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MARINE REVIEW. Wo. LX. CLEVELAND, @., JUNE 14, 1894. No. 24. Initial Trip of the North West, Notwithstanding circumstances combined to delay the North West on her first trip between Buffalo and Duluth, there is no doubt but that she can make her schedule time without difficulty. An unofficial log of the first trip will be interesting to those who are watching the performance of this passenger express craft. She left Buffalo, Tuesday June 5, 9:30 p. m., eastern time, arriving in Cleveland 6 a, m On this run the steamer logged as high as twenty miles an hour. She left Cleveland about 8 a. m., arriving in Detroit at 3 o'clock, leaving a half hour later. When she came into the Hay lake channel she was on time, but lost an hour in checking down going through the rock cut. This hour was the cause of several hours delay caused by the other vessels reaching the lock ahead of the North West. About six hours delay ensued and it was 6:30 p.m. Thursday when the white steamer got away towards Lake Superior. Her schedule time from the Sault to Duluth is 20 hours and she made it 21% hours, arriving at Duluth at 2:30 p. m., Friday, the afternoon being given up toa half-holiday. Residences were decorated and parties of from 200 to 300 had come by special train from Minneapolis and St. Paul. An excursion was given during the afternoon, the boat being inspected by Prest. James J. Hill of the Great Northern Railway, principal owner of the boat. All night was consumed in getting fuel, which will not be necessary in future trips, so it was 5:30 a. m., Saturday, when the North West left the head of the lakes. 'his was unfortunate as nothing was to be gained by reaching the Sault before daylight, and when it was found that an ordinary speed was going to bring that result, she was checked down at Whitefish point, arriving at the Sault at 5:30 a.m., Sunday. From the Sault to Detroit she made schedule time, but fron: Detroit to Cleveland and on the way to Buffalo, several boilers were shut off on account of the coal having been placed mostly in the forward bunkers at Duluth, and it was found that it could not be passed to advantage. The inauguration of such service entails a vast amount of detail, and that the North West was ready to start on her second trip only 45 minutes late, 30 of which were made up before reaching Cleveland, shows that the Northern Steamship Company's managers kuew what they were about when they said they could run a passenger steamer on schedule time at passenger train speed. Passengers state that the service is the best afforded, and the cuisine is all that could be desired The passenger list on the second trip showed an encouraging increase and it will only require a season of hot weather to demonstrate that the enterprise of the com- pany in giving the lakes the finest exclusive passenger steamer in the world, will be productive of something more substantial than honor and glory. It is understood that the engines developed over 6,000 horse power, as shown by some tests made during the trip. This was while the engines were running from 100 to 110 revolutions. The Freight Situation. So much attention has been attached in connection with lake freight matters, to the settlement of the coal strike that a dispatch from Ironwood stating that the iron miners had demanded an increase of from 25 to 50 cents per day, attracted little attention. It is quite probable, how- ever, that a general strike among miners in the Lake Superior region will be inaugurated soon. 'This is something that brokers have not taken into consideration, but the heavy shipments of iron ore, as shown by the Sault canal reports, would indicate that shippers have been aware of this and have accordingly taken more wild tonnage than they would have done under other circumstances. When the coal strike has been cleared up, as is now hoped for, their still remains the coke strike. Altogether the outlook is far from bright, and a prominent broker summed it up by say- ing that the situation has been better, even this year. There is alittle doubt but that the present rates on ore, Escanaba 50 cents, Marquette 65 and head of Lake Superior 80 cents, will hold for Some time to come, although there were some fears of the Escanaba rate breaking. The price of fuel at Lake Erie ports begins to settle as the de- mand begins to be supplied, but coal for shipment will not be a factor in lake freights for a week or ten days, though a few straggling cargoes may besecured. Brokers that are posted on the coal situation say that when Coal does begin to arrive for shipment it will come very slowly. Fair quantities of fuel are attainable in Cleveland at $3.25, and it will continue to arrive steadily from now on, although the situation along the C. L. & W. Ry., a chief line of supply, is improving. The fact that even with the fuel supply limited the feeling among brokers for maintainance of present rates is weak, bodes no good when fuel becomes plenty, and tonnage tied up for lack of it is put into the market, in addition to that which will fit out for the first time during the season, as soon as coal freights become profitable. The 45 cent rate on coal Buffalo to Chicago is endorsed by a few charters every day, and if the grain rate at Chicago had only held its own there might have been some encouragement in the situation. Hadthe coal strikers won a complete victory and gone to work simultaneously in all parts of the country, fur- nishing a good supply for shipment, the lake freight sick man could have been eficouraged with promises of recovery, instead of a lingering illness as at present. Determination, however, sometimes keep very sick men from death's door. Launch of the Superior 72 Years Ago. Mr. G. W. Jones, the oldest lake ship builder that is still alive, presents an interesting account of the launch of the Superior, built the same year that the Walk-in-the-Water was lost. It was written by Wm. Hodge, who was present at the launch. Mr. Jones built the first vessel on Lake Superior, the John Jacob Astor, in 1835, for the American Fur Company. The material was gotten out at Lorain and hauled around the rapids at the Sault. ' The account gives the dates of the launch, first trip: and loss of the Walk-in-the-Water. Inaugural excursions were in vogue even in those days. On August 25, 1818, an excursion was given the citizens of Buffalo to Point Abino and return. The account continues as follows: "The next boat built was in the village of Buffalo at the foot of Wash- ington street, and was called the Superior. She was launched April 16, 1822. Before the launch a number of men were permitted to climb aboard. Many hundreds (I cannot say thousands as our whole town contained less than 2,000 inhabitants) were assembled to see her launched. When all things were ready word was given. Then commenced the rattling of the sledges of the ship carpenters who lay under the boat knocking out the blocks. Soon she started. All watched with breathless anxiety as the boat was sliding down the ways. Each one seemed to be holding his breath when, just at the right moment, a negro called Whistling Tom gave a shrillimitation of a bugle note. This seemed to electrify all present and then went up from the multitude (?) ashout that made the welkin ring. The next minute there were several skiffs manned and with pikes and boat hooks they were saving the floating timber that was carried into the water. Inthe midst of the confusion acry came from the hull that needed attention, A man had got his leg broken. Doc. Congdon, who was quite acorpulent man, bustled around for some time, not having the agility to climb up from a skiff to get aboard. He finolly succeeded, however. A broken leg was not a very common occurrence in our village. It was caused by the lurch of the boat when the keelstruck the water. There were some greasy trousers that day among the boys, caused by climbing over the greasy ways. "Among those from the country was a girl and boy. They were used to walking logs and did not hesitate to cross the ways. The girl fell down and was prevented from being launched by the timely assistance of the boy." Speed and Cargo Records--Lake Freight Boats. Iron ore: Maritana, Minnesota Steamship Company of Cleveland, 4,260 gross or 4,771 net tons, Escanaba to South Chicago; S.S. Curry, Hawgood & Avery Transit Company of Cleveland, 3,852 gross or 4,314 net tons, Escanaba to Fairport; Merida, Whitney Trans. Co. of Detroit, 3,320 gross tons, 3,718 net tons, Ashland to Lake Erie. Grain: Selwyn Eddy, Eddy Transportation Company of Bay City, 130,820 bushels of whcat, Detroit to Buffalo; Centurion, Hopkius Trans- portation Company, St. Clair, Mich, 147,812 bushels of corn, Chicago to Erie; Onoko, Minch estate, Cleveland, 187,657 bushels of oats, Chicago to Buffalo. Coal: E. C. Pope, Eddy Bros. of Bay City, 3,950 net tons anthracite Buffalo to Chicago. Speed: Oswego, Union Line of Buffalo, Buffalo to Chicago, 889 miles, 54 hours and 16 minutes, 16.4 miles an hour. Judge Nelson of St Paul gave judgment for $2,000 to O. Enstrom, state grain inspector, who fell into the hold of the City of Naples. De- fendants claim the inspector had no business aboard the vessel and that they are not liable for the mishap.