The Evening Tribune November, 1891

Maritime
 

11/2

   The tug C. M. Browne of Saugatuck took the burned steambarge Frank Woods to Saugatuck last evening.

    The wind bound fleet in our harbor took advantage of the calm of yesterday afternoon and evening to make for their destinations.

   Members of the Life Saving Crew found a head board on the north pier Saturday evening bearing the name Active.  The loss of a craft of this name has not been reported, and it is probable that the head board was knocked off by the heavy sea.

11/3 

[See "Conversation with an Old Gentleman"  in Local News].

   The steamer City of Milwaukee has been laid up here for this season.  The Milwaukee has had a successful season, and much credit is due to Capt. Smallman for his skillful handling, not a trip having been missed this season.  The Wisconsin will continue to run every day.  The Roanoke will be put on the line in a week or two to run alternately with the Wisconsin.

11/6

   Muskegon has had our Chicago boat tied up in her harbor again for a couple of days.  This is positively getting monotonous.  It’s about as much as a man’s life worth to twit our neighbor of these things, but the truth will out.

   The schooner Ruby which has been laying water-logged near the south channel bridge has been relieved of her deck load and the leaks and …. repaired.

11/7

   The steam barge Powers, loaded at Manistique, in trying to make Muskegon harbor yesterday got on a bar three times and finally had to be towed off with a tug came into this harbor last night.  The Powers draws about twelve feet of water.

11/9

   The barge Chas. A Street came in at midnight and tied up at the pier.  She went to Fruitport at six o’clock this morning.

11/10

The City of Milwaukee Scorched.

   At about 8:30 last evening fire broke out in the engine box of the D. G. H. & M. Steamer City of Milwaukee.  In response to an alarm the fire department quickly reached the boat, though their progress was considerably impeded by the lines of freight cars, and the fire was extinguished before it had gained much headway.  The “city’s” fires were all out and the cause of the breaking out of this fire is a complete mystery.  She is insured but no estimate has yet been placed on the loss.  The engine box is pretty badly scorched, and burned through in two or three places injuring the cabin considerably.  The water also did some damage.

11/14

   The City of Racine left for Chicago this morning, it being her last trip for this season.  She would have left Thursday night on her farewell trip but Muskegon harbor was in its usual condition, and she was compelled to lay there until this morning.

11/18  

   The Grand Haven Shipbuilding Co. launched a tug from their yards this afternoon.  The large wrecking and towing tug Duncan City, which has been in port for the past two weeks will take her to Duncan city.

   The steam barge Annie Laura which sheltered in here during the gale of a month ago, had a rough time of it in the Monday night wind.  She entered Chicago with her cargo washed overboard and nearly filled with water.

   The Chicago Press says this of the terrible gale of Monday night:  It was a terror on the lake at midnight; the wind was a howling gale from the northwest, registering forty miles an hour.  Every wave that struck left its trace in a coat of ice, and it was not long before the decks of steamers became a veritable skating rink.  The wind being off shore no sea was running here, but on the east side of the lake it was the heaviest of the year.  Over a score of boats were held here on the posting of the weather report at the barge office last night that a terrific northwest gale was at hand.  It was lucky that they remained in shelter for some of them would have certainly got in trouble today.  What few steamers sailed this morning are hugging the west shore to Milwaukee.  Owing to the cold the air is much cooler than the water, and a light fog hangs over the surface of the lake. The boats which came in this morning made beautiful pictures.  They were heavily coated with ice, and as the sun struck them they seemed like large masses of ice, from which spars and smokestacks protruded.

11/19

See "Wreck of the Stevenson" in Local News

   It is announced that Secretary Tracy, in his forthcoming annual report, will advise the abrogation of the treat with Great Britain that restricts the naval forces of the United States on the great lakes to one warship of obsolete pattern..  Public opinion will strongly support the administration in securing the repeal of the treaty.  In its present form this international agreement is grossly unjust to the United States.  By means of the St. Lawrence and canals Great Britain could place a formidable fleet of gunboats on the lakes at any time.  All the great lake cities would be at their mercy, for the United States would be unable to protect them with a single modern warship.  War between England and the United States is improbable.  But it is most unwise for a great nation to leave an extensive portion of its richest frontier in an absolutely defenseless state.

    The schooner Teale & Laura from St. Joseph to Ludington came in last night out of the gale.  She left St. Joseph with the schooner Tallahassee and the ill-fated Stevenson.  The where abouts of the Tallahassee is not known.  All were bound for Ludington.

11/21

   The following appropriations have been recommended by Gen. Poe for the improvement of the harbors of Western Michigan:  Grand Haven, $125,000; Portage Lake, $125,000; Manistee, $100,000; South Haven, $50,000; Muskegon, $50,000; White River, $48,000; Charlevoix, $46,000; Frankfort, $32,000; St. Joseph, $30,000; Saugatuck, $10,000; Ludington, $10,000;  Holland, $4,500.

   A prominent marine man of Chicago said the other day:  “since eleven years the water of Lake Michigan has been gradually falling.  The first nine years it fell one foot, and in the last two years it has fallen two feet, making up to this winter a decrease of three feet in eleven years.”

11/27

   Five schooners and two barges were in the port yesterday out of the gale.  The schooners Addie, Wonder, Nellie Hammond, Morse, Magdelene, Propellors Annie Laura and New York.

11/30

   The Propeller City of New York came over from Chicago Wednesday night, through the heavy storm and was obliged to run into Grand Haven harbor for shelter.  In running in there she was struck very heavily on the bar which has formed.  Although Grand Haven has done a great deal of bragging about her harbor, it appears that some patching up there would greatly overcome the dangers the boats have lately experienced there.  Grand Haven should remember that people who live in glass houses should not throw stones.―Muskegon Chronicle.  Capt. F. D. McBride of the propeller City of New York, is a Muskegon man.  We must question the captain’s experience as a navigator, when the Roanoke, a boat of many more tons burden, came in the same time with the heaviest cargo of the season.  There is nothing quite equal to the experience, as a teacher, and the New York will hereafter will probably run up to Muskegon harbor in a storm.  Wonder if she will?

   The revenue cutter Andy Johnson went into winter quarters at Milwaukee Friday.