One of the difficulties in producing the fleet lists that we present from time to time is the unavailability of much of the information concerning the early years of lake shipping. As a result, our histories are not necessarily complete, and we are very pleased when our readers can send along additional details.

In the Keystone fleet list, we noted that little was known about the two original chartered ships. George Ayoub has provided the following to amplify the data we gave. C. SUNDT was actually built in 1901 by Bergen Mek. Vaerks as Hull 114 for Atkies Dampsk. C. Sundt, (Wm. Hansen), Bergen. She measured 228.5 x 35.3 x 15.9. Gross 1105, Net 684. DRONNING MAUD was built 1907 at Bergen by Laxevaags Msk. & Jrnsk. as Hull 84 for I. Christensen, Haugesund, and measured 229.0 x 35.3 x 15.9. Gross 1102, Net 673. She was later owned by I. An.Christensen, Christiania, and was mined in the North Sea on September 1, 1916.

Bob MacDonald has sent three little clippings from early Erie, Pa., newspapers about these ships:

May 10, 1909.

The first cargo of a consignment of 100,000 tons of soft coal to a Montreal firm was taken out Saturday by the Norwegian steamer C.SUNDT, Capt. Charles Wilhelmsen. The SUNDT carried 1500 tons. She is a new steamer of ocean-going qualities. This steamer is one of half dozen which ply between Canadian and American ports to Europe in the winter months and engage in the lake trade during the season of navigation on the inland seas. The SUNDT and two other steamers have been chartered to carry all of the consignment, which will be shipped by the Pittsburgh Coal Co.

May 13, 1909. The DRONNING MAUD, a Norwegian steamer hailing from Haugesund, Norway, and commanded by Capt. L. Niklassen, a hardy Norseman, arrived with clearance from Port Dalhousie yesterday. The DRONNING MAUD will load 7500 (?) tons of soft coal, the second cargo of that 100,000 ton consignment to Montreal parties.

May 19, 1909. Two Norwegian steamers arrived in port yesterday. The ODLAND had on board 864 cords of pulpwood for the Hammermill Paper Co. from Murray Bay, Quebec, with Capt. C. W. Storm as master. From Port Dalhousie, Canada, came the C. SUNDT....She loaded 1500 tons of bituminous coal to take back to Montreal.

We were remiss in stating that the original name of the company was Keystone Transports Ltd. In fact, the firm began operations as The Keystone Transportation Company of Canada Ltd. and the name was not shortened until about 1920.

We have also discovered some further details on the early Q&O vessel HONOREVA. When sold in 1916, she went to the Cie. Royale Asturienne de Mines, Tonnay-Charente, France, and was renamed (b) ASTURIENNE. She was apparently sunk in 1919. We stated that BUCKEYE STATE was sold by the Federal Motorship Corp. in the mid-fifties to the Honduras Shipping Co., Puerto Cortes, and it seems that EMPIRE STATE went along as well. Both passed out of documentation shortly afterwards.

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