The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-12
WoNDkns Of LAxB ooMuKHoE.
rates Dern to n Cent n Ton TOR TWENTY-FIVE
Ranes-veaseIu Loaded In q SInS.

~RaIes-vcsseIs Loaded In n SlnS
DULUTH, Mimi. June. s.-Tho Governments
annual report OF the OF the Rroat
lakes, published recently. showed that a ton OF
freight was carried last year twelve miles for a
cent. To such a point have tho ratios gone down
this season that a ton can now be hauled TWEEN
ty-two miles for n cent. The rate for wheat for
the 1000 miles from Duluth TO Buffalo Is is
cents a bushcl, or t5 cents a ton. while iron ore
is carried at 55 cents for n ton OF 2,24O pounds.
Coal is brought from the lower lakes to Duluth
at 20 cents a ton for tho 800 or 1000 miles.
This is almost flfty miles for every cont.
The system OF transportation that can do such
things must be we'll managed. And It Is. For
instance. some lines OF lake ships give prizes to
those stewards who can show tho lowest cost for
feeding the crews for the season. Last year the
prize on ono line went to a man who brought
tho cost down to % cents a day for the pro-
visions for his crew. With the sailors out In all
weathers. working In the open air OF the breezy
lakes, whore people are supposed to cat like
steam boilers, o cents a meal doesn't leave much
margin for tho dollcaclos of the season. Freight
steamers on the lakes carry about twenty-five
men in their crews, and the barees they tow be.
hind them muster n force OF six or eight.
Mono of these men gets large wages except the
Captain and engineer. Ordinary seamen, who
are nowadays nothing moro than skilled roust-
abouts, get their board OF salt horse and pruncs
and about 81 a day. The wage account Of any
1000 ton steamer will not vary much from $4OO
a trip, while the coal consumed is perhaps $3.50
more. On the trip tho steamer will earn
In gross froights on the down trip about
$4,000 Mt present rates. and on the up trip
nothing at all, or from 5000 to $500. This docs
not leave any great margin above wages, fuel,
provisions, tug bills. insurance, interest on the
first cost Of from $3.50. 900 to 1925, 900. and pro-
vision for the constant deterioration, and 1t is
no wonder that owners are figuring closely.
Speaking in n general way, none Of the vessels
Of a few years ago. that were considered mon
sters five seasons back, are making any money
at all on the present rates.
SO the shipyards arc building bigger and big.
ger vessels eyery season; 1t is almost always
is usually one still larger on the stocks. Last
week the steel shin Superior City left here with
a, cargo $50 tons bigger than had over been car.
wheat MS would grow on 1000 acres OF land.
This boat Is now the record ship OF tho lakes.
But there Is under construction at the yards OF
the F. w. Wheeler Company, at Bay City, n
steamer that will discount tho Superior CITY.
tons of cargo on the ordinary draft of the
lakes, and she is to pull two consorts
for the single tow Of 10000 tons all drawn by
one engine and handled by IA total crew Of less
long. 50 feet Ef broad ar and S' s. ieet " doe TS and a nd ' the
barges are shorter by the space required for
enEl 'e5 ana boilers. No other boat so large as
this is on the stocks at lake yards, but there are
rumors that one 800 feet long Is to be begun
soon. John ID. Rockefeller is building these ships.
and his son is learning how they arc run, so that
no can take hold Of their management.
Big freighters on the lakes oftentimes run In
strings OF three, the steamer followed by two
great steel hulls allcd, with freight. They tow
at the ends of 200-fathom cables. and the string
Is two-thirds of a mile in length. The science OF
handling freight at low prices is far advanced
when such tows move from Duluth to Buffalo
and back in ten or twelve days. No matter
what might be their speed or power 1t would be
impossible to make such time but for the recent
improvements IN the methods OF loading ant
unloading vessels. One day last week 1885, 900
bushels of wheat were put into a vessel at
Duluth in 80 minutes; iron ore Is dropped into
waiting hulls at tho ratio OF 1000 tons an hour,
and two or three hours after the ships tie up at
the docks they are ready to proceed on their re-
turn voyages. When II is necessary to put on
cargoes of coal no attempt is made to empty the
cars piecemeal, but cars and load are picked up
in great dcrrlcks and whirled upside down TIL
the twenty. five or thirty tons OF coal slides
in one pile down into the hold OF the waiting
ship. 1t takes about a minute to unload a car
In this way. Time and labor saving improve
incnts are the constant study Of many busy
brains: and the older methods are year by year
changing. No man can say what the lake
marine will be capable of accomplishing n few
wears hence.