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6 : MARINE REVIEW. Ore Shipments and Lake Freights. Shipments of ore from all Lake Superior mines during Oc- tober foot up 950,929 tons and the aggregate for the season to Nov. 1 is 6,017,789 tons, against 7,300,545 tons in 1890, or a fall- ing off of 1,282,756 tons. These figures are official. Onaccount of the high grain rates, shipments of the present month will be very light and it is certain that the total lake movement for the season will not exceed 6,500,000 tons, while the additional rail movement will hardly bring the output of the year 1891 above 7,000,000 tons. This reduction of full 2,000.000 tons in the ore output, as compared with 1890, is one of the favorable features of the lake trade at this time. The vessel owners could not ask for a more favorable close to the season of navigation. High grain rates are making up for the dull period of a few weeks ago and the strong closing freight market is bound to have an effect on con- tracts during the winter. It is many years since the ore docks have been in as good condition at the close of navigation as they are at present. Coal shipments for the season have not been up to requirements and grain will be carried over for shipment next spring. Delay on the part of the railway companies in purchas- ing iron is the only dragging feature in the market, and unless indications are deceiving shippers and vessel owners will not be long in.settling freight matters. The highest freight rates paid up to date are 7% cents on wheat, Duluth to Buffalo, $1.40 on ore from both Ashland and Marquette to Ohio ports and $1.30 on ore from Escanaba to Buffalo. The rate on coal from Ohio ports to the head of Lake Superior holds to 40 cents on account of the big fleet going that way, but 85 cents has been paid and $1 is now asked to Milwaukee and Chicago. Portage coal has also paid $1. . No Monopoly in the Whaleback, McDougall 1s worried over the action of other lake ship builders in preparing to build the cheaper kind of steel vessels. _to be known as monitors. In a lengthy editorial printed'a few days ago inthe Superior Leader, and evidently dictated by a representative of the barge company, some very severe language is directed to the Detroit Dry Dock Company and the Cleveland _ Ship Building Company, both of which concerns are known to be engaged in preparations for the building of steel ore carriers that will be so modified as to bring thecost of their construction. as far as can be learned, down to figures about equal the cost of the barges. It is this move on the part of other builders toward’ constructing cheaper boats where they are wanted that has called out an expression from the barge company, indicating that for the first time since a whaleback was launched on the lakes its promoters are confronted with an active move toward competi-. tion. The article in question lays great stress on the plans of the barge company for producing its own ship material at Su- perior direct trom the ore mines controlled by stockholders in the company, and makes this feature of its future operations a basis for the broad claims contained in the following extract. “In view of the marked success of the McDougall type of vessel, it is little wonder that the builders of the clumsy and un- wieldy craft they are fast superceding should be looking around for some means of saving grace.’ A year, or two more of active operations, such as may now be seen, at the Superior shipyards and the occupation of other shipyards on the lakes will be gone. Superior will supply all the carrying facilities the lake commerce may require, and that too with ships, the lessened cost of which will be in keeping with their greater speed and carrying capacity, both of which advantages over the old style craft will be supple- mented by a corresponding economy in running expenses. The fellows who laughed at McDougall and said he was crazy but who have since discovered the method in his madness, will consult their own interests by exercising the utmost caution when they set about adopting any of his ‘crazy’ ideas ‘with modifications.’ The barge company with almost an unlimited supply of capital has placed a fleet of whalebacks in operation on the lakes, but the absurdity of its claim toa monopoly of the trade is so plain in and around Pittsburgh. ‘Th as to make it ridiculous when coming from a source that seems to.be. prompted by McDougall himself. Certainly no one inform. ed as'to the amount of tonnage controlled by the ore companies will claim that the barges, already ‘‘tramps” in the general trade—the Wisconsin central ore interests being unable to give employment to even those now in commission—can be operated to as great an advantage as the big steamers of the ore com- panies controlling mines and docks and in some cases the rail- ways. But leaving this important question aside, there is no better evidence of the barge company’s inability to compete with other builders for the present, at least, than the fact that in other ports around the lakes work has been started on new steamers aggregating in capacity fully 25,000 tons, while the barge com- pany, which is known to have figured on a number of contracts, including the big Minnesota boats, must continue to build on its own-account. For the present, steel boats of any kind,whether the reqttirements are for the most substantial construction or not,can be built cheaper in Cleveland and Detroit, than at any other ‘place on the lakes. Big plants, experience and lowest prices on material are the causes for this condition, and the leaders.in the barge company evidently understand these causes when they become alarmed at the disposition of other builders to furnish cheaper vessels where they arewanted. Development of the iron industry at the head of Lake Superior may revolutionize the business of building ships, but we doubt it. Until it does, the claim of the barge company to a monopoly of the lake trade will have little weight among those who understand the situation. The main features reducing cost in the barges, such as the absence of bulkheads and a second deck, are certainly not within the reach of patent rights, and other qualities claimed for them have not, it is evident, even at this late day, commended them- selves very forcibly to the shipping companies in control of lake commerce, as their contracts are going to other builders. Lake Coal Movement. Although shipments of coal to Lake Superior during October were not equal to the shipments of October, 1890, the total moyement of both hard and soft coal to Lake Superior for the season to Nov. 1 is 339,333 net tons in excess of the aggregate on the corresponding date last season. The great bulk’of this gain is, of course, in bituminous coal, and there is little doubt that it will all be used in handling the big grain crop before navigation opens next spring. Shipments of soft coal at present would certainly be heavier if the coal could be had. The figures showing this gain in shipments are secured from the monthly reports of Gen. Poe, in charge of the Sanlt canal, and are as follows : 1891 1890 POO Btl ys secs ccrans eyes sae tenga. cece FO QIQ 520 Sees MAGEE Seon b catediccesel stench hh ladagokh 404, G98 P3838 ie PROG ils ald tients: aac anen, 390,674 684,739 PUM cocis cegcuicsauecercncacsetie ree ert 436,254 342,854 AUQUSt oe. cecceecesceeeteseseseueenercees 428,842 362,763 MOPIBMIDET iliidcecuesecepenicdg eat ete 351,517 285,407 OMober 3. ci Aa ees, 294,831 302,644 *Includes April and May. 2207735 1,978,402 Capt. James F. ‘Trowell, who prepares coal statistics for the. Milwaukee dealers and is otherwise connected with shipping | matters, sends us the following statement of receipts at that port.. Total receipts of bituminous to Nov. I, 227,129 net tons; anthra- cite to Nov. 1, 658,786 tons ; bituminous and anthracite to Nov. 1, 884,915 tons; bituminous during October, 19,987 tons; anthracite during October 101,817 tons. There is little doubt that the shipments of bituminous coal this season would have been at least 100,000 tons more than they are at present, if labor troubles in the Pittsburgh district had not acted against the plans of lake shippers for a very large business. Shippers of Pittsburgh coal are now buyers in the Hocking district and they expect very little coal from the producers of their own district, as some of the miners are still idle, threatening another strike, and the supply is barely sufficient for consumption | ; ese conditions warrant the general belief that still another spring will see a shortage in the north- west, and the demand for coal carriers wil] also add to the volume of lake business next season. ree foes aha ie Woe hte