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- THE SCRAP TOWS - During the past two months, the poet ey, of towing retired lake steamers to the scrap pile has increased far beyond the usual! Not since the great exodus after the seaway opened in 1959 have so many boats been sold to overseas and local scrap dealers in so short a time. Covered last month were the EUGENE J. BUFFINGION and J. P. MORGAN, JR., now both re- portedly at Montreal. The BUFFINGTON is scheduled to load a partial scrap cargo at Lauzon, Quebec, while the MORGAN, JR. was loaded at Milwaukee. In August the THOMAS F. COLE and D. M. CLEMSON were towed to Thunder Bay, Ontario where they will be dis- mantled by Western Metals. The GOVERNOR MILLER, by far the newest of the U.S. Steel boats to leave Duluth, was towed through the Soo Locks on August 14, on her way to Milwaukee to load scrap. The ALVA C. DINKEY, down the Soo on August 5, loaded a partial load of scrap at Milwaukee, and then was taken past Detroit on August 24 on her way to Tonnawanda, New York. The D. G. KERR, the last of the seven boats sold this Summer by U.S. Steel, reportedly has been moved from the Northern Pacific ore dock in Superior, but her present location is unknown. On August 19, the PINEDALE, used as a breakwater for the past few years, was taken to Hamilton, Ontario to be cut up. The THOMAS F. PATTON passed through the Welland Canal on August 14 from Toledo, followed closely by the CHARLES M. WHITE on August 25 and the TOM M. GIRDLER on September 4th from Lorain; all three are destined for Spanish breakers and were taken down the Seaway to Quebec City by the tugs SALVAGE MONARCH and KATHY MCALLISTER. The WHITE and PATTON subsequently departed Quebec in tandem tow behind the German tug FAIRPLAY IX on September 8. The photographers were at hand and busy! This time we include six of these vessels and hope we have photos of the others for next month. If any of our members have sighted any of these tows and/or have photographs, please let the Editor know because we would like to document these departures as completely as possible. We bid them a hearty farewell. ALVA C. DINKEY in the St. Clair River Editor's Photo Steel bulk freighter built in 1909 at Lorain, Ohio by the American Shipbuilding Company (Hull #365) US. 206090; 580.0 x 58.0 x 32.0; 7,514 gross tons. =