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5 MARINE REVIEW. An Improved Automatic Water Gage. An automatic water gage containing several new features is illus- trated herewith. This gage closes automatically by means of two ball valves, which fly at once to their seats upon the breaking of the gage glass, effectually closing the gage against both waterand steam. One new feature in the device is that of turning the handle of the upper valve as far to the left as possible, bringing the valve stem out of line with the glass; then upon removing the cap from top of gage, the glassis dropped through, nuts and washers are put on, and the glass drops to its seat in the lower part of the gage. The gage is again put into ser- | vice by first closing both valves lto their seats against the boiler, |as shown by dotted lines in the cut, then opening the lower valve about half a turn, when water will show in the glass; after which the upper valve is opened slowly and then the lower valve is opened full until it seats against the drain cock chamber. It will be seen that the lower valve is double-faced, seating against the boiler press- ure and also against the drain cock chamber to the right. This brings out the second new feature in this water gage, ® which is that no pet cock is a used, but the gage is drained by a half turn of the lower valve fanate to the right, opening the drain chamber passageway, and this also allows the lower valve to be used as a try-cock if the glass breaks and no new glass is at hand. Engineers who suffer frequently from burnt fingers when draining old-fashioned water gages by the pet-cock on the bottom, will appreciate this improvement. _ Another new feature in the gage is that permitting of the valves being reground to their seats. Thisis accomplished by having the valve stem runin a gland, which is tightened by the packing nut of the stem. Valves are reground by releasing these packing nuts about three turns, which allows the gland to slide in the body of the gage. The valve can then be closed against either seat and reground by simply turning the handle back and forth a fewtimes. Both upper and lower shanks are screwed into the body of the gage. This permits of the bodies being taken off and cleaned without disconnecting the gage from the boiler. This water gage is manufactured by the Penberthy Injector Company of Detroit, Mich., having been recently patented by them, and although only a short time on the market it is meeting with a very rapid sale. In General. The Newport News Ship Building and Dry Dock Company now has 1,900 men on its pay roll. There are now fifty-three merchant steamships which the British ad- miralty has the option of equipping as armed cruisers in case of emerg- ency. Eleven only are in receipt of annual subventions, Four can maintain an ocean speed over 19 knots, five over 17, thirty-seven over 15, and the remainder nearly 15 knots. It was our pleasure to meet, before the committee on marine and fisheries at the capital recently, about twenty lake shipmasters who were there from the lakes to look after their interests in congress. After listening to their arguments on the question of fog signals, in which each took a part, we were surprised at the fine oratory and the lucid manner in which they presented their case tothe committee. After becoming better acquainted with these gentlemen, we found several among them who had served in packet ships crossing the Western ocean, and who have since improved their minds as well as their bank accounts as fresh water sailors, It has never been our luck to fall in with a better informed body of men who were mariners by occupation.--Marine Journal. Miscellaneous Mention. Wm. Evans of Deseronto is now one of the Canadian inspectors of hulls. He has been appointed to succeed Capt. Harbottle, deceased. Editor C. S. Osborne of the Sault St. Marie News, who numbers quite a few lake men among his friends, has been appointed state game warden in Michigan. Frank E. Kirby and Gilbert N. McMillan of the Detroit Dry Dock Company have returned from their European trip. They arrived in New York Saturday and are now in Detroit. Buffalo elevator managers are again trying to break away from meth- ods of the grain shovelers' union, and an effort is being made to contract for all labor of this kind connected with the grain business, after the method followed in handling package freight. Net earnings of the Richelieu & Ontario Navigation Geinteun (St. Lawrence river line) are reported to have amounted in 1894 to $164,000, or about 11% per cent. of the capital. The amount carried to profit and lee is $43,000, after allowing for interest and fixed charges and paying a6 per cent. dividend. The net earnings for 1893 wers $27,287. James Powell of the William Powell Company, Cincinnati, a firm well known to lake ship builders, has an interesting article in the initial number of the Ohio Valley Industrial Review on the Manufacture of Brass and Bronze Goods, Cincinnati probably manufactures a greater variety of brass goods than any city in the country. H. W. Hubbell of Saginaw, who has been engaged on dredging con- tracts on the Sault river for some time past, was in Cleveland, Wednes- - day, with representatives of the dredging companies who were bidding on harbor work let by the city. Mr. Hubbell is rebuilding a dredge in Saginaw this winters He has a repair yard at that point. The Brown Hoisting and Conveying Company of Cleveland has taken up the construction of a new type of car dumping machine, and under a contract with Morris, Ellsworth & Co., who are among the leading Cleve- land shippers of lake coal, a plant will be erected at Ashtabula in time for service early next season. The machine dumps the car sidewise into buckets. Officers of the Lake Michigan & Lake Superior Aran e oration Com- pany considered the question of fitting their steamer Manitou with Bab- cock and Wilcox tubulous boilers before deciding to replace the gunboat boilers now in the Manitou by boilers of the Scotch type. It is under- stood, however, that the Babcock and Wilcox company is not making any concession on high prices charged for the boilers in order to introduce them on the lakes. Low Figures For Harbor Dredging. In Cleveland, Wednesday, bids were opened on a contract for dredg- ing in the river to extend over a period of five years. The lowest bid was that of George Lockerbie of Detroit, who offered to do the work at 10 cents per cubic yard, this bid covering material deposited on the banks of the river, as well as that carried five miles into the lake. On logging work, which includes the towing of snags, roots, etc., into the lake, the bids were uniformly $8 per hour for tug service, the city having stipu- lated that a higher price would not be paid for this work. Among bidders on this work were L. P. & J. A. Smith of Cleveland, James A. Rooney and Breyman Bros. of Toledo, and John Stang of Lorain. The bid of 10 cents a yard submitted by the successful competitor from Detroit is considered very low. Bids of other contractors ranged from 14 to 19 cents, "SaILING DIRECTIONS FOR LAKE SUPERIOR, ST. MARY'S RIVER AND STRAITS OF MACKINAC" IS A PUBLICATION RECENTLY ISSUED BY THE UNITED STATES HYDROGRAPHIC OFFICE. ITIS FARIN ADVANCE OF PUBLICATIONS OF THE COAST PILOT KIND. PRICE $1. ADDRESS MARINE REVIEW, 9516 PERRY-PAYNE BUILDING, CLEVELAND, 0. WE HAVE NO HESITANCY IN RE- COMMENDING THIS BOOK. S. ENGINEER OFFICE, 34 WEST CON- e gress St., Detroit, Mich., January 30, 1895. Sealed proposals for furnishing all labor, materials and appliances for A, Removing Por. tions of a Shoal at the Upper End of Hay Lake Channel and for B, Cleaning up Shoals near Nine Mile Point, Hay Lake Channel will be received here until 2 p.m. March 1, 1895, and then publicly opened. Specifications, blank forms, and all available inilormation will be furnished on application. O. M. POE, Col., Corps of Engineers. U.S. A., ete. Feb. 21. FFICE OF LIGHT-HOUSE ENGINEER, 9th and 11th District, Detroit, Mich., Feb. 11, 1895. Sealed proposals will be received at this office until 3 o'clock P. M, on Saturday, the 2d day of March, 1895, for 'furnishing the boilers for ten steam fog signals, in sets of two, delivered at the light-house depot at De- troit, Michigan. Plans, specifications, forms of proposals, and other information may be ob- tained on application to the undersigned. The right is reserved to reject pny or all bids and to waive any defect. M. B, ADAMS, Major, Corps of Engineers, U.S. A., Light- House Engineer. 14-21 S. ENGINEER OFFICE, HICKOX Build- ae 185 Euclid avenue, ¢ leveland, Ohio, Fed: , 1895. Sealed proposals for removing and neianitorta: a part of west pier at Fairport harbor, Ohio, will be received here until 2 o'¢lock p. m., standard time, Friday, March 1. 1895. and then publicly opened. All inform tion furnished on application to JARED A. SMITH, Lieut. Col. of Engineers. 2-22 S. ENGINEER OFFICE, HICK OX Build- e ing, 185 Euclid avenue, 'Cleveland, Ohio, Feb. 1, 1895. Sealed proposals for dredging in Straight Channei through Maumee bay, T ledo harbor, Ohio, will be received here until 2 o'clock p, m., standard time, Friday, March 1, 1895, and then publicly opened. All information furnished on application to JARED A. SMITH, Lt. Col, Eng'rs, 2-23