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id MARINE REVIEW. MARINE REVIEW. DEVOTED TO THE LAKE MARINE AND KINDRED INTERESTS. Chicago Office, Western Union Building, 706 Phoenix Building. Published every Thursday at No. 516 Perry-Payne Building, Cleveland, O. SUBSCRIPTION--$2.00 per year in advance. Single copies 1ocents each. Convenient binders sent, post paid, 75 cents. Advertising rates on appli- cation. The books of the United States treasury department contain the names of 3,657 vessels, of1,183,582.55 gross tons register in the lake trade. The lakes have more steam vessels of 1,000 to 2,500 tons than the com- bined ownership of this class of vessels in all other sections of the country. Thre number of steam vessels of 1,000 to 2,500 tons on the lakes on June 30, 1892, was 321 and their aggregate gross tonnage 534,490.27; in all other parts of the country the number of this class of vessels was,on the same date, 217 and their gross tonnage 321,784.6. The classification of the _ entire lake fleet is as follows: . Gross. Class. Number. Tonnage. Sleambe Vessels. fcc svctseteas vewsiece ss salsioses ovens 1,631 763,063.32 SATII DEVESSE Gi oovtetseievecce duet sees siesensireies cies 1,226 319,617.61 Watral Oats: Geiike rack sccises ies escieccrcsuesessess ra 75,580 50 BAG DEG receteccosson ets de sioncsasesiesscecdesssccespescee 69 25,321.12 POUR owasecentscesisetxses saace sss ..oo ets 3,657 1,183,582.55 Tonnage built on the lakes during the past five years, according to the reports of the United States commissioner of navigation, is as follows : Number. Net Tonnage. TSS Ste eoeaies cerca sesh ccesascsuauiuecsvaecees 222 IOI, 102.87 TOM ecesrevcctedescdensschecetetsecscosdes cacess 225 107,080.30 TOO seca cc savsiocevodestvsvienivacesbesectateedes 218 108,515.00 MSO Mes tacs os ccsetedasacwer cnet enacens aueoewouabes 204 I11,856.45 MISO Qeevioerndccicwi iiss deities. tibeuedenceeuen sess 169 45,168.98 PROtalerertencticast ace rdc ses cescseossoa 1,038 473 723-60 ST. MARY'S FALLS AND SUEZ CANAL, TRAFFIC. St. Mary's Falls Canal. Suez Canal. 1892. 1891. | 1890. 1892. | 1891. | 1890. No, vessel passages 12,580] 10,191 10,557 3,559 4,207 3,389 Ton'ge, net regist'd| 10,647, 203/8,400,685|8,454,435|/7,712,028|8,698,777|6,890,014 Days of navigation.. 223 225 22 365 365 365 Entered at Cleveland Post Office as Second-class Mail Matter. AT A meeting of the British Institution of Naval Archi- tects in Cardiff, early in the present month, which was attended by Sir Nathaniel Barnaby, Sir Edward Harland, Professor J. H. Biles, Director of Naval Construction White and other distin- guished leaders in British ship building, one of the principal papers under discussion was prepared by Dr. Elgar, who made a comparison between the Campania and the Great Eastern. One feature ofthis comparison had reference to shell plating. The shell plates of the earlier ship were only 10 feet long and 2 _ feet 9 inches wide, and were, of course, of iron, weighing 7% cwt. The steel shell plates of the Campania were 26 feet long, 5 feet 3 inches in breadth, and weighed 45 cwt. each. Not only were rolling mills totally unable to produce such plates in the day the Great Eastern was built, but the ship yard plant did not ex- ist for dealing with them even if they had been available. Durt- ing the course of the discussion, Sir Edward Harland suggested that he would be pleased to see the Campania compared with the New York, Paris, Majestic or Teutonic, and now it is ex- pected in English ship building circles that he will follow up the suggestion by giving such details as may be required regarding the Majestic and Teutonic. A CORRESPONDENT in one of the English shipping journals hits the nail on the head in discussing one bad feature of the pre- mium system here for excess of speed in war ships. 'The fact is," he says, 'the premium business is merely a scheme to pull the wool over the eyes of politicians, who would otherwise talk about extravagance in ship construction. 'he speed asked for is always figured by the navy department so well within the pro- babilities of the vessel, as set forth in the specifications and de- signs of the department, that none but a most careless builder could fail to exceed the speed called for. Contractors recognize this by a study of the plans, and are consequently able to bid at N bottom prices, counting upon the premium as certain profit, while those who cry for economy have no chance to growl." In the farcical practices attending trial trips and in many ways other than those mentioned the premium system is open to severe criticism. ENGLIsH journals are giving up considerable space to whale- backs'and vessels of the turret. type since, one of McDougall's style of freight vessels was. launched on the other side a few weeks ago. Extravagant claims are made regarding their earn- ing qualities. -It is claimed that the earnings of the steamsnip Turret, built by William Doxford & Sons, Sunderland, for Peterson, 'tate & Co., have been for the first six months of ser- vice at the rate of 23 per cent, per annum, and that the directors of the company owning the steamer have decided to pay an in- terim dividend after the rate of 10 per cent. (free of income tax) and to carry the balance forward. A second steamer of this type will be launched at Sunderland within a few weeks and the company has still another boat on the stocks. ANOTHER canal convention is to be held in New York in September. 'The canal interests of the Empire state have been holding such meetings for years without much in the way of a return for their efforts. If any radical improvement of the Hrie canal is to be attempted it must come through the general gov- ernment and not the state, which is already burthened to the ex- tent of more than a million a year in simply caring for its pres- ent canal works. Capt. Wm. Mack, whose vessels are trading regularly to Marquette, reports to the officers of the Lake Carriers's Associa- tion that dredges are at work on the cut to be made at "Collision Bend," St. Mary's river, and that.the new channel, as staked out, will be of great convenience to navigation in that locality. The vessel owners feel grateful to Gen. Poe for the interest he has taken in this needed improvement. Ir THE present administration follows up the policy sugges- - ted by President Cleveland, when an international maritime con- gress was called during his last term, a department of commerce, or a national board, will be established, to take from the treas- ury and other departments the management of matters pertain- ing to shipping. One inevitable outcome of the present business depression, especially in all branches of the iron trade, will be a general re- duction in wages and a lowering of margins all around with the employer as well as the employed, and this without the disad- vantages of strikes and other serious disturbances. More Boats for Americans. As announced some time ago, the International Navigation Company of Philadelphia is having built on the Clyde two im- mense freight steamers, probably the largest in the world. 'The contract for one of the boats was placed with W. Denny & Bros., while the Thompsons were given the second boat to build, partly for the purpose of securing whatever advantages might be had from competition. The boat being built by W. Denny & Bros. was launched a few days ago and named Southwark. She is 480 feet by 57 by 40 feet and. will carry 10,000 tons, while at the -- same time 1,000 passengers may be accommodated. 'The et- gines are quadruple expansion, having four cylinders working four cranks. 'The cylinders are 25% inches, 37 inches, 52% in- ches, and 74 inches in diameter, with a stroke of 4 feet 6 inches. The working presure is 200 pounds, 'These vessels will run be- tween Philadelphia and Liverpool. They will carry a limited number of second cabin as well as steerage passengers, and the passenger departments will be so arranged that they can be util- ized for freight during dull times in the passenger trade,