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24 MARINE REVIEW. [June 12 FIRST STEAMBOAT TRIP ON LAKE SUPERIOR. The story of the first steamboat ride on Lake Superior on the Inde- pendence is told by Lewis Marvill of Parksville, St. Joseph county, Mich., in an article which appeared in the Ontonagon County Miner. While written from memory it has every appearance of authenticity and is there- fore of historical value. Mr. Marvill says: E "My memory carries me back to the spring of 1845, or more than one-half of a century, and I have a vivid recollection of standing on Dorr & Webb's dock in Detroit early in the spring watching the process of transforming a little tub of a sloop, of about 15 tons, into a fore-and-after, called the Ocean. My funds being rather low I determined to ship if I could, and ship I did. We took ina cargo of fish for Sandusky and Milan, O., and in due time sailed for those ports, and returned without any mishaps. We then received orders to fit up for Lake Superior, which we accordingly did, but being slightly indisposed when we got ready, I could not proceed with the vessel, which sailed without me. Some time in June, the same firm that owned the Ocean bought and fitted up the topsail schooner Merchant of about 75 tons, Capt. John Watson, for the same trade, i. e., Lake Superior, and I being determined to visit. that famous lake, shipped on her, with the understanding that I might join my own ship (the Ocean) at the Sault if I felt so disposed. In due time we took on board all the necessary materials for taking both vessels, the Ocean and Merchant, over the rapids and reached the Sault, where we found the Ocean waiting for us. We fell to and worked her over in short meter, and then tackled the larger one, the Merchant. They were taken over on rollers the same as buildings are sometimes moved.. When we had her about half way across, word came that a steamer had just arrived from Chicago, with all the rigging on board, to be taken over the rapids. A few days after a misunderstanding arose among the crew of the Merchant, and a part of them quit and left her. Hearing that they were in want of a porter on board the newly arrived steamer Independence, then lying at McKnight's dock getting ready to be hauled over, I applied and got the berth of porter and immediately began my duties as such. "Everything being in readiness the ship was hauled out of the water, and began its transit across the neck of land forming the rapids. No mis- haps occurring, the process of hauling progressed slowly but surely, and in about seven weeks we were again launched in the river at the head of the falls. In the meantime the schooner Napoleon of about 150 tons, was being put together (her whole works having been got out and shipped there ready) and she was launched a short time before the Independence, and so was the Merchant, she having stuck in the process of launching, which caused considerable delay. By this time it had got to be quite late in the fall and it began to be feared that we would not be able to make the trip before we were froze in. But finally we got away with a crew of four- teen men and steamed up the lake. The first place we touched at was Copper Harbor, or Fort Wilkins (no such place as Marquette then being thought of), where we found a small garrison and two or three log huts. The next in order was Eagle Harbor, where there were a few prospectors, and then on to Eagle river, where we discharged the most of our cargo, but before we could throw off some fifty kegs of powder the wind raised from the northwest and kicked up such a sea that we had to weigh anchor and leave. We shaped our course for La Point but made very poor head- way, the wind being almost ahead. We, however, persevered till we got within sight of the Apostle islands, when the wind freshened into a gale and we had to turn about and run before it and make for the lee of Kewee- naw point, the nearest harbor that we dare enter with safety. In the meantime the seas got running so high that it tossed our little steamer like a shell and rolled so heavy that the stoves broke loose from their moorings and tumbled all over the floor. When it is remembered that it was not generally known among passengers and crew that we had fifty kegs of powder aboard it made rather lively work for us straightening things up. We succeeded in reaching our objective point in safety, where we cast anchor and laid by for three or four days waiting for weather, repairing and laying up a stock of wood, which we had to chop and take off in our yawl--rather slow but sure work. We again set sail, and this time having favorable weather, we succeeded in reaching Eagle river where we bid good-bye to our dangerous cargo (powder), and where some of us strolled up to the Cliff mine and there saw the first stamp mill (rather a primitive one) in operation in that now famous region. Return- ing on board we again steamed up the lake to La Point, our final destina- tion (no such place as Ontonagon then being thought of), which we reached in safety, and gave the natives a dreadful scare with the appear- ance of our craft and the noise of our steam whistle. "Our trip up the lake being now accomplished, we started on our return to the Sault, which we reached in safety. The season being now far advanced, we immediately proceeded to dismantle the steamer and laid her up for the winter, in company with the following named crafts, which then constituted the available fleet of the greatest of great lakes: The Ocean, about 15 tons; Chippewa, about 20 tons; Algonquin, about 30 tons; Swallow, about 40 tons; Merchant, about 75 tons; Napoleon, about 150 tons, and the Independence, about 365 tons, the first steamer that ever ploughed Lake Superior. Thus ended that memorial first day trip by steam to the mining regions. We found below the falls the steamer Balti- more, which was either hauled over in the winter or early spring. The Napoleon was fitted up the next summer with engines." . PRESIDENT LIVINGSTONE ON LAKE COMMERCE. During the recent trip of the Michigan Bankers' Association to Sault Ste. Marie President Livingstone of the Lake Carrie#s' Association ad- dressed the bankers upon the commerce of the great lakes. He said that one-half the fresh water of the globe is contained in the lakes and that but few people outside of those actually engaged in lake commerce rea- lized the immense proportions which lake trade has attained. In part Mr. Livingstone said: "Tn 1881 the total freight tonnage passing throught the Sault canal was a little over 1,500,000 tons, or to be accurate, 1,567,000 tons. Tt was not until 1892 that this commerce had passed the 10,000,000 mark, but in 1898 it passed the 20,000,000 mark. Last year, 1901, it had" increased to 28,500,000 tons, and in my judgment another year will see it pass the 30,- 000,000-ton ep i Pris makes the tonnage passingy through the Sault 'canals last yea ef three times the fréight tonnage passing through the Suez canal, the freight tonnage passing through that canal last year being a little less than 9,000,000, and in this connection also it must be borne in mind that the Suez canal is open the entire 365 days in the year and has the whole world to drawn from, whereas the Sault canal only averages 220 days a year, and to quite an extent it has to draw its traffic from the terri- tory which surrounds it. : "T have been speaking now exclusively of Lake Superior commerce. To be added to this is all the tonnage shipped by water to and from all other lake points--Lakes Michigan, Huron, etc--which added to the Lake Superior tonnage, will increase the amount to about 47,000,000 tons of freight that passes through the Detroit river. This is more tonnage than all the vessels entering and clearing in the foreign trade at all ports of the United States. In this connection also over one-half of our Ameti- can steamers of 1,000 gross tons and upwards, and nearly half of our American steam tonnage are on the great lakes. ' "T will also briefly add that for loading and unloading facilities, the facilities on the great lakes for dispatch far exceed any and all other points in the world. As an illustration of this in several instances steamers of 7,000 gross tons' capacity have been loaded in four hours and unloaded inten hours, incredible as the statement may seem. In grain the steamer Superior City delivered at Northern elevator, Buffalo, 270,000 bushels oats and barley in ten hours. About thirty-five years ago a vessel passing through the Welland canal carrying 600 tons, or the equivalent of 20,000 bushels of corn--and she had to be shaped like a dry goods box to fit the canal--was considered a large vessel. Last year the steamer William Edenborn carried in one cargo from Two Harbors, Lake Superior, to Conneaut, 8,339 net tons of ore, which is equivalent to 297,000 bushels of corn, which up to the present time is the record cargo of the lakes, almost fifteen times the cargo of thirty-five years ago. Taking the average pro- duction of wheat or corn per acre, think of the enormous extent of land required to raise a cargo for a boat of this size for one single trip. Thirty- five years ago over 93 per cent. of the vessels on the lakes were sail, less than 7 per cent. steam; now 95 per cent. are steam, less than 5 per cent. sail, and included in that are the consorts towed by the steamers." _ CANADIAN MARINE NEWS. Kingston, Ont., June 11--Capt. George Batten's feat of taking the big Richelieu & Ontario Navigation Co.'s steamer down the St. Lawrence rapids is expected to materially affect the ship building trade at Toronto and other western points. Now that this experienced Kingston mariner has shown that boats of the 380-ft. class can be taken through the rapids to the seaboard, more large ones are likely to be built in Toronto, Capt. Batten received $1,000 for the dangerous feat. The big steamer is now dry docked at Montreal for slight repairs. Mr. H. S. Folger of Kingston, general manager of the Thousand Island Steamboat Co., has purchased the fast electric gasoline launch Viator, formerly owned by Mr. V. L. Taylor of Watertown, N. Y. This yacht is 42 ft. long. She is a very fast boat. During the past three months the Elder-Dempster people have made inquiries of captains and prominent marine men living on the inland waters as to the approximate cost of running both passenger and grain steamers from Lake Superior to Montreal. There is a possibility of a line of steamers in connection with the Elder-Dempster's big liners, being put into service, so that there would then be one route from the head of the great lakes to Europe. But if any such step is taken it will not be for some time to come. The big coal strike in the states is affecting Canadian coal carrying vessels, At Montreal, Cornwall, Kingston, Belleville and Toronto several See he steam barges, etc., are tied up, as there is nothing for them to do. Capt. Thomas Donnelly, for many years a marine inspector for Inland Lloyds, has been appointed superintendent of the Knapp Tubular Steam- ship Co. He is known both in his native city, Kingston, and all over Canada as a man of wide knowledge regarding marine matters. The many Canadian mariners who lately attended the conference of dominion boards of trade, held in Toronto, agitated for a more thorough and systematic dredging of the St. Lawrence route to Quebec.. The importance of having the water deep enough to allow of large vessels using the route and thus save the expenses of the transhipping at Pres- cott or Kingston of grain, merchandise, etc., was pointed out and emphasized. _ At the conference of colonial premiers to be held in London, England, this month, one of the important subjects discussed will be the advis- ability of Canada and other colonies benefited, annually substantially assisting Great Britain in return for the protection afforded Canadian trade and commerce on the high seas by the British navy. The feeling in nearly all Canadian cities is that it would no longer be honorable of Canada to accept.the very great and far-reaching protection afforded at so great_a cost, without in at least in a small measure paying for the same. The protection afforded, is considered as warranting an annual government grant. Activity in steel rails, following the establishment of the $28 basis for 1903, is the chief feature of the market. It is understood that close to 400,000 tons has been booked for next year, western roads taking large tonnages, while eastern orders of good proportions are in prospect from. lines that usually lead in the buying. In addition inquiries now in hand amount to 200,000 tons, It is also quite certain that some orders taken for this year will be carried past Jan. 1. Rails at $28 and billets at $33 to $35 emphasize the peculiar situation in the steel market. It will not con- tinue indefinitely, but at the same time any great increase in the supply of steel going on the market seems rather remote.--Iron Trade Review. The four-masted wooden schooner Santiago, built by the Kelley, Spear, Co., Bath, Me., for the Staples 'Coal Co., Taunton, Mass., was launched on Saturday last ready for sea. She is 265 ft. long, 46 ft. beam and 19 ft. deep. She has an oak keel, frame of hackmatack and is ceiled and planked with hard pine. ; wavs enna convention, of the American Boiler Manufacturers' As-) sociation will be held at Atlantic City in the week: of\[Monday, July 2h. _ The headquarters will be at the Palace hotel.