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MARINE REVIEW. Be, Senator Brice Interested in Lake Levels. Senator Brice has decided to give attention to proposed plans. for raising the waters of the lakes by means of dams. The REVIEw is in re- ceipt of a letter from him asking for printed matter on the subject and it is understood that he is also seeking information from leading engineers and from officers of the Lake Carriers' Association and other com- mercial organizations. Strange to say the engineer corps of the army seems disposed to help Senator Brice in his investigations. Itis said that the war department has agreed to furnish him with a rough estimate of the cost of the works that would be required. Lieut. Cavanaugh of Detroit and Col. Jared Smith of Cleveland, two officers of the engineer corps, are quoted as saying that the scheme is practicable. Lieut. Cavan- augh is also credited with saying that plans for a series of dams were ad- vocated by the late Gen. O. M. Poe. This statement sounds strange to anyone who has read Gen. Poe's letter on the subject in the MARINE RE- viEw of Sept. 7, 1893. In fact it is strange to find any of the members of the army engineer corps encouraging plans for improving lake waterways by regulating the levels near the stage of high water. Some of the leading hydraulic en- gineers of the country who are engaged in civil pursuits have repeatedly drawn attention to the advantages of such a system of improvements but find, also, that there are many engineers well posted on this subject who are of the opinion that the necessary data does not exist on which to base satisfactory plans for the improvement, and for that reasonI think thorough determinations for securing such data should be made under the supervision of the International Deep Waterways Commission. Such determinations would be authority for both governments." Jack Works Best to Lively Music, Mr. J. W. Walton of the Upson-Walton Co., Cleveland, tells of a good story about a well known wire rope manufacturer in England, Mr. John Temple, who is at the head of the Warrington wire rope works. When a comparatively young man, he was in charge of a cable expedition. Un- fortunately, the steamer containing the outfit went on the rocks on the south coast of England during Christmas week. The water was cold and the Atlantic sent up half a gale of wind which made the position of the freight steamer perilous. The first thing to be done was to lighten the ship, and lighters were accordingly obtained at once. Of course a cable could not be cut into sections without largely destroying its worth, and the sailors were instructed to form a circle and "' walk " the wire out over the side of the vessel; but as this resulted in their becoming thor- oughly saturated with the salt water of the hold, and the wind was cutt- VANDERBIL'S STEAM YACHT VALIANT, SUPPOSED TO BE MOST FINELY FURNISHED YACHT IN THE WORLD. they have been bitterly opposed by the army officers. However, this is immaterial if the subject is now to be thoroughly considered. 5 A civil engineer who has given a great deal of study to this subject of dams says: "I am afraid there are some features of this project which the engineer corps will advocate and which will do more harm than good. Lieut. Cavanaugh is quoted as saying that the plan is to construct 'a ser- ies of submerged dams and wing dams where the improvements are to be made.' If the level of lake surfaces is regulated by adam at Buffalo, then dams in the Detroit river and St. Clair river would destroy the effect of the regulation on Lake Huron and would be worse than a useless waste of public money. The level of Lake Huron should be regulated by the slope of the St. Clair river, and if this channel should be restricted by wing dams, the effect would be simply to lessen the beneficial effect in Lake Huron and raise the plain of high water, and possibly cause damage which the government would be called upon to meet. -- "T think the influence of the vessel interests should be directed to- wards having this whole problem put into the hands of the International Deep Waterways Commission, recently appointed, to report upon a pro- per plan for doing this work. The problem is an international one, and if settled by this commission would likely be satisfactory to the govern- ments of both countries, but any plan submitted by the engineer corps would necessarily have to be approved by the Canadian government, be- fore it could be executed, and such approval might be hard to obtain, in view of our own war department having the matter in charge. You will ing, human nature could standit no longer, and the men "struck." Something had to be done at once, so Mr. Temple hastily dispatched one of his aids to a neighboring Cornish village in search of musicians. The boat soon came back with three fiddlers, each with his instrument under his arm, and according to Mr. Temple's instructions, one of them struck up a lively tune, while the others went below to warm their benumbed fingers, relieving each other every few minutes. Under the inspiring strains of the music, the men worked witha will and ina surprisingly short time the work was done and the vessel floated off at high tide. -- The young manager in this expedition was highly complimented by the © directors of the company upon his success, but the old heads looked over their spectacles in some wonder at the item, "so many pounds, shillings | and pence for fiddling," and they inquired: "Is not this rather an extra- ordinary charge Mr. Temple"? When the particulars were told, however, they very gladly allowed the remarkable bill; all of which goes to show that the old fashioned idea that Jack works best to lively music was founded on a deep principle of human nature. Models representing each type of war ship of the United States navy are being made atthe Washington navy yard. Seven men have been constantly employed for some time past in constructing these models, which cost from $2,000 to $8,000 apiece. A model of the fast cruiser -- Columbia, now under way, is only 5 feet long and yet it is a perfect like- ness of the big vessel.