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coal. water. grounding. This grounding was attributed to low She suffered no damage in the Things seemed to be running pretty smoothly in 1884 until the end of August. On the 28th, when entering Buffalo from Chicago with grain, her consort, the JOHN M. HUTCHINSON accidentally ran into the stern of the LYON doing some damage. Then on September 19, the steamer caught fire at Buffalo. She had just taken on a load of coal for Chicago and was pulling up to the William's & Company coal dock to load fuel, when flames were seen coming from the forward section of her boiler house. The 19 crewmen quickly got the firehose on the flames. With the assistance of several harbor tugs, the steamer SIR S.L. TILLEY and the lifesaving crew, the flames were extinguished. At first it was thought that the fire originated in the boiler room but investigation showed that a candle in the hold used by the coal trimmers, had been left burning on a beam under the boiler house. The damage amounted to $500. Temporary repairs were quickly undertaken and the vessel continued on her way. During the winter of 1884-85 the LYON was taken to Mills & Company Shipyard of Buffalo, where a new boiler house was built. In early May, 1885 the LYON, while headed upbound, ran into a large icefield where her shoe was disabled requiring her to stop at Detroit for drydocking. It was discovered that one of the blades of her propeller had also been sheered off. Due to the fact that a suitable wheel was unavailable at Detroit, a wheel was sent from Buffalo by rail. The delays and repairs cost her owners nearly $2,000. As the 1885 season progressed, business on the lakes began to slump and rates dropped. In late July, when the LYON's consort the JOHN M. HUTCHINSON suffered the loss of her rudder in the north branch of the Chicago River, her owners decided also to have some repairs undertaken on the LYON. By early August conditions had not much improved and the JOHN B. LYON and her consort were laid up. Her idleness was only short lived for she was back in operation within a week and finished out the remainder of the season. 1886 was probably her most trouble free season. Her normal operations were only interrupted in August when she went into the Mill's Drydock for a new wheel and some caulking. There was apparently no accident to precipitate these repairs. During winter layup of 1886-87 further work was performed on the steamer. At Miller Brothers shipyard new steel arches, stanchions, rails and bulwarks were placed in the vessel. The LYON almost made it through the 1887 season without incident but, on November 12, after loading grain for Buffalo and when leaving Chicago harbor she went aground. She knocked off three of the blades of her wheel. After being released, she had to be lightered of some of her cargo so that she could go into Miller Brother's dock for repairs to the wheel. She reloaded her cargo and headed for Buffalo. At Lime Kiln Crossing, she went aground once again. While trying to release herself, she hit a rock, sheering off all the blades from her wheel. She was taken to Detroit where it was found that the wheel would have to be replaced. Again, since no suitable replacement could be found at Detroit, another had to be sent from Buffalo. 1888 saw more of the same kind of problems. After coming out of the drydock at Mills yard, the steamer headed for Chicago. There she loaded 85,000 bushels of corn, and on clearing for Buffalo on the 23rd she went aground at the draw of the Rush St. bridge. It took several hours to release her. Continuing out of the Chicago River she once again grounded, this time opposite the U.S. lifesaving station. It took several more hours to release her. Then while in the St. Clair flats she and her consort JOHN M. HUTCHINSON grounded yet again, supposedly while attempting to pass another vessel. She then had to proceed to drydock to have her wheel replaced. Either the grounding or the new wheel required the adjustment of her shoe, for in December she went into drydock at Buffalo to fix it. Things did not improve in 1889. On April 18, the LYON as well as the ALFRED P. WRIGHT, grounded at Grosse Pointe. Due to heavy ice movement down the river, it was difficult to release the vessels. noon November 14, the steamer went aground in the Buffalo River at the foot of Washington Street. This was due to low water and several tugs were unable to release her. It was necessary to wait for the water level to rise so that the steamer could be released. To be continued next month 'S) CS)