Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-02
LARGE LAKE VESSELS
To Be Built at Cleveland Before the
Opening of Navigation
GREAT PROFIT IN WHALEBACKS.
Big Steel Boats, Especially Equipped for
Speed and Safety,
THE MOST ECONOMICAL OF CARRIERS

repyc1l1 TELEGRAM TO THE DrsPATcH.I
CLEVELAND, Dec 1.-The keel Will be
laid in few weeks for the largest vessel on
the lakes at the yards of the Chicago Ship
builGiay Company. and sister steamship
cf the sssre dimensions is also under con-
tract with the Globe Iron Works Company
of this c,tv. Both will be of steel, each $50
feet in length over all. 43 feet beam and on
a draft of 16 feet, and will be capable of
carrying 1000 tons
Both steamers will be ready for service
when navigation opens in the spring and
will be equipped with all the latest and best
devices for speed and safety. The boilers
will be larger in proportion TO the capacity
of the vessel than on other new steamers,
and it's confidently expected they Will be
the most economical carriers on the lakes
and capable of carrying freight more cheap
" than it is done anywhere else In the
world.
This will be due quite as much to other
incidents as TO the vessels themselves. In
the first place, both ships are to he the
property of the Minnesota, Steamship Com
pany, corporation heavily interested IN
iron mines and owning or controlling ter
minal facilities, so that no delay will be
experienced in loading or unloading. This,
as every shipper knows, is factor Of prime
importance. Beside this they will have
nine matches each, so that, notwithstanding
size and large carrying capacity, they will
be able to take on a cargo in about three
hours and unload it in less than a day.
Eapid Handling a Necessity.
Bv dispatch and rapid handling is the
only way such costly vessel could be run
at profit with freight rates as low as they
sometimes fall on the lake, and operated
but about seven months in the year. Only
Saturday the Corona brought down 9, 400
net tons of ore to Ashtabula, and six hours
after tying up to the dock she was on her
way to Escanaba again. One hour was
given to dinner so that she was urloaded
at the rate of nearly 500 tons an hour.
The lake shipvards will have a busy win
ter Although the early part of the lake
season was dull. the close with good rates
and the excellent outlook for lake business
next year has stimulated shippers, so
that no less than 15, and possibly more,
large steel steamers are under contract to be
launched by the opening of navigation next
wear. With each new contract the owners
CONSERVATION at the competition they will
be compelled to meet. At the reasonable
average of 90 trips each, the new vessels
now under contract for next wears business
will be able to bring down at least 500, 900
tons of freight next summer, or one-eighth
of the total iron ore brought down the pres
ent season.
The McDougall barges, the queer "whale-
backs" which have received so much at
tention, will comprise nearly half the new
tonnage launched next spring. Two of
the new ''whalebacks' are to be built for
Mr. Samuel Mather, of the well-known
iron ore firm of Pichands, Mather & Co., of
this CITY.
This is the first case where these barges
have passed out of the hands of the build
ers, the American Steel Barge Company, of
West Superior, Wis One will be steamer
and the other a tow barge, and they will
have a capacity of 3, 900 tons each on a 14%
feet draft. The dimensions will be 525 feet
in length over all and AZ feet beam.
Profits in the whalebacss.
When the profits of some of these barges
as well as of the larger steel steamers of
modern type at the freight rates which have
been ruling the last few weeks is consid-
cred, it is not surprising that more money
is being put into boats. Wheat from
bulutH AidS Ian de y W oZa SCAts 4 pNsiiOI
for several weeks and 13k cents is offered
for wheat from Fort William to Buffalo. At
the Duluth rate the modern steel steamer,
costing SIZE, 900 to $780, 600, can clear S. to
$500 every trip of ten days, while the
Fort William rate nets about $40, 900 for
few days longer. No wonder there is a
blockade at the Buffalo elevators and rush
for more new boats.
The "whalebacks" are particularly profit
able, because they cost less. The No. III,
which has Just made her maiden trip,
brought down SO, 600 bushels of wheat, and
the freight amounted to $4,000. She cost
less than 800, 900, and if such rate could
be maintained season through would pay
for herself twice over in single year. But
such rates are exceptional. and are only
paid when the season is growing late and
risks of shipwreck are heavy, or when
there is an unusually large grain crop as is
the case this year.