The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-06-16
200 BOATS WILL
SOON BE RUNNING
LARGER LAKE CRAFT FAST GET
TING INTO CORNERSTONE
Vessels of the United States Steel Cor
poration Beginning to Make Their
Appearance in Numbers at Ore
Ports-Freight Rates on the Lakes
Still Up in the Air, However.
Special to The Journal.

Special to The Journal
Duluth, Mimi, June 1e.-vesse1s Of the
United States Steel corporations ore fleet
are beginning to make their appearance
in numbers at the various ore shipping
ports from Duluth to Escanaba, and the
movement Of ore forward to docks Is be-
ginning to make showing at mines The
Steel corporation has 112 ships, of which
|seventy-two are steam vessels, and proba-
bly, all but fifty will be in commission
by the close Of this week One or. two
Of them are completing a round trip. Otn-
er owners have ships under way, and 1t Is
asserted by the owners that fully two hun
dred Of the larger class Of vessels will be
running by the close Of this week.
But, while the ships are thus fast get
done yet about iron ore freight rates for
the season. The vessel men think that
there will be just about enough lake ship
ping capacity to move what freight will
offer for the year, and that rates should
be about what they were last year, or
say IS cents a gross ton from Duluth to
Lake Erie. But the ore men insist that
no such large tonnage will be moved,
and that of ore there will be not to ex-
coed fifteen to. sixteen, million tons. If
this is true the s85lcent rate is too much,
and 75@cents is naarer the correct figure.
men should $! have maintained a closed
period a little longer. It is probable that
freights will be made this week.
Rail Business Still Slow.
| Mines that are shipping over the Du-
luth &. Iron Range road are the Fayal,
Adams, Spruce, Elba, Genoa, Sparta, Mi
norca, Malta, Pioneer, Chandler, Savoy,
Sibley and Franklin. But business is still
slow. The great Mahoning, which must
forward more than. 100000 tons a month
or 5000 tons daily, has as yet moved but
two he x1yoo1 g
day. This is not much like the movement
it must reach If it carries out it's sched-
4 Pumping has commenced at Jordan
mine Of Corrigan, Mckinney & Co., an6
} II they do not change their minds it will
be a shipper soon. Their Stevenson Is send
ing out a small amount of ore.
Stripping shovels at Leonard mine hav.
uncovered ore, and mining will soon com
mence. This mine should produce $780,
900 tons this year, but will not do so, no
anywhere like it.
It Is announced that the Wisconsin {
j Michigan road will cut iron ore freigh
rates on the Menominee range by about 5
per cent as soon as it gets into shape
a This will stir up the dry bones as moth
= ing has for years, for there has Away
d been gentlemens agreement among tn
ore-carrying roads, and they have mad
!. immense fortunes out Of the traffic. Thi
;. road completes directly with the Chicag
Z. & North Western and Milwaukee.
), Nothing Doing In One District.
e Not a mine is turning a wheel in tn
n Naushwauk district Of the Mesabi range
K and it is improbable that anything wi
be done there this year. Three mines wer
: opened at Naushwauk last year and shout
all be shipping this season, II condition
were more favorable. "A very costly raj
way line was built to them last summe
and few hundred thousand tons WEI
shipped then.
The three mines opened last year |
Felsh mountain a portion of the Menon
inee range, have not started up tn
spring and will probably be idle all sun
mer. They have, gone into the hands
a strong Cleveland syndicate Of ore sci
ers who will reopen them when the tin
IS right. These mines should make GOO
producers and have an excellent ore.
The American Tin Plate compan
which is a branch of the United Stat
Steel, has sent experts and crew Of e,
plorers from Duluth to open a prospe
, it owns in North Carolina and will b
gin mining there If the ore Is found desi
. able. This Is new departure for al
: Of the constituent companies Of the Unite
8 States Steel.
i Several mines that closed down late
= the spring on account Of either shor
. age Of fuel or Of stock pile room, are
resume the coming week, and will tai
: on nearly two thousand men within t
days.