The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

i E i & , Vou 111, MARINE REVIEW. CLEVELAND, OHIO, THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 1891. No. 3. More Admiralty Cases to be Heard in Cleveland. Judge Ricks, of the United States district court, Cleveland, has heard two admiralty cases during the past week, and in both eases he solicited the assistance of competent and disinterested masters. Capt. James Stone gave the court assistance in the Fountain City—Samson case and Captains George Mallory and John Nelson in the case of Capt. C. E. Benham against the owners of a raft. Cleveland vessel owners and masters are de- sirous that more admiralty cases be heard in Cleveland and they are ready to give Judge Ricks all possible assistance with this end in view. New Developments in Lake Superior Ore Interests. Although the general feeling among Lake Superior ore in- terests, which are almost entirely represented in Cleveland, shows depression unequaled in several years past, it is probable that the opening of the coming season will present new mining de- velopments that may prove a surprise to many of the older com- panies that have gone on building high-priced steel ships and equipping costly mines on the older ranges. It has been ad- mitted for some time past that the iron mining districts of Min- sota, as yet only- meagerly developed in the Minnesota and Chandler mines, of the Vermillion range, give promise of show- ing ore that can be so cheaply mined as to make that state the center of the great Lake Superior mining country. Just now the new Mesabi range, south of the Vermillion, is attracting widespread attention and negotiations for the lease and pur- chase of large tracts of the mineral property are being actively carried on. Ore on this new range is found in an abundance that is astounding to mining experts of the older districts, and the quality of the mineral, about which there seems to be little doubt, is the only bar to the immediate investment of large lines of capital in the building of railways and development of mines, Mr. M. A. Bradley, of Cleveland, who controls a line of lake floating property that is many times greater than any other individual fleet on the entire chain of lakes, has been investiga- ting properties on the new Mesabi range during the past two weeks, in company with Capt. Ward, of Iron Mountain, Mich., and has taken with other Cleveland intetests, an option for a lease on six forties of land adjoining the Stone mine on the west in section 18-59-14. Mr. Bradley has large vessel interests to look after during a time of apparent dullness in the transporta- tion trade and this move seems very significant of a plan to se- cure control of extensive mining property. Hecan undoubtedly carry ore cheaper than any concern in thebusiness and probably means todoso. Itis said that railway development over the district in question would already be on the way to completion but for the discouraging money market. There is, however, little doubt of the building of a railway to tap all parts of the new range. A syndicate, represented by Messrs. Pumpelly, Van Hyse and Merriam, who lately purchased a tract of 15,000 acres of Canadian mineral lands, twenty-five miles west of Port Arthur, and who are being aided in the building of the Port Arthur, Duluth & Western Railway througha big bonus from the Dominion government, are also interested in the new Mesabi range. It is the intention of the company, it is said, to build ten miles of the road into Minnesota. At that point they have been assured by the officials of the Duluth & Iron Range road that they would meet them with a road from Ely. If the Iron Range road refuses to build, the Port Arthur road will be pushed through to Duluth, and will become a competitor of the Iron Range road. The interests of the Cleveland investors are not, however,dependent on these plans. They contemplate the build- ing of a road to the new range by the Duluth & Iron Range Company, but in case of failnre in this regard they confidently expect the enlistment of capital to build it themselves if the quality of the ore proves satisfactory. Compromise on Raft Regulations. Reports from the delegation of vessel owners and masters who went to Washington to assist Representative Burton, of Cleveland, in the passage of a bill to regulate raft towing on the lakes, would indicate that a measure, which it is hoped will be satisfactory to both the vessel and rafting interests, will be passéd. After a hearing before the House committee on commerce, Tues- day, a bill limiting the dimensions of rafts going through the St. Mary’s river to 700 feet in length and 75 feet in width was agreed to, with a proviso that two tugs must be used in hand- ling sush rafts. The proposed bill will also contain a provision that rafts going through the St. Clair and Detroit rivers may-be slightly larger than the dimensions just given. — All of the representatives of the different lake vessel inter- ests were present at the hearing in Washington. Capt. James Stone represented the Cleveland Vessel Owners’ Association; Ira Owen, of Chicago, the Lake Carriers’ Association and Capt. James Millen, the Detroit Vessel Owners’ Association. The Excelsior Marine Benevolent Association was represented by Capt. William S. Mack for Cleveland; Capt. John B. Hall, -Sagi- naw; Capt. A. Clark, Buffalo; Capt. Ivers, Port Huron and Capt. James Hogie, Chicago. The hearing was before a sub- committee of the committee on commerce and it is confidently expected that the report of the sub-committee will be approved in the report of the House. The vessel owners at first proposed to limit the dimensions of rafts to 500x50 feet. Congressman Bliss represented the rafting interests. The delegation was given a hearing before the commerce committee of the Senate, Wednesday, and the compromise was approved. Views of the Famous Steamer Armour. The Detroit Dry Dock Company sends usa very neat ar- rangement of three photographs ina large frame, showing the steamer Philip D. Armour, of Armour-Marion collision fame, in commission, andas she appeared before and after removal of the temporary patch from her badly shattered starboard bow. « The photographs were taken at the Detroit shipyard where the boat was repaired after being raised from the St. Clair river by Wrecker Reid. Interest shown in the work of raising the Ar- mour, which was the most difficult job of wrecking ever done on the lakes, makes the views a study for marine men. Competent authority estimases the total production of iron ore in the United States in 1890 at about 17,300,000 tons of 2,- 240 pounds. Of this amount the Lake Superior mines furnished 8,893,146 tons, or 51 per cent. x a E ' ‘