British Whig (Kingston, ON), 24 Oct 1913

p.1

BOATS ARE DELAYED BY COLD WEATHER

Duluth, Minn., Oct. 24th - Vessels arriving in the Duluth-Superior harbor yesterday were covered with snow. Practically all of the delayed fleet is in port.

According to the vessel captains a dozen boats were sheltering in Portage during the worst part of the storm, and they waited from twelve to sixteen hours for the heavy north-wester to moderate.

Fifteen boats were waiting to be loaded at the docks and would have been despatched had the ore not been frozen, making it hard to handle. This is exceptionally early in the season for the movement to be hampered by the cold. Predictions are being made that there will be little loading after Nov. 1st.

p.2 Next Year's Regatta - of Lake Yacht Racing Association may be held at Kingston.

BARGE DID NOT SINK

The Ceylon Drifted Ashore Near Long Point.

The barge Ceylon, of the Montreal Transportation company, which it was feared had sunk in Lake Ontario during the storm on Wednesday night, drifted ashore on Thursday, about five or seven miles this side of Long Point. She is at present there about half a mile from the shore, between Point Petre and South Bay point, on the mud bottom. Dale & Co. of Montreal have the insurance on the cargo of grain, and they have notified the Donnelly Wrecking company of this city, to look after their interests.

The Ceylon, on the night of the accident, was, with the barge Burmah, in tow of the tug Bartlett, of the M.T. Co., coming from Port Colborne loaded with 55,000 bushels of grain for Montreal. The Ceylon, progressing to Kingston, met reverses. Water came into her hold, apparently through her hatchways. After she had signalled her distress to the Bartlett, Capt. R. Siddell and the crew of the barge were taken on board the tug, which with the Burmah abandoned the Ceylon. She drifted away with the sea rolling over her, and was reported sunk. The Bartlett and the Burmah arrived here on Thursday afternoon.

However, a farmer driving into Picton about Thursday noon reported that he had sighted a vessel drifting ashore some miles up. Finally the M.T. office here and the Donnelly Co. were notified that it was the Ceylon. To what extent the damage is, has not been definitely learned, but it is reported the Ceylon is well filled with water. The sea was still running too high on Friday morning for any vessel to go to her assistance.

The spot where the barge is lying is about forty-five or fifty miles from Kingston, in the vicinity where the steamers Donnnacona, Phoenix, and others, have run ashore. The Ceylon is considered to be in capital condition. Her hull is very strong. She is 205 feet in length, with a 36 foot beam, and 15 feet in depth of hold. She was built in 1891, and was sold with the barge Burmah, by the Calvin company, to the M.T. concern this month.

IN MARINE CIRCLES

A number of captains of lake steamers who arrived in the city on Thursday and Friday state that the gale which was blowing on Wednesday and Thursday was the worst they had experienced in years. All night Thursday the wind was so strong that very little headway could be made and as a result she had to lie at anchor.

M.T. Co.s elevator: steamers Hamiltonian and Fairmount are discharging their cargo of grain from Fort William; tugs Thomson and Bronson will clear on Friday for Montreal with two grain barges. Tug Bartlett will clear for Port Dalhousie with a dredge and mud scows. Tug Glide arrived with two light barges from Montreal.

The steamer City of Ottawa was thirty hours late on leaving Kingston on her up trip on Friday morning. Owing to the storm on the river and lake she was delayed. The Hamilton laid at Swift's all Thursday night, and cleared west at six o'clock Friday morning.

The steamer Saginaw, of the Donnelly company, on Friday moning went to the assistance of the steamer Navajo, which went aground on Wednesday night on the reach between Picton and Deseronto, near Hay Bay.