Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-02
THE LAKE COMMERCE.
Prospects That the Great Stocks of
Grains to Be Moved Will
PUT Up IRON ORE FREIGHTs.
Ore Docks at Cleveland Are Being Cleared
Up in Srite Of
TEE GLOOMY OUTLOOK FOR THE TRADE
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH,

| ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH,
| CLEVELAND, O., March 1.-The outlook
for lake commerce the coming season Is
very encouraging to vessel men, and theI
confidently anticipate profitable season
The great stock of wheat in the Northwest
will provide more grain cargoes than IN
any spring for many years, and freight rates
are correspondingly firm Contracts fol
wheat from Chicago to Buffalo at 81 cents
a bushel have been made within a-few days,
and one owner reports an offer OF ol
days contract for wheat at cents from
Duluth. These figures make the rate on
ore firm at 81 from Escanaba to Ohio
ports, 81 IL from Marquette and 81 20 to
81 35 from Ashland and Two Harbors.
While this is much better than contrac;
rates last year, it is actually from to
per cent below the average contract rates
during the last ten years, and the
apprehension 4 that the high ore rates
! will check sales o. ore, which the
ore men here are urging seriously, accord
ingly seems to vessel owners to be scare
for revenue only. However, the vessel
men fail to give due weight to the dull iron
situation If it continues, it will undoubt-
edly happen that very high rate on ore
will materially lessen sales.
At present the ore docks are being cleared
up in very encouraging way. The past
week about 1000 tons were taken out OF
Cleveland against little more than half as
much the corresponding week of last year,
and unless something happens to check the
present movement, there will be less ore on
the Lake Erie docks when navigation opens
than at any time for number Of years.
A Large Fleet in Readiness.
The danger to the ore trade from high
lake rates would be much greater were it
not that the lake shipyards have been busy
all winter and will have launched large
fleet by the time the season is fairly begun.
Forty-fve vessels are building, 80 of which
are steel and 40 steam. Seven of these are
Government lighthouse tenders and will,
of course, not count in the freight
situation, but the remainder includes among
built by the Globe Works here for the
Minnesota Steamship Company and a num-
ber of large "whalebacks."
The average size Of the bulk freight ves-
sells launched on the lakes increases each
year. the notable feature this season being
the greater breadth of beam. Both the
Minnesota steamships referred to above are
45 feet beam, while but one or two Of the
vessels built last year exceeded 40 and none
were over AZ. Until deeper channels are
secured by Government improvements,
greater breadth of beam is the only means
lett Of securing vessels of larger carrying
capacity, the narrow river ports making
greater length Objectionable.
The greatest development in the Lake
Superior iron districts continues to be in
hx.
dock is being built at Two Harbors, at
cost of $125, 900, for the Duluth and Iron
Range Railroad, and it is stated at least
400, 900 tons more ore will be shipped from
that port this year than ever before.
New Ore Docks of Great Capacity.
But this is not the only development in
Northern road opens q comparatively new
district, and at the village of West Duluth
is preparing to build ore docks that will
rival those of any of the other ore ports,
being higher than the highest at Two
Harbors, and costing in round figures $780,
00O They will have the immense shipping
capacity Of !, 1000, 900 tons year.
No special boom is noted in any of the
other districts, though the general report
from each promises to maintain the output
of last season and perhaps increase it. 1t
seems likely, therefore. that the total ore
output this season will equal, if not surpass,
the unprecedented amount of two years ago
One of the most novel projects reported
recently in connection with the lakes is that
of shipping coal across Lake Michigan in
coal cars on immense barges The Hooking
Valley and Toledo and Ann Arbor and
West' Michigan Railroads are said to be in
the deal, which contemplates the building
Of four great steel tow barges on which
loaded coal cars will be ferried across from
Frankfort to Keewannee, powerful ice
crusher such as the St. Ignace at Mackinac
being employed to keep open a channel
during the winter. The project is generally
looked upon as daring but rather promis-
ing one.