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MARINE Won. VI. CLEVELAND, OHIO, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1892. REVIEW. ING? ee Demanding Standard Systems of Inspection. In all parts of the lakes owners and builders of steel vessels are beginning to show the results of serious consideration ac- corded to the Western Reserve accident. 'The great question of structural strength of lake steamers now brought out so forcibly does not belong alone to the builders of the Western Reserve, nor to any one ship building or ship-owning concern of the lakes, as events of the past ten days very clearly show. Neither will it be solved by any great meeting of underwriters, or the promulgation of any one set of rules to govern construction. Greater strength and more cate in the navigation of these ves- sels will be brought about by owners and representatives of the underwriters, who have already begun the work. An initial step in this direction is now being made at the ship yard of F. W. Wheeler & Co., West Bay City. Mich., where Mr. EH. Platt Stratton, consulting engineer of the Ameri- can Shipmasters' Association of New York, publishers of the Record of American and Foreign Shipping, is making arrange- ments preparatory to giving a classification to the two steel boats building there for the Hawgood and Avery Transit Com- pany and the Mitchell Transportation Company of Cleveland. The contract for the Hawgood boat called for construction under the rules of the American Shipmasters' Association, and Mr. Stratton, who can be looked to as the chief authority on naval architecture in the organization, made the broad statement while in Cleveland that there is not another steel vessel on the lakes, under construction or in commission, that would be given in present condition, a classification under the rules of the associa- tion which he represents. Mr. F. W. Wheeler became acquain- ted with the methods of this association on the coast, and its standing among underwriters throughout the world, while build- ing the steamers Mactinaw and Keweenaw, and the steel tug which the firm of F. W. Wheeler & Co. sent to the coast recent- ly. Mr. Stratton is now in Bay City for the purpose of begin- ning the work of inspection on the Hawgood and Mitchell boats, and the American Shipmasters' Association will, of course, be paid for this service by the owners of the vessels. In this connection some questions naturally arising are these: What benefits do owners derive from such inspection? Why was not this association and others of its kind called into service with the beginning of the work of building steel vessels on the lakes? Why have foreign as well as home underwriters given extremely low rates of insurance to lake vessels if there was any need of such inspection? The answer toall thisis con- tained in the single statement that the owners seeking inspec- tion and classification for their vessels in this way are looking to the future. Although the insurance business of next year may go on just as it has in the past, it is admttted on all hands that underwriters taking risks on Jake vessels have" had virtually no standard system of classification. New York brokers, who have placed insurance business in England, have done so under late customs and on the strength of general confidence in the stability of lake vessels. If more than this is to be demanded by under- writers in order to secure low rates of insurance the owners here referred to want to be prepared with a classification that carries weight among insurers. That the American Shipmasters' Association is a recognized authority in this country there is no doubt. On account of the inferior position which the United States holds as a maritime nation it is not, of course, as broad an institution as that branch of the British Lloyds, publishing a register, or the Bureau Veri- tas of France. A rating in its register is, however, a matter of great value to any vessel, and unless some broad and compre- hensive plan of local inspection is established on the lakes it may be expected that this association will soon gain a strong foot- hold here, A representative of the Bureau Veritas, the French organ- ization of a kind similar to the American Shipmasters' Associa- tion, has been on the lakes recently investigating the subject of inspection, bnt as yet it has not been learned that anything has been done by that body. It was announced also that the United States Steamship Owners,' Underwriters' and Builders' Associa- tion of New York, an organization which publishes a register on a smaller scale, would ask for a conference of insurance agents in Detroit shortly, on the subject of inspection of lake vessels. It is hardly probable that such a conference would, however, amount to anything if it is held, as it would be extremely diffi- cult to unite underwriters on any set plan of action, and the benefits to be derived from improved inspection must come about largely through individual work with builders and owners. Lake Freight Matters. No boom has come over the freight market, but there is a strong, advancing tendency in grain that seems destined to again bring about closing rates for the season that will make the pro- fits of the vessel owner whose boats have been running wild about equal to those of the owner who contracted for a season's business. 'This is only an opinion based on present strength in the market. 'The grain movement must continue to the end in order to hold up the freight market. A blockade at Buffalo or even a moderate falling offin the present movement would re- duce rates, as little assistance will be given the market by ore shippers. Most vessel owners have confidence in steady grain shipments to the close of the season, however, and although the receipts of grain at seaboard points are largely in excess of ex- ports, the willingness shown by Duluth shippers to charter ves- sels ahead is a very strong factor in the market. If any large quantity of tonnage was offered to load at Duluth about the roth of the coming month, itis more than probable that 4 cents could be secured on wheat to Buffalo. On ore from Ashland and Two Harbors it will.be necessary, of course, to pay rates about equal to the high figures on grain, but shipments will be reduced accordingly. Already $1.25 has been paid on ore from Ashland and $1.10 from Marquette, but the short supply of coal for Lake Superior enables Escanaba shippers, who have moved the great bulk of the ore which they have sold, to get a few boats at 75 "cents. Lumber shipments from Lake Superior are also an import- ant feature of the market. On one day of last week fifteen lum- ber carriers were in Ashland loading or awaiting a turn at the docks. They were all gotten out within a few days, and took with them 11,485,000 feet of lumber. This record of shipments from Ashland alone will give some idea of the growth of the lumber business at the head of Iyake Superior. Ona few car- - goes to Chicago $3.50 has been paid, and it is probable that the same figure could be secured to Buffalo if boats were offered. Representatives of lumber companies at the head of the lakes have been to Cleveland and other lake ports looking for boats, but have not been very successful. In this trade, asin the ore and grain business of Lake Superior, there is great difficulty in getting coal cargoes, and most vessel owners are opposed to having their boats go up light.