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DETROIT. -Unless there should be a de- nge in the weather programme ) ications point to an early open- of 1 avigation at all points. Rareiy in jake history has so little ice formed, more especially at the Straits of Mackinac, and it is equally certain, never before was there a passage effected through that thoroughfare in the month of January, which this year was effected by the propeller Saginaw Val- ley on the 6th. Since that date the ice has not been of sufficient detriment as to prevent the steamer Algomah performing her regu- lar trips. Recent advices from that point report theice as already much weakened, andthe upper strata of Lake Huron clear for a wide distance. There has been but little or no winter navigation going on in Lake Michigan the present year as has been the rule in past years, aside from the move- ments of the Milwaukee and Grand Haven boats, and these have been effected without serious damage. ‘There will be n> waste of time in the starting of beats from this port to points on Lake Huron, Captain Grummond’s Detroit and Macki- nac line is in readiness to take departure, and the appointments are already com- pleted. Both steamers have had a thorough overhauling and are in first-class condition. i The Star line of steamers have increased their capital stock from $100,000 to $120,000. Captain James Reid, of St. Ignace, a few days since, purchased of Dave Runnels at Port Huron the tug Mocking Bird, for $10,- 000. She is 225 tons burden, and was built in 1875 by Stewart at Port Huron. It is said that the tug James Reid, formerly the ‘General Burnside, was turned over as pert payment. Captain Buady, of Gospel Ship fame on Lake Michigan, visited this port last week,. and on Friday evening gave an entertaining discourse to the seamen at the Bethel, foot of Griswold street. Nothing of special interest has been going on at the admiralty court for a week past. A few marine cases have been handled, but no decisions of note have as yet seen the light. The steambarge Morley was sold a few days since to parties from Elk Rapids, Mich., the price said to be $30,000. It is also an- nouneed that she will be taken to Port Hu- ron to be fitted for ‘the lumber trade and other traffic. The accident which happened heron Lake Superior brought her valuation down to a merely nominal sum, and the glory of this once noble looking craft de- parted for all future time. She cost origin- ally $60,000, was of 870 tons burden and well constructed. As is pretty generally known a large num- ber of the men employed on lake craft, at the close of navigation each season, go to the lumber woods for winter occupation. While sailing most of their earnings are wasted, and when fall arrives there is nething to fall back upon save seeking the above resort. When spring comes they are in alike fix. They receive the small pit- tance and rush back again to the various ports toship. The influx at this port this spring has been somewhat earlier than in former years. On Saturday night some seventy-five presented themselves. There are no crews being shipped at present, and what they will do in the meantime will re- quire all their ingenuity to obtain a subsist- ence. A visit to the Detroit drydock displayed to view the steamer Northwest, on blecks in the larger dock. There was nothing but the shell, her machinery having been en- tirely removed. ‘The idea has occurred to many whether it would not be more judi- cious and economical to cast the old shell aside and build an entirely new hull. It is stated that on her completion not only an extension of time but a new name will be given her; none other than the Grey- hound. Captain C. L. Wilson, of this city, has gone to Buffalo to attend to the fitting outof the propeller Pacific, and superintend all necessary repairs. She is owned by A. Cheesbrough, Esq., of this city, and em- ployed in the lumber and ore traffic. Her consort, the Canton, is laid up here. The steambarge Handy Boy has been chartered by George Morley for the lumber trade. Work at the Lime Kiln crossing has been resumed again, and Dunbar’s steam dredges and drills are actively at work. Mr. Edward Delancy, who has been a lake-faring man nearly all his life, and a} resident of this city, is on a trip in the east, visiting friends, and on the opening of navi- gation will have an appointment on board the propeller Fountain City. It is reported from Charity Island that the propeller Oconto is in bad shape and that she is breaking up. The suit referred to in my last in regard to the steam yacht Mamie and ferry steamer Garland has been finally settled. The colli sion occurred July 22, 1880, and seventeen persons, mostly lads, were drowned. They were under the guidance of a Catholic church and on an excursion. The com- plainants were the parents of the lost, who will now receive a small amount of what may be left, belonging to the defendants, after the deduction of other claims. HA. LUDINGTON., | Special to Marine Record The steambarge F. M. Butters will be commanded by Captain Robert J. Crowley, late of the propeller D. W. Rust, John Durr will be engineer, and Louis Lavine mate. Captain Carter, who formerly commanded her, will command the new steambarge building at Milwaukee for Pardee & Cook,of Hamlin, and himself. The Butters is hav- ing a Blake independent air pump and con- denser placed on her, which will convert her high pressure engine into a low pressure as well, and it is estimated save some. 25 per cent. on her fuel bill, and make her engine run easier than before. Messrs. Wheeler, Johnson & Oo. machinists, Manistee, Mich., are the sole agents on the lakes for Blake’s pumps, condensers, ete. The schooner L. A. Simpson, Captain Guthrie, has been recalked from the light water mark up and is getting ready for a coat of paint and fitting out. The schooner Mars, Captain Wm. Young, has got new fore wire rigging, new stays, and a new square sail, supplied by H. Chan- non, Chicago. She is getting a general overhauling and painting. - The tug Geo. E. Brockway and her tow, the two large scows or a will be put in commission, Captains Caswell & Breinig are having their tugs Sport and B. W. Aldrich fitted out, ready for the coming seasou’s work. The schooner Conneaut, Captain Court- land, has received some calking, a general overhauling and a new coat of paint. The schooner built here by Alex Betters will be launched early in April. She is 95 feet over all, 22 feet beam, 614 feet depth of hold. A Hanson, Milwaukee, will supply her outfit and Jgeston & Svenston, : sail- makers, Chicago, the sails. William Turgeon, yacht and boat bullder, is building a steamer, to be used as a ferry on Pere Marquette Lake. She is 42 feet over all, 10 feet beam, 4 feet hold. Her en- gine will be8 by 8 and boiler 6 feet long, 4 feet diameter. She will be owned and run by her builder. WILLIAMS. FRANKFORT. Special to the Marine Recora Tug Rawson, with a gang of nets, started out for the fishing grounds, off Empire, on the 15th, and successfully set eighty nets. This was the first set of the season. Smith and Robertson are first class fishermen, and expect a busy season. Last year their catch amounted to 200,000 pounds, all ef which they disposed of in Chicago markets. Propeller Sanford made a trip to Manistee, returning on the 14th with freight. Keeper A. Vorce, ever active and ready for business, resumed lighting Frankfort pier head light December 17, The tugs Hannah Sullivan, followed shortly by the Sweet Rrothere, arrived on the 19th from St. Joseph, Mich., being the first outside arrivals. They will engage in fishing. The harbor is clear of ice as far as Shingle Mill slip, and the balance is porous, likely to break up at any time. The ice drew out the oakum near the bow of the fishing tug John Smith a few days since, and she was nearly full of water be- fore it was discovered and repaired. A life saving station will be erected on South Manitou island the coming summer. Tug Rawson has been thoroughly re- painted, a new piece of cabin built, and now presents a fine appearance. With her new boiler she will churn up the water at a liyely rate, BURMEISTER. STURGEON BAY, Spectal to the Marine Record. We have had very warm weather since March Ist, with considerable rain, Ship pers expect to be on the move by April Ist. The schooner Anna M, Peterson, caught | here by the ice last fall, goes to Green Bay as early as possible to take grain. Messrs. Maxted & Newcomb, of Manistee, have been putting up a life-boat station at the canal. They will be ready to surrender | the structure April Ist. | Wm. Niquette, mate of the Chicago life jerew for several years, is likely to take | charge of the crew. c. (he Marine Revonil BAY CITY. Special to the Marine Record. The barge Jupiter is in the Bay C ty dry- dock receiving steel arches 7 inches wide by 5g of an inch thick, new deck beams and deck, plank sheer, and part new rail, new hatch combings, refastening, a general over- hauling and recalking. The steambarge N. Mills has just gone out of dock, having re- ceived three strakes of 4 inch plank below plank sheer,new plank sheer stanchions and rail all around, 3-inch bulwarks inside and out, edge bolted and thoroughly tastened, new deck and beams aft, steel arches 10 by 3X, bolted with Swedish iron, and recalked all over, and a new mast. All the work is done in the strongest anJ best way possible. The barge Davis will go into drydock and receive three rows of keelsons 12 by 14, and recalking. ‘The steamer Dove will also go into drydock for a general overhauling and recalking, and the barge Marine City for the same, The steamer Arundel is being fitted out, ready to run on the Saginaw & Alpena route, Captain John Stewart will be in command, Joseph Blanchard engineer, John Hutton mate, The steamer Motropolis is also being fitted out for the same route, There has been considerable correspond- ence among vessel agents and owners as to the advisability of not starting the lumber fleet before May lst. It is conceded on all hands that business will not require the ves- sels until that time, the amount of lumber at the docks, along Saginaw river, being at least 200,000,000 feet less than at this time last year, hence the necessity of wait- ing until the above date; otherwise, the ex- pense of lying around will be great and freights will be brought to a very low rate, whereas, by waiting until such time as busi- ness requires the vessel it is possible to main- tain a living rate of freight. As far as heard from every encouragement has been given that the luwber carrying fleet will all join in the above movement, ‘There is no one who wants to ship for the first trip. It is requested that all vessel men give the above their support. The steambarge C. F. Curtiss and her tow, the barges Reed, Fasset and Holland, will carry lumber from. Green Bay to Buffalo, and coal back to Lake Michigan ports, This is the first time they have ever been out of the Saginaw trade. Joe Elliott, the well known steamboat ers and many others. WILLIAMS, SANDUSKY. Special to the Marine Record. Below will be found a partial list of the steam and sail craft, hailing from this port, whose commanders have been designated: Steamer Jay Cooke, Captain George Brown, Sandusky; steamer B. F. Ferris, Captain Fox, Bass Islands; steamer R. B. Hayes, Captain Slackford, Peninsula; steamer Lou- ise, Captain Dwelle, Kelley’s Island; tug Mystic, Captain C. Woodruff, North Bass; steambarge Yosemite, Captain W. Neil, Port Huron; barge Ryan, Captain Charles Miller, Sandusky; steambarge Mayflower, Captain L. Smith, Lorain; scow Julia, Cap- tain W. Smith; steambarge Roland, Captain Chris Smith; scow Mary Ellen, Captain George Berger; scow Ellen G., Captain Gil- lespie; steambarge Norma, Captain W. P. Wheeler. A number of others have re- ceived their appointments, but as their names have already appeared in the col- umns of the Recorp in this connection, it is not necessary to repeat them. A number of the smaller craft are already in commission, trading between Sandusky and the islands in different branches of trade, The storm of Monday prevented a number of departures, but it was of short duration, and the harbor again presents a lively appearance, The steambarge Norma will load stone at Kelley’s Island this week for Detroit. To MANITOWOC, Special to the Marine Record, At Manitowoe drydock, Rand & Burger, a new barge for Stronach Lumber Company, the upper houses are on and she is well ad- vanced and will be ready to launch by the opening of navigation. She will have a hoisting engine from the Detroit Drydock Engine Works. Capacity for lumber about 200,000 feet. Fine model and well gotten np. The schooner Imperial, at the same yard, has received new frames aft, new center board box, some new keelson, some new deck frames and new deck, and three new spars. ‘The propeller St. Lawrence is in the dock getting a thorough rebuild, new ceiling, outside plank, stanchions, ete. The scow Nellie Church has been hauled up at Hansen & Scove’s old place, and is getting some new ceiling, new clamps, some new planking, new bilge strakes, and stanch- ion. | intigielecicistildiciesssdaccasseechcnapesiescieiasdenen i EE ae painter, is painting the Shore line of steam-| The Goodrich boats are all getting a thorough overhauling, repainting and all necessary repairs, All other schooners in winter quarters are getting necessary repuirs, ete. Cc. WEST BAY CITY. Special to the Marine Record The R. B. Companys side wheel steamer E. T. Carrington, Captain G. P. H. Nelson has received a thorough rebuild frown the water line up at Wheeler’s shipyard, Captain Byron Armstrong will command the new steamer Ossifrage, Frank W. Cody will be engineer, Wm. Keaton, mate. At Captain James Davidson’s shipyard his new tug is nearly completed ready for launching. She is 110 feet over all, 20 feet beam 914 feet depth of hold, her engine by David Bell of Buffalo, is high pressure 24x26 and Loiler of Otis steel, 8 feet shell, 14 feet long by Tiff, & Son Buftalo, it has a hori- zontal steam dome. She has all the latest improvements in her fit out, she has an elegant cabin to accommodate about 20 passengers. She will tow the new leg ves- sel to Waunipta River, Georgian Bay. The log vessel Captain Davidson is build- ing is abont three-fourths completed and will be ready by May 1, she is to carry 600,- 000 feet of logs or 3,2450 tons of freight, and it is intended to load her in one day and un- load her in 6 hours, she will have a 25 horse power boiler to supply steam to 2 engines, one forward and the other aft, to hoist in the logs; the engines are made with reverse barrels and friction brake, able to make 4 logs at one time, and the gearing is arranged so as to place the logs in tiers without any hand labor by means of wire conveyors sus- pended from three Spars. WILLIAMS, KINGSTON, The new steam yacht being built by Mr. John Harris, of Brockville, for a Montreal ———— re ee gentleman is now well under way and will — be fitted with machinery next week. The Rathbun company’s new wharf at - Kingston is now being filled in, and when completed will be one of the longest and best in the city. It is 180 feet long and 860 feet wide with a long slip for the accommoda- Uion of vessels in rough weather. Two vessel brokers of Detroit who were in the cicy on Saturday stated that they had visited the different rolling mills in the — states and were informed that they had con- tracts to make goods, the manufacture of which would require more iron ore than the tonnage which engaged in this trade could float during the same season. It this be so, other freight rates must rise, MILWAUKEE, ; Special to the Marine Record. An order was entered by Judge Dyer in the United States court at Milwaukee, deny- ing the motion to dismiss the petition of the Goodrich Transportation Company fo limit its liability in a recent suit to the value of the steamer and cargo involved. The pro- peller Oconto, of the Goodrich Transporta- tion Company, in September, 1880, set fire to a portion of the City of Green Bay, lying contiguous to the water side. Recently a suit for damages, brought against the com- pany, was decided against them. The com. pany then entered a petition to limit the lia- bility for, damage to the value of the boat andcargo. Claims for damages, aggregating thousands of dollars, are still pending. It is probable the case will be appealed to the superior court. CHARLEVOIX, No ice can be seen beyond the points, two miles out. Tugs and steamers are fit- ting out. TOLEDO. Special to the Marine Record. A. W. Colton, manager of the Wabash Lake line, has made the following appoint- ments for the season: Propeller John ©, Gault, Captain Geo. W. Stoddard; propeller Russell Sage, Captain Henry Roet; pro- peller A, L. Hopkins, Captain Rraik Wet- more. Captain John Blair has arrived from Bay City and is overhaubag the barge John Richie for the season’s business. Tug Thompson Brothers is on Boser screws, reeeiviug a thorough calking, Her boiler has also been taken out to receive new legs and sundry repairs, Captaln Ed French, of Fulton, N. Y., has arrived to get his dredge General Mead and tug May French in order. Steamer Mascotte has been turned from her winter quarters to Young & Miller’s dock to be fitted out and painted up, Captain Frank Hebner, cf the propeller City of Concord, arrived from Port Huron to fit out his boat. Captain N. Gifford, of schooner E. R. Williams has arrived from Geneva, Ohio. Captain John Dunsuth, of the tug J. §. Spinning, who has been spending the win- ter at Barne, Ont., has arrived here to fit out his tug for the summer business. = ee