New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-20
SHIPPING ON THE LAKES.
FEATURES OF A GREAT AND PROSPEROUS
COMMERCE.

LARGE STEAMSHIPS COMING INTO UsE-NEf3D
OF HARBoR IMPROVEMENTS.
tPRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRlBUSEl
Buffalo, Jan. 1s.-Seaport towns steadily feiuse "
believe that the SueZ Canal Is secondary 10 the 0S''
Ste Marie Canal IN point Of tonnage or that more
messengers or more tons OF freight pass Detroit IN
day during the shipping season than any other srss
IN the world Last summer the schooner Governor
Ames was built on the coast OF Maine and accepts"
as the largest sail vessel in the world put neu
survey of the lake craft been taken one wouu heNo
been found, the Golden Ago OF Mlan thhs ouS
measures her by more than 100 tons, whiie seVeI"'
Others arc scarcely smaller The rapid growth OF inc
lake shipping interest is due to a venture that was
much canvassed and which was not generally SP
proved at the time. In 1882 the Globe shipya d.
Cleveland turned out the iron propeller ohoAo.
She was a mere box with no lines on her dull 'nso
pleased the seamans eye, nor had she rcmarAaoio
sailing capacity, but she could carry 3ooo TONS ot
freight and though over 300 feet long, she was founh
20 be handled easily, not expensive, could get III
and out OF the leading harbors on the lakes. "hen
vessel-owners who had been content with steamers
that carried 14O0 tons, sat down that fan ana COM
pared their gains with those of the onoko, they az
once exclaimed: go tot Let US build ourselves
other craft Ike her.7
At once the increase In the size OF new craft was
very noticeable, and the phrase monster steamer
soon figured in the account Of every launch. Last
year round 100000 tons measurement, nearly all
being steamers and Of an average carrying capacity
of about $500 tons, turned out on inc laAes'
and there are now sixty-hve vessels on the stocks
with a total carrying capacity SIN greater VI these
twelve are steel and four are composite
II one asks why the city OF Cleveland is building
,oore tonnage and that In splendid steam craft largely
of Steel than the State Of Maine IS In wooden schoon
ers tho reply is obvious The lake trade Is protected
Not only IS 1t impossible for an American to buy
Canadian other foreign vessel and run her between
American lake ports, but no foreign vessel can carry
a cargo from ono American lake port 20 another. The
result Is that the Canadian marine has been nearly
driven from the lakes. Scarcely vessel year Is
built in Canadian waters and most OF the surviving
craft are In a worthless condition, due entirely to
their restriction TO Canadian rac The LAKES do not
take kindly to ocean craft as rule, and though a
few Join the feet occasionally, they are usually OF
too deep draft as compared with their tonnage TO be
come favorftes
Aud 80 the lakes are left almost entirely TO their
own resources Surrounded by fast railway lines,
they do comparatively little passenger carrying, e1'
cept In midsummer, and confined 10 the movement
Of freight merchandise, ore, grain; coal and lumber
1t is the ore trade that shapes tho business and die
tates the rates Of other freight and the wonderful ae
tivity expected IN carrying this year has already
set every vessel crazy 10 secure more tonnage
The ore output Of the Lake Superior mines last year
was 1000, 900 tons, Of which 100000 tons was
shipped BY lake. This large increase over for
MGR years vet 10 stated that less than 100000 tons
landed on lower lake docks remained uusod at the
close of navigation. This means an active demand for
ore all through the season. and with the immense corn
crop to move and plenty Of Goa. for return carsoes,
the vessels 10 prosper unless the new tonnage
proves too great for the demand.
At this time last year there was a general fear Of
too much tonnage. Vessel men looked blue and orc
slippers stood aoof and waited for low rates But II
turned out that everybody mistaken. There was
plenty Of business in spite Of the comparative failure
Of the Duluth wheat crop. To-day there exists an
almost fcversh activity In vessel circles sales are
reported almost daily Of steamers stll on the stocks
at high prices, and OF others at prices wei above
their Lloyds valuation The Majestic, the largest
wooden carrier on the lakes sold last week at Bay
City for $4,000 before she has turned wheel
buffalo vessel owner boasts that ono Of his VeSses
cleared 80 per cent OF her cost last season.
With increased faith in tho lake trade shown by
the expenditure Of $4,000 a single steamer,
better service greater speed and greater safety
The Union Steamboat Line the Erie Railroads lake
connection, that It is next year TO shorten
the time for fast freight between New-York and
Chicago by lake and rail TO three and onehah days,
and II that line undertakes such feat other lines
will try compete. Already the larger steamers are
| built ocean models with appointments that were
| unknown half a dozen years ago Nothing viii be
| spared that money VIII buy ingenuity devise TO
|
| sible. Speed, carrying capacity light draft, low
running cost, these the points that the builder
| and owner studying.
But with the discovery that large vessels carry
cheaper than small the other bali OF the
| problem. Harbors not growing any deeper The
/ lime kiln crossing in Detroit River Is still dheult
passage, the shadows In Lake St. Clair and The banlt
River are there yet and Chlcagos thirty bridges are
| becoming every day more Of terror as the beam OF
steamers exceeds forty feet. Congress Is mcoahzed
for larger haFbOr appropriations, and vessel assoca
tons hold frequent meetings for the purpose OF III
huencing the local members Of Congress or OF making
/ their organization standing menace TO the railroad
companies that seek ourta their rights by bulld
| ing bridges across the connecting rivers.
| Tho rapid advance In shpbuldlng on the lakes has
now reached all classes Of cighters except lumber
| carriers. These remain much as they were and are
largely recruited nom the smaller grain carriers when
| too old 10 be answerable sueh The huskegon
| and Chicago humber schooner 10 very small and very
poor craft, and much Of the Saginaw Bay lumber IS
carried In bottoms not much better II they are consd
| eraby larger But change must soon take pace
here also The big steamer is Of too heavy draft to
reach the lumber and when the small sizes are
| used up new ones must be built for lumbef. Tho
barge Wahnapltae, fiat boat that carries 100000
feet on deck and tOws easily has not yet been dupl
Gated, and there seems 10 be field open for innova
ton in this branch OF the trade No little interest Is
shown in the invention by Captain Alexander cDOu-
gall, of Duluth, of steel barge, unggged and cigar
| shaped, that floats even II submerged. Though yes
sci usually condemn the idea, IL IS patented, a
corporation with New-Yor capitalists at the head has
| hceu 10 md a IL In be