The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-10-16
CONTROL LAKE TRADE
That Is What John D. Rockefeller
Would Do.
Is NOW BUILDING BIG BOATS.

The Vessels VIII Have Larger Carrying
Capacity Than Any Others Now on the
Great Lakes-small Owners Are Very
Much Alarmed a. They viii he Heavy
Losers at the start, but i'm Time IA he
duction in Freight Rates VIII Result.
Chicago, oct. l5.-John ID. Rockefeller
wants to control the carrying trade or
the great lakes. During the season just
closing he first entered into competition
with the ether steamship lines and his
experience is said TO have been so prof.
liable that now he is going into the
carrying trade on a scale that charac-
terizes everything he attempts. He has
Just let contracts for one steamer and
two barges TO the Wheeler Shipbuilding
company Of Bay City. The steamer is
10 be AS feet over all. p feet longer
than any vessel ever before launched on
the great lakes. II is 10 have a 50-foot
beam and a depth OF 2gis feet. The
barges are 10 be $50 feet over ALL 90
foot beam. and have draft q IS feet.
on seventeen feet a. water this fleet
alone will carry more than $4,000 ret
tons through the lake channels. When
these channels have been made Of 2O-
foot depth. which viii be within year
or two. the three vessels will be able
70 carry more than $1,000 tons.
Enormous Total Possible.
During ere whole season OF nav ga
tior Is is estimated that these GOATS
alone VIII carry $4,000 tons distance
q : 0@1 miles These three new boats
- n oh
Rockefeller = to contract for this fat
4 little more than year ago he let
contracts al enc time for a dozen new
vessels. which went into the lake serv-
ice this year. Vesselmen argue from
this that the Standard oil man is Table
70 contract for vessels Of practically un-
limited carrying capacity before he get;
through. All the new vessels for which
Mr.. Rockefeller is contracting are of the
latest improved pattern. They are
away ahead of the Cd type of large
boats. not only i'm carrying capacity, but
in speed as we'll The vessels when
the magnate put into commission last
year did wonders in the iron ore trade,
but these boats will be far outclassed
by the new ones which are to be con-
They stand Comparison.
These new vessels will compare more
tLan favorally with the same class Of
vessels in the Atlantic trade. Or course,
they are not as good as the transact
lantic liners, but they are far better in
machinery equipment and
speed than the average ocean frelghter.
The construction Of the new boats again
calls attention TO the shortcomings OF
the Chicago river. IT is doubtful II
these new steamers could get around
the bend at Rush street, and I is a Ger
tainty they never could get further up
stream than the state street bridge.
Mr.. Rockefeller's determination has
created CONSERVATION among the own
ers OF the smaller lake craft. These
latter are forced to admit with reluct-
ance that the lake carrying ira lie of the
future will be confined to steamers of
from 5000 to 10000 tons capacity. The
natural result of the employment Of
larger vessels will be a reduction III
freight rates, but at the outset the
owners of the smaller boats will be
heavy losers.