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* UIA ESE PHT ET avine Record. Published Every Thursday at 144 Superior Street, [Leader Building) Cleveland, O. A. A. POMEROY, EDITOR AND PUB BRANCH OFFICE: 252 South Water Street, Chicago, Dlinols, THOMAS WILLIAMS, Associate Editor. Be TERMS OF SUBSORIPTION: One year, postage paid... Six months, postage paid Invariably n advance. . $2.00 1,00 se eneeeeee one et THE MARINE RECORD can ve found for sale by the following news dealers : CLEVELAND, O.—G. F. Bowman, corner of Pearl and Detroit Streets. Evans & Van Epps, Superior street, Cleveland, R, A. Castner, 254 Detroit street, Cleveland. ASHTABULA HARBOR, O.—C. Large. CHICAGO, ILL.—Joseph Gray, 9 West Ran- dolph Street. CHICAGO, ILL.—H. B. Hansen, 33 West andolph Street. BUFFALO, N. Y.—Miss McCabe, Elk Street, rear Ohio. DETROIT, MICH —Connors’ Marine News Ce. : MILWAUKEE, WIS.—T. S. GRAY, CO. 126 Wisconsin St. SAULT STE MARIE—J. P. Hal'er. ASHTABULA HARBOR—O. M Kahne ERIE, PA,—Reed Caughen, 816 State St. DULUTH, MINN.—C. F. Johnson, 323 West Superior Street. : MARQUETTE, MICH.—J. A. Vannier. ESCANABA, MICH.—Wm. Godley. ESCANABA, MICH.—George Preston, SARNIA, ONT —D. McMasters, OWEN SOUND, ONT.—J. Sharpe, Jr. KINGSTON, ONT.—F. Nisbet, corner Bri ck and Wellington Streets, Subscribers and others are respectfully invited to use the columns of the MARINE RECORD for the discussion of pertinent topics. Entered at the Post Ciice at Cleveland as second- class mail matter. CLEVELAND. 0O., DECEMBER 13. ESSEL OWNERS’ ASSN €LEVELAND V ORGANIZED IN 1880. {Membership, 1387! Sixty-five steamers agg’egaiiny 67,865 ons Ninety-five sail and consort, aggregating.60,089 ons, Maintains shipping offices at Cleveland and Ashta- bula Harbor. Regulates wages, protects crews, and and of the Lake Commerce generally. TYING UP PROCESS AND DOCKS. The fact that a large number or vessels are} finding great difficulty in securing berthe for the wioter at the principal ports onthe chain of lakes is causing considera. ble dissatisfaction among yessel men generally, and harbor-masters are put to their wits end in looking up the leyal tights of wharf owners, railway corpora- tions, and others, for although water is as free zs the air they ftnd that real estate has some bona fide vlaims to ownership, ‘and proprietary rights which cann%t be ig- nored, and even where a dock front of two or three hundred feet ig unoccupied at the close of navigation the harbor-magter finds that he has no power to compel the owners of the frontage to allow vessels to be moored therein the absence of a mutual under- standing or agreement between the prop- erty owners interested. The rivers in Chicago, Buffalo, and Cleveland muct also be kept sufficiently clear to alluw of the pas- sage of the fire boats to the various parts of the city where extensive wocks and ware- houses are adjacent to .the river. These facts coupled with the large increase of tonnage put afloat upon the lakes for which wintering acommodations must be found, render the duties of harbor-masters, to Bay the east, unenviable, as in all cace3 where a dispute is liable to occur they are the men who have to stand to be shot at, not only by the wunicipal archers who draw the bow at the special authority given by the harbor rules and regulations, but also by those personally interested, who quote ci y ordinanees and threaten litigation in cases where dollars and cents are concerned. In view of these facts something must be done atan early date to facilitate the ship- ing’ interests by securing good and safe berths at a moderate cost during the close of navigation. There are several ways open to gain increased facilities in this direction, yet personal efforts would be required to bring about a satisfactory result, for while admitting the liberality of the United States Government in granting appropriations for the improvement of the rivers and harbors and also supplementing these grants by the ‘izauce of all matters in the interest of its’ appeintmentef an eminent class of qu ified engineers to superintend and carry out the desired changes, Svill many important features in connection with our shipping at the various ports on the chain of Jakes might be carredout without invoking the aid of the government, either state or nations], The breakwaters, as at present constructed in the principal ports, offer a large field for sate and conve1ient winter mwrings, for the heavier tonnage especially. Even now the plain could be putin opera. tior, and moorings made so that vessels might Jay in tiers, moored head and stern in the outer buy behind the west arm of the break water. At Cleveland, for instance, two anch-rs eich weighing thirty to forty hundred peunds might be placed to the westward, good ground stleeted, and if thought necessary these anchors backed, a ¢hort scope of cabie being shackeled on to an iron buoy, and mcorings capable of holding a fleet of, cay ten of ths Jargest vessels, could be obtained, by making their cabie chains fast tothe ring in the buoy, the «nd ves- sels in the tier running out their own an- chors ahesd if considered advisable, the same method used for the stern moorings and the strongest blizzard would pass harmlessly over the one, two, or three tiers of vessels compactly and securely moored together. So much of the river frontage is now owned by private parties who are awakening to the fact that a considerable rental may be derived from their wharves by making excessive charges on vessel property tied up during the winter, it behooves owners to cast around and find ways and means of gettIng outof the hands of these would be extoriioners, for the party whe asked the exorbitant rental of $300 for permi'ting a schooner to be moored tuhis dock can be considered nothing less hence, since the plan of moorings mentioned here have been adopted and are in constant use elsewhere, no meritcan be asked for our advocating them, and only in the sense that they have been tried and trusted do we put the method forward, and not as an origina! scheme or jinnovation subject to ultimate failure or uselessness. Another plan for winter moorings might be here spoken of, and although the ac- commodation would involve a considerable outlay, yet the increase of trade and ton- nage would warrant the expenditure neces- tary in forming a large basin or dock in the outer harbor, with the addition ofa parapet of say ten feet on the breakwater, a concrete pier might be built across the harbor, run- ning from the lake shore to a position where the extended parapet on the breakwater || ceased, large wooden gates fitted in the pier to allow vessels of any breadth of beam pass through, mooring facilities being laced inside this basin or dock, and winter ‘quarters would be secured for all ves-els. ¢ ming tothe port. The fact that the more vessels wintering in a port the more the work, trade and busi- ness is increased at that port must not be lost sight of, floating property in this par- ticvlar being similar to places of business on shore, always requiring some outlay, the painting, etc.,in the spring, does not cover the entire expenses of a vessel during the close of navigation by any means, for in our larger vessels a constant overhauling, cleaning, painting, rerigging and repair- ing may be going on inside for several weeks while laying up, consequently the larger the fleet the greater the local benefft totradesmen and ordinary labor. ¢%These instances alnoe ought to incite the citizens lakes to vie with each other in accommo- dating the vessels wintering at their ports with all the facilities of wharfage courte- the close of navigation, 7 Oo A WASHINGTON dispaten says denthal of Pittsburg bas been in Washington for several days representing the Long Span bridge company of Detroit, and as a result Rep- resentative Chipman today introduced a ball for the construction of a highlevel cantilever bridge across Detroit river, and provided that no ob- struction to navigation in the form of false works shall be placed between the river pier during the erection of the bridge superstructure The bridge is to be commenced within one year and completed within six, If any effort is made to push the bill itis presumed that a heavy lobby will be sent bere by the vessel own- ers’ assocsation, whien has hitherto strenuously opposed any kind of bridge ut Detroit as an ob- struction to navigation, to defeat the measure. [We advise all vessel interests to look closely after this scheme,—ED, ] aaa Helen yee The lighthouse board in thelr annual recom mendstion to congress ask for $16,000 for the harbor at Duluth aud for additional lights, For Two Harbors the appropriation of the last con- gress is still available, but it has been impossi- ble to purchase a site on the head lands, where 4 light and signals can be placed. At Asbland, Wis., $5,600 is recommended for a steam signal fro.; for Devils island, $15,000 for a light; for Gladstone Harbor Wis., at terminus of the Sault ste Marie & Atlantic railroad, $10,000. The board says 300 vessels went in and out last year and 1,000 are expected next, Ehe Marine Record. THE OLD MAN OF THE SEA. The Arabian navigator Sinbad of happY memory bad once the misfortune of awak- ing on a lone sea beach after a shipwreck, to find a weird old man seated on his shoulders, and his adventures before he could get relieved of this incubus form not the least interesting part of his adventures. Our lake navigators like their oriental pro- totypes have become the victims of incubi who, seated on their shoulders, fatten ani thrive at their expense, and who if remor- strated with tell them they ought to be grateful for the honors and ady ntages they enjoy through tre connection. The happy family of underwriters aud their satellites have oppressed the poor vessel-owner till he has become thoroughly wearied of their vagorics; and though the Recorp has fre- quently endeavored to stir up the soul of the victim and to persuade him to act for himeelf and sweep away the abuse with a new breom, we feel that our recommenda- tions have never been taken up in the came earnest epirit as that in which we made them. We have recently showed the injustice and abaurdity of any attempt to advance turther insurance rates which are already too high. We will now take another step and enquire, what becomes of the premi- ums? The resnit ig that the owner is tound to be paying for the support of a num- ber of worthy individuals whose existenee ig not of the slightest advantage to him and his. Speaking broadly, when an owner pays a premium of five per cent, he gets the value of no more than three per cent in re- turn, and the same in proportion when the premium is larger. Where does the differ- ence go to? If we consider that there is first, the agent to be paid—next heavy working expenses—then profits to the un- derwriting company’s shareholders,—then bad debts,—then losses arising through the underwriter’s errors,—all of which items have to be provided for out of the shipown- er’s pocket before auy part of bis premium is available to pay bona fide losses. We are at the end of the mystery. we can- not understand why an owner should be content to pay a large sum yearly know- ing all the while that trom one half to one third is wasted so far as he is concerned. dismantling in the fall, the refitting and | Our owners are kind |,earted enough, but to take their own bread and waste it for the benefit of those who only look down upon them in return, is a course of proceeding which does not commend itself to our un- derstanding, and we do not understand it. Another subj-ct closely connected with this, is one that we understand only too well. It has occasionally happened that an insnred vessel is lost, and the owner is informed that his policy does not admit of the claim being paid, either he has neglec ed to comply with some obscure require- “ment, or the underwriters do not consider themselves legally liable. The uneatletac- tory document known a8 a lake policy, the like of which is not to be found in any civil- | Gr ized maritime country, has not failed to contribute its share to this state of things. We must confess that we sincerely sympa- thize with an underwriter who would bon- ‘orably settle an equitable claim, and yet who is prevented by a crowd of angry shareholders hungry for dividends, from doing that which 1s lawful and right. Why» we ask, should an insured owner be at the mercy of the shareholders who only want to make a profit out of him, and if succees- ful will pay his claim, while if they find they have been playing a losing game, are not at all ashamed to tell him they can do nothing for him, Rather he should be crippleq than that their capital shouid be of each and every port on the chain of , touched !! Tbh Marrye Recorp has always been foremost in exposing any abuse, and in de- } voting all its energies toward remedying sies, and other necessities required during | it. We have for some years sympa- thized with tbe complaints of our vessel- owners, and have urged on them to organ- | Gustav Iin- | ize and to help themselves. The unsatis- factory state of our marine insurance, which has acted as a drag on business, has often been the subject of comment in our pages, and we shall not be satisfied until we havs proved to the humblest capacity that the vessel owner exists for other purposes than heing the prey of the insurance compa {+s and their hangers on. When we tound our Canadian cousins were about to adopt the English mutual insuranee system, we lost no time in again advocating its introduction here. Since then we have lost no opportunity of advane- ing its claims for the enthusiastic support of our Owners and we believe we have suc- ceeded. A meeting of owners is to be held in Cleveland this week for the purpose of atlength taking some definite action on behalf of the lake owners generally in this same matter, and we shall be greatly sur- prised if something satisfactory to our whole shipping interest is not the outcome of this gathering. _ oe THE Iron Trade Review says: While 1886, which marked the thirtieth year in the history of the Lake Superior iron ore disirict, witnessed the largest shipments and sales and the smallest proportionate surplus up to thar time,and while the year 1887, which showed an increase produc- - tion over 1886 cf 32 per centand an advance of} | AKE CARR sales of 48 per cent, was thought to have cap wan 3 theclimax, it has remained for the year 1888 to| ro cowsoes Ano Oe et ar aan ee exceed all previous records in every respect apres LAKES ANO THE WAT@RS FRIGUTARY THERETO, WITH mentioned. The production has exceeded that bachadbanphitPbestasiicl Urtisnen syle at of the big year 1887 by 5 per cent; the sales for TECT THE COMMON INTEREST OF LAKE 1888 for lower lake delivery Lave topped those of 1887 by nearly 60 §per ecnt and the paltry TERS’ ASSOCIATION ca CARRIERS, ANDO PROMOTE THEIR GENERAL WELFARE’ BOARD OF MANAGERS, 1888. amount of 167,300 tone of ore remaining unsold) pioyasMartiIN, - - - - Os x = Da at lower lake ports at the close of navigation re-| James ASH, - - - - = oe - _- + + + Buffalo, N. ¥. presents merely odd lots that have accumulated is in Carpe, President - + Budtnlo, N. Y. at various points and are not readily sallable.| £7, EVANS. = = = Nene Bummao’ _ i The percentage of unsold ore, despite the heavi-| p.‘P. Minter, - - - - - ap ee : *st receipts and the large amount rewaining on Magy ees rie Pretaenty < Cleveland, 0. dock, is the Jowest within the past six years; in| H. M. Hanna, = - - = + @ ’ ms other words, the stocks are practically cleaned wits Tic FY wee = ide up. Ashtabula has received m: re ore than Cle-| JamEs W. MILLEN, Vice President, oe Mioh, veland this searon, and Buffalo recerpts increased Fees Deer Riga oe Olky, Mich: from 28,699 tons in 1888 to 240,000 tons in 1888, Jos AusTRIAm, 231) Kea ae Clea, pies on acconnt of the demand for Lake Saperior ore | Ips H. Onna. Vice President,- + Chicago, ig the ena? R.P.FrtzceRatp,- - - = Milwaukee, W i . Davrp Vance, - - - = = Milwaukee, ro ALEX McDouGALL, = = = Beat eee ) - - Bu “xX. CONGRESSMAN Chipman today introduced Fats uae uvdue mana - Buffalo, N. xX. wrecker bills appropriating the following MARINE RECORD—OFFICIAL PAPER. amounts: Sixty thousand dollars fora light- —_ TRAFFIC OF ST. MAR CANAL. Derroir Micu., December 10. house at the 11 foot shval off Point Peniusula and when completed the light now at Peninsula point is to be discontinued; a lighthouse and fog signal at Saginaw island, $25,000; lightnouse at | Speciai correspondent to the Marine Record. Old Mackinaw koint, $2.500; light a McGalpin| The following are the stutiaties of the — point to be discontinued; fg signal and range| commerce passirg St. Mary’s Falls canal — light at west pier, Ashtabula, $7,000; fog signal | during the season of 1888, just closed, in- a! Michigan island, $5,500; red and white flash | clu tiny a comparative statement of the same. light and fog signal on Rock of Ages, $15,000; | for the seasons of 1887 and 1888, and an estl- fog singnal South Fix Islund, $5,500; and fog| pate of its value for 1888, based the unit bell at the east end of Portage lake ship canal, prices heretofore used in similar estiaates. $100: bevause these afford a better basis of com- parison than prices amended to conform t those actually prevailing, ‘ Rpettal’ to. the: Marina (Reeord: The canal was open to navigation two Navigation has closel, and now retro-| hundred and twelye days during the season — spective reviews of the season’s{business are |Just closed, or eight days less than In 1887, in order and in almost every paper one | The first vessel passed through on May 7, takes up, aiticles on the “Increase of ton_| 0d the last one on December 4. It will be nage, how lake freights ruled, total amount | Observed that whilst there was a decrease o of ore, coal, grain, &c., curried”, and} like 1552 in the number of vessels of all kind: articles appear. 9 althongh I am not| esistered and unregistered, there was an a newspaper correspondent, or a seeker | increase of 233,061 tons in th» registered ton- after a reporter’s fame, still I am tempted | "#8° indicating an increase of 37 per cent to give a few facts in relation to the past in the average size of the vessels used, a years marine business in Detroit. condition decidedly favocable to the canal There has been surveyed and admeasure d | Since it is the number, rather than the during the year a total of 33 vessels, the | Of vessels which limits the amount ot bui largest being of 2,299.19 tons burden, and| 9¢8 that the canal is capable of prov the smallest 15.11 tons. The time oceupied for. in surveying a vessel varies from two hourg| The number of registered vessels t to three or four days, according to size of | e canal in 1887, was 8530, and vessel, and its construction, and the results | °%° tounage was 5742-10 and in J a8 reached in admeasurement are without ex-| Umber was 7314, with an aver ception, mathematical wonders of correct. | °f 73, while the number of regi ness. sels was 216 less in 1888 than in There have been record:d at Detroit 85| fore their average tonna; transfers of vessel property during the past | or 22.4 per eent grea yearfrom one resident of the district to another, in which cases no change of portof hail, &e., &e., is involved. Besides this class of transfer, Detroit vessel-men bong ( lo vessela, fr SCHOONERS, TONS. SCHOONERS. J.S Richards.. 273.41 N. P Goodell Genesee Chief., yee David Stew TONNAGE OF DETROIT. Detroit, Dee. 11th, ni) Ss tson, 515 80 Davi aes Rus . W. Sage And the follo barges and tugs: PROPELLERS. TONS, New Orleans...1457.51 Teas bbe So 128 88 Schoolcraft..... 745.5¢ j gh Low Uk Saa36 ——| freight tonnag 3596.59 | Mary Pringle.. Attic... sees $QQa5 2 23 The following new steam vessels built and | * seers Uh te owned by Detroit parties in whole or part, were| Year The aggregate also added to the tonnage of the Detroit district | during 1888; Dag _, | Wheat during th ;| Although the p ; 1 gnitu age of increase will pro PROPELLERS, TONS. PROPELLERS, TONS. | 5 eens Mecosta......1779.17 FL, Baker... decrease, althoug' St. Igaace....1899.70 | . YACHTs. tons, may be maintaine Tom Adams..1810.67 Roberta... .... It was expected thai E, M. P ck....1809.11 etion of the Dul LEO Louise, S.-< 0-5 + B. Owen... 1739-53 08 Bart ecciscss se Lucille, Vite csc cee! 35-83 | p) 14.75 i 16.8 69.3 PROPELLERS. TONS. Jus ice Field.. 285.94 John Craig. ... 2044 08 Wayne Isbeil.. 31.13 Empire, .......265 32 F. R, Buell... 1438.50 Harlem, .... ..2299,19. 20,87 86 95 son, m8 H, A. Ballen- tine ee Shoo Fly, ..... SCHOONERS. TONS. SCHOONERS. /the canal, the amount 4 C.Leighton. 328 88 Elie a Water route shows so | Ome ....... 125 12 WIC . " TT “Se Ree nearly a million to Monterey... ... a i 7 li. AKent. sie site The total valuation of Albuny....... 283 89 an increase of but li Montmorency,. — gt Bay( ity...... 306 23 a ie | State. 294.87 8. E, Peck....1399 40 Th. followfng vessels or abandoned: Banner... ..., sie, Consuello Oliver a Mona......... 101 69 : well,..... 291.02 | ' - seee 61.94 rank Morrow. §2 o1 These cau St. Clair....... 286,37 nly temporary, PROPELLERS. TONS. sumption is correct, tl D. Dickinsoa,. 354.07 Florence.-..... 5683 crease in the h Michigan, .... 234.35 it) tneace cena bl ‘be resi Total 3 steam v sees 645.25]. These lost vessels were of lassen 645 5 The work at this port has been in every branch of marine business something phe- nominal. pe Bea Statistic,