The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-05
MINNESOTA
TO. BUILD MORE BOATS
United States Steel Corporation Deeid.
linn an Inopor+,n+ poIicv for tooa

lakes that is Of vessel owners having no
control over the freight to be carried, the
United States Steel Corporation purposes
to build large addition to it's fleet Of ore
ships Realizing the fact that the ship
building bcrths Of the American Ship
building company. the lake combined
building concern, were all filed and We're
likely to be kept so, the Steel Corporate
acting through the Pittsburg Steamship
company, has secured an option on all
berths to be vacated during the year 1908.
Boats now under contract or building will
keep the berths at all lake yards full till
into the early part of 1908.
This option is at present merely indi-
cative OF the proposed work of the cor
poration, and no plans have been actually
decided upon as to the class of ships. or as
to how many of them. are to be laid down
under it. The Duluth office has. however
been at work making plans of ships Of
various types and the probability is that
the new vessels will be about $50 feet
over all and will have capacity present
draft for some 5000 gross tons of cargo.
The present intention is that some twenty
such ships will be built all steamships,
and 1t is likely that few Of them will be
in commission late the coming season.
Delivery Is What courtc.
Any such shipbuding plan as this
means an enormous addition to the carry
Ing capacity of the lakes. The work this
year of several ships of new structural
type. such as the Jas. II. Hoyt, is beng
watched with the deepest interest by Vice
President Tolvin and his associates in the
management Of the Pittsburg Steamship
company. 1t is not the speed Of Il lake
ship that makes for rapid service; the lake
vessel saves her time in port of loading
and discharge. A sustained speed of ten
to twelve miles an hour and a quick de-
livery Of cargo adds several round trips
&t,,t y
ship Of much higher speed but slower de-
livery. SO the work of the Hoyt, which
Is fitted with additional matches for quick
loading and more concentrated arrange
ment of beams throughout the hull for the
successful operationtof large and rapid
unloading devices, Is Of especial moment
in this connection. 1t is unquestionable.
in view Of what has been accomplished
by the Hoyt this year, that the proposed
big ships will be somewhat similarly fit
ted. 1t follows that vessel owners on the
lakes. while they profess to disregard the
new departure Of the Steel Corporation,
fear it most keenly. The Steel corpora
ton has built no ships since It's creation,
Its constituent companies, all owned by ore
mining companies. had built none for
some time prior to it's formation and the
idea had become prevalent that 1t would
not increase. But an increa Sc is the most
natural thing in the world. Its Pittsburg
pacity for about $500, 900 tons on 10 ships,
some steam, some barges, some large,
some small. Its tonnage movement this
year is about IS, 900, 900 tons, making it
very heavy buyer Of vessel room on the
market. If by building large and quickly
handled ships that can carry ore at not
much more than half the contract rate,
it. can reduce it's outside requirements to
reasonable volume 1t would appear the
part Of wisdom to do Having it's own
loading and receiving docks it's ships can
be handled quickly at both ends and much
time can thus be saved.
independent Lines
Led by the large average profits of
modern lake ships some independent YES
sci owners have accumulated important
fleets of fine up-to-date steel vessels One
owner. who has no connection with east
bound freights, expects to have nearly, IL
not 100, Of these vessels by the opening
of another season. There. is no doubt but
that such ships will always be in demand
and will continue to pay good profit on
their cost, but rates may be much lower
than now. 1t Is possible that the steel
corporation may decide to own sufficient
tonnage to carry nearly all Its ore.
The largest vessels on the lakes are fifty
feet shorter than the new boats are
planned to be. These are four built by
Mr.. Wolvin when manager of the Ameri-
can Steamship company. and they are now
owned by the corporation. Every record
Of this year for tonnage on the lakes is
held by these ships or by barges in the
same ownership. 1t is very evident that
the governing committee OF the corpora
ton does not share the prevailing belief
that the best type of ship for lake service
Is not so large a vessel as these, but one
of from 5000 to $500 tons and about 400
feel long. Every one Of the thirty-fivC
,fa ctnor hi
yards is Of this type. Vessels of $50 feet
length will not be able to move in some
lake harbors. They will be restricted in
the freight they can carry and to some
extent to the ports they can enter, as
well as to the docks at which they can
be placed. But as the corporation pulid;
them to move ore, and practically nothing
else, and as there are plenty of lower
lake ore harbors and upper lake docks
where they can be accommodated. this
has not the influence it would have with
outside owners.
No Boat to Be Retired Now
This fall the steel corporations vessels
are we'll up with their work. MIR. WOlVln
is taking no outside ships at the recent
advances in rates. His season contracts
for outside tonnage are expiring ana ne
expects to move all corporation ore re-
uuired to the close of the year on Its
own vessels. These will be kept running
until their work is done. and none OF them
will be retired at this time, as has been
reported in papers around the lakes.
Battery of Coke Ovens
The Zenith Furnace company will build
a battery Of eighty coke ovens to supply
fuel to it's large blast furnace here. The
company has been so troubled by the lack
Of coke that it has been unable to run it's
furnace and has been blown out q month.
The furnace will blow in again in two
weeks having secured 5000 tons Of coke
for immediate use. This will last about
forty, days. 1t comes all rail from south
ern Colorado and is very expensive The
furnace company expects to add, later,
an open hearth steel plant and another
furnace. It's new coke ovens Will be fired
about midsummer, 1903.
Merritt Diamonds to Be Taxed.
The Merrill diamonds, that We're nearly
lost and were then found to be valued at
over $1,000, have been looked up by tax
officials, who find they have been assessed
at only $500. The county auditor will now
place them on the tax rolls for next year
at 81, 900 and will also enforce their valua-
ton on this basis for the three past years.
as he has a right to do.
NORTHFIELD, MINN.-The first term
reception, held by the lady teachers of
Carleton for citizens of Mortified and the
Junior and senior classes of Carleton, took
place at Gridley hall last eVenlng.-The