The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1883-09-28

snips was ciU,Vo4, 400. oeveraI or them,
such as the Niagara, Roanoke, and Susque-
hanna, did good service In their time, and
the government may deemed to have got its
Of them are only tug-boats. The New Or
leans Is an old line-of-battle ship on the
stocks, and the others belong to the large
class OF ships built during and just after
the war OF white oak, because live oak was
not to be had, which have decayed rapidly.
The Florida, for which no bid was made,
was appraised at s64, 400, considerably more
than any other vessel on the list. The en-
gineS are the principal thing of value about
her: She was built for speed, and was
probably the fastest steamer ever in the
navy, but she only made one cruise. Ten
years ago, when there was a prospect of
trouble with Spain, she was partially fitted
for the sea. According to a return made to
the department, her engine received re-
pairs, but her boilers were not worth re-
pairing. Her machinery cost S795, 600, and
it appears that the government must reduce
her appraised valuation or retain her. The
Congress, which was sold for SIG, COG, con-
tains machinery, the first cost of which was
S4l2, 900, built just after the war, and none
of 1t Is reported to be worth repairing. The
Iowa was appraised at pa, 600, and was
ara was appraised at $29, 900, and the high
est bid was exactly that sum. The secre-
tary Is in doubt whether he can accept
that bid, because In inviting proposals 1t
was stated that the ship would be sold for
thereof. This sale does not include the
Alaska, Benecia, Saco, Tuscacora, Nara
gansett, and old Monadnock, which are at
the Mare Island yard.
Inc heaviest gale that has occurred
for years prevailed on lakes Erie and
Ontario Monday night. The sea rolled
heavily and the wind drove the waters
down Lake Erie in great volume, SUBJ
merging some of the docks at Buffalo
and the lower part of the city. Several
wrecks have been reported, and more
are expected. The schooner FORK State
went down with all on board. The
crew consisted of Captain Hayes and
six men. So Nas laden with 10000
bushels of wheat. The schooner Sarep-
ia, laden with coal and merchandise,
was driven ashore east Of Fair Haven
while trying to make that port. The
crew was saved. She was on her way
from Oswego to Toronto. Advices
from Port Huron say the steam-barge
East Saginaw went down off Sandy
Beach, but nothing can be learned Of
the crew, and the probability is they
were lost. A dispatch from East Ia
was, Mich, says: A severe northwest
gale prevailed Monday night. The
steam-barge V. Swain broke away from
her two barges off Thunder Bay Island,
all loaded with iron ore, and bound
from Escanaba to Cleveland. The
Swain arrived at the anchorage and is
making repairs to her pony, which
broke during the gale. The barges
India, Eureka, Dashing Wave, Jane
Ralston broke loose from the steam
barge Glasgow at midnight off Sturgeon
Point, all loaded with coal and bound
for Duluth. The Glasgow made AL
pena. The others arrived here. The
Dashing Wave lost her mainsail. The
India lost her bulwarks on both sides.
The Ralston lost her bulwark on one
side. The schooner Minnie Davis,
bound from Alpena to ST. Clair, loaded
with lumber, arrived with her centre
board damned, and useless. The tug
Laketon arrived with raft from Sable.
Fears are entertained for the safety of
a large raft which the steam-barge
Manistique and the tug Torrent were
seen with off this point.