain in 1902 over 1892 of $80,- 000,000, Or Over 254 per cent. ’ This is very gratifying, but the question immediately arises, how much greater would have been our gain had we possessed regular lines of American owned ocean steamships making weekly sailings to all the principal ports of Asia and Oceania? Think of the immense amount we shall have paid out to foreigners for freights on the $124,000,000 shipped, and to be shipped, in 1902. Without enlarging on the national prestige we have failed to gain, is it not humiliating that our Consul-Gen- eral at Bangkok, Siam, is obliged to say, “In eighteen years I have not seen a single vessel in this port flying the American flag at the mast head, except one gunboat.” Schenectady, N. Y., June 30. 8 RECOGNITION FOR SAVING LIFE. Where due recognition for bravery and skillful efforts in saving life obtains, it lends an impetus to the personal efforts of a large class of men who might otherwise be somewhat lukewarm and feel disinterested when such occasions or opportunities cross the path of their daily walk in life and while pursuing their usual avocations. On Thursday last at Owen Sound, Ont., there was pre- sented from the Dominion Government, the rewards for bravery to the master and crew of the Canadian Pacific Railway Co.’s steamship Athabasca, for saving thirteen lives from the wrecked and sinking United States barge Preston, in Lake Superior, during a storm, June 29, root. The Town Hall was packed to the door, and thousands were turned away. Mayor Reid occupied the chair and called upon Dr. Horsey, M. P., to make the presentations on behalf of the Dominion Government. Capt. Geo. S. McDougall was presented with a handsome sterling silver water pitcher.; First Mate McPhee, with a splendid pair of binoculars; Chief Engineer Wm. Lockerbie, with a gold medal, and the rest of the crew with silver medals, all suitably engraved. Commemorative of the occasion, Dr, Horsey characterized the rescue as one of the most heroic and humane he had ever heard of. He was indefatiga- ble in his efforts in successfully securing the well deserved recognition. Dr. Sproule praised the captain and crew for their bravery, declaring the record would be handed down to posterity. Mr. N. Stewart Dunlop, tax commissioner for the C. P. R., who was a passenger on the steamer, made a capital speech, relating the story of the various rescues and, on behalf of the railway, thanked the Government for the distinction conferred upon the officers and crew of the company’s vessel. Capt. McDougall responded suitably amid deafening cheers. ‘I'he captain was previously presented with an illuminated address by the passengers, a parchment certi- ficate by the Royal Humane Association of Canada, . for distinguished bravery, and a gold watch and chain from the President of the United States for his humane and gallant services. THE MARINE RECORD. Iv is to be hoped that this license cancellation question. ORDERS FOR A FLEET OF STEEL STEAMERS. The Great Lakes and Quebec ‘I'ransportation Co., A, B. Wolvin, Duluth, general manager, placed a contract this week with the American Ship Building Co., for a fleet of ten steel steamers. ‘Their general hull dimensions will be 242 feet keel, 43 feet beam, and 26 feet depth. of ke Engines triple-expansion and boilers of the Scotch ype. The United States Transportation Co., Capt. W. W. Brown, Cleveland, general manager, added one more to the fleet of five contracted for last week, all of which are 6,000 ton steel cargo steamers. Plans and specifications are being got out by the Detroit Ship Building Co. for two large side-wheel passenger steamers, to the order of the Detroit & Cleveland Naviga- tion Co., for 1903 delivery. Other contracts are also being figured on. ‘The entire work of the foregoing including engines, boilers and equipment, will be carried out by the American Ship Building Co., at their several plants. eee LAKE PORTS. The story of the development of the industries of the lake region and the growth of interlake commerce ‘is written in the histories of the great cities of commercial and manufacturing importance which line the American shore of all the lakes. Chicago, the mistress of these inland seas, is the food market of the world and the commercial center of the. American nation, ; The Great Lakes have made Buffalo the second city of importance in the Empire state, the greatest point of ex- change between rail and water traffic on the globe, and the fourth port of thé world in the volume of its tonnage. They have made Cleveland, néar the mid-shore of Lake Erie, an iron and steel center of manufacture, second only to Pittsburg, . Detroit, the oldest city on the lakes, and most closely associated with their history, is also the most beautiful. With nine miles of water frontage and a magnificent city park on one of the large islands in the river, it is even more picturesque in its approaches than Cleveland-on-the- Bluffs. It has grown so steadily in commercial impor- tance that its business characteristics now possess a greater interest than either its scenic features or historic localities. Milwaukee, the second city of importance on Lake Michigan, is the brewing center of the world, but it man- ufactures more iron than beer, and nearly half as much flour, and does an immense business in‘meats and leather. Duluth, the commercial ruler of Lake Superior, has achieved a greatness almost equal to that predicted in the hyperbolic ridicule of Proctor Knott. All of the cities of established commercial importance on the Great Lakes, except Duluth, have large shipyards, equipped for the construction of even the largest types of ocean vessel, Buffalo, Cleveland, Toledo, Chicago, Milwau- kee and Bay City, at the head of Saginaw Bay. Just across the St. Louis river from Duluth, her sister city of West Superior also has large shipyards, and it is there that the whalebacks, the curious craft that look like a huge boiler afloat, are built.—Ainslee’s. oo or LAUNCH OF THE STEAMER PANAY. The steel cargo steamer Panay, built to the order of the Erie Steamship Co., C. H. Carter, general manager, was successfully launched from the yards of the Chicago Ship Building Co., on Saturday last. The general hull.dimensions of the Panay, a sister ship to the Luzon, recently launched from the same yards, are 350 feet in length, 50 feet beam and 28 feet depth of hold. Miss Maud Carter, daughter of the owner, christened the new craft. [he Panay has been chartered for the season by the Clergue syndicate, to carry ore from the Michipi- ecten mines, and will be delivered Aug 1. ooo LOSS OF THE :STEAMER GEORGE DUNBAR. The wooden steamer George Dunbar, with coal from Cleveland to Alpena, foundered on Lake Erie near Kel- ley’s Island, on Sunday, with the loss of six of her crew. The Dunbar, 238 tons, was owned by the Saginaw Bay Co., built in 1857 at Allegan, Mich., classed A2%4 in Inland Lloyds, and valued for insurance purpose at $9,000. The cargo was insured but it is understood that no insurance was placed on the hull or freight. ad LAKE FREIGHTS. Ore tonnage continues in good demand and chartering is active at the old figures. The steel trust is taking boats freely and ore carriers are getting good dispatch all around. The movement is heavy and the docks are in better condi- tion than they have been for some time. The coal freight market is in practically the same condi- tion it was a week ago. Offerings of Lake Michigan ton- nage are liberal, and owing to the light receipts vessels are losing considerable time at the docks. The Lake Superior rate is considered low by vessel owners, but chartering is fair. In spite of the fact that the members of the Lumber Car- riers’ Association laid up a portion of their tonnage, and diverted some into other trades, vessels are more plentiful than cargoes and the brokers are having trouble finding ‘to close on account of the lack of wheat to grind. SN prompt cargoes. The information was received that the rate between Duluth and Chicago had been reduced to $2.25, whereas heretofore it has been the same as the Duluth and Ohio port rate, ‘namely: $2.50... It is not difficult for the — shippers to conjure up the’ possibilities of a similar reduc- tion of Ohio ports which, however, the owners say is not at all likely. Vessels in that trade claim that they have ac- cepted no reduction in rates as yet. ‘They know that the situation is sure to improve a little later on. Rates cer- tainly would be way off by this time had it not been for the Lumber Carriers’ Association. si ae Grain in small amounts was on the Chicago market at 1% cents for corn and 114 cents on wheat, to Lake Erie, but no full cargoes were to be had. Holders of thé corn delivered on contract, aggregating 2,500,000 bushels, have no inquiry for vessel room to move it forward, and it is not known how the division between lake and all rail will be made. The lines loaded up with grain for the next few days, but outside of that business nothing was done. One of the Canada-Atlantic boats was diverted from Depot Harbor for Buffalo. Duluth wheat receipts continue light, and it is likely that there will now be no change until the fall crop begins to come in. This is contrary to the opinion of most of the wheat men last winter and spring, as they believed the business would be heavy during the entire summer. : For a time grain men were of the opinion that farmers in the west were holding back their grain, but it is now generally admitted that the crop seems to be exhausted, were it not for stock in elevators the mills would be obliged Ship- ments last fall were also comparatively light. So oro FLOTSAM, JETSAM AND LAGAN. The Escanaba Iron Port says that the Chicago, Milwau- kee & St. Paul Railroad Co. will soon commence the con- struction of another monster ore dock adjacent to its pres- ent one at North Escanaba. Work is expected to begin upon it this month, : The clamshell ore unloading have been erected at Conneaut, day last by discharging 95 per steamer James Gayley without buckets. The steamer ‘Transit, which was used last. year as a launch for the government engineer at Houghton, has been sold by the Bay City owners, to Ohio parties. The Transit is to be taken to the Ohio river, where she will be used for a pleasure boat. machines, four of which made a record on Satur- cent. of the cargo of the shoveling or trimming to An unusual arrival in the port of New York last Sat- urday was that of the lake built schooner Linerla, con- structed at Manitowoc, Wis., in 1884, and hailing from Milwaukee. The vessel sailed from Mencminee, Mich., on April 28. She had a cargo of lumber from Three Rivers, Quebec, and was twenty-four days on the voyage from that port. It is seldom that a sailing vessel of the Great Lakes comes to the Atlantic. The Linerla is com- manded by Capt. Wilson. She will go from New York to New Orleans. The death, at Frankfort, of Assistant Light-House Keeper S. K. King, has aroused much comment against Capt. W. P. Robertson, of car ferry Ann Arbor No. 3. The light- keeper’s boat was in the path of the car ferry. ‘The cap- tain of the latter warned him to get out of the way. Be- 7 ' fore the light-keeper could do so, the carferry smashed his boat, injuring him so badly that he died within fifteen minutes. The car ferry’s captain, instead of stopping, continued across the lake. Witnesses claim that the ferry might have been stopped in time to save King’s life. Lo- cal inspectors will probably investigate. A. report from Ashtabula states that the long continued fight between the tug trust and its employes is almost cer- tain to result in the formation of a strong independent tug line at this port, even if the strike is settled at once. Local shipyards haye been asked for figures for a new tug 80 feet over all, 17 feet beam, and 7% molded depth, with powerful engines, te: be completed by September, and if prices are satisfactory a contract will be closed within ten days. The boat is for local parties, and plenty of local capital stands ready to put a fleet of good heavy tugs in operation here. It is believed that because of the heavy commerce two lines cof tugs would pay, even if the Great Lakes ‘Towing Co. were free from labor troubles. On Saturday, June 28, the American Line steamship Kroonland, the biggest vessel ever built in the United States, left New York on her maiden trip across the Atlantic. ‘The ship was built by the Cramps, of Philadel- phia, and so confident is the company of her ability to meet contract requirements that the right of preliminary tests was waived, and the voyage begun is also the trial trip of the big ship. The Kroonland’s sister ship, the Finland, has just been launched at Philadelphia, and as soon as completed she will be put on the trans-Atlantic route, running alternately with the Kroonland. The two ships are 20 feet longer and of 400 tons greater displace- ment than the St. Louis and New York, also built by the Cramps for the American Line. They are luxuriously furnished and liberally equipped, though of moderate speed, being designed to make the trip across the Atlantic in eight days.