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-Ship Yard Matters. ; An werd investment of $350,000 is represented in the new ship yard 'and dry dock plant,.of the Cleveland Ship Building Co. at Lorain, ees 'was completed Wednesday, when the steamer Fairbairn, one of the Rockefeller fleet, was docked. This investment is aside from the property - of the company at \Cleveland, where machine . shop, foundry, etc., are still maintained. Pneumatic and electric machinery is used everywhere in the Lorain plant and the difference in cost of building a ship at this yard as compared with the old Cleveland works is certainly 10 per cent or -more. 'Overhead cranes permit of the use of plates equal to the largest that are used anywhere in the world and in this there is not only a saving 'in handling charges but also in the amount of riveting required on a ship. Some bad soil was encountered in one part of the dock site several weeks ago, catsing a little anxiety, but the difficulty was overcome by - _ increasing the amount.of excavation and filling, and the entire plant is now suited in every way to, the building of ships at the lowest cost that "is attained in arty part of this country. There are nine or ten steel ships of the largest type to tbe docked before the opening of navigation, in addition to considerable repair work.on ships that will not require docking. The progress.of this work, together with the building of two steel steamers of the 6000-ton type, which are now well in frame, will keep 700 to 1,000 men employed during the next two months." Dimensions. of the Lorain dock, which is the largest on the lakes, are as follows: Length on blocks, 545 feet; length over all, 560 feet; width of gate, 66 feet; width of gate ~on top, 102 feet; depth over sill, 17 feet, Mr. Alex. MeVittie of the Detroit Dry Dock Co. told a party of ves- | sel men who calledion him during the meeting of the lake carriers that his company is now figuring on a freight steamer that will eclipse any- | thing as yet attempted on the lakes. The proposed vessel is to be 500 by 50 feet and is designed to carry 7,500 tons on 17 feet draft. Mr. Mc- Vittie figures that such a vessel can carry ore at a profit ona freight of 50 cents from the head of Lake Superior. The Dry Dock Engine works has secured another contract for a Howden hot draft equipment: Tihe vessel is the steamer Rhodes and the equipment will be installed by the _ Cleveland Ship Building Co., which has an arrangement 'with the Detroit - be in Detroit within a month: The: first two of'the six boilers-for this company 'for use; of this.draft. The Dry Dock Engine works is also building four boilers and two engines;-which are to be shipped to Seattle for service in Alaska: Work is progressing very satisfactorily on 'the new Cleveland & Buffalo line side-wheel steamer and, unless there is decided ~ change for the wofse -in the-weather, it is expected that the steamer will steamer are completed. » Material for the New York 'Central steamer, to _ be known hereafter as No. 128 at the Wyanidotte plant, has begun leaving the steel works, and' is expected that a carload a day willbe received at Wyandotte hereafter. pt 'The steel steamer for which 'Capt. John Mitchell of Clevelaitd placed a contract with the 'Globe Iron Works Co., of Cleveland, a few days ago, will 'be owned by the 2tna Steamship Co., which now operates the. » steamer Lagonda. She will be 2 feet shorter than the Mutual line steamer Coralia, 'but will have 2 feet more beam. The Globe company 'Was in a & position to 'guarantee earlier 'delivery than would be promised by any of the other builders on this steamer, but competition for the contract forced the price to a very low figure.. The ship will cost complete not more than $225,000, including an equipment of Ellis & Eaves artificial draft apparatus, | for which the Globe company has the agency on the lakes. Shé is to be completed in August. (Dimensions are 480 feet over all, 410 feet keel, 50 feet beam and 28 feet molded depth. She will have quadruple expansion engines, with low pressure cylinder of 63 inches diameter. Steam will be furnished by thrée Seotch boilers, 12..by.42 feet, fitted with Ellis & Eaves ~_ draft, and allowed 230 pounds pressure. ~ Mr. L. M. Bowers, general manager of the Bessemer Steamship Co. was fully acquainted with conditions attending the strike of riveters at F. W. Wheeler & Co.'s ship yard and the causes that led to the closing of the ship yard on Wednesday last. He was in West Bay: City immediately fol- lowing the strike and when a general advance of wages was agreed upon withthe, ship builders, he appeared before 'the workmen, addressing them - on the subject of advanced wages offered' by. their employers and stating his: position as-a representative of the Bessemer Co., for whom three big freight carriers are building at the Wheeler-yard: crag. The Craig Ship Building Co., of 'Toleds; 'has contracted with the North American Transportation Co. to build a twin-screw, sea-going tug, 105 feet tong, 23 feet, beam, and 9 feet hold." Engines will be compound _condensinig, 12 and 24 by 16 inches, designéd for 150 pounds steam. This .tug is to be used in the North Pacific ind' Behring sea. She will have a draft may bealtered from 7-to BY, feete. ~ dredges, described in recent issues of the 'Speed of 12 miles an,hour' and, water; ballast will be so arranged that her of SASS In addition to two wooden hulls' for the new Hingston & Woods nt i Review, the firm of Wm. Hing- ston & Son, Buffalo, is building two wooden tugs, of Buffalo and the other for David Baird of Camden. N. J. 'This latter tug is to go to Mobile, Ala. Capt. Alex. R. Sinclair of Duluth, who is calling on vessel owners at 1ower lake cities, says that very mild weather and the absence of snow during the past two or ithree weeks jis detrimental to logging operations at the head of the lakes, and the result may be a very short cut of lumber There were 132 millions of lumber at Duluth when navigation closed, as compared with 126 millions in the fall of 1896. Stocks at Ashland are understood to be about the same as at the close in 1896. There is considerable coarse grain coming into Duluth and Capt. Sinclair is of the opinion that there will certainly be as mu next spring than was offered én the spring of 1897, REVIEW. one for Owens & Beck - ch, if:not more, grain to nove Association of Masters and Pilots. Washington, D. C., Jan. 22.--The annual convention of the Amer Association of Masters and Pilots of Steam Vessels, which began a a. m. Jan. 17, adjourned today at noon. One of the lake representat Capt. Albert S. Fitts of Toledo, was elected to the position of grand ond pilot. In the past, meetings have been held annually, this being fifth in Washington, but by a vote of this year's session, the next ¢9 vention will take place in 1900. Annually the national officers will Meet to confer, but the regular delegate gathering has been made. biennial The association is in a prosperous condition, having several thousand names on the rolls, and the coming year will doubtless see that nu largely added to, several new harbors being now in contemplation, | - The following officers were elected to serve two years:. William Van Keuren, Rondout, N. Y., grand captain; William S. Durkee, Boston grand first pilot; Albert S. Fitts, Toledo, grand second pilot; Benjam; F.. Perkins, Camden, N. J., grand captain's clerk, and Luther B. Doy Brooklyn, grand purser; the only change being that of second pilot, ~The work of the convention was 'confined largely to a_ discussion gf legislative matters, Senate bill 95, introduced by Senator White of Cali fornia and providing for the protecting of American seamen from harsh treatment .by masters of vessels, was indorsed. Several bills have been introduced into congress, relative to the steamboat inspection Service, to the widening of drawbridges at various points, to light-houses, etc, Thess will receive the attention of the legislative committee, and this same com. mittee will also look after routine matters that will require attention throughout the year. os ' 2 These representatives were in attendance at the annual voyage: Wi liam DeGraff, New York city; John T. Fowler, Camden, N. J'. ¢ Hq Hasbrouck, Rondout, N. Y.; George W. Teeling, Albany; John @ Silva, Providence; M. L. Spedden,- Baltimore; Thomas Wallace, San Francisco; L. A. Mehaffey, Pittsburg; Benjamin M. Merrielees, Cincin. nati; Mason R. Chapman, St. Louis, Mio.; C. C. Townsend, Beaufort, S. C.; V. Beacham, Washington, D. C.; J. O. Wood, Chicago: M, BL Eusina, Savannah, Ga.; Joseph W..Davis, Port Jefferson, L. I, N. no Chas. Neatham, Buffalo; Samuel W. Gould, Cleveland; Albert S. Fitts, Toledo; D.'E. Stevens, Duluth; Edward Hendricks, Port Huron; H, @ McCallum, Detroit. oe -- | After the close of the convention all were photographed in a body, and each harbor represented will be provided with a copy. -- San EEE ae Preparing for 18938 Insurance. The general agents of 'Buffalo, Chicago, Milwaukee and Detroit, who were practically forced 'out of lake insurance last spring through the combinations formed by the McCurdy-Prime syndicate and by Johnson & Higgins, are joining forces for next season's: business, and it is expected they will bring about, before. the opening of navigation, a pool of their several companies that will enable them to again make a strong bid for business. 'One movement in this direction was the order, at-a meeting in Detroit on Thursday last, to go ahead with a revision of the Inland Lloyd's 'Register, the work being entrusted to Capt. A. B. Drake, who is experienced in inspection matters, and who wwill take up headquarters in Buffalo. Vessel owners will accordingly be prompted to delay placing their insurance until the several combinations have entered into active competition for business. Representatives of the McCurdy-Prime syn dicate have been in England for some time past dealing with their prin cipals, and it is understood that members of the firm of Johnson & Hig- gins, who just returned from the other side, were over there since the first of November. "The competition of the Chicago combination," said one of the agents at the lake carriers' meeting, 'did not result in a loss of business fo John- son & Higgins last year. They lost one fleet that was secured by the Chicago people but they obtained a big increase in business through the old general agents. The parties that suffered were the (Buffalo, Chicago and Milwaukee agents, who are now trying to bring about a pool for 1898" Convention of the Shipmasters' Association. Milwaukee, Wis. Jan. 27.--The report of Secretary W.°A. Collier, submitted at the tenth annual convention of the Ship Masters' Association of the Great Lakes, now in session in this city, shows a membership of 916. Nine death claims of $1,000 each were paid during the year and there is still a balance of $2,427 in the endowment fund and $696.43 in the general fund, from which latter fund $1,500 was recently transferred to the endowment fund. Officers elected at this meeting are as follows: -- President, W. E. Rice, Port Huron; vice-presidents, Henry Leisk of Mik waukee and H. C. McCallum of Detroit; treasurer, Lyman Hunt, Buffalo; secretary, W. A. Collier, Cleveland; chaplain, Richard Neville, Cleveland; marshal, John Jenks, Chicago; warden, H. Leland, Port Huron: set tinel, John: Ward, Marine City. The delegates include three grand officers" and one from each branch in Milwaukee, Detroit, Toledo, Bay City, Marine City, Port Huron, Cleveland and Buffalo. The association ordered a message sent to President McKinley endorsing the application of Capt C. E. 'Benham of Cleveland for the position of collector of customs fot the district of Cleveland. a yee ie Heavy Fall Coal Shipments. A statement recently made up from reports furnished by all of the cual companies of Milwaukee shows that of 845,004 tons of soft coal receive that port during the season of 1897, 316,215 tons was delivered after Nov. e Receipts of both anthracite and bituminous coal at Milwaukee during the . season of 1897, aggregated 1,492,292 tons, divided as follows: es REOETPTS OF COAL AT MILWAUKEE, SEASON OF 1897--TONS OF 2,00) POUNDS Bituminous -- Bituminous. Anthracite. Anthract j Opening of Navigation to Nov. 1 528.789 466,774 0b Fe : Nov. 1 to close of navigation...... 316,215 180,514 496,729 pies es = ---------- Uotaltullseason~e..- oar >. 845,004 647,288 493.002