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NEWS: Ue is CLEVELAND, oO. sey the drydock survey on the steel steamer Onoko, held at Buffalo, Capt. Dan McLeod represented the un- derwriters and Mr. Thos. Bristow, superintendent at the yards of the Cleveland Ship Building Co., the owners. The estimated cost of repairs was placed at $16,000. é 7 Several important causualty cases are being adjusted at Chicago this week and Mr. Harvey D. Goulder, proc- tor in admiralty, is attending the hearing in the inter- ests of his clients. It is now thought that Thursday will be consumed in going over the cases, as up till JateWednesday night the Nahant-Pillsbury case, which is the most recent, had not been reached. ‘The steel steam yacht Comanche, built by the Globe Iron Works, and now on her way to New York, reached Quebec all right and cleared for Halifax, N.S., arriving there on Wednesday afternoon, Mr. H. M. Hanna, her owner, speaks in the highest terms of her efficiency in every respect and in adispatch to the builders stated that he would leave Halifax for New York on Wednesday night. All possible advance is being made on the J. J. Hill passenger steamers at the yards of the Globe Iron Works Co. and the frames for the first one are now go- ing up. This yard has all the work contracted for that they can enter into for the present and neither money nor marbles could secure the placing of another keel on the ways for immediate delivery. Afeature in the com- pletion of the first Hill Line boat is the amount involved —$550,000. ‘This is the largest sum ever invested in one bottom on the lakes, and with the sister ship, totals the neat sum of $1,100,000. It is now learned that there is every indication of the Inland Lloyd’s register being kept in the field as the classification for all lake built tonnage, and the rules revised so as to include iron and steel ships. The removal of the principal underwriters’ offices to Chicago during the past three years, with the addition of at least two more companies at that port next season, will probably bring about the issuing of the work from Chicago instead of Buffalo. No decisive steps, how- ever, will be taken in the matter until the annual meet- ing of the general agents, at Detroit, next spring, when, if the same feeling continues that is now evinced, a domestic register, the same as has hitherto existed, in lieu of a universal classification record, will no doubt be endorsed by the general agents of the home com- panies engaged in lake underwriting. Captain Thomas Wilson, managing owner of the Wilson Transit Line, received a letter from Capt. Buie of the Wallula, which lightens a little of the odium which has been cast upon the La Salle Street tunnel, crossing Chicago river. Capt. Buie’s letter is as fol- lows: “Doubtless you already know that the Spokane was hard aground on La Salle Street tunnel. Four tugs made unsuccessful efforts to pull her off, then gave it up in the hope that the very low water prevailing yes- terday, would improve during last night, but it did not. At eight o’clock this morning I decided to bring the Wallula from the North branch, and try what we could do. Accordingly the harbor master was found and our plans made known to him, which met with his approval. He promised to hold Wells street bridge open to give the Wallula the room necessary for operating on the Spokane. I then got a heavy towline, and at 1:30 p. m. I was ready to pull on the Spokane, twenty minutes later she-was afloat and going down the river all right. We had no assistance from tugs with the exception of one to hold the Wallula in position, and I think the Wallula gave an exhibition of power to several thous-- and people, such as was never seen on Chicago creek be- fore. In regard to the Spokane, she was not overloaded, she left the Indiana elevator, which is above 18th street on the South branch, drawing 16 feet aft, 15-9 forward, she came down easily through the 18th street bridge and Taylor street bridge, considered the two worst places, but, at Washington street, a few days ago, the side fell out of an elevator, and 50,000 bushels of wheat went into the channel. ‘The Spokane had to plow through this wheat, and got stuck in it, losing several hours before she got afloat again, and in the meantime the water fell eight inches or more, which fact coupled with a little bad management on the part of the tugs, resulted in the grounding on the tunnel. Though be- yond the detention, no other loss or damage was expe- rienced.” ONTARIO SHIP RAILWAY.—CANADIAN MARINE. Specral Coriespondence to The Marine Record. ‘Toronto, CAN.—Mr. Joseph Blakeley, a prominent citizen, and a man well versed in maritime and littoral progress, stated in an interview that the building of the Ontario ship railway from the Georgian Bay to Lake Ontario would make Toronto the distributing place be- tween east and west, an advantage now practically monopolized by Buffalo. The route to the sea will be shortened so considerably that the bulk of the traffic will pass through this port, bound up or down the great lakes. Trade which is being diverted via. New Orleans, THE MARINE RECORD. owing to the congested condition of traffic on the railroads that run through the Eastern States, Mr. Blakely is convinced, would come this way. The great- est civil engineers in America and Europe have pro- nounced this ship railway certainly feasible. ‘The project has the great advantage that the trade is not to build up ; it is ready, waiting to flow into the new route. The tonnage rates for transport over this big ship railway would pay an ample dividend on double the sum of money required to construct the line, and still the cost to ships would be far below the present expense of the long water route. It is the intention of the promoters of the Ontario ship railway to use electricity as their motive power. What a dozen locomotives would do, burning tons of coal, can be done much cheaper by motors attached to the trucks under the ship. The original power will come from Lake Simcoe, which will be tapped. The charter of the company gives the right of taking water for this purpose “to from and along the line ; of building tunnels, pipes and viaducts for this end; of erecting plant for developing such power ;’? and, which is of immense importance, “disposing of surplus power and water to corporations and individuals.” Here we have the prospect of a power greatereyen than that of Niagara, brought to our doors. A hundred thousand horse power can be developed without any trouble and at very little cost. When we bear in mind the fact that the tonnage of the great lakes during about 234 days each season is largér than the combined tonnage of London and Lyiv- erpool for the whole year, the very great importance of the ship railway scheme is apparent. ‘The new steamer Arabian, owned by Capt. Fairgrieve, of Hamilton, called at this port on her way up from Montreal to Duluth. This is the first time she has been here and many people were on hand to admire her. Capt. Harry Chestnut, late of the propeller Canada, is in command, and Mr. J. C. Turnbullis purser. After the Arabian reached the Welland Canal she had an ac- cident and managed to break three gates out of Lock 4. A dispatch from Sarnia states that the propeller Can- ada, recently burned in Lake Huron, is a total wreck. A formal agreement has been drafted, and is being signed by a number of Toronto vesselowners to the effect that the subscribers will not carry grain from this port to Oswego, Charlotte, Sodus Point, Kingston, or any other Lake Ontario port for less freight rates than as follows: Balance of October, 2 cents per bush.; November 1 to 15, 24% cents; November 15 to close of season, 3cents. Lumber is to be regulated thus: rest of October, $1 per thousand feet; November 1 to 15, $1.25; November 15 to end of season, $1.50. Pick-up cargoes are to be charged extra freight, according to location. A noticeable feature of the document is that coal is left out, for which reason some shipowners will not sign. Others object on the ground that trade is already too bad to risk diverting it to other ports, which would be almost sure to happen. Hip an(ON $+ THE WEEKLY GRIST OF CHICAGO’S MARINE. Special Correspondence to The Marine Record. Cuicaco, Inys.—The Goodrich Transportation Co.’s steamer Virginia left this port Monday for Mani- towoc, where she will go into winter quarters. She has had a very successful season running between Chicago and Milwaukee. Anna Henry, aged 60 years, died October 19th, of can- cer, at her daughters, Mrs. James Hogan, 2919 Haynes street, Chicago. The deceased was the wife of George Henry, an old lake engineer, and mother of William Hendry, chief engineer of the steamer S. K. Martin. The Chicago Vesse! Owners’ Association will this week send to the Hon. Benjamin F. Tracy, Secretary of the Navy, a strong recommendation to retain Comman- der Nicol Ludlow as inspector of the Ninth Light House District. At Miller Bro.’s Dry Docks, the tug J. V. Taylor was in dock for repairs to her rudder; the fireboat Geyser for general repairs; the steamer R. J. Gordon for a new shoe and rudder post; the steamer A. D, Hayward for a new wheel and some calking; the tug Robert Tarrant for a new wheel; the steamer George Presley for a new shoe and repairs to stem; the schooner Naiad for some calking; the steamer Argo to have a leak stopped. ‘The schooner Elizabeth A. Nicholson received a new rudder stock. W. L. Brown, of Chicago, has been elected president of the Chicago Ship Building Co., in the place of Em- mons Blaine, deceased. ‘The schooner W. O. Goodman arrived in port Monday night, minus her bowsprit and some head gear, which she carried away by collision with a lumber pile at Sturgeon Bay. Repairs will be made at this port. Your correspondent happened to go on board of a lumber schooner about noon time recently, and found the captain and mate making a meal on some cold corn beef and bread. The captain kindly asked partake of some, and explained why he was ixe that way. He stated that when in Chicago a shi ago he discharged all hands except the mate and and when going up the river to a dock to unload, h the cook to ride in the boat and help to handle the r at the dock. He had not been there long when a gate from the Seaman’s Union came on board and gaye notice to the cook that he must attend at the Seaman's Union Hall, where he was fined $10 for exceeding duties as a cook. The cook left the Union and did pay the fine. = The steamer Spokane, with a big load of grain for Buffalo, got stuck on La Salle street tunnel Thursday morning, and remained there until Friday afternoon, when she was released by the steamer Wallula after re- peated efforts had been made by several of the V. O. T. tugs. Ree ‘The schooner City of Grand Rapids carried away hi jibboom and some head gear by collision with the steamer Thomas H. Smith, at a dock near the north pier, when going up the river Monday morning, at four o’clock, in tow of the tug Chicago. The steamer Thomas Maytham, recently built by the Chicago Ship-Building Company, will soon be com- — pleted and will start on her maiden trip the first week in November. The Lake Front excursion steamers took along about 30,000 passengers to the World’s Fair dedication. ‘The business was not half what it was expected to be, and few of the boats more than cleared expenses. All the steamers have gone into winter quarters, é ‘The old elevator on the west side of Chicago river, between Washington and Madison streets, collapsed and many thousands of bushels of wheat fell into the river from the bins. The transfer steamer McCormick was loading flour at the Norton flour mill, her stern lapping about 20 feet opposite the elevator, and considerable of the wheat and debris fell on herdeck. Thesteamer John Owen, coming down the river in tow of the tug Protection, was nearly an hour getting through the wheat which had fallen into the river and decreased the depth of the water. ‘The steamer Charles A. Street has been sold to H. M. Loud & Son, Oscoda, and not to Ed. Ayer & Co., Chica- go, as reported in my letter last week, the former firm having purchased her for $40,000, on the 10th inst. The Street is here with cedar ties from Alpena, Captain Thomas McCambridge continues in command. He has done excellent work with her this season, having car- ried 52 cargoes since April 25th, comprising 47 loads of jron ore, from Escanaba to Fruitport, Mich.; two loads of pig iron to Milwaukee, one load of pig iron to Buf- falo, where she loaded coal for Escanaba, and one load of ties from Alpena to Chicago. She will trade out of Oscoda with lumber in the future. WILLIAMS. LAKE SHIPBUILDERS CAN BUILD NAVAL TONNAGE. ‘Tur STEEL STEAMER BE. C. Pope CARRIES THE PENNANT FOR BiG CARGOES IN Coal, AND WHEAT. BurraLo, N. Y.—Lieutenant Corden, of the United States revenue marine, who was last week in Buffalo, told your correspondent some interesting things. He said: ‘The eastern shipbuilders will talk the treaty of 1817 till you can’t rest when there seems to be any inquiry regarding the building of some of Uncle Sam’s war vessels of such type as could get to the sea coast, by lake shipbuilders, but I think a little concerted action on the part of the latter would compel the government to consider their bids, as that treaty was abrogated by Congress in 1861, and has never again been officially declared in force.’’ The fact that Lieut. Corden is mak- ing a tour of the principal shipbuilding ports of the lakes to inquire regarding their ability to construct ves- sels of war, makes the opinion he expressed of consid- erable significance. It was also learned that the gov- ernment has been ascertaining what class of armament could be mounted on the big steel freighters of the lakes in case of trouble with England, as against the armed naval force the latter country could place at once on the inland seas. The result has been so satisfactory that there seems to be no possible need of a lake navy. Capt. John Shaw took the trip up in the steamer E. C. Pope when she carried her record breaking cargo of 3,950 tons of coal. He says there is no truth in the re- port that the steamer got aground on Grosse Point. He says she did break three buckets off her wheel, but that she drifted several lengths after her machinery stopped. A diver wasemployed who put another bucket — on the wheel, and the Pope proceeded to Chicago with — but two blades on her screw. Capt. Shaw also sa that the Pope did not load on the bottom at Chica She took on her big wheat cargo at a new eleyator South Chicago, and the slip had to be partly dre