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MARINE REVIEW. , 5 Lake Freight Situation. - With wheat from Duluth to Buffalo paying 3% cents there is some hope of fairly remunerative freight rates during the balance of the season, but no boom can be expected, as there is nothing to urge ore shipments any more than there has been during the past two months. The rate of ore from the head of Lake Superior has advanced to $1.10in sympathy with grain, and an advance to 80 or 85 cents is expected from Esacnaba with the close of the week. Coal is still very scarce at Ohio ports, mainly on account of the strike in the Pittsburgh region, and rates are unchanged on a basis of 4o cents to the head of Lake Superior and 50 cents to Milwaukee. Names on the Bows. With the close of navigation it would be well for vessel masters to remember that a law passed by the last Congress de- mands that before January 1, 1892, the name of every document- ed vessel of the United States shall be marked upon each bow as well as the stern, and with a steam vessel the name must ap- pear upon the pilot house also. Government officials on the lakes may not interfere in the matter of marking the names on the bows until navigation opens in the spring, but they have made no announcement of what they will do and the law says names shall appear on the bows of all vessels before Jan. 1 next. Thename shall be painted, or carved or gilded, in Roman letters in a light color on a dark ground, or ina dark color on a light ground, and to be distinctly visible. The smallest letters used shall not be less in size than four inches. The penalty is $10 for each name omitted. Raised letters may be used. Steam Whistles on Sailing Vessels. A large number of tow barges on the lakes have small steam engines for handling sail and for general service in port. Some vessels that are required at odd times to care for themselves are also supplied with these small engines and they have whistles at- tached. ‘The whistles are sometimes used to enable steamers to find consorts. It would be well for masters of these vessels to bear in mind that the recent decision of Judge Nelson of the United States district court, Boston, in which it is decreed that it is unlawful for a vessel under sail to sound a steam whistle in a fog, has particular reference to their case. The decision was brought out in a case where a steam vessel had come into colli- sion with a vessel under sail, on account of the officers of the steamer being of the opinion that the sounds of a steam fog horn were heard from a steam vessel when they were in fact from the sailing vessel with which collision afterward occurred. Complaint From the Sault Blockade—Detroit Matters. Special Correspondence to the MARINE REVIEW. DeEtTROIT, Mich., Oct. 22—At this writing the passage of boats around the Peck in Lake George flats is progressing in the same painfully slow manner that has been going on since the passage was dredged a week ago. If no serious set-back is received the wreckers confidently expect to have the channel cleared by Saturday next. There is no denying the fact how- ever, that the danger of a total blockade again taking place, is constantly present and vessel owners will not breathe easy until the obstruction is removed. In regard to the action of the United States officials in charge, several questions would seem pertinent. Many captains of vessels realize that the channel should have been cut round the Peck’s stern instead of her bow. However this may be, the channel should not have been made with such a sharp turn that large boats unavoidably run aground in gct- If it was necessary to cut the channel so close to the sunken boat, that passing vessels frequently strike and damage her bows, why could not some piles have been driven so asto protected the boat from further damage? ‘The Aurora, which was perhaps as much respon- sible for this trouble asthe Peck, after returning from Marquette was permitted to pass down out of her turn on the pretence that it was nec: essary to hurry her consort Adams to a shipyard for repairs. Fair play to other delayed vessels should have compelled the Aurora to await her turn. If the emergency was so great as to require the Adams immediate presence at a dry dock, plenty of tugs were available. How can the cana. ting through. authorities expect masters to patiently wait their turn if such discrimina- tion is used. Those three precious lightships have finally been started for their respective stations. As they made the run from here to Port Huron ina little over twenty-four hours, it is hoped they will reach the Straits before the ice interferes with the voyage. A very moderate tow bill would have got them to their destination in thirty-six hours. I see that the secretary of the light-house board at Washington, in replying to some strictures sent out by the Associated Press, is quoted as saying. ‘The work upon these ships has heen hurried faster than any similar work was ever hurried be- fore. Usually we allow ten months for building a vessel of that character. This time oniy about four months was given the contractors.” If I mis- take not the contract for these boats was let April 15. They were delivered in Detroit Sept. 15, presumably in such an unfinished condition that five weeks time was required to get them ready. Over six month has there- fore elapsed since these cheap affairs were contracted for. Lake vessel men will fail to see on what grounds Capt. Coffin’s claims to extraordinary dispatch rests, when it is known that such boats could be built in sixty days at any of the big lake plants. The new gate was towed up from Wyandotte, Tuesday, and will be put in place as soon as the remainder of the coffer dam is removed. The gate looked very much like one of McDougall’s whalebacks as it was towed up to the dock. The damage to the propeller Sachem will probably foot up $10,000. She is in the dock at Springwells, and will have to get a new bottom. At the upper yard during the week the Greyhound had a new cylinder put in by the Dry Dock Engine Works, and the propeller Hattie got a new wheel. The schooners Alice Richards, Oliver Mitchell and Watson were all decked for caulking. : oe eS Use the Rapids— Barley Movement. Special Correspondence to the MARINE REVIEW’ KINGSTON. Ont., Oct. 22.—Not long since a blockade of grain barges, heavily laden, took place in the Cornwall canal, and it was some days be- fore they could move forward. ‘The delay which was caused by low water, /- resulted in considerable loss. Complaint was made to the government and it was requested that certain improvements be made so that there will be plenty of water at any season ofthe year. The reply to the request is to the effect that the government at a large expense, made a channel through the Galops’ rapids, in which there is now fifteen feet of water,and stationed a tug and pilots at the head of the channel for use in cases of emergency. Itis claimed that the forwarders should make use of this channel as it is perfectly safe to navigate, although the passage is a little more exciting than through the canals. A steamer and tow went through the channel in question a few days ago without the slightest difficulty. Furthermore, the reply says, the forwarders know that the water in the canal is very low, therefore they should not load their boats down as deep as they do when water is abundant. The case has therefor re- solved into one of one throwing the blame on the other. The veteran mariner Capt. Trowell died on Friday, aged seventy-seven years. He sailed for sixty-three years. He began off the coast of Corn- wall England, and then shipped on the famous ocean vessel Erin-go- Bragh. Coming to Canada in 1833 he followed the water, and for fifteen years was captain of several of the mail steamers. The weather remains very fine and is therefor most favorable for re- moving all the barley in this district enroute to England.. Had the weather been boisterous as usual at this time of the year much of the grain would have to be carried on the railways, as in many places it islate in getting into the barn. It seems as if Providence too, is favoring the government’s experiment with two rowed barley and opposing the McKin- ley bill. The latter however, is injuring the ship-chandlers business here. Years ago Kingston chandlers rigged many American bottoms. Now they are doing well if they get decent repairs to do for that class of boats. But the chandlers are getting business from other sources. They make tents, awnings etc., which find their way all over the province. The probabilities are that the new dry dock will not be used this sea- son. Some little work yet remains to be done, and thus far the govern- ment has not appointed officers to run the dock. Thos. Paddon ex-president of the Seaman’s union which existed here some years ago, had a quarrel with J. Lindsay, when the latter struck him, Paddn went away and securing a revolver returned and fired two shots at Lindsay, one of which entered his shoulder. Paddon is now in jail. Official Numbers and Tonnage. The bureau of navigation, W. W. Bates commissioner, assigned offi- cial numbers to the following lake vessels during the week ending Oct. 17: Sail--The Brick, Grand Haven, 53.62 tons gross, 53-62 net, No. 145,603; Guest, Toledo, 11.31 tous gross, 10,65 net, No, 86,182; Flotilla, Milwaukee, 12.06 tons gross, 11.46 net, No. 120,873; I. Fitch, Grand Ha- ven, 13.05 tons gross, 12.40 net, No. 120,872; Dauntless, Chicago, 8.79 tons gross, 8.52 net, No. 157,329; Burton, Grand Haven, 16.93 tons gross, 16.13 net, No. 3,527.