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PTO NS as LELEI AE SE TE Sn Venera ee Tee WA RTE rg Re hig Wy Mla MR ng, bem eg aU PRE ae Ie SO a Re OP PE ER ee OL kee ee ca ee nage, this being a simpler and just as satisfactory method. Instead of limiting the inspection of sail vessels to 700 gross tons or over, all sail vessels of 300 gross tons or over, and all sail vessels of 50 gross tons or over carrying passengers for hire, are to be included. to have on All vessels are required board the vessel a most efficient equipment for the safety of life at sea, including apparatus for fight- ing fire. It is required that all life boats shall be so fitted as to enable them to be launched in less than two minutes from the time the clearing away of the boats is begun, and the newest devices for stowing and clearing away will have to be installed on board all vessels. An _ efficient wireless tele- graph apparatus jis required on board of certain vessels together with a com- petent operator. Every vessel of any description carrying passengers must have at least one life preserver for each person on board. Coming to the personnel on board the vessels it is stipulated that it will be unlawful for the master of a seagoing vessel to permit an officer to take charge of the deck watch immediately after leaving port who has not had at least four hours off duty before taking such watch. It is furthermore stipulated that steam vessels engaged in runs of more than 48 hours must have three licensed engineers and sufficient men in the en- gineers' force to stand three watches. Every steam and motor vessel carry- ing passengers for hire, whether or not subject to inspection, must have in her service one licensed pilot and one licensed engineer, except that small open steam and motor boats need have only one person, who must be qualified to act in the dual capacity. ; The bill is very sweeping in its pro- visions and is of the utmost importance, as it practically embraces all manner of craft, including motor boats. *These pro- visions will be dealt with more fully in next week's REVIEW. PIG IRON SITUATION. The market continues slow, but despite lower prices and concessions, thére is no evidence that action look- ing toward making lower quotations will be taken in the near future by the leading interests, since it is not generally believed that price reductions would stimulate business. However, leading manufacturers recognize that unless business conditions change soon for the better a general reduction in prices must be made. There is little confidence just now in improvement before midsummer, owing to the ex- pected Jong drawn out tariff discus- TTAE Marine REvVIEw sion. Some extremely low prices are made on structural and railroads are taking only about 45 per cent of their normal rail ton- nage. Pig iron production fo: Janu- 1,787,473. tons, showing an increase of slightly less than 4 per cent over. December. Extreme dull- ness characterizes the pig iron market throughout the country and in the val- leys there is a tendency toward lower quotations. There is still little activity in the coke market, and prices are ir- regular. being ary was DULUTH-SUPERIOR COM- MERCE. Major Graham: DD, Fitca, corps of engineers,, United States army, in charge of the harbors of Lake Su- perior, has just made public his re- port of the commerce of for the calendar year 1908. Owing to the over supply of iron ore: On tdocks: at Lake Erie ports at the beginning of the season of navigation shipments from Dut'uth- Superior did not become general un- til July 1, and the consequent de- crease in freight tonnage for these ports during the year 1908 was 31.59 per cent. Hard coal. shows a decrease oF 128,202 tons: under 19)7, -with a de- crease in valuation amounting to $801,263. Soft coal shows a decrease of 1,103,274 tons° under'1907, with a decrease in valuation of $3,061,025. Wheat and other grains show an in- crease of 3,963,879 bushels over 19)7, with an increase in valuation of $4,- 029,481. Iron ore shows a decrease of 9,526,336 tons under 1907, with a decrease in valuation amounting to $28,388,890. Flour shows a decrease of 746,967 barrels under 1907, with a decrease in valuation of $2,018,874, and general merchandise shows a de- crease of 62,092 tons with a valuation $18,777,520 under that of 1907. Lum- ber shows a decrease of 143,688,000 feet, the decrease in yaluation being $3,287,798. The total number of pas- sengers arriving and departing was 58,193, | The navigation season covered a period of 229 days." This' is. reck- oned from the first departure or ar- rival to the last departure or ar- rival to or from the lower lakes. The open season for Duluth-Superior harbor, to and from Lake Superior ports only, was much longer, as some local boats ran all but two months of the year. The first boat departing from the harbor for the lower lakes left on April 26, and the last departure for material. Duluth | 21% the lower lakes was 'made on Dec. 8. The first arrival from the lower. lakes was on April 29 and the last on Dec, 10. The north shore boats were still running at the close of the calendar year. oot aot The total receipts of cargo for Du- luth and Superior combined totalled 6,594,915 tons with a value of $60- 664,997, while shipments amounted to 17,202,247. tons, valued at $156,449, - 323: Major. Fitch's report is accompan- ied by a number of interesting photo- graphs of improvements completed or under construction at Duluth-Su- perior during 1908. Among these are the new Northern Pacific railroad bridge, the rebuilt Interstate bridge, the Northern Cold Storage warehouse, 'tthe new Congdon dock at Duluth, as well as construction views of the work in progress at the Superior en- try and the dredging of the Duluth harbor basin. AROUND THE GREAT LAKES. The steamer Montana has been sold by the United States marshal at De- troit under a claim for repairs and re- building. John R. Russel, treasurer of the. Great Lakes Engineering ~ Works, bid in the boat for $5,500. Harry R. Rogers, general freight agent of the Cleveland & Buffalo 'Transit. :Co.,. has. announced 4#h¢ . ap- pointment -of Frank .E.. Careoll gs freight agent at Cleveland. John H. Brown will be commercial agent of Cleveland instead of contracting agent. The annual meeting of the Do- minion Marine Association will. be held in Ottawa on Thursday, Feb. 11. A committee from the Lake Car- riers' Association will attend the meeting. The principal topic to be discussed will be the proposed change in the grain bill of lading. The Detroit & Cleveland Naviga- © tion Co. has purchased the Detroit & Buffalo Steamboat Co., and here- after both lines will be operated as one corporation. As is well known, the stockholders were practically the same in both companies. George Hendrie, former president of the De- troit & Buffalo Steamboat Co., be- comes chairman of the board of di- rectors of the consolidated companies. Philip Hs McMillan retains the presi- dency of the Detroit & Cleveland Navigation Co. while Mr. A. A. Schantz remains as general manager. George M. Black, former secretary and treasurer of the Detroit & Cleve- land Co., will continue in that ca- pacity.