Veteran laker Joseph H. Thompson headed to Port Colborne for scrapping
The next Great Lakes vessel to be scrapped at Port Colborne, ON, will be the self-unloading barge Joseph H. Thompson. Wayne Elliot, owner of Marine Recycling Corp., posted the news on his Facebook page Friday, saying her ETA will be Sept. 28.
The Thompson, which in the early 1950s was the largest vessel on the Great Lakes, has been at Bay Shipbuilding Co. since July; however, she has been found to need more work than economically justified. Her tug, Laura L. VanEnkevort, is expected to move the Thompson to the scrapyard, after which the tug will be laid up.
The Thompson was built by Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock in Chester PA, in early 1944 as the 515 foot C4-S-B2 cargo vessel Marine Robin for the U.S. Maritime Commission for the World War II effort. As the Marine Robin, the vessel made cross-Atlantic voyages for the war effort and was present at the Normandy invasion June 6, 1944. After the war, she was converted to a 714-foot-long Great Lakes cargo vessel. In 1991, she was converted to a self-unloading barge. Her most recent owner was VanEnkevort Tug & Barge of Escanaba, MI.
Click here to read more about the vessel’s history.
Roger LeLievre
Cleveland-Cliffs clashes with U.S. Steel as sale process gets underway, sources say
NEW YORK, Sept 20 (Reuters) – U.S. Steel Corp (X.N) is locked in a spat with rival steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs Inc (CLF.N) over a confidentiality pact that would allow the latter to participate in a sale process that is underway, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.
U.S. Steel has not opened its books to Cliffs since announcing on Aug. 13 it will explore a sale, even as it accepts initial bids this week from other potential acquirers, because Cliffs will not agree to its conditions, the sources said.
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Reuters
Stelco wants all, or some, of U.S. Steel. But it’s complicated
Stelco Holdings Inc. is potentially jumping into the bidding war for United States Steel Corp., with analysts predicting the Hamilton-based company has its eye on foundries and mines its former parent may be forced to sell to win regulatory approval for a deal.
In August, one of North America’s largest steelmakers, Cleveland-Cliffs Inc., put U.S. Steel in play by making a hostile, US$7.25-billion offer, made up of cash and stock. Since then, several other companies have joined the hunt, with steel distributor Esmark Inc. submitting a US$7.8-billion all-cash bid.
Several news services have reported that Stelco, backed by an unnamed partner, is considering an offer for U.S. Steel. Stelco spokespersons declined to comment on the company’s intentions.
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The Globe and Mail
Great Lakes steel production rises by 16,000 tons
Steel production rose by 16,000 tons in the Great Lakes region last week, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. Steel mills in Indiana’s Great Lakes region made 571,000 tons of metal in the week that ended September 16, up from 555,000 tons the previous week.
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The Times of Northwest Indiana
Michigan lighthouse launches messages in bottles offering free stays
Sept. 22 (UPI) — The caretakers of a historic Michigan lighthouse are offering free stays at the landmark in an unusual contest involving messages in bottles tossed into the Great Lakes.
The White Shoal Light Historical Preservation Society announced the “message in a bottle contest” as part of the lighthouse’s 113th anniversary celebrations.
The offshore lighthouse, located about 20 miles west of the Mackinac Bridge in Lake Michigan, is the tallest lighthouse on the Great Lakes.
Each of the four messages in bottles, which were dropped into the Mackinac Straits, contains a message from one of four descendants of longtime lightkeeper George Keller. The messages feature various offers for a free stay for one, two or up to five people.
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UPI
