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MARINE REVIE Entered at Cleveland Post Office as Second-class Mail Matter. Published every Thursday at 418-19 Perry-Payne Bldg., by the Marine Review Pub. Co. VOLCRAY. Subscription #0 a year, Foreign 4.50 a year. Single Copy 10 cents. No. 7 CLEVELAND, O., FEB. 18, 1902 ANNIVERSARY OF SAULT STE. MARIE CANAL. Congressman Carlos D. Sheldon of the upper peninsula of Michigan has introduced a joint resolution in the house of representatives at Wash- ington to provide for the commemoration of the semi-centennial anni- versary of the commencement of the construction of a canal at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., which occurs on June 4, 1903. Senator McMillan of Mich- igan has also sent an abbreviated resolution to the same purpose to the committee on commerce of the senate, but the language of both will un- doubtedly be made identical. When the subject was brought to the attention of Secretary of War Root he expressed himself as warmly in favor of the idea but seemed disinclined to become the responsible director of the details to carry it into effect. This objection was a reasonable one, but with the creation of the joint commission outlined in the reso- lution to take charge of the exercises the secretary would share the honors with the commission without incurring the labor of preparation. Considerable interest is manifested in the anniversary in the lake region, where the importance of Sault Ste. Marie canal is well understood. The joint resolution reads as follows: "To provide for the commemoration of the semi-centennial anniver- sary of the commencement of the construction of the ship canal between Lake Huron and Lake Superior at the falls of the St. Mary's river in the state of Michigan, occurring June 4, 1903. "Resolved by the senate and house of representatives of the United States of America in congress assembled, that the secretary of war be and is hereby authorized and directed to cause suitable measures to be taken by and with the advice and consent of the commission hereinafter created, to commemorate the first half-century anniversary of the com- mencement of the construction of the original ship canal at the falls of the St. Mary's river in the state of Michigan, which will occur on the 4th of June, 1903. "First: By the placing of a bronze tablet in a suitable position in the masonry now occupying the site of the locks built in 1853-4, or on a monument to be placed contiguous thereto, with the names inscribed thereon of the state officers, contractors and engineers officially connected with the undertaking, and including the dates of the commencement and completion of the work. "Second: By the compilation and publication of an illustrated memo- rial volume, containing biographical notices of the persons whose names 'appear on said tablet, with full historical data relating to the conditions, promoting, industrial and commercial results pertaining to said canal, and to its subsequent enlargement, growth of commercial utilization, or. otherwise. "Third: By co-operating with the state of Michigan in such local commemorative exercises as may be jointly arranged, and to which repre- sentatives of the several states and provinces of Canada, bordering on, or contiguous to, the basin of the St. Lawrence river, and of the munici- palities therein, benefited by the commercial facilities of the canal, are to be invited. "Resolved: That for the expenses incident to the execution of said measures, the sum of $50,000 is hereby appropriated. "Also resolved: That a special joint committee of the senate and house of representatives be and is hereby constituted, to be known as the Great Lake Canal Semi-Centennial Commission, to consist of five sena- tors, designated by the president of the senate, and eight representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house, to which commission the secretary of war shall refer the details of the measures mentioned in the preceding resolution, together with the auditing of the expenditures therefor, to be certified by the chairman and secretary of the commission upon due ex- amination by a sub-committee designated by it for that purpose." The Sault Ste. Marie canal is a subject of international interest in that its commerce is the largest of any of the great ship canals of the world--in fact so far does it outstrip all the rest that there is no canal justly entitled to be even second to it. An article which is published else- where in this issue goes into the minutest detail regarding the commerce of this canal during 1901 and will be found to be mighty interesting reading. While the senators and representatives of the lake states may be said to be primarily interested in the anniversary, still Sault Ste. Marie occupies a position of sufficient strategical importance commercially to claim the attention of the entire nation. It would be eminently proper, however, that the lake senators, if such they may be called, should be upon the commission, comprising Senators Hanna, McMillan, Nelson and Quarles; and of the members of the house those whose districts touch upon the great lakes, notably, the author of the resolution, and Mri E. Burton, the chairman of the committee on rivers and harbors. Others spoken of are Mr. Dalzell of Pittsburgh, a city which undeniably owes its great industrial supremacy to the Lake Superior ores; and Mr. William P. Hepburn of Iowa, whose native state sends millions of bushels of grain annually through the Sault Ste. Marie canal. With the prestige of such a national commission, Michigan would make the anniversary of its great canal an event to be remembered. No opposition is anticipated to the adoption of the joint resolution, but undoubtedly the senators and representatives in the lake region would like to hear from their districts upon the subject. It has been urged also that the boards of trade of the various large lake cities adopt suitable resolutions and forward them to congress. The contract made by the state of Michigan with the contractors for building the first canal at Sault Ste. Marie, as now on file in the state archives, is an interesting document. The contract was made with indi- viduals of which Joseph P. Fairbanks of St. Johnsbury, Vt., was the first one named, but a.proviso in the law allowed the contract to be assumed by a company, chartered by another state, as the constitution of Michigan forbade its legislature to grant special charters for any purpose. The ° state of New York came to the front with a special act, incorporating the St. Mary's Falls Ship Canal Co. with a capital of $1,000,000, and it _ was under this organization that the canal was built. Its president was Hon. Erastus Corning, of Albany, the first president of the New York Central Railroad Co. The vice-president was John W. Brooks of De- troit, general superintendent and afterward president of the Michigan Central railroad. The secretary and treasurer was Hon. John V. L. Pruyn, the legal counsel of the New York Central, and for a long time the chan- cellor of the University of New York. Besides these directors, others - were John M. Forbes, a leading capitalist of Boston, and father of the first president of the Bell Telephone Co. Hon. Erastus Fairbanks of the celebrated scale manufacturing firm of Vermont, subsequently governor of that state and one of the most efficient of the "war governors," so styled during the civil war. John F. Seymour, a distinguished citizen of Utica, N. Y., and brother of Horatio, another of the "war governors," as the executive of the state of New York at that period, afterward Demo- cratic candidate for the presidency of the United States, and James F. Joy, the distinguished lawyer of Detroit, who was the counsel for the company in Michigan. While among the incorporators was August Bel- mont, the father of the capitalist of that name, now financing the subway rapid transit of New York city, George Griswold, the leading New York tea importer of those days, and others of note too numerous to mention. The promotor and organizer of the corporation and executive manager and engineer of the construction work, was Charles T. Harvey, who was previously in confidential business relations with the Fairbanks firm, and who influenced them to take a leading part in the contract. It is also worthy of note that the last Democratic governor, McClellen, of the state of Michigan, was the one to sign the contract, or rather the lieutenant governor, Parsons, who took McClellen's place when he resigned to enter the cabinet of President Buchanan as secretary of the interior. The first Republican governor, Kinsley S. Bingham, took office in time to inspect and approve the canal when completed, and Mr. John Burt became its first state superintendent. ORE CONTRACTS AT 80 CENTS. Contracts to move a considerable block of ore from the head of the lakes have been made at 80 cents during the past few days, which is the same as the contract rate that prevailed last year. Quite a flurry was caused among the vesselmen when the United States Steel Corporation endeavored to establish a rate of 75 cents from the head of the lakes, which means 65 cents from Marquette and 55 cents from Escanaba. The rate was naturally not accepted. In the face of it minor shipping interests covered a block of 500,000 tons at the 80 cent rate. This was on Friday last. On Tuesday of this week Corrigan, McKinney & Co. chartered vessels to carry 1,300,000 tons of ore from ports at the head of the lakes at 80 cents. This makes .a total of 1,800,000 tons at the 80 cent rate.. Among the owners who have taken 80 cent tonnage are J. C.. Gilchrist, Capt. John Mitchell, Hutchinson & Co., W. A. Hawgood & Co., W. C. Richardson, W. H. Becker, Capt. J. H. Bartow, Capt. John Corrigan and ' Capt. James Corrigan, : The contracts that were made by Corrigan, Mc- Kinney & Co. run up to Nov. 20. Last year contracts made by the United: States Steel Corporation were for the full season. In addition, contracts for two blocks of ore of 50,000 tons each, to be shipped from Escanaba, were made at 60 cents. The bulk of the ore already chartered will be carried in medium sized vessels as the shippers have not the accommodations to take care of the greater ships at all times. The vesselmen believe now that they have the situation well in hand, though the Steel Corporation and other shippers have not modified their original offer of 75 cents.. The shipping manager of the Steel Cor- poration states with confidence that vessels will be signed at that figure when the time comes. In all other lines the freight market is very quiet. The lumber men have not chartered tonnage nor has the Lumber Carriers' Association taken any action in regard to carrying charges. The United States Coal Co., of which Messrs. M. A. Bradley and Robert R. Rhodes of Cleveland are the principal stockholders, has just closed a deal for some of the most desirable coal land in the state. The work of developing the property will begin at once. The coal fields are reached by a number of railroads, including the new one which is under construction by Calvary Morris and others of Cleveland. About 18,000 acres are controlled, embracing 230 farms. The land is in the vicinity of Steubenville. A special dispatch from Washington says: "A bill in the interests of light-house keepers has been introduced by Representative Maynard. It makes the salaries of the keepers $50 a month and assistants $40, but the more important feature is the provision that after ten years' continuous service keepers and assistants who become disabled shall be pensioned on half pay. Discretionary power is given the secretary of the treasury to determine who shall be entitled to pensions." J. M. Longyear of Marquette had a hearing before the house rivers and harbors committee at Washington this week to urge an appropriation for a survey in order to determine the cost of building a breakwater in the bay near the harbor, so as to establish a harbor of refuge. Senator Mc- Millan also received a telegram from President Livingstone of the Lake Carriers' Association, stating that a harbor of refuge is greatly desired at Marquette. : It is now claimed that the big schooners are more in demand at'prés- ent than barges for carrying coal and more of the former have been built than the latter in Maine ship yards. No barks or barkentines have been built in recent years and no brig in the eastern part of the country since the Telos was launched at Bangor, Me., in 1883,