Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1892-08-17
New Palace Steamers.

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We stated last week that the steamers
City of Alpena and City OF Mscklnac
had been sold, but had not room then To
give particulars. The Detroit Free Press
speaks as follows concerning the sale
In short time the fine steamers City
of Alpena and City Of Mackinac will pass
from the hands OF the Detroit X Cleve-
land Steam Navigation into those OF u
syndicate of Cleveland people. The deal
Is not yet concluded, and for that reason
the names are withheld. The present
owners will receive $275, 900 for the two
boats, which is considered a fair price.
In the place of these steamers the en-
terprising Detroit & Cleveland company
will build two large and fast steamers TO
cost $3.50, 900 each. The plans for these
steamers will be drawn by Frank L. Klr-
by, and they will be built by the Detroit
Dry-dock Company. They will be ready
for use by June 1st next.
While all matters pertaining To this
deal are in state Of embryo, enough Is
known to warrant the assurance that the
new boats Will be models In their way,
and the fastest and best equipped vessels
that ever ran on Lake Huron. They
will be twins In every respect. 1t Is cal
culated each will be about EOS feet long
over all. Their hulls will be Of steel
and they will be driven by powerful on.
gines built by tho w. A. Fletcher Com.
pany, Of New York. They will have
every known modern improvement. But
the main point in their construction will
be their engines. 1t ls stated upon the
authority Of Manager Carter, OF the line
that they will make twenty miles an hour
No boat has ever yet fioated on Lake
Huron that could make this speed, but
Mr.. Carter means just what he says anc
the new vessels Will have that guaran
teed speed.
The City OF Alpena and City OF Mack
inao are good boats and are fast-th,
maximum speed Of the former being some
what over seventeen miles an hour ant
OF the latter fifteen and one-half miles
But they are entirely too small for tn
Lake Huron route. This Is demonstrat
ed during the hot weather months Of July
August and September. The travel 1
simply enormous, and both vessels hav
to carry cabins full OF cots to accommo
date the passenger trafic.
The City of Alpena left Detroit las
night with every passenger she could &C
commodate, and with that sixty person
were turned away because beds for then
could not be found. The City of Mack
mac leaves for Mackinac Island to-moI
row morning, yet up to last night 100 pei
, sons were refused passage because Their
were no berths for them.
Travellers have to engage berths tw
and three weeks ahead OF the trip. TIL
advent of the new boats will remedy this
They will each have cabin accommoda
tions for 500 people. Travel increase
with each year, and 1t 10 expected tn
new boats will double the passenger bus
mess for the line next year.
, route OF the Lake Huron division to TAX
) i'm Toledo below and Petoskey above
Both places are clamorous for the exten
sion, and one or both will be sure to sc
it. With this extension 1t Is calculate
they will each make two round trips pc
week, as the present two vessels are dc
I ing on the short route.
The City of Alpena and the City c
Mackinac will form a daily route betwee
Cleveland and Buffalo, the boats leavin
: opposite points at the same time. Bot
boats will make a speciality of their Gu
sine, which will probably be on the Eu
ropean plan. They will not begin on thi
route until next season, as the new Owl
/: ers are not to assume control OF ther
until this seasons up lake business
[ ended.
AS was before stated, the two ne'
: boats are not to be finished until June
next. From the opening of navigatio
4 next spring until the boats are finished
\ the old City of Detroit will take care {
the business of the Lake Huron division