The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-01-30
FLOATING sronEHoUsEs.
Scheme for Placing Provisions on
 Lake Boats.

most important factor of the Steel Trust. which controls its lake marine interests. has. for the purpose of saving money. recently built a storehouse and central- lzed at Sault Ste. Marie all its vessel sup plies. including provisions. and has put Into service e large supply boat, which can deliver all goods ordered to the great ore carriers. while they are in motion.
 The magnitude and far-reaching effect of this move can be appreciated when 1t is remembered that the Steel Trust con- trols more than . hundred vessels on the Great Lakes. In the past these vessels have been supplied by the individual mer- chants of both upper and lower lake har- bors, and this trade amounted to hun dreds of thousands of dollars annually. It has been a common sight in the past to see little delivery boats, with supp plies, at the various harbors plying to and from the vessels. which are now in the Steel Trust. These stores at the ter- minals still supply the vessels outside the trust, the majority of them having made contracts with provision firms to supply them throughout the season When he vessels have no season contract there Is a lively scramble of competitors. as the ves- sells enter port, for the trade.
 The plan of the Pittsburg Steamship Company in centralizing supplies at one point is in line with the policy recently inaugurated by some of the leading rail- roads or industrial firms. The new steam ship storehouse at the Soo Is built of brick and stone, and Is two stories high. It Is located below the locks. Beside 1t. at the dock is c large and modern icehouse. Ice is one of the greatest necessities of vessels, which must take on provisions for an entire trip.
 hA xrl,irh rar fha tn the passing steamers is the Superior. a large ferry steamer. formerly used in the excursion business at Cleveland. She was fitted up for her new line of traffic at Port Huron. Her equipment includes an elevator in the bottom of the hold There are huge Ice chests in the forward part of the boat. The vessel is capable of carrying at one time sufficient supplies for quite a number of vessels. No sup plies are furnished to any but Steel Trust vessels. The supply boat operates night and day. There are seven men n-her crew.
 As a vessel passes the locks en route down the supply boat draws up beside 1t and receives its requisitfon for the next trip, also delivering such perishable goods as milk and meat, that must be taken aboard both ways. Then, when the ore vessel has discharged its cargo at a lower lake harbor. and is bound up, 1t Is again overtaken by the Superior and the goods ordered in the requlsition are delivered. The elevator of the supply boat brings the goods to the deck, and from here they are placed at the top of the chute, which carries them to the ore ves- sel. f
 The plan has been found very success full. Often by this method not a mo- rnnnt'Q ffrna ia hu an x1aQQ4l reason of loading supplies. In approach Ing the locks the speed is necessarily re- duced, regardless of the supply boat.
 In earlier days, according to the old lake mariners. there was supply-house for certain boats maintained at the Soo, but each vessel was obliged to stop at the warehouse dock, and much time was, therefore. consumed. For a vessel to stop at a dock and receive supplies each way of a trip past the Soo would require from one to two hours time. For 100 boats to spend this much time each trip would mean a big loss to the concern operating them. The expense of main- taining a supply boat is insignificant in comparison, and then the storehouse rep resents an economical feature, in that supplies, bought in such large quantities as to furnish more than a hundred large vessels are purchased much cheaper than individuals or small company owners could buy them at the various lake ports By the storehouse system the Steel Trust has the retail profits.
 But even with all the supplies put aboard at the Soo often there are some things found necessary at the terminal ports. Then. too. there are a few of the Trust boats which do not trade at points above the Soo. It, therefore. becomes necessary for the Trust to buy some sup plies of the lake stores. after all. But here. again, the Trust has a plan of its own. Lately purchasing agents for the Pittsburg Steamship Company have been stationed at some of the lower lake har- bors, one man, perhaps. doing the buy ing for boats of the Trust line at two or three ports. One rman does the buying for these vessels at Ashtabula, Conneaut and Fairport. he spending few hours nP nnch dau In each niana