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ee ae Pe MARINE REVIEW. - Commencing on the tugs, when nearly every chimney in town is sending forth dense volumes of black smoke, is the usual way of reformers. They select some one who is not strong enough to resist and kick him all over town. If reformers were seeking that inward balm of a well-kept con- science, happy in doing its duty, instead of claptrap buncombe, matters would be better here below. Grain freights are doing quite well. Thanks to the strike an advance to 1% cents on wheat to Buffalo was secured Monday. The stevedores’ strike came just at the critical time when Chicago elevators were well nigh empty. The report of the visible supply of grain Monday showed a remarkable decrease. Harvest is now here and grain receipts will be light for some time. The strike helps to bridge over that period without another break in rates. If a semblance of a backbone can be maintained until Aug. 1 it is safe to predict a fair time until the close of navigation. No owner should depend much on grain freights until the new crops be- gin to move. The lines are certain to take most of the present stocks in Chicago elevators, Crowding in outsiders even if a slight advance is se- cured will only break the market back to a cent and the effect will be to react against a further advance in ore. The action of the customs authorities at Prescott in requesting that tbe American flag on the whaleback boats should be lowered when run- ning the St. Lawrence river rapids was rather a brazen exhibition of John Bull’s self-sufficiency. - English vessels, like the Rosedale, have entered Chicago river and followed its tortuous course to the end, flaunting their British flags and no one thought anything of it. The Canadians must be frightfully touchy and somewhat terror stricken at the thought of annex- ation to have objected to the stars and stripes on the whalebacks. It is to be feared that if Capt. McDougall or Capt. Rardon ever run for alderman their unpatriotic course in consenting to the lowering of the flag, will lose them votes. Once in awhile a Chicago paper makes a bad break in writing up ma- rine affairs. Some new reporter evidently, was assigned Sunday on the *longshoreman’s strike. He said the next morning that forty line boats were due here Monday,and that the Western Transit Company had 500 cars waiting to be unloaded. Other statements were as wonderfully constructed. Of course, he did not know what he was talking about. Forty line steamers inaday! There are but thirty-nine line boats carrying merchandise alto- gether. But many newspaper statements, which are vigorously denied, are better founded than this new reporter’s article. The other day a sting- ing denial, telling the editor how to run his paper, came to a Chicago newspaper office. It was in regard to a marine news item. It happened that the item was given out by the correspondent’s agent, who had done the business. The principal may not have known the truth about it, but he probably did, and considered he could bluff it out. Once a Chicago vesselman was interviewed. He was hot under the collar and talked right out in meetin’, When the interview was published it exactly suited him, but in a few days it was different. ‘You have got me into a devil of a hole,” he said. ‘What did you do?” he was asked. “Denied the interview; nothing else to do.” He was probably right, but the interviewer got the credit of reckless work. There is too much reckless work, to be sure, but the denial of an item does not settle the point by a great deal. The trouble is the newspaper man in nine cases out of ten is obliged, out of regard to those of whom he obtained his news, to pay no attention to de- nials and to make no effort to substantiate the truthfulness of what he writes. Chicago excursion boats are now doing a rushing business. From 2,000 to 3,000 people take moonlight boatrides every warm, pleasant even- ing. There is a veritable boom in that branch of lake traffic. Dull Shipping in Canada— Harbor Improvements. _— Special Correspondence to the MARINE REVIEW. KINGSTON, Ont., July 2.—To give an idea how dull it is in these quar- ters now, it might be stated that boats which carry coal to Ottawa, down the Redeau canal, have to return light, there being no lumber in that dis- trict to come this way. . The railways are carrying it from Ottowa to Os- wego at rates that would keep a boat tied up. Such a thing as boats re- turning up the Redeau light was never known before. They have not only to come back light but pay lockages too. The steamboats and other craft down the St. Lawrence are not in as good condition this year as they were last, and for this reason, there is nothing to do, owners will not go to expense in fitting them up unless they see some: hing ahead. Nota single dollar was laid out on some of tbe boats, which have been classed low in consequence. A. T. Smith of this city has patented a diver’s telephone which was tested by the Collinsby Rafting Company and found to work most satis- factorily. The diver down forty feet carried on a lively conversation with his employer above. The work of divers was very slow because they had to ascend not only for instructions but for the slightest tool. The tele- phone will accelerate the work considerably. Capt. Anderson of the marine department at Ottawa was here the other day looking over the harbor in connection with the proposal to lay out some range lights, things which are very badly needed. Mariners are wondering if the engineer’s visit will be all that will be heard of the mat- ter. The Canadian Marine Association at its meeting last year petitioned the government to place range lights in this harbor but no notice was taken of the petition. The board of trade moved also, but still the lights do not appear. The government evidently does not realize what an im- portant ‘factor is safety for vessels here in the grain trade. Propeller after propeller that comes here gets on the shoals. When they go back they warn others and the result is Kingston is placed at a disadvantage. The lowest rate for corn to Buffalo from Chicago is 1 cent while it is 2% cents to Kingston, notwithstanding that this is only about twice as far as Buffalo is. It shows, however, that navigators must have the extra quar- ter of a cent, simply because there is risk in entering this harbor. The disadvantage is quite obvious, therefore the goverument if it has interest in the Canadian grain trade, will see that the range lights are put in as soon as possible. There are from 10,000,000 to 15,000,000 bushels of grain coming here annually, and doesn’t it seem strange that, while the St. Lawrence is an exceedingly dangerous river to navigate, there are more accidents in the Kingston harbor than on the river. The propeller Newcomb, ashore on Lake Ontario, is now owned by the underwriters, who have paid the insurance and are ready to sell her for almost any price. The new steamer North King made 9 miles in 34 minutes recently. The tug Gordon owned by Connolly Bros., collided with the schooner Kate not long ago and the owners are now being sued for $200 damages. — The underwriters would not insure the whaleback Colby, the run down the rapids being so dangerous. Her owner had the pluck to run her down without insurauce. Vessels are continuing to carry coal from Oswego here at 25 cents per ton. There is not much money in that trade. West Bay City Ship Yards. Special Correspondence to the MARINE REVIEW. Wrst Bay Ciry, Mich., July 2—Capt. Davidson was in Cleveland during the week looking after matters pertaining to his understanding with Ferdinand Schlesinger regarding the “ Big Four” steamers, but it is not learned that he accomplished anything. The boats are still on his hands with no hope of assistauce from the man of mining fame. They are being fitted out to sail immediately and will be managed in Cleveland, James Davidson, Jr., going there for that purpose. The ~ schooner Harold, the last wooden boat at Davidson’s yard was launched Saturday afternoon. This practically closes up work at the yard. The finishing touches on the Harold will be completed in afew days. The propeller Monohansett will be repaired during the season, but work on her will not be rushed. Wheeler & Co. are doing a little repair work and in order to keep their best workmen have branched out into store furnishings, etc., and are turning out a remarkably fine line of counters, fancy cases and the like. They have also put in a bid for the finishing of the new Presbyterian church in Bay City. It is more than probable that if the firm should suc- ceed in building up anything of a trade in this class of work it will be continued as a separate branch of the business. The steamer for the Nicaragua Canal Company is being slowly completed. At Garlano’s marine railway in Bay City, the steamer Burtch is being rebuilt and converted into a tug for Clark, Quick & Co. of Sandusky, who recently purchased her from H. E. Bristal of East Tawas. The survey of damages on the steamer Dove, which was partially burned at Wheeler & Co.’s dock last week, was completed and the amount fixed at $6,600. Capt. Holt has not yet decided whether he will have the boat rebuilt or not, He recently expended $10,000 on the Metropolis and at present he has no route on which to place the Dove were she in condition for business. The tug Music of the Saginaw Bay Towing Association’s fleet, ran on the rocks in Georgian bay last week. Amount of damage done has not yet been re- ported here. Again Lower Than Coast Builders. Again the lake builders have all underbid the yards of the coast this time on four steel lightships to go down the canals for service on the At- antic. The meaning of this, together with the fact that three steel barges were sent to the coast over the St. Lawrence rapids last week, is that the lakes have better facilities for building vessels than any other part of the country, and the shipbuilders of this district will in time get a large por- tion of the sea going tonnage to build. There were six bidders for the lightships from the lakes and four from the seaboard, and the lake bids were alll ower than those of the coast. F. W. Wheeler & Co. of West Bay City get the work. ‘The bids on all four boats from lake bidders were as follows: Craig Ship Building Co., Toledo......ssersereressererens $199,920 Union Dry Dock Co., Buffalo......csecesesereeeeseerseeeeeonsess 259,000 Detroit Dry Dock Co., Detroit......s:escseeeseesereeneeerenerecs 230,000 F. W. Wheeler & Co., West Bay City...-.ssccssereersererees 189,000 Cleveland Ship Building Co., Cleveland.........-.:++++++ + 244,000 David Bell of Buffalo put in a bid of $45,000 for one boat.