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af | Was. 1,448,850 tons, against 1,072,376 tons in 1900. piegeleisen and ferro-manganese in 1901 was 291,461 tons, against 255,977 14 MARINE REVIEW. [January 30, a MAYOR LOW ON THE ERIE CANAL. Mayor Seth Low of New York, in responding to the toast "The City of New York" at a banquet at the Waldorf-Astoria recently, made the fol- lowing remarks on the subject of improvement of the Erie canal: "We of New York, conscious of the greatness of our city, are some- times in danger of thinking that the city of New York not only is the center of the universe, but all there is of it. It is well for us, occasionally, to remind ourselves that the city of New York, after all, is only one of the great cities, though indeed the greatest, of the United States. It may not be known to all here that a few years before the American revolution an item appeared in a newspaper of Newport, R. I., calling upon the citizens of that seaport to bestir themselves or the city of New York would surpass Newport in point of commerce. It may not be known to all of you that in the early part of the nineteenth century when the three brothers arrived in America who forméd the well-known banking house of Brown Brothers & Co., the eldest brother went to Philadelphia, because that was the most important city in that day; the second brother went to Baltimore, and the third and youngest brother was assigned to the city of New York, because at that time this was the least important city. "What was it that lifted New York within half a century from that position of comparative unimportance into the easy primacy among the American cities which it has held ever since? Everybody will agree with me that it was the construction of:the Erie canal. We are face to face today with the question as to what shall be done with this old canal, which in its original condition and under the conditions of that day gave to New York its preeminence among the cities of America. I remember to have heard an anecdote told of the late Com. Vanderbilt that when he had obtained the control of the various small railroads which make up the present New York Central & Hudson River system, some one said to him: 'Commodore, now that you have got these railroads, what are you going to do with them?' His reply was: 'I am going to dry up the Erie canal and drive every boat off the Hudson river.' Of course he did not mean that as a literal statement, but what he did mean to express, I take it, was this: his supreme confidence in the possibility of cheap transportation by rail. And his vision has been largely justified. "TI suppose there is really no more troublesome problem connected with public work in the state of New York than really to determine what ought to be done about our canals. It seems to me that we can get some light upon the wise course of action by considering what has been done elsewhere in this regard. France has spent many millions of dollars in 'the last thirty years in improving her waterways. You may be very sure that a frugal country like France would have done no such thing if the use- fulness of the canal was a thing of the past. But the truth is, as I believe. that a modern canal is just as great an improvement on an old-fashioned canal as a modern railroad is an improvement on an old-fashioned rail- road. I believe it even to be a fact that in France, where the state owns many of the railroads, a private railroad company, in one instance, has contributed to the cost of the construction of the canal paralleling the road, because it believed that the canal would be an advantage to the road by enabling the road to throw upon the canal the transportation of the cheaper and bulkier freights. If I,am right in the inference that I draw from these facts--for I think I am correct in my facts as to France--it 'would seem to me to follow, inevitably, that it is still the part of wisdom for the old state of New York to improve her Erie canal in the best pos- sible way. I know that it is a question of dispute as to what is the best possible way. I am inclined to say, however, with such light as I now have upon the subject, that it seems to me the part of wisdom--and I think I am justified in saying that it is the interest of the city of New -York--to sustain the proposition made by the governor of the state on that subject in his opening message to the legislature. We shall never get anywhere unless we can agree on some plan. The plan proposed by the governor has been reached by him after one year of careful study of the report submitted: by the commission appointed by Gov. Roosevelt, and the arog at large with such facilities as the governor of the state can com- mand. "Tf there are any people in the city of New York who think that it is not wisdom for our city to support that measure, I hope they will speedily make it known to me, for, unless some convincing reason is presented to me very shortly, I propose to throw whatever influence I have as the mayor of this city in favor of this plan. It is well known that New York has become the Empire state, and the city of New York the metropolis of the country, because of the natural advantages of geography which are ours. It is through the state of New York alone that access can be had to the west over a comparatively level roadway all the way. I do not be- lieve that we shall be wise in abandoning that advantage and trusting to the tender mercy even of our own railroads, which have to make traffic 'arrangements with other railroads that have no interest in the state of -- New York. I believe it to be in every sense the interest of the state and the interest of the city to make a model canal out of our old Erie canal 'that shall do for us in the days to come, after its measure, precisely what the canal did when it was first built, help us to maintain the supremacy that is now ours. For it must never be forgotten that New York is what it is, not primarily because of the virtue of its own citizens only, but, pri- marily, because it is the culminating expression of the wealth and power and good citizenship of the United States." OFFICIAL FIGURES REGARDING PIG IRON PRODUCTION. A report just issued by the American Iron & Steel Association gives the total production of pig iron in 1901 as 15,878,354 gross tons, against 13,789,242 tons in 1900, 13.620,703 tons in 1899, 11,773,934 tons in 1898 and 9,652,680 tons in 1897. The whole number of furnaces in blast on Dec. 31, 1901, was 266, against 232 on Dec. 31, 1900, and 259 on June 30. 1901. _ Unsold stocks Dec. 31, 1901, amounted to only 70,647 tons, compared with 372,560 tons on June 30, 1901, 442,370 tons on Dec. 31, 1900, and 338,053 tons on June 30, 1900. : i The production according to fuel in 1901 was: Bituminous, 18,782.36 tons; anthracite, 1,712,527; charcoal, 360,147; charcoal and coke. 23.994. oe eee lp c ee he Ce The production of Bessemer pig iron in 1901 was 9,596,798 ' against 7,943,452 tons in 1900. The production of basic pig iron in "1901 'The production of tons in 1900.° . the company. who is now in the country, says: "The White Star line 1 'property and intend to hang on to it." BESSEMER ORE ASSOCIATION. Referring to resignation of Mr. Leonard C. Hanna of the firm of M.A. Hanna & Co. of Cleveland from the presidency of the Bessemer Ore Association, the Iron Trade Review says: "For nine years Mr. Hanna has been president of the association, and in all the counsels and plans of the ore men has led with rare ability and discrimination. The association was formed at a time when demoraliza- tion was dominant in the Lake Superior ore trade. It was organized in the face of many predictions of failure and against difficulties that in other hands might easily have been insurmountable. With perhaps the singh exception of the prices established in 1896, the decisions of the association have commended themselves to the trade as wise and conservative, and the organization has been a balance wheel to_the northern iron trade to a far greater extent than many appreciate. Its statistical work and its development of a scientific method for representing to a nicety in a price schedule the value of any ore as compared with all other ores--these alone have far more than justified its existence. Furnacemen have given ready testimony to the benefit the association has been to their industry in main- taining uniformity of prices through the year and in eliminating the specu- lative element that was formerly inseparable from ore contracts entered into oftentimes fifteen and sixteen months in advance of their termination. While Mr. Hanna has expressed a desire several times in the past few years to be relieved from the responsibilities of the presidency, he has been persuaded to retain it. This year he again urged his request, and it was acceded to. The office has passed to most competent hands, in the election of Wm. G. Mather, president of the Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Co, Mr. Mather's company is the largest merchant producer of old range ore in the Lake Superior region. ANNUAL MEETING OF SHIPMASTERS' ASSOCIATION, The Shipmasters' Association of the great lakes met in Washington last week and held a very interesting session. The association adopted a resolution petitioning the lighthouse board to provide lights for the islands of Lake Superior after the keepers have left. The keepers are usually withdrawn on Dec. 1, while navigation extends for sometime thereafter and is attended with considerable peril, owing to the absence of lights. The association desires the lighthouse board to equip the towers with Pintsch gas, which will burn an indefinite period without attention after the keepers have left their stations. A similar resolution was adopted by the Lake Carriers' Association at its annual meeting in Detroit. The association indorsed the house bill calling for one year's steam- boat experience before a license can be secured. It was recommended also that a patrol system be devised for the Detroit river. Capt. Davis of the revenue cutter service has drawn up a bill to this effect. ' Conferences were held with Congressmen Burton, Southard and Minor and several measures were projected, among them being measures condemning center pier bridges in rivers and advising the construction of breakwaters further off shore. The bill to place the revenue cutter service upon the same footing as the navy department in the matter of retiring upon pay was recommended. Death claims amounting to $12,000 were paid during the year, leaving a balance of $4,300 in the treasury. There is also a good balance to the credit of the general fund. The following offi- cers were elected: Capt. J. A. Ward, Marine City, president; 'Capt. E. E. Doville, Toledo, vice-president; Capt. Walter Hamilton, Chicago, second vice-president; Capt. W. A. Collier, Cleveland, treasurer; Capt. E. G. Ashley, Toledo, secretary. NEW BRIDGE ACROSS THE ST. LAWRENCE. According to the Evening Post negotiations have almost been com- pleted in New York and in Canada for the construction of a bridge across the St. Lawrence river at Montreal which is to be one of the largest in its class in the world. The bridge to be constructed is the Royal Albert bridge from Montreal to Longeuguil and the Montreal Bridge Co. has entered into a contract with the Atlas Construction Co. to erect it. This latter company was incorporated under the laws of New Jersey on Jan. 25 with $15,000,000 capital. In taking over this contract the construction -- company has bought out all the old interests which were held by C. N. Armstrong. The construction company plans to begin work on the bridge as soon as aid, already pledged by the province of Quebec and the city of Montreal, becomes available. The estimated cost of the bridge, with its terminals, is $10,000,000. The total length of the bridge is to be 8,800 ft. The main span, a canti- lever, which will be the largest of its kind in the continent, will be 1,260 ft. long. The height of the bridge above the water will be 150 ft., and its width 83 ft., divided as follows: A double track railway, 26 ft.; a double -- track electric railway, 22 ft.; a double highway, 23 ft. and two sidewalks, 12 ft." The weight of steel in the structure will be about 74,000,000 Ibs. and there will be 90,000,000 yards of masonry. The railroads which will be benefited by the new bridge are: The New York Central, Delaware & Hudson, Rutland, Boston & Maine, -- Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg, Great Northern of Canada, Canada Atlantic, South Shore, Atlantic & Lake Superior, Great Eastern, St. Chrysotone line, Southern Counties, Montreal Terminal, and the Montreal street railway. The Canadian Pacific might be mentioned, inasmuch as this road is extending its car-building plant and repair shops in the east oe of Montreal, adjacent to the proposed terminal of the Royal Albert -- ridge. The Falls Hollow Staybolt Co., Cuyahoga Falls, O., has issued 4 beautiful calendar. The illustration is a reproduction in colors of George Taggart's painting "The Raffle," done by the Osborne Co., New York, which has issued many exquisite calendars this season. Officials of the Falls company report that their business is increasing daily and that it guarantees every bar of its staybolt material, either iron or steel, to meet railway or government specifications and inspection. The White Star line is not for sale. Mr. J. Bruce Imray, the head of not for sale. I am satisfied with the dividends which the line is paying an so are all the other stockholders so far as I know. T think it isa go Sak: