, 1872-10-24
OUR MERCHANT MARINE
Great Increase in the Value OF
Vessel Property.
The Grain and Lumber Trade Of
Chicago.
Many New Vessels Building for
this City--The Tugs.

There is but little ehip-building done at thi
port, owing to the scarcity Of timber. Nearl.
all the sailing vessels owned in Chicago are con
structed at Manitowoc, Green Bay, Sheboygan
aud Saginaw, and the steamers and p1opellers a
Cleveland. The Peerless, City OF Traverse, ant
many Of our finest steam vessels we're built q
the dock-ya1ds in the latter city. Goodrich
side wheelers and prope11ers we're constructed a
Manitowoc. During the season now drawing II
q close, vessel property has been very valuable
freights having been nearly double what the.
we're during previous years. In consequence q
the advanced rates, large contracts have 4bee1
made with shipbuilders at the port
mentioned for the construction Of add
tioua1 vessels, most of which are fo
Chicago. Work has already been commences
On them, and it is expected that they will b
completed and ready for service upon the open
ing OF navigation next spring.
THE VESSELS CONSTRUCTING
are intended almost exclusively for the grail
trade. An 4 vesse1-the highest grain rat'
costs about 92o, 900, and this seasons profits
estimating seven round trips to Buffalo, nettet
from $4,000 to $12 200. The present season
however, was an extraordinary one, the profit.
A1St CD 3t0A4u1 July u 4h4 4uLelebk ou Lue Capt
tai Invested Grain vessels OF larger capacity
over 900 bushels-cost about 81. 20 per bushe
capacity and the larger the hull the greater il
the rate Of profit, Els the expense Of navigating
large propeller or schooner is little more thar
that required to sail 3 smaller one; ths
number OF the crew is the same, and no more
time ia required to make a trip. There are YES
sels in this trade which carry $4,000, but they
draw 80 much water that considerable difficulty
is encountered in entering some OF the lake
a, 200 bushels is preferable, vexatious delays
anu unnecessary expense resulting therefrom
are avoided The average capacity Of the feet
constructing is A, 900 bushels.
THE LuMBER FLEET.
The largest and best vessels engaged in the
lumber trade rate as G !. and have q capacity Of
about 200, 900 feet. Such a vessel costs S, 600,
and with "good luck" netted about $1,000
this season. Three years, ago steam and
se ads by sfs the euSeo Peshtigo 1 %abar e Conn., n
pany, and since that time have carried
The company's timber from Green Bay to Chi
oago, tugs being employed to tow the barges to
and from these ports. The same company has al
60 established two lines between Menominee and
Chicago, keeping constantly employed seven
barges and two tugs. By this arrangement they
save time and reduce the cost OF transportation,
and have been so successful in the undertaking
that within ten yeara there will not be lumber
carrying vessel unaccompanied by a tug engag-
ed IN the trade. ANY old hull that viii doat Is
considered good enough to carry boards, and
when grain vessels become old and leaky they
are converted into lumber barges.
TIE DEMAND FOR VESSELS
nee the fire has not decreased, on the contrary
transportation by water has been greatly in
excess Of that during last season. There has
been e11Raoyed a during this year on the lakes
over 1000 vessels, with tonnage Of e80, 1853. OF
these vessels $50 are owned in the Chicago Gus
tom House district. They was mostly engaged in
carrying grain to Eastern ports, the charges by
way OF the lakes being much leas than By rail
road.
The elevators, with capacity Of 10000, 900
bushels, are usually full during the winter
months. Transportation Was not interrupted
BY the fire, more vessels having arrived and
cleared from this port than during any previous
year.
ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES.
There have arrived in Chicago during the
present season AS steamers, PIT propellers 404
barks, III brigs 8,s68 schocners, and 544 balges,
Representing @ tonnage Of {, 7o5, 1872.
Ihe ciea1ances we're Steamers, 426; propel-
1srs 1,211; barks, 1893; br1gs, 145; achoonera,
s,4o1; barges, 5s5; tonnage, 2.724, ,02l.
TIE FOREIGN FLEET.
It Vas no unusual sight to See q foreign ves-
the peak, in the harbor this season. There we're
122 foreign a11igals; tonnage, 34,947; and
123 olearances7 tonnage, 4.184. The A1neri-
can vessels from foreign ports numbered So;
nsaa 1SaaaS g and the ciearauces, ao2; ton
There have arrived at this port thus far during
the present year II 291 vessels; cleared, 1,l74.
For 1870 there we're L. 7sa arrivals and IL s24 de-
Partures. Although the number this year vas
less, the carrying capacity OF the 7esaels WAS
The arrivals at all the ports in the United
states OF vessels engaged IN foreign trades were
29608, and the clearancea Is, 1858.
4 comparison Of the figures given above vii,
ffaf fHa f3ap{ff1c1 Tifht
Chicago is nearly one~half as many in numbers
as that Of all the other ports in the country.
THE FLEET OF Tua-BoATs,
indispensable at this port, numbers forty-si1,
$500, ,000. They earn during q season about
s40o, ,o0o. There is great competition among
the owners, and . monopoly Of the business be-
ing impossible, the charges for towing are low
s9qa pag 5 sc Gsphas ps and
vestment. By the use Of the tugs, up-river
dock property is as valuable as that near the
mouth Of the stream, and without cheap towing
much OF the present dock property would be un-
and cut of the harbor is 20 cents Thousand feet
for lumber, and quarter Of cent Fer bushel
for grain.
TUE PROFITS.
The Buffalo Courier says:
It has become noised abroad that very extensive
profits and in some case largo fortunes, have been
realized during the past season by OF the vessel
owners OF Buhao, and inquiry proves this to be the
fact Those who posted say that snce 1866 there
has not been season to with the present for
prosperity to of vessels, either propellers
or sailing craft. The chief reason for
ttis has beeu the unprecedented demand for the
iron ore Of Lake SUPERIOR Some Of our vessels ware
at IN commission for tha trade last year, at rates Of
about per ton, which affords only fair rernunera-
t2n but tho7a which have been LETT free have been
able to obtain high as $3.50 per ton for Transports
ton Of Iron ore. This it s reckoned a about equiva
lent to obtaining 16K cents pet bushel for carrying
Wheat whereas cents per bushel is paying rate The
fact that number OF vessels have been in commits
sion during the season for carrying iron has made the
demand great for grain-carryfng vessels, and tho
Natural resnt has been to Taise this class OF freghE
The Fortunate owners OF diseugaged vessels have in
consequence reaped harvesta. We hear the profits Of
one extensive vessel owner rated high S3u0 900
while se4era} gentlemen credited With third Of
that sun "a the resria Of tie earrings Ut tsr vessels
dufiug the sessoa OF 1879.
THE OGDEN DITCH,