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MARINE REVIEW. 9 Answering Major Ruffner. Editor MARINE REVIEW: I note in the MARINE REvrIEw of the Ist inst , that Maj. Ruffner of Buffalo enters what must be considered a protest against the proposition to investigate the advisability of improving Lake Erie harbors by regulating the level of the lake surface by adam at Buf- falo. It seems somewhat strange,if the proposition is so devoid of merit as Maj. Ruffner would have the reading public infer, that there should be any opposition to having the whole matter investigated by an interna- tional commission of engineers, If Maj. Ruffner is correct, certainly such a cominission would shelve the project so effectually that it would never be heard of again. The strangest part of this whole business is that Maj. Ruffner bases his opinion on the amount of discharge of Niagara river as determined under his direction in 1891 and 1892, and from which he has deduced and published formulas that indicate that the deeper the water is in Niagara river the smaller will be the outflow. It requires no hydraulic expert to know that such results are absurd and worthless. Maj. Ruffner is an educated, intelligent engineer, and it would require strong evidence to convince one that he does not know the values he quotes are erroneous. He must be well aware that the proposed plan to regulate the lake level by a dam at Buffalo in no way whatever contemplates restricting the out- flow through the head of Niagara river, nor in any way interfering with the navigation between the lake and the ports down the river, yet he deliberately sets up such a straw dummy to knock down. What if the lake is now passing through a period of low water years? Is not such a period likely to occur again, and if so, what is the navigation interest todo during such periods? Whatits advocates claim for the regulating dam at Buffalo, is that the fluctuation of the lake surface from wet to dry seasons, which under present conditions may exceed 4 feet, may be so reduced as to be not much greater than 6inches. Now if this regulated lake level be fixed at the high water level of the lake, it is nonsense to talk about the great damage to arise from completing such anundertaking. If works to produce such a result can not be constructed, the international commission, asked for by the Cleveland chamber of commerce, and by the recent deep waterways convention, will certainly so report. It would appear clear that the only satisfactory way to have all these questions settled is to insist on such acommission being ap- pointed and see to it that its members are capable and honest engineers. Newspaper discussion with the data at command will decide nothing. In the Engineering News for March 9 and May 11, 1893, Mr. Wisner of Detroit claimed that Maj. Ruffner's report of outflow of Niagara river was wholly unreliable, and offered to pay all legitimate expenses of a re-survey if such was not found to be the case. Maj. Ruffner did not attempt a reply or an explanation of his results, although he will not fora moment im- peach the high professional standing of Mr. Wisner. It would seem that the only course open to all in favor of permanent and economical improvement of Lake Erie harbors is to insist on the appointment/of a competent commission. Neitherthe Cleveland chamber -- of commerce nor the deep waterways convention has committed itself to the support of a plan obstructing Niagarariver. What both organizations have done is simply to call attention to the fact that many of our best engineers, and some of them in the military service, as is Major Ruffner, and such authorities as Mr. Cooley of Chicago, and Mr. Wisner of Detroit, are thoroughly committed to the practicability of the scheme. Both the Cleveland chamber of commerce and the deep waterways convention took a very conservative course and simply asked for the appointment of an international commission to investigate the matter, at the same time securing reliable data as to the discharge of waters at Niagara. In this Maj. Ruffner should certainly join us; if the facts are with him it will only reflect credit upon a name now deservedly honorable, and establish for all time the accuracy of his views. In opposing the appointment of such commission, if in fact his letter must beso interpreted, he is certainly assuming an attitude to be regretted. As one dealing with exact sciences, he of all men should not be afraid of the facts. CuHas. E, WHEELER, CLEVELAND, Nov. 6, 1894. In Support of the New Aids to Navigation. In order to furnish the light-house board with information relative to accidents showing the necessity of the new aids to navigation, for which the vessel owners are to make application at the next session of congress, Secretary Keep has addressed the following circular letter to members of the association, and he will, of course, be thankful also for information along the same line from captains or others in' any way in_ terested in the lake marine: To the Members of the Lake Carriers' Association :~-The association is about to apply to congress for appropriations for new aids to navigation at the following points: 1. Light and signal on North Manitou island. 2. Light and signal on Middle island, Lake Huron. ~ 3. Range lights at Death's Door passage, Lake Michigan. 4. Light and signal at Crisp's point, (west of White Fish point), Lake Superior, 5. Gas buoy on Gravelly island, Poverty passage, Green bay, Michigan. 6. Gas buoy on Lansing shoal, north of Squaw island, Lake Michigan- 7. Fog signal at Eagle Harbor, Lake Superior. 8. Fog signal at Cat Head point, Lake Michigan. 9. Pier lights at Grand Marais harbor of refuge, Lake Superior. I have been asked by the light-house authorities to furnish them with as much detailed information as possible, showing the necessity of these lights and signals. The purpose of this information is to assist the light-house board to secure the necessary appropriations from congress. Please advise me whether any of your boats have had trouble at any of these points, giving me such information as to date, nature of accident, and amount of loss, as you may be able to furnish. Any information which you or the masters in your employ can send me will be of great assistance in obtaining provision from congress for these important im- provements. To be available, information should reach me before Nov. 20, 1894. C. H. KEEP, BUFFALO, N. Y., Nov. 5, 1894. Secretary, A Gain in Flour Receipts Only. Although anthracite coal shipments out of Buffalo this season will, if the present movement is continued throughout November, be almost equal tothe shipments of last season, there will be a big falling off in receipts at that port of everything excepting flour. Coal shipments for the first week of November aggregated 115,780 tons, an amount very much above the average. Following is a table showing shipments by months to Nov. 1, 1893 and 1894: 1893, 1894, Tons. Tons. Niprtlecesseeenes ceoncsaee sigabie sO seesee sa suatonewteaneccese 178,040 110,997 DM ayscivitesk sacowsscesewssouvscieaitaoueds deegdesstateseses 363,435 230,747 JUNG sere ccectcscsadcosvsscsccus tues scoeneteenecaescce nes 391,580 384,663 July. cote EG ica toset anne ree otatacneeeeeremecerenee 254,070 318,672 AMG USE! ccs. scesacesecsusrecsacmeuccrosedueoomeeeicce ss 252,945 253,988 Septem Der eiicc...sccssecissecsbeteedertsmcnete tices 290,168 264,910 October........ Ressentceccceutoatecesorsisenees Cieceaes 395,465 389,378 Motal Serccsear es | adiefivtenscidalealeGee eases oupiceaateoes 2,089,703 1,953,355 Gain in flour receipts for the season so far amounts to about 1,000,000 barrels, while grain receipts are over 34,000,000 bushels short of the re- ceipts in 1893. Receipts on the whole, with flour included as grain, show a falling off of 29,621,950 bushels as compared with 1893. Lumber receipts to Nov. 1 aggregate only 173,987,620 feet, against 228,132,800 feet on the same date in 1893--a decrease of 54,145,180 feet. Notices to Mariners. The front range light at Kewaunee, Wis., has been discontinued. The pierhead tower has been moved toa point 3 feet from the end of the pier and the former rear light is exhibited from this point without change of characteristics. The tower at Rock island light station, on Rock island, St. Lawrence river, has been increased 5 feet in height, and the light is now visible above the roof of the keeper's dwelling in the direction of the dock at Thousand island park, At the close of navigation this season the fixed white reflector light shown from the veranda of the keeper's dwelling in the direction of the dock at Thousand island park will be permanently discontinued. Light-house officers will evidently endeavor to comply with the wishes of vessel owners regarding the removal of buoys and discontinu- ance of lights toward the close of navigation this season. Commander Gridley of Buffalo, inspector of the tenth district, announces that the buoys in the rivers and the light-ships of the district will be kept in posi- tion up to Dec. 10, if weather will permit. The tenth district includes lake and river waters of the United States below Detroit. He Let Go the Painter. Every sailor has his story of the mistakes which "'landlubbers" make over the names of things at sea, which always seem to be exactly the opposite of what they are on land. A new boy had come on board a West India ship upon which a painter had also been employed to paint the ship's side. The painter was at work upon a staging suspended under the ship's stern. The captain, who had just got into a boat alongside, called out to the new boy, who stood leaning over the rail, " Let go the painter!" Everybody should know that a boat's painter is the rope which makes it fast, but this boy did not knowit. He ran aft and let go the ropes by which the painter's staging was held. Meantime the captain was wearied with waiting to be cast off. "You rascal," he called, "why don't you let go the painter?" "He's gone, sir," said the boy briskly. "He's gone, pots, brushes and all.--Tit Bits.