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GRAIN HANDLING IN EARLY DAYS. The following communication in the Buffalo Express on early methods of unloading grain is quite interest- ing: An article in the MARINE REVIEW, Cleveland, O., May 30, gives a sketch of the easy work and methods in handling grain in Buffalo, with men- tion of the first elevator: built, the Dart elevator, which stood where the Bennett elevator now stands. The illustrations show some of the old floating elevators, two or three of the 'THE Marine Review ing the grain. Flour was rolled into the warehouse until some of the wheat could be reached, then the wheat was carried out on the other side and placed in the hopper until no more could be reached, when the process was repeated: until the entire cargo was discharged. Junius S. SmirH, Buffalo, June 3. MEAN STAGES OF WATER. The United States lake survey re- ports the heights of water in the lakes for the month of May this SHOWING THE PRESENT CONDITION OF THE GREAT RETAINING WALL AT THE . * s HEAD OF NO. ; older houses and some of the great modern elevators. This reminds me of work later than the Dart elevator--primitive work-- where no elevator could' be used. _In 1852 and 1853 the propeller Char- -ter Oak, Captain Nicholas Gebhart, Clerk William H. Cobb, made a num- ber of trips from Cleveland to Buf- falo. In loading at. Cleveland. several tiers of flour in barrels were placed on the bottom of the hold, then wheat in bulk was poured over the barrels, filling the interstices, then more flour and more wheat until the hold was full. At. Buffalo. she went to the dock and warehouses of Reynolds & Deshler, central wharf--the building afterward used by the board of trade until 1883. Making fast to the dock, skids were placed to run her flour to the warehouse and outside was a canal boat to receive the wheat. The boats then carrying only about 90 tons--3,000 bushels. Over a _ hatch was placed a grain hopper of a capa- city of about 20 bushels, the hopper having a steelyard beam for weigh- 2 DRY DOCK, year, last season, and during the low-water period of 1895, as fol- lows: Feet above mean tide at New York. 'Dbhis: > Last: year. year, . 1895, Lake Superior... 602.12 602.48 602.38 Lake Michigan. 581.09 581.27 580.13 Lake Huron...: 581.06 581.20 - 580.12 Lake, Evie. <.. i. 572.80:*'5/2.40 . 571.48 'Lake Ontario... 247.04 246.51 244.96 Lake Superior was lower than for any May 'since 1898, when it was down to '601.70. Lakes Michigan and Huron were higher than for* any May since 1894, except last year. Lake Erie was nearly half a foot higher than in May last year, and higher than for any May since 1894 except the two years 1903 and_ 1904. Lake Ontario was the same height as in May, 1893, and higher than for any May since that time with the single exception of 1904; The outlook for good draughts is most excellent; as the lakes should go on rising until the middle of July. With Lakes Huron and_ Erié at a ' for 23 good stage, draughts im the lower De- troit river are sure to be good. SHORTAGES IN CANADIAN GRAIN CARGOES. Editor Martine Review:--Regarding | the out-turn of grain cargoes shipped from Fort William and Port Arthur, if the mates of all steamers loading grain at those ports would secure from the government weighmaster the numbers of the different shipping bins into which any part of his cargo had been weighed, and before his steamer would leave the dock see to it per- sonally that there was no grain left in any of those bins, I will venture to say that there will be no large 'short- age to contend with. It is not the elevator that gains by those shortages but the next vessel to: load after the one which has the shortage. The weighing at Fort William and Port Arthur is all done under the supervision of the government weigh- master, and it is their duty to see to it that the grain after being weighed goes into the shipping bins which it is' intended, therefore there is but one way for those large. shortages to: occtr, and that ts. for the boat to leave the dock with part of the cargo weighed up for her still in the shipping bin for the next boat loading to get. Yours truly, JosePpH A, BoLAnp. Room 7 and 8, Coal & Iron Exchange, . Buffalo, June 10. A memorial window has been placed in the new First Presbyterian church at Two Harbors, Minn. On the Sun- day following the great storm of No- . vember 28, 1905, a special service was held in the church and a special invi- tation was extended to all sailors. At this service the plan was evolved of putting a window in the new church to the memory of the sailors whe lost their lives in the storm. The church is just completed and the seamen's window is one of its most attractive features. The window was designed and made by the Pittsburg Plate Glass Co. The steamer Nyanza, which loaded a cargo of corn at the Wabash elevator at Buffalo, was recently detained in the south branch near Thirty-first street, Chicago. Tugs were unable to pull the deeply-laden vessel through the draw of the railroad bridge at that point. Dredgers were'sent for to clear out the draw.