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MARINE REVIEW. a OR Paddle Steamer City of Mackinac. Within the past five years the Detroit Dry Dock Company has built for the Detroit & Cleveland Steam Navigation Company four side-wheel steamers, the last of which went into commission during the past week. 'T'wo of these steamers, the City of Cleve- land and City of Detroit, have been on the route between Cleve- land and Detroit for some time past, while two others, the City of Alpena and City of Mackinac, built since August of last year, have just entered upon their first season's work between Detroit and Mackinac island at the head of Lake Huron. 'These boats, which compare very favorably with the famous Long Island sound steamers, and which are- practically duplicates, make up the most costly line of passenger ships on the lakes, represent- ing an aggregate value of a full million of dollars. 'The cross- sectional view of hull printed herewith will give a technical reader a general idea ot the form of hull, and a short description of the City of Mackinac, the last of the fleet to go into commis- sion, may prove interesting. The dimensions of this latest boat are: Length of keel, 264 feet; length over all, 280 feet; breadth of hull, 38 feet; breadth of beam over all, 70 feet; moulded depth of hull, 15 feet. There tien i . at en pr -- ig and an elegant dining room with seating capacity tor 110 people are located below the main deck. Although in the hold, this -- dining room is well lighted by means of dead-lights under the guards, and good ventilation is secured by means of a system of pipes, through which cool air is introduced after passing over ice. The Coming Yacht Races. , Here is asample of the general comment in newspapers throughout the country regarding the America's cup contests: 'Four yachts have been built in the United States this year to defend the America's cup against the latest British challenger, . Lord Dunraven's new cutter Valkyrie. The contests will attract more attention than any other event of the year in yachting cir- cles, and among the people of this country and England in gen- eral it is evident that we are in greater danger of losing this famous trophy, long held against all comers, than ever before, unless one of the four untried yachts which have been built to % defend it shall prove a decidedly better boat than the Navahoe. It is probable that a champion can be found to meet the Valkyrie in New York bay which will be harder to beat than Mr. Car- roll's sloop, but no decided superiority can be counted on. It BN atees St a ees ees n $13¥> 7 Se "Joe Hing fe, ny parm yg et SOM an peng ee ee CROSS SECTIONAL VIEW--TYPE OF LAKE PADDLE STEAMER. are seven water tight compartments in the hull and the total weight of steel entering into construction was 675 tons. 'There is but one large oval stack, 7% feet one way and 5% feet the other, and one pole spar forward. 'The engines, built by the Fletcher Company of Hoboken, N. J., are of the beam type, the diameter of the low pressure cylinder being 66 inches and that of the high pressure 42 inches, with rr feet stroke. 'Two double ended boilers are allowed 130 pounds pressure and are fitted with the Howden system of forced draft. The lower or main deck is devoted largely to space for freight, while on the upper deck are the main saloons or cabins forward and aft of the engine space, which are surrounded by two tiers of state rooms extending outwardly over the guards and numbering in all 140. The cabins are, of course, luxuriously furnished, in keeping with the general high cost of construction, and each state room contains a double lower and single upper berth with marble topped wash stands and incandescent lights, the lighting equipment including two independent plants of 300 16-candle power lamps each. Ladies and gentlemen's lavarato- ties with baths, four parlors with sleeping rooms attached, which contain beds instead of berths, and smoking rooms are other de- _Sirable features on the upper deck, while a culinary department follows, therefore, that Lord Dunraven's cutter, being faster than the Navahoe, is likely to give our best yacht a series of desper- ately contested and very close races, which will rouse the enthu- | siasm of yachtsmen and of the whole country to the. highest pitch. There is rare fun ahead for the lovers of one of the noblest of sports." . A Most Valuable Technical Work. Readers of the REVIEW who desire copies of the official pro- ceedings of the branch devoted to marine and naval engineering and naval architecture in the recent Engineering Congress at Chicago, should subscribe for them at once. Orders sent to the REVIEW will receive careful attention. The bound volume of the proceedings, which will contain about 1,500 pages, including about 200 engravings, will be sold only on subscription, at $10, and should be ordered in advance of publication. As the papers contributed to the congress--about forty in number--are from the highest authorities on marine engineering and naval archi- tecture in all parts of the world, there is no doubt of the work being the most valuable of its kind ever published. ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY.--Don't miss this. Nickel Plate road's excursion ~ August 31st for the world's fair. cere