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MARINE REVIEW. “VOL. 1V. CLEVELAND, OHIO, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1801. No. 22. Contract for Whalebacks. Mr. Samuel Mather of the firm of Pickands, Mather & Co. of Cleveland has placed a contract with the American Steel Barge Company for a steam barge and consort to be constructed after the whaleback model. Mr. Mather is a director in the barge company. ‘The firm of Pickands, Mather & Co., of which he is an active member, controls iron ore shipments from the Minnesota and Chandler mines of the Vermillion-range, is closely identified with the Illinois Steel Company and directs. the affairs of the Minnesota Steaniship Company, in all of which concerns Mr. Mather isa large stockholder. Although the Minnesota Steamship Company has just let a contract for two modern steel ore carriers with the Globe Iron Works Company of Cleveland, one of them to be built at the South Chicago yard. Mr. Mather has undertaken the barge building on his own account. ‘“T expect”? he says “that most of the people in the office of Pickands, Mather & Co. will be interested with me in the barges, and they will be managed in connection with the Min- nesota fleet. They will be the largest barges yet constructed, OPENING. the dimensions of the steamer being 325x42x24 and the tow barge 321x38x24. ‘They are to carry 3,000 tons each from Lake Superior on 14% feet draft and they will begin service early in the spring. The steamer will have triple expansion engines of about the same power as the Minnesota boats now in service. The engines will be built by the Frontier Iron Works of Detroit ani the boilers by the Lake Erie Boiler Works of Buffalo. We have had the Colgate Hoyt and one of the tow barges under charter during the past season and they have given entire satisfaction.” It is also announced through reliable sources, although un- officially, that the barge company has contracted with the Cana- dian Pacific Railway Company for two freight steamers of the whaleback type, and will also build two on its own account, This will call for five engines, three of which are said to have gone to S. F. Hodge & Co. of Detroit, one to the Frontier Iron Works of the same city and one to the Marinette Iron Works of West Duluth. The Lake Erie Boiler Works of Buffalo will build all of the boilers. It is proposed to establish in a prominent eastern university a chair of naval architecture to be known as the “Burgess chair, in honor of the great yacht builder. VESSEL OWNERS’ THANKSGIVING. Continue Aids to Navigation. Commander Nicoll Ludlow, light house inspector of the Ninth district with headquarters at Chicago, has been making inquiry among officers of the different organizations of vessel owners on the lakes for information bearing upon the question - of time for the removal of aids to navigation. The inquiry is very probably prompted by the demand this fall for a late removal of buoys, light-ships, ete., on account of high freight rates. Whether this disposition on the part of the naval portion of the lake marine to consult with the vessel owners in matters con- cerning their welfare comes from the Washington officials or from Commander Ludlow, who has already proved himselfa courteous — and painstaking officer, it is commendable, as conditions of late years has greatly changed matters bearing upon the close of navigation. Big steamers, equipped with powerful machinery of . modern construction can brave fall storms that would have swept away whole fleets of the class of craft engaged in the trade a few years ago. Insurance that expired Nov. 15 ten years ago was extended later to Dec. 1 and now to Dec. 30. Why then e ao =— ; = od —= CLOSING. should not the regulations regarding the removal of aids to navi- gation be changed? The result of Commander Ludlow’s inquiry on this subject might well make a basis for orders in future seasons from the light-house board. On paying freights, navi- gation ends with the modern class of steamers when ice and severe winter weather no longer permit of their running. Discriminating Canal Tolls. Boards of trade in Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland and other leading lake cities have all called the attention of Secretary Blaine to the discriminating system of tolls in operation on the Welland canal and there can be no doubt as to the teeling of lake shipping interests in this matter. The newspapers in all parts of the Dominion have taken to discussing the question, but they avoid reference to the claim that the tolls discriminate against American citizens. One answer is to the effect that Canadian vessels are not allowed to use the Erie or Oswego canals. ‘To any one who is acquainted with the class of boat used and the class of trade on these canals, which is distinctively of a domestic nature, this answer seems technical. The Mon- treal Gazette and other leading journals outside of Kingston and Toronto have begun to see justice in the protest from American interests and are actually in favor of equal tolls on all freight passing through the Welland whether bound to an American or Canadian port.