The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-17
WISCONSIN
WISCONSIN
WISCONSIN IS READY.
Last Of Six Big Steamers Built at
the Superior shipyards
This Year.
Another Launching Due on Wednes-
day-Labor Dissatisfied With
Wages and Hours.
Special to The Journal.

Superior, Wis, Nov. 1.-THE launching
Of the last of, six steamers built at the
shipyards this year will take place on
Wednesday afternoon. The steamer Wis
consin is one Of the largest boats ever
built at the yards. She has length over
all Of 437 feet, with beam Of fifty feet
and a depth of twenty eight feet She
measures 1850 gross tons and S,T07 net
tons. She Is fitted with the usual triple
expansion engines used in boats of this
kind and Scotch boilers of the nine foot
pattern. She has twelve large hatchways
for the purposes Of loading and unloading
cargoes, and Is well fitted with fine, rooms
for officers and men and all the modern
improvements Of the shipbuilding world.
The boat has been kept on the stocks
several weeks longer than 1t was really
necessary. She will thus go into the water
one Of the most finished crafts ever
launched here, q great many steamers
being launched when the framework alone
is completed, leaving the boilers and en-
gines to go in afterward. It will be but
a few days before. the Wisconsin can be
put in commission if desired. ~
Captain Alex. Beggs will be master OF
the boat. He. has been appointed by the
Hawgood people Of Cleveland, for whom
the Wisconsin was built by the Superior
| Shipbuilding company. ~
The Sill and Kerr.
| The steamer Sill was launched about
| a month ago and has already been put
| in commission by her owners, the Gill,
christs Of Cleveland. She is just one foot
shorter than the Wisconsin, having a
depth Of twenty-eight feet and beam
of fifty feet. Her gross tonnage is over
1000. '- T e.
When the Sill left port she was charac-
terized as one of. the finest boats ever
| turned out at any lake shipbuilding yards.
| Not only Is her general construction OF
! the best and under the latest improved
methods, but her fittings are elegant. The
| rooms Of the men are equal to- those. Of
| the officers on most boats sailing the
| Great Lakes. 4
| The Sill has triple Expansion engines
! and is also fitted with Scotch boilers q
| nine feet diameter. s,S% =
| The steamer D. G. Kerr is a third boat
] built at the shipyards this year., She haf
1 been in commission but few weeks be-
fore she met with an accident that ha'
| kept her out of commission almost as LONG
as she has been in. She laid UP In. the
| harbor one stormy night and her anchor
4 failed to hold She was pulled or driver
over toward the ship canal and struck tht
piers with great force. She lost a ruddel
and several plates were battered SO badly
that a big crew of men was kept at worl
upon her for long time.
Lighter Year Ahead. III:
The shipyards win be comparativel.
quiet this year as compared with last
Six boats were built in the past year
and from 900 to 1,500 men were given EN-
ployment.s. The pay roll ran: up to $6o,00l
a: month The laborers haNeGbeen talking
higher wages and shorter hours. and Will
these things hanging over them the ship
building officials are unable to make sat
isfactory bids. ~ i4' III 7t
There have been numerous chances 70
bids on boats but the attitude; of labo
means that when a company bids $500, 90
it may cost 1t 100000 before the aworl
is done. ~ SO
Al J. Fisher committed suicide at tn
mission on Third street some time be
tween Saturday night and Monday morn
ing the body being found when his room
was broken In. He took potassium cy
.anide.g ~ ..-,-'% 80 j.. :.ys L. gs.@r
Still Fighting the Franchise.
Opponents of the longtime gas. fran
chiye secured by the Superior Water
. Light and Power company have not We
given up hope Of being able to get a yspe
cial election called on the franchise an
making a test Of several points, at least
OF, the law providing for the referendum
the people. The law. says that the ca
! for the special election must be filed wit
, the city clerk within sixty days after tn
> passage of the franchise. The opponent
, hold that the word passage means that
has to be signed. by the mayor. In thi
case the mayor signed the ordinance abou
six days after it was passed by the cour
:. GILL and If the petitioners are right the
: have time to get their. papers to the cit
!. clerk for the election. 5
The Western Transit company has an
e nounced that it will build a sister shi
9 to the Chicago and Milwaukee, and ST.
perior comm ercial bodies will take up tn
9 matter of having the boat named Superio
{ One has ust been named Duluth by TIL
1 company