Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2017 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== St. Joseph Herald Saturday, May 5, 1888 [extracts of marine news] The MAY GRAHAM is now on the river route. Her officers are: Jas. Fikes, Captain; Mrs. Fikes, Stewardess; M. Hattersley, Clerk. The Graham & Co. dock warehouse is being extended forty feet westward. Altogether quite a substantial change for the better is being made in and about the dock this spring. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- St. Joseph Herald Saturday, May 12, 1888 [extracts of marine news] THE PURITAN PRACTICALLY A NEW STEAMBOAT - THE CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS - A FLOATING PALACE. The Graham & Morton Transportation Company's new steamer PURITAN, which has been undergoing a transformation at the hands of artisans, under the direction of Master Mechanic Randall during the past four months, is now practically complete except some work to be done by painters, and she will be ready to go on her route about May 15 - a new steamer in all her appointments, with her passenger capacity undiminished and with largely increased deck room for package freight. The changes have been even more extensive and thorough than at first planned and include, be- sides the additional five and one-half feet beam on each side heretofore noted, a radical rearrange- ment of both the main deck and upper cabin. The vessel now has three gangways instead of two, the clerk's office being back of the after gangway on the main deck and from this location the main staircase, wide enough for three persons abreast, ascends to the grand salon above. The kitchen, engineers' room, etc., are forward on this deck, and the remainder of the space not occupied by the engines is reserved for freight, making a clear deck area equal in square feet to that on the LORA. The upper cabin now contains 25 staterooms, many of them of extra size and furnished with settees in addition to the berths. There are also six double sections of upholstered seats like those in use last season which can be made up into staterooms when necessary. The ladies' cabin and the forward cabin below together have 23 rooms, making 54 sleeping apartments in all. The large space forward in the upper cabin will be the dining room, and forward of this, with windows pleasantly facing the bow, is the smoking room. The pilot house and rooms for the mates and wheelsman are in the texas above, this addition being a decided improvement in aooear- ance as well as in convenience. The captain's room, the largest in the boat, is situated in the upper cabin on the starboard side. A prom- menade deck of good width extends clear around the outside of the cabin and all the exits and passageways are constructed on a roomy plan, while in elegance of appointments the vessel will be equal to or better than last season. The chief improvement, however, is a system of Edison incandescent electric lights with which every part of the steamer is to be furn- ished, there being 96 lights, aggregating 1,000 candle power. The dynamos and motive power are to be located in the engine room and under the direction of the engineers, but each light can be turned off or on at will in the same manner as a gas jet. The PURITAN will be the only ves- sel on Lake Michigan so lighted and this feature is bound to win favor with the public. The other principal new features include air fans located on each side of the engine room in the hold for the purpose of forcing a steady current of air through the lower cabins, and a series of water-tight compartments on each side forward and back of the air fans for the purpose of ballast. These can be filled or emptied with water in a few moments by means of the large steam pumps and the amount of ballast needed, as the load to be carried is large or small, can be adjusted to a nicety. This will make the vessel easy to handle in all weather and under all conditions and is regarded as one of the most disirable of all the improvements. The steamer now measures 183 feet over all and 33 feet beam, making her nearly equal in size to any line vessel in service on Lake Michigan and in many respects superior to any in elegance and comfort of the furnishings. Her speed is calculated to be equal to or better than the record made last season, the engines having received a thorough overhaul- ing at the hands of Engineer Baldwin with that end in view. Capt. Edward Stines will be in command again this season and his crew will be as follows. First Mate - Neal Simons; Second Mate - A. J. Simons; Wheelsman - Wm. Russell; Engineer - J. A. Baldwin; Second Engineer - Chas. Oleson; Clerk - Jas. R. Clarke; Setward (sic) - Charles Tibbetts; Cook - Robt. Garnett; Porter - Joseph Zion. The PURITAN will alternate with the LORA on daily trips, beginning May 15th and until the berry shipments become large, when both boats will make round trips daily the same as last year, except that the order will be reversed - the PURITAN taking the night run over and the day run back, while the LORA will run on the PURITAN'S week day schedule of last sea- son. - Palladium. All will say welcome to the PURITAN for 1889. Geo. Davidson and Frank Brayman were upset while on the river in a sail boat yesterday, but were rescued by a member of the St. Joseph Life-Saving Crew. Willis Woodruff, who was out on the lake in a skiff, was also cap- sized, and might have drowned had he not re- ceived prompt aid from two young men who hap- pened to see the accident from a point a short distance away. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- St. Joseph Herald Saturday, May 19, 1888 [extracts of marine news] No marine news in this issue. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- St. Joseph Herald Saturday, May 26, 1888 [extracts of marine news] Quite a large number of St. Joseph people went to Chicago by LORA, on Monday night. The MAY GRAHAM is now making tri-weekly trips up the river - on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. The work of removing the spars from the MYOSOTIS wreck was commenced this week. The ferry BELLE is wanted by the Macatawa Park Association at Ottawa Beach, near Holland. Capt. Darius Cole was surprised and annoyed by an item in an afternoon paper yesterday stating that he had been looking for a trade on the west shore for the COLE, but had decided not to run her as a fruiter between certain ports. The item was, of course, untrue, and probably inspired by the rivals of the COLE, who feel jealous because she has captured the cream of the trade between Detroit and Port Huron. Instead of removing the COLE from such a profitable route the Captain is more likely to add another boat to the line - indeed, he is figuring now to do that very thing. - Detroit Tribune, 23d. Captain Dave Cochrane, of the excursion steamer JOHN A. DIX, discharged two carpenters Saturday for engaging in a fight, in the course of which the men used vile epithets. When Dave paid them off he gave them a lecture on taking the Lord's name in vain, but commended the grit of the com- batants in settling their differences out of the courts. The custom inaugurated thirty years ago by the good mariner of insisting that his crew go to church every Sunday morning, is still in vogue. They go to mass before breakfast with Captain Cochrane in the lead. - Chicago Inter- Ocean. ==========================================================================