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: June 8.—The iron steamer India, laden _ with a valuable cargo from Duluth, called _ here on Saturday, en route to Buffalo. Cap- tain Ed Mooney, who is honored with the _ command of this fine ship, has been a sailor from boyhood. He was born in Manches- ter, England, but came to this country when quite young. His connection with the Lake Superior route dates back to 1857, on board the propeller Iron City, along with Captain J. E. Turner. His first command Was the steamer Adriatic, followed: by the Atlantic, Pacific, R. Prindivilie, Winslow, and lastly the India, as fine a steamer of her class as plows the western waters. Captain Mooney, like valuables done up in small packages, is short in stature, Quick in his movements, pays the strictest attention to his duties, and withal, of gentlemanly de- portment, courteous and affable, The routine of events hereabout for the ‘past week has not been, to say the least, of an exciting character, and matters move along as usual at this part of the season. Notably, there has been few arrivals of ves- sels, aside from the daily movements of steamers, and in this respect it has been much duller than many seasons previously recorded. The ferry steamer Excelsior, which during the winter months, has been undergoing ex’ensive repairs and improvements, beside ‘painting, has again taken her positon in the line with others and is chiefly engaged in the excursion business which is gradually booming and promises to be of large pro- portions. The Detroit and Mt. Plamebt. route has dain dormant thus tar this season, to the great discomfiture of manv who would much preter to visit that somewhat noted place by water than by dusty railtravel. Butat last, after much agitation, the long-felt want has been supplied by placing a new boat on the route called the Nellie, which, during the season, will make daily trips, “Who is Captain Chris Smith?’ Well, Plltell you. He sails the excursion steamer Saginaw, between Detroit and Toledo, a genial, social sailor, who, it there is any- thing new on his route, it does not take him long to tell it. The source ot the Nile, read of in his- tory, could not be more difficult of naviga- tion than the St. Clair river is with many who traverse that placid stream, as the events of the past week pretty clearly demon- strate, The hull of the steamer Greyhound has been painted a snow white with green bot- tom. Her upper works are being rapidly constructed, and during the week she wil! be floated out of the drydock. The tug Peter Smith, bound up, with a tow of barges, broke her crank pin on Satur- day, in the St. Clairriver. Her barges were left at Marine City, and the tug came to this city for repairs. Captain Hickey, owner of the barge Star of Hope, informed us the other day that her bottom was entirely gone., Captain Mapes, of the schooner ferrett, has demonstrated the fact that when his vessel is ready to depart, neither head winds nor the want of a tug, is going to delay his departure. He fell in with a strong south- west wind the other day, which was dead ahead. Her canvas was close-reefed, and close-hauled, and it did not take long for that little craft to leave Detroit far in the dis- tance. That’s the kind of a sailor he is. The five cable boats which were,a few days since, dispatched from Buffalo for Duluth, passed here on Thursday. ‘I'wo of them were propelled by steam, and while coming through Lake Erie the machinery of one of them gave out, making it depend- ent on the other to get to the river. The repairs were made at Malden from whence they proceeded on, as above noted. We bave made inquiries as to the latest ar- rivals of the Lake Superior steamers, but nothing has been seen of them anywhere along the route. Captain James Moffat, a well known citi- zen of Port Huron, and principal proprietor of the river ferry, was in this city Mouday, meeting with many of his old friends and acquaintances, Thirteen steamers were coaled at O. W. Shipman’s dock within the pust ten days. One callis certain of insuring another. The tug Martin Swain, of Grummond’s line, was dispatched from Port Huron on Thursday, for a raft at Rifle river on Lake Huron, and in ten hours after her departure had it under way to its destination. The steamer Saginaw, the other day, took from here two steam pumps tor Malden which were to be used in raising some sunken scows belonging to the Canada Southe- ern Railroad. Moffat & McVenn, ship brokers, have made ‘eight years, several charters here during the past week, chiefly in coarse freights at fair prices, all things considered. Captain McCarthy, of the schooner Hart- ford, which vessel is undergoing repairs at Port Huron, was in this city on Friday, at- tending to business matters. The smoky weather, so much complained of by vessel men when on Lake Huron, has’ almost entirely disappeared. The steambarge Kincardine, which tows | the barge R. N. Rice, met with an accident to her machinery while on Lake Huron the other day, but was soon afterward picked up by the tug Admiral Porter which took both craft through to Tonawanda, their destination. The barge Ketcham, while anchored a few days since at Sandwich Point, in an ex- posed position, was slightly damaged by some passing tows, which claim she had no lights up. The damages were so slight, however, that nothing will come of it. Captain Niland, of the steamer China, on the Lake Superior route, has been a sailor for forty years, and by strict habits and gentlemanly deportment, has worked his way from the forecastle to his present com- manding position. His first sailing was with Captain Hall in the schooner Petrel. He has been associated with his present route for seventeen years. The contract for raising the schooner ihe Marine Recon. Thomas P. Sheldon, sunk in Lake George, had not been awarded to any party up to Monday noon, although it has-been stated in some of the papers that an expedition was en route. The schooner Seaman has on board a cargo ot coal for Lake Michigan, and will enter into the lumber trade in that section for the future, after a sojourn hereabout of thirty- Recently, she has had a thor- ough rebuild. Hat. MT. CLEMENS. Special to the Marine Pecord. We had a fine launch Saturday, the 5th, of the steambarge Canisteo, built tor the Tonawanda Barge Company. The Canisteo by all odds is the largest and best boat ever built in this city. Her length over all is 200 feet, beam 84 feet, depth of hold 18 feet. The Canisteo is designed for the lumber traffic between Manistique and Tonawanda and will have a carrying capacity of 750,000 feet and will cost complete not less then $50,000. She will have cabin accommoda- tions for forty passengers. Captain Wm. Dulac will command her; Wm. Ormsby will run her engine, and George Lewis will officiate as clerk. The boat will be taken to Detroit, where she will receive her boiler built by the Drydock Engine Works. She has a Providence windlass from the Amer- ican Ship Windlass Company, which was set up by Mr. Temple of that firm. The Canisteo will go into commission in three weeks. Wm. E. Hall’s newly rebuilt boat, the Nellie, gives promise of being an excursion steamer that the Clinton river can well be proud of. Under the supervision of Mr. Jas, ‘lucker the craft has been supplied with upper works conspicuous for their beauty and convenience. The first deck will be given over to freight, buta large open space aft can be utilized as a dancing floor, She is supplied with the big boiler and pow- erful machinery of the burned steamer Island Belle, and will, it is believed, develop a good rate of. speed. The Nellie will be commanded by Captain Robert Furton, with Louis Peltier as mate, and Jacob Saddle as engineer. She is expected to be out Mon- day. MONTREAL, Judge Taschereau rendered judgement yesterday in the case of the Richelieu & Ontario Navigation Company against the Phenix Insurance Company of Brooklyn, This was an action for damages to the pro- peller Spartan, insured with the company and wrecked on Lake Superior in 1884. The insurance contract was signed in Buffalo and the company pleaded that the plaintiff had no right of action here. The court maintained this plea and held that there was no obliga- tion on the part of the defendant to answer an action taken in Canada on account of a contract signed in the United States. OSWEGO, The steambarge Saxon is on the drydock for ropairs. She will probably cease to run to this port after this trip. The following will show the business of the Black River canal during the month of May: 7,241,315 feet of lumber against | 4,934,460 in 1885; 198 clearance against 186 | last year, 45,000 cubic feet of timber in 1886; 63,000 in 1885. The above is the monthly | report by Collector Clinton Richards, at | Boonville. PORT HURON. Captain Rattary will sail the tug Jas. | Reid. She is now undergoing repairs at the Wolverine dock. Captain George McLeod, of Buffalo, is confined to his bed by sickness at the Hu- ron House in this city. The steamer Clara has been receiving re- pairs to her machinery at the dock of J. H. Fitzgerald,, during the week. SAULT STE. MARIE. Special to the Marine Record. At 6:15 a. m. while passing over the flatts’ ata point known as the elbow the iron steam er Russia come in collision with the schooner Thos. P. Sheldon, consort to the steamship Kittie M. Forbes and bound to Duluth with a cargo of railroad iron, sinking the Sheldon instantly. The Forbes came to anchor as soon as clear from the channel and sent a boat immediately to the scene of the disaster with seven men to render assistance, At 8:30 the Forbes boat returned with the Sheldon boat in tow and having Captain Archie Me- Henry and all of his crew safe and unhurt but cold and wet. There were three men asleep ia the forecastle at the time; they barely escaped with their lives, one being thrown from his bunk out on to the deck. The propeller Arctic kindly rendered assistance also. ‘The Sheldon now les on the west side of the channel leaving plenty. of room for boats’ to pass. The Russia passed the Forbes taking the star- board hand side according to the whistles given and answered but crossed the tow line and struck the. Sheldon on the starboard bow bewteen the bowsprit and the cathead, going in up to the foremast. ‘he crash was terrible. The Sheldon sank immediately under the Russia’s bow before she could back away from her. The captain and crew were taken to the Soo on the Forbes, Captain Arcbie McHenry says that working Sun- days to load vessels don’t pay. A sailor was heard to say on the Forbes, I am agoing to get me some hens and go to raising poultry. More registered tonnage passed through the Sault canal during the thirty-one days of May than any other month in its history. There passed through the locks 606 steam- ers, 315 sail vessels and 28 rafts and un- registered craft, the whole representing 550,- 965 tons Eee and oay ,796 tons of | weight. Tne igen: tonnage exceeded that of any other month by 19,276 tons, while the freight tonnage was only 24,068 tons less than that of the largest known, and was twice as great as for May of last year, ex- ceeding it by 275,000 tons. The registered tonnage was also much greater than May a year ago, exceeding it by 279,553 tons. The average number of vessels per day passed through exceeded thirty, and the time con- sumed in making the lockages was 553 hours and 26 minutes out of the total of 744 hours in the month. ‘This latter circum- stance is peculiarily significant. It shows that the lockage system of the canal is fast becoming too small to accommodate the rapidly increasing tonnage of the lakes. If the increase over corresponding months of last year continues relatively as large as in May serious difficulty may be apprehended in the n atter of sean vessels through the canal May 28, the new lock beat her best record. There were 54 passages made from 6:10 a. m. to 11:35 p. m. 4s Captain Samuel H. Ashmun, of this place, has arrived down from Houghton with the yacht Sutton. He will doa general river business with her, besides running regular trips to Bay Mills. Last week while the schooner James Couch was leaving the lock, bound up, her first mate was Knocked from her rail, where he was standing, by the vessel striking heavily against the curve in the lock. W. Hi. Smith persisted in trying to pump life back intu him, and atter much hard work succeeded, After the man got so he could talk he could not remember auything—could not tell his Own name or to what vessel he belonged. He is nowin the marine hospital, and improving. The steamer Osceola, of Ward’s line, sprung aleak on Lake Superior Sunday night. On her arrival here a diver stopped the leak, causing her but a few hours’ delay. EAST SAGINAW, Special to the Marine Record. Captain Carson Glass was in port with his craft, the Senator Blood, during the week, The captain is looking handsomer than ever this season, and he still continues to grow “phat,’’ so he says. The steambarge Matt Sicken took on part of her load at this port on her last trip in. A raft, containing 3,000,000 feet,and owned | by J. H. Hill & Son, of this city, arrived in the river Thursday, in tow of the tug Mock- ing Bird from Lake Superior. M-. Al Orton, formerly engineer for the Boom Company, is installed as chief on the. steamer Lucille. The tug J. G. Hubbard, Captain Jack | Rafferty, and consorts Garibaldi and Lulu ae Riper nro nevian borin emrreetne iy cuvette Ris Whitney, came in the river Monday from Harrisville, all loaded with the new Ross patent sapless paving blocks. The ferry Handy Boy, of Bay City, has been brought to this city, ana will take the Sutton’s place on the Zilwaukee route. The past week in the valley has been « lively one. The largest fleet of the season having loaded and passed out, thereby giv- ing work to hundreds of wollopers, who, the week betore, put in most of the time in idieness. It is estimated that no less than 19,000,000 feet of lumber left the river dur- ing the past ten days. The river line steainers Burt, Lucille, and Mason still continue the war, and Mr. Eng- lish, one of the owners of the Lueille, has gone to Buffalo to look after another boat to run in connection with his craft. The Bartlett & Company’s slings have been busy during the week, the tug Jessie P. Logie having been in for a new wheel; the Chas. P. Fish for straightening her shaft; the Robert Boyd for slight repairs and to stern bearing; the tug Tom May> tham for repairs to her shoe, and the steam yacht Laulie for a Bartlett ranning wheel. The P. line barges all loaded Wednesday, and left in tow of the tug Annie Dobbins. SHaw. BAY CITY. j Special to the Marine Record. A large force of carpenters and boiler makers have been at work several weeks on the tug A. Sumner, which is being altered and thoroughly overhauled by her owner, Mr. Gilchrist, at Alpena. The Sumner is to tow the immense barge Michigan, which is to carry logs from Canada to Alpena. She was formerly a transfer ferry for the M. C. R, R. Company on Detroit river. A powerful hoisting machine has been placed aboard of her to be used in handling the logs. She is fitted with four spars, and is known as the Donald McRae. The passenger travel on the shore steam- ers Arundel and .Metropolis is increasing daily. The trips are very enjoyable,anda large number of our citizens are availing S themselves of the opportunity ot passing the | pleasantest part of the day from this city do 4 up shore points. James Preston, ot this city, iid been ap- pointed engineer of the steamer Hattie | Lloyd, of Duluth. - The tug Anna Moiles took a large fice raft to Saginaw Friday for the Estabrook | mill. : The work of fitting out the Emery Lum- ber Company’s log boat is progressing finely — and it is thought will be ready for sea in an- other week, ; The passenger steamer David Sutton has been brought from Saginaw to this port, and will run on the Stone island route. The steamer Cora K. D. has been sold by Harry Deitzel to some parties who will con- vert her into a fish boat, and she will make a daisy, too. Captain Fred Barclay, who last season sailed the tug ‘l'om Maytham, has given up sailing, and is now known as a landlord. Captain James Davidson will, in a few days, lay the keel for a large steamship for himself, after the model of the Siberia. Her keel will be 260 feet. The tug Mocking Bird has left for Lake Superior with boom sticks for another large raft for Hill & Sons, of Saginaw. SHaw. FRANKFORT, Special to the Marine Recora. The fine tugs C. Williams, of Manistee, and J. H. Gregory, of this port, had an ex- citing race on Wednesday afternoon on Lake Michigan, in chasing for the Gratwick tow. Both are powerful craft. The Gregory’s cylinder is 24 square and the Williams’s 24x26. They run side by side, gunwale to gunwale for nearly six miles, They fairly shot over the foam-crested waves. Great sparks of fire tlew from the stacks, and hose were used to wet them down to prevent their catching fire, while the firemen fed the fur- naces with oil, etc. ‘They reached the barges about the same time, but the Wil- liams, already having the towing contract, secured the barges. A large number of citizens were on the lake shore to witmess the race between the rivals. The U.S, revenue cutter Andrew John- son was in our harbor several days the past week, Propeller J. D. Dewar is again running between here and Manistee. She has been to Grand Haven where she received new gunwales, pilot house, ete. The steambarge W. H. Gratwick and econ- sorts Fryer and Marvin made their first ap- pearance in our port on the 2dinst. She loaded 2,000,000 feet of pin lumber for Tonawanda. A man named Brown fell through the hatch into the hold on the barge Marvin, a distance of sixteen feet, but was not injured. A miraculous escape. BURMEISTER,