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The miner's strike continues with no settlement in sight. It now appears doubtful that any |= the loc eeasl fleet will fully refit this season barring an early settlement. At the Soo, only the Poe lock William J. Luke, Editor is in operation during the night shift. The 4 supply boat OJIBWAY has laid up. The Tin Stacker © BENJAMIN F.FAIRLESS cleared Toledo on the evening of October 3rd with grain for Baie Comeau then on to Port Cartier for ore for a Lake Erie port.** Only Big Steel has utilized the Seaway facilities to the Gulf of St,Lawrence during this interruption to normal service this late summer and early fall season, Their IRVING S.OLDS, idle at Lorain for bottom damage repair since late June, reentered service on September 17th bound for stone at Calcite. While still in upper Lakes' trade as of early October, it is presumed she will join her four sister "Supers" in the St.Lawrence ore trade, carrying Labrador ore to Lake Erie ports. *** The only other American ore carriers to journey below Lake Erie during this strike are three units of the Columbia fleet ( WILLIAM R.ROESCH, PAUL THAYER and WOLVERINE) which have been in regular transit of the Welland Canal to Picton for ore. *#* A substantial number of Canadian lakers have been engaged in carriage of Labrador ore from St.Lawrence ports to the upper Lakes, %#* U.S. Steel's RALPH H.WATSON is in layup at the Lakes' newest repair facility, the Sault Ste. Marie Yard and Marine Company, located on 17 acres of leased land at the old Carbide plant Dock at the Soo. The WATSON, along with the SEWELL AVERY and THOMAS WeLAMONT, are scheduled for winter repair at this new layup point, *#* It is now apparent that the cruise vessel LOWELL THOMAS EXPLORER had little chance of enter- ing her scheduled upper Lakes service this year. A Montreal shipyard claimed $559, 000 in repair work services in May against her owner, Midwest Cruises, Inc., along with three other suits including Charter New York Leasing Corp., holders of a $400,000 mortgage. Back wages of $85,000 were involved in a crew walkoff at Montreal in late May. ** The head of a Finland-based conglomerate announced in Chicago in mid-September that year-around Lake navigation would be possible through the use of Finnish-built and designed ice breakers. Purchase of vessels of this design and _ capability for the US Coast Guard was said to be backed by "key congressmen", rt Great Lakes Towing Company has contracted with the McDermott Shipyard Group of Louisiana for a $3,000,000., 5,600 hp tug for July 1978 delivery. *** The Canadian Government increased its subsidy from 12% to 20% for the construction of vessels in Canadian yards for a six-month period ending August 3lst,1977. Just what sti- mulus this temporary increase on orders involving Canadian Lake and Seaway yards has not been outlined, ‘* Marine Salvage Ltd. has succeeded in selling the tanker IMPERIAL LONDON to Honduran interests, She was towed down the Welland Canal on September 8th by the tugs STORMONT and PRINCESS NO.1 enroute to Whitby for dry- docking. Her new owners, Fletmar, S.A., will rename her VALLE DE AGUAN. *** The Canadian tanker LIQUILASSIE departed Toronto on August 30th in tow of the tug ARGUE MARTIN for Hamilton where she will be cut down to a deck barge for use on a run between Windsor and Sarnia. Also at Hamilton is the former Upper Lakes Shipping bulker THORNHILL, moored at the Strathearne Terminal, awaiting ela for over a year. Untouched to date, her engine may be sold for further use. When International Harvester sold its Wisconsin Steel Division to eee oe of Los Angeles earlier this year, the steamer THE INTERNATIONAL was included. Accor= ding to reliable sources she will be rechristened MAXINE, presumably honoring the new owner's Chairman's wife, ** Fraser Shipyards, Inc., has been sold to Reuben Johnson & Son, Inc., a Superior, Wisconsin construction firm, The announcement of this transfer was made September 2nd, wt ‘Boco's 1,000-foot BELLE RIVER loaded 62,802 net tons of low sulphur coal at Superior's Midwest Energy Terminal on her initial docking there on Sept,2nd, That record-loading cargo was bettered to a 726 net tons on her second dispatch of September llth. Gaelic Tugboat Company 4 KINSALE has sustained severe engine damage and has been replaced by the pany new- N ly-acquired SHANNON, ‘et Canada Steamship Lines' 730-foot LOUIS R,DES MARAIS, in Continued on Page $ 4