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.anaaian'snip starts escort of Manhattan HALIFAX (CP) - The super tanker Manhattan and the Canadian icebreaker Louis jP.* St. J^urerjt joined forces early yesterday on their wsy to test the pack ice of the eastern end of the Northwest Passage. The St. Laurent, Canada's newest and biggest icebreaker, met the Manhattan, owned by Humble Oil Ltd. of New Jersey, about 75 miles out of Halifax and the two ships headed for the southwest tip of Newfoundland. Last summer the 110,000-ton Manhattan attempted to breast the ice packs above the Arctic Circle in company with the Canadian icebreaker john A. Macdonald. The trip then was only partly successful when the Manhattan had to turn from iTs primary course covered with a solid ice cover to a more open one. This trip will be against much tougher opposition as it represents the earliest trip ever attempted into the North by ships of such size. The 10,400-ton St. Laurent, which underwent first sea trials only last fall, is 60 per cent more powerful than the MacDonald, producing 24,000 horse power. The object of the exercise is to test the feasibility of using giant tankers similar to the Manhattan as a means of getting new-found oil out of Alaska and the Yukon rather than having to build expensive pipelines over the treacherous northern permafrost. ~ closed docks, most in inuuiy. 41 5*r~ LAKEHEAD OPEN n The arrival of the Ralphs. \ Misener, owned by the Scott Misener Steamships Ltd. of St. Catharines, opened naviga- [ tion at the Lakehead April 8. The Simcoe, owned by Canada Steamship Lines Ltd., had wintered at Thunder Bay. She ; was the first to clear, leaving April 7 for St. Lawrence ports : with a load of grain.Qjb'utf fl/ , Yesterday there were five \ ships loading at the elevators, » but shipments have been de- • layed by heavy ice packed in \ the port by east ^fid northeast - winds and held at the Soo by > heavy ice in Whitefish Bay. Traffic at the Soo began to ! move Tuesday and now is considered normal. t jf-^ SEAWAY Until yesterday, traffic was ) ctill -'- ¦K- fa uH ('i^ versect shipping arriving Three ships are within a day of becoming the first ocean-going vessels to arrive in Hamilton harbor this year, more than two weeks after the harbor opened its 1970 season April 1. The delay was caused by a jam of ships at the Montreal end of the seaway. Progress through the Mon-.ieal-Lake Ontario section was further hindered by a 'juildup of ice near the No. 4 lock at Beauharnois, Quebec. NOW, HOWEVER, three ships with Hamilton cargo are within sight of their destination. The Capo Mele from Mediterranean parts and the Ro-Lchambeau from Northern 'Europe are at present in Toronto unloading cargo before coming to Hamilton. The Manchester Renown, from the United Kingdom, is in the seaway and will be sailing directly here. Tony Perry, of Hamilton Shipping Co. Ltd., agents for the three ships, expects most of them in tomorrow.