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Bical tee Siena Mk ce 1903.] PROTEST AGAINST POOR LIGHTHOUSE SERVICE. Editor Marine Review: It is an outrage to the shipping of - Lake Superior and a reflection upon the lighthouse establishment of the United States government that the lights and fog signals of Lake Superior should be discontinued about Nov. 25. With great numbers of ships sailing this lake the first intimation we have of discontinuance of the lights is to see keepers walking the streets. Of course they are not to be blamed, as they would be willing to remain until the last of the vessels are laid up if assured that they would be taken ashore in a good boat at the end of their longer season. In one of the "Notices to Mariners" issued by the hydro- graphic office we find the announcement that the branch hydro- graphic office at Duluth reports that the lights at Menagerie and ° Passage islands, Lake Superior, were discontinued for the season of navigation on Novy. 25, 1903.' Side-by-side with this is-another announcement from a government that makes no pretentions of greatness on the lakes. Note this from Ottawa: "The deputy minister of marine and fisheries gives notice that owing to repre- sentations having reached his department urging the maintenance of the lights on the upper lakes and rivers later than usual this year, instructions have been issued to all light-keepers in the Can-_ adian government employ to keep their lights in operation as long as any navigation is possible within sight of them. The only ex- ceptions are the lights on the north shore of Lake Superior. Ar- rangements have been made to take the light-keepers away from these stations after Dec. 1, 1903. In future years efforts will be made to retain the keepers at the light stations until after naviga- tion is closed." Everybody knows that of late years, with our modern steel. vessels, there is no thought of quitting Lake Superior until Dec.. 10 or Dec. 15, and that in most seasons navigation might be con- tinued still later. What a reflection it is upon the lighthouse officials 'that they make no effort to improve upon their old (be-. fore the war) methods; that in the most important part of the : year, when western products are being rushed to market, they' shut off lights and fog signals, the latter especially on account of the need of them in snow storms. It is a wonder that the com- mercial organizations have so long put up with the very poor service of this lighthouse organization. We see enough reports of appropriations from congress for tenders for them but the vessels do not seem to materialize. The right kind of effort in Washington on the part of vessel masters and vessel owners should provide a tender for Lake. Superior that will look after the interests of this lake in the summer and at this time of year pro- vide for the light-keepers--a service of more advantage than dress parade around Detroit. -- ee nes S ALEXANDER McDOovuGaL. Duluth, Dec. 10, 1903. STORM TOO SEVERE FOR HACKLEY'S CLASS, When the steamer Erie L. Hackley, a small passenger and freight vessel, foundered with a loss of several lives on Green bay some weeks ago, Mr. Geo. Uhler, supervising inspector-gen- eral.of steam vessels, evidently concluded that he would person- ally look into the cause of the disaster, as he attended the gov- ernment investigation that followed. Asked as to the conclusion, Mr, Uhler replied as follows: oe "In company with C. H. Westcott, supervising inspector of the eighth district, I proceeded to Sturgeon Bay, and attended the investigation held by Capt. Westcott at Sturgeon Bay, where there were examined several witnesses, among them being fishermen, caulkers, machinists, boiler makers and others, all of whom testi- fied as to the condition of the steamer, the weather, and the per- ils of the route she was navigating, and the conclusion was ar- _ rived at that the tornado that struck the Hackley would in ai probability have encompassed the destruction of any steamer of y the Hackley's class." CONSOLIDATED LAKE SUPERIOR SOLD FOR $4,500,000. Practically all the assets of the Consolidated Lake Superior Co., consisting of the collateral pledged with the banking house of Speyer & Co. to secure the loan of $5,500,000 obtained by the | company when its financial difficulties first became acute, were sold at auction in New York on Tuesday to a representative of the banking house. and Charles H. Tweed, of Speyer & Co., and E. C. Henderson of Guthrie; Cravath & Henderson, counsel to that firm; Francis H. Clergue, who was the promoter of the company and its presi- dent at one time; Charles E. Orvis, one of the company's direc- tors, and Mr. Hay, a director of the Imperial Bank of Canada. Several protests made by interests that objected to the auction were read. Then the property was put up and Mr. Henderson's bid of $4,500,000 was the only one. tat t M derson was buying the property for the participants in. the -loan agreement of Dec. 23, 1902, that is, for members of the Speyer syndicate. Later in the day Speyer & Co. made this statement: _' "Speyer & Co. announce that, having purchased for the par- ticipants in the advances under the: agreement of Dec. 23, 1902, Which matured on June 30, 1903, they are requesting authority Superior Co.'s stockholders to an interest in the. liquidation of the security or the reorganization of the properties. It is anti-. share." Among those present were James Speyer ° It was stated that Mr. Hen- 3 the security for the loan to the Consolidated Lake Superior Co., _ from the participants in the loan to admit the Consolidated Lake cipated that the stockholders' contribution would be about $3 per MARINE REVIEW AND MARINE RECORD. . Towing Co. _ The towing company got the job. - _ British Columbia. northern route will be commanded by . Hickey, late of the Yosemite. 27 AROUND THE GREAT LAKES. _ The steamer S. S, Curry, which struck at the Lime-Kiln crossing, had twelve plates damaged. She was docked at West Superior. Sie lhe: steamer' J: J. Albright, which' struck an obstruction in Duluth harbor, was docked at Lorain this week. She will require ten new plates. _The steamer L. C. Smith, which was the last vessel to load grain at the head of the lakes, arrived in Buffalo on Monday of this week where she will winter. ; ae _ 'The cable to be laid across Death's door, connecting Wash- ington 'and Plump' islands with the mainland, has arrived at Sturgeon Bay. It is expected to be laid next spring. _ Joseph Hayes, chief engineer-of the Pittsburg Steamship 'Co., Capt. W. "W. Smith, marine syperintendent of the fleet, and Capt. Joseph Kidd of the same line are now engaged in making a tour of inspection of the vessels of the company. _ James Larson, owner and master of the 'schooner Three Sisters, has purchased the material for a small steamer to be con- structed during the winter. The vessel will be used in the freight business' on Green Bay next season and for fishing during the fall and winter, ; The new life-saving station at the mouth of the Chicago river was completed last week and turned over to the life-saving ser- vice. It was accepted on behalf of the government by Lieut. Reinberg, in charge of the district. The new station is said to be the best and most modern in every way in the United States. Considerable opposition has developed to the plan for the dis- .. continuance of the lighthouse at North point (Milwaukee) and - the order may not go into effect. The board of directions of the Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce adopted a resolution asking that lighthouse board to rescind the order to discontinue the light on Dec. 30. ae Mr. William Livingstone, president of the Lake Carriers' Association and Mr. Harvey D. Goulder, counsel, left for Wash- ington this week to appeal to congress for the lowering of the tunnels in the Chicago river. . These tunnels are an obstruction ' to navigation and seriously interfere with the movement of ves- 1. in the river, : ; , A dispatch from Chicago announces that rush orders have © been issued for the completion of the big ship canal to connect East Chicago and Indiana Harbor, Ind. The waterway will con- -- sume over two years in building but it is planned to have part of . the canal open to lake steamers by next summer. It is announced' that material has been ordered for two large dredges of the suc- tion type. -- Four tugs, the General, Protector, Home Rule and Harvey D. Goulder, engaged in an exciting race through 6-in. ice last week from Amherstburg to Point au Pelee for the tow of the steamer . Weston and her two barges. It was one of the incidents of the war between the Hackett Wrecking Co. and the Great Lakes. The rivals General and Protector led the race. en Capt. John Sweeney, of the barge Crete, who, it is said, had -- the honor of being the first pilot of the Masters & Pilots' asso- - ciation, died a few days ago at the home of his brother, James _ Sweeney, at Delray, Mich. He was-formerly mate of the steamer -. Iroquois. Several years ago he became a victim of consumption and was ordered south for-his health. He spent some time in New Mexico but returned about six months ago. Capt. James Corrigan of Cleveland. has abandoned | te steamer J. Emory. Owen, burned at Sturgeon Bay, to the under- - writers as a constructive total loss. The steamer was insured for ~ about $70,000 in companies represented. by Smith, Davis & Co. of Buffalo. It is reported that her machinery is merely a mass of scrap iron. Sixteen. thousand bushels of dry oats was saved ~ out of the vessel's cargo. The damaged portion of the cargo has : . been sold to the Krause Co. at Milwaukee. M. K. Cowan, M. P., Windsor, will endeavor to have the a ~ Dominion government. install the Marconi system of wireless te- legraphy between Pelee island and the mainland. The govern- . ment laid a cable to the island some years ago, but it has never given satisfaction, and the repeated partings of the cable have cut the islanders off from communication' with the mainland during the winter months. Hon. James Sutherland, minister of public works, has promised to look into the matter for Mr. Cowan and give a reply at an early date. A en If not a perilous at least a very cold trip is being undertaken now by the car. ferries Pere Marquette No. 16:and Pere Marquette No. 20. They both left Cleveland shortly before midnight Mon- day night for Lake Michigan. Pere Marquette No. 16 is return- ing from her station at Conneaut 'and Pere Marquette No. 20 was - just completed at Cleveland. She will be operated between Mil- - waukee and Ludington. Pere Marquette No. 20 is being taken: .. .-, up the lakes. by Capt..U. S. Colby, but she will be commanded on her regular. run. by Capt. Ackerman. . ; ee The new Canadian Pacific. steamer Princess. Beatrice - the apt. Her aca = oa _ over .all; breadth, 37 ft.; depth 25 ft. 6 in. from upper deck. se tis whedon hull with steel bulkheads and is fitted with - triple expansion engines of 1,000 H. P. capable of making 13 knots - an hour. She has accommodation for 150 passengers, is lighted by electricity-and heated by steam. James Whalen of Port Arthur, Ont., is having a marine rail- - way built at that place.