The Saint Paul globe., 1897-05-21
NEW WINTER VESSEL.

LOu, NtW 1OThs IL T. Tdylle, NtW 4OTk.
NEW WINTER VESSEL. :.
steamer Expected to Make Winter
Navigation Possible.
WEST SUPERIOR, Wis, May 9n-A
gigantic scheme is now under wayj
which has the ultimate end in view Of
navigation on the great lakes through
the entire winter Should the plans
as at present outlined work out satis-,
factorily they will necessitate the
building of a new and novel fleet Of
winter lake boats and tugs at a cost
Of s., 100000 I
Commodore B. B. Inman, Of Duluth,
a gentleman of business turn OF
mind, who has followed the lakes for
tug operator, has invented and pro-
poses to build new type Of steel ves1
sci, which, with the aid Of powerful
tugs stationed at the obdurate points
along the great lakes, will run be-
tween the upper and lower lake ports
through the coolest Of northern vim
ters. At first thought such an un-,
dertaking would seem visionary and
impractical, though there are persons
Of experience who assert that with
the right kind of vessels such an un7
dertaking would not be impossible.
Mr.. Inman has given the subject
thought for a number of years, and
is convinced that winter navigation Of
the lakes will ultimately come. He
has invented and with the aid of East
ern capital proposes to build fleet of
six steel vessels for this service. The
boats are designed to be modern in
every way. The changes in the hull.
as compared with the modern sum-
mer boats, will be in the bow, which
will run under the ice and lift 1t up.
The bow will also be wider than is
the stern of the ice-breakers, SO that
after the channel is broken by the
bow Of the boat the remaining portion
may pass without injury or friction.
These vessels are designed to be OF
the very largest size, carrying about
1000 to 5000 tons Of freight, about 430
feet in length, forty-eight feet beam
forward and narrowing to forty-five
feet aft They will carry about 30
per cent additional power, possess steel
wheels and will be built throughout
for ice-breaking.
Commodore Inman has approached
the head-of- the-lakes -four millers on
the subject and learned that If winter
navigation can be made practicable
they will gladly enter into a contract
for their entire winter product, which
at present goes by rail to Eastern
and foreign markets during the WIN
ter Naturally freight rates in the
winter, with such vessels, would be
higher than in the summer, when the
lakes are free from ice, but Mr.. In
man thinks that the rail rate could be
reduced by the use of his vessels.
For several years the matter of WIN
ter navigation on the great lakes has
received attention. Vessel owners who
are compelled to lay up their boats
for from four to five months during
the winter and earn no dividends Oh
their capital, have given the ques-
tion thought Shippers, who have been
forced to pay almost double the water
freight rates to the railroads in the
winter or, worse still, have been un-
able to sell their product on account
CT the advance in freight rates at the
close of navigation on the lakes. have
had the undertaking on their minds.
Experienced men who have fol1oWed
the lakes assert that winter navigation
is not impracticable provided the right
kind of vessels and enough of them can
be constructed for the service. 1t Is
estimated that at the head of the lakes
alone there Is enough freight which
could go by lake in the winter to load
one vessel day. OF course, the more
vessels in the service the more easily
the channels could be kept free from
ice. With a line Of six vessels, one
leaving each day in the week, lce
would be much less an obstruction.
1t is surprising how thick crust
Of ice small tug will go through.
The tug Record, of the Inman line, has
been known to cut channel through
three and one-half feet of ice in the
harbor. The Record breaks ice by
forcing it's weight up on the crust and
crushing 1t down; the newly designed
vessel will cut the channel by raising
the ice by the use of the peculiarly
shaped prov.
One Of the principal Disadvantages
in operating on the lake in the winter
is said to be the excessive cold which
would be almost uncomfortable by SAIL
ors. The great body of water in the
lakes never freezes over, and when
vessels are In the lakes in cold weather
the constant washing of water over
the decks forms a thick crust of ice
which makes it difficult and sometimes
fmpossible for sailors to walk over
them. This, added to the extreme cold
in the dead Of winter, would make the
life of winter seaman on the lakes
truly an undesirable one.
Commodore Inman SCOTS at such OBJ
jections as the ice and the cold; by
the use of his vessels he says that
plenty of men could be secured to
carry on the work in the winter. He
figures that while the rates of freight
would not be as low as they are in the
summer, they would be lower than ara
the freight rates by rail and cross
lake lines in the winter, and that SNIP
pers of freight would save handsome-
ly by the undertaking.