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Up and Down the Great Lakes Self Unloaders—Lake Levels—Order Bulk Freighters—Build Lake Boats —Harbor Plan Proposed—Barge Contract—All Cargo Records Broken Calumet industrial harbor proj- ect were given new life when the Chicago city council recently adopted a resolution authorizing a comprehensive Chicago harbor plan. ‘The resolution included the barbor re- port of the Chicago Commercial club, drawn up a year ago by Maj. Rufus W. Putnam as a basis for the new plans, which will be prepared by the council committee on harbors, wharves and bridges and the city’s engineer- ing department. For 20 years the Calumet harbor project has been under consideration. The joint city-Nickel Plate railroad contract ordinance was rejected on the return to power of the adminis- tration of Mayor William Hale Thompson. A new plan was pre- sented and the mayor appointed a commission of South Chicago citizens to put it into effect. Legislation was obtained in 1927, the state assembly knocking out the basis for the Nickel Plate ordinance and providing for a $4,000,000 special harbor tax fund to finance the mayor’s plan. Diffi- culties beset the progress of the plan, however, when it was found that the $1,200,000 appropriation for work in 1929 must be taken from the over- Since last P ROSPECTS of reviving the Lake loaded corporate fund. November, the plan had remained quiescent. Self Unloader Vessels for Great Lakes Marked activity is evident in the conversion of existing ships and the building here and there of new self- unloading ships. The Leathem D. Smith Dock Co., Sturgeon Bay, Wis. now have under way the reconstruc- tion of the steamer, SIERRA, 8000-ton lake freighter, 488 feet long, 52 feet beam and 28 foot depth, into a self- unloader. The vessel will be operated as a unit of the Tomlinson fleet in handling coal, sand and. coal princi- pally. This vessel is the fourteenth to be equipped with this particular system of self-unloading. New boilers are also being furnished by the same yard. The work is to be completed by April 15 and the total construc- tion cost will amount to $275,000. The steamer EMPIRE CITY, also op- 50 erated by the Tomlinson fleet, Cleve- land, is to be converted into a self- unloader using the same system. This steamer is of 6200 tons cargo capacity and is 408 feet long, 48 feet wide and 28 feet deep. She will be equipped with two 10-yard scrapers, a 60-inch incline belt, a 54-inch boom conveyor 140 feet long and will have an unloading capacity of 1250 tons per hour. In the case of this vessel, machinery and plans will be furnished by the Leathem D. Smith Dock Co. and the steel construction and_~ installation work will be carried out at the Lorain plant of the American Ship Building Co. The vessel is to be ready for operation by the opening of navigation. When completed the Tomlinson fleet will have four self- unloaders, the other three being the SIERRA, SINALOA, and E. M. Youna. Decem ber Lake Levels The United States Lake Survey reports the monthly mean stages of the Great Lakes for the month of December as follows: Feet above Lakes. mean sea level BUPEHION Seracs heck te cae 603.00 Michigan-Huron ROUEN G) rhb otter poner tte sree dese MTOL Seis cetnerceticieceeaecicce ees Ontario SOON Re Oe Oren reer vena esen ener eerereeeeseneeeseanetees than in November and was 0.68-foot higher than the December stage of a year ago. Lakes Michigan-Huron were 0.02-foot higher than in November and they were 1.85 feet higher than the December stage of a year ago, 1.45 feet above the average stage of December of the last ten years. Lake Erie was 0.01-foot higher than in November and it was 0.13-foot higher than the December stage of a year ago. Lake Ontario was higher than in November and it was 0.15-foot higher than the December stage of a year ago, 0.68-foot above the average stage of December of the last ten years. Large Auto Shipment A record shipment of 27,000 auto- mobiles and trucks from Cleveland and other automobile shipping points to Duluth, was made in 1928, according MARINE REVIEW—February, 1929 0.13-foot. to dispatches from that place. The preceding mark, made in 1927, was only 9000. The bulk of these shipments, which it is said saved auto shippers some $2,000,000 in freight charges was han- dled by the Great Lakes Transit Corp., the Minnesota-Atlantic Transit Co., and the Western Transit Co. Order Bulk Freighters for Great Lakes Contracts were let Jan. 16 by the Pittsburgh Steamship Co. for con- struction of three bulk freighters which will add 36,000 tons to the trip capacity. of the large ore carrying fleet of this company. ‘The American Ship Building Co. is to build two of the vessels at its Lo- rain yard. The other boat is to be built by the Great Lakes Engineering Works at its River Rouge plant. Two vessels are to duplicate the A. F. HARVEY, built in 1927 for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co. with three scotch boilers. The one building at the Great Lakes Engineering Works plant is to have two Babcock & Wil- cox water tube boilers. The three vessels are to have a 580-foot length at keel, a beam of 60 feet and a 382-foot depth. They are each to have 18 hatches, 12 feet wide and 24 feet at center. The vessels are to be equipped with the latest type machinery and are to be mod- ern in every detail. They are to con- form with American shipping bureau’s highest classification for lake service. They are to have 12,000 tons capacity each. Delivery of the vessels. is scheduled for midsummer. The work at the Lorain yard of the American Ship Building Co. will prob- ably mean taking on 800 more men, according to officials of the company. Build Twelve Freighters According to L. A. France, assist- ant trade commissioner of Montreal, 12 new freighters are to be con- structed during the year by the Cana- dian Terminal System of Toronto. The company has called for bids for con- struction of six large upper lakes freighters of the GLENEAGLES type and six canal size freighters.