Shenango No. 2 (Ferry), 16 Mar 1899

      With the thermometer in the region of the great lakes ranging from 18 degrees belong zero on Lake Erie to 30 or more below on Lake Superior during the recent period of extreme cold weather, it is not surprising that some of the winter lines of car terries and ironed propellers have met with serious drawbacks. The small pictures presented herewith were made from kodak views of the car ferry steamer SHENANGO NO. 1, which for snore that, a month past has been floating around Lake Erie in the vicinity of Long Point, with a great mass of ice piled mountains high around her. A part of the crew have remained with the vessel since she was caught in the ice off Port Burwell, Ont. (Canadian shore) on Jan. 25. At last accounts the vessel was still in good condition in the center of the big ice field, fifteen miles off a place called Clear Creek. Ont., and the men in charge went ashore each day for provisions and other supplies but entertained no hope of release of their ship until heavy winds and moderate weather combined to break up the ice.
      This vessel is one of the two car ferries, SHENANGO NO. 1 and SHENANGO NO. 2, built three or four years ago for the transportation of railway cars, laden mostly with coal, between Conneaut, O., and the Canadian shore across Lake Erie. The venture was not altogether successful, and one of the car ferries was transferred, some time ago, to Lake Michigan service. The SHENANGO's are not high-powered car carriers of the kind that are used in the Straits of Mackinac, and in crossing a long stretch of open water on Lake Erie they were not able to keep up a regular service even in the heavy weather of fall months. The traffic also fell short of what was expected. It is probable, however, that notwithstanding the present unsatisfactory position of this vessel in a great field of ice she will be released without special difficulty. The Review is indebted to W. A. McLeod and Robert Matson, who were aboard the SHENANGO, for the pictures.
      The Marine Review
      March 2, 1899