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MARINE REVIEW. 13 The Amended Engineers' Bill. A copy of the marine engineers' bill, as amended and presented to the senate from the committee on commerce, is at hand, and just as sug- gested in the REviEw of Jan. 30, page 9, the clause transferring to the supervising inspector-general the duty of reviewing all cases bearing upon the revocation of licenses, as well as the provision requiring exam- inations for all applicants for licenses ten days after they have asked for examinations, have been stricken out. These were features ofthe bill that were not specially important to the engineers, but which were objection- able to the inspection service, and it is well that they have been removed from the bill. The amended bill, whichis now quite certain of passage, refers to changes in section 4,131 revised statutes, and is in full as follows: "Vessels registered pursuant to law and no others, except such as shall be duly qualified according to law for carrying on the coasting or fishing trade, shall be deemed vessels of the United States, and entitled to the benefits and privileges appertaining to such vessels; but no such vessel shall enjoy such benefits and privileges longer than it shall con- tinue to be wholly owned by a citizen or citizens of the United States or a corporation created under the laws of any of the states thereof, and be commanded by a citizen of the United States. And all the officers of vessels of the United States who shall have charge of a watch, including pilots, shallin all cases be citizens of the United States. The word officers shall include the chief engineer and each assistant engineer in charge of a watch on vessels propelled wholly or in part by steam; and after Jan. 1, 1897, no person shall be qualified to ho'd a license as a com- mander or watch officer of a merchant vessel of the United States who is not alnative born citizen, or whose naturalization as a citizen shall not have been fully completed. "All licenses issued to such officers shall be for a term of three years, but the holder of a license may have the same renewed for another five years at any time before its expiration ; provided, however, that any offi- cer holding a license, and who is engaged in a service which necessitates his continuous absence from the United States, may make application in writing for one renewal and transmit the same to the board of local inspectors with a statement of the applicant verified before a consul, or other officer of the United States authorized to administer an oath, setting forth the reasons for not appearing in person; and upon receiving the same the board of local inspectors that originally issued such license shall renew the same for one additional term of such license, and shall notify the applicant of such renewal. " No master, mate, pilot, or engineer of steam vessels licensed under title 52 of the revised statutes shall be liable to draft in time of war, ex- cept for the performance of duties such as required by his license ; and, while performing such duties in the service of the United States, every such master, mate, pilot, or engineer Shall be entitled to the highest rate of wages paid in the merchant marine of the United States for similar services ; and, if killed or wounded while performing such duties under the United States, they, or their heirs, or their legal representatives shall be entitled to all the privileges accorded to soldiers and sailors serving in the army and navy, under the pension laws of the United States. "All laws or parts of laws in conflict with this act are hereby repealed. But this shall not be construed to modify or repeal that pro- visionof the act of June 26, 1884, which reads as follows: "In cases where on a foreign voyage, or on a voyage from an Atlantic to a Pacific port of the United States, any such vessel is for any reason deprived of the services of an officer below the grade of master, his place, or a vacancy ° caused by the promotion of another officer to such a place, may be sup- plied by a person not a citizen of the United States until the first return of such vessel to its home port; and such vessel shall not be liable to any penalty or penal tax for such employment of an alien officer." Trade Notes. The American Ship Windlass Co. writes the REVIEW that they have had to add twenty-five men to their force to take care of a rush of orders for windlasses, capstans and towing machines. J. C. Gilchrist, one of the leading Cleveland vessel owners, says in a letter to H. G. Trout, Buffalo: "We have used a number of your wheels on different vessels, and they have always given entire satisfaction. We find that in several cases they have increased the speed of the vessel and have also reduced the consumption of fuel." The J. H. Parsons Chemical Co., Chicago, manufacturers of alkali water purifier, for the removal and prevention of scale in steam boilers, have within the past few days closed contracts witha dozen or more vessel-owning concerns in Cleveland to supply their goods for the coni- ing season. They are meeting with like success in other parts of the lakes, retaining old customers and gaining new ones. The Berlin Iron Bridge Co. of East Berlin, Ct., has just completed for the Citizens' Gas Co. of Bridgeport, Ct., two large buildings, one 63 feet wide by 171 feet long, comprising a purifier house, a meter house and valve house, and the second building, 44 feet wide by 122 feet long, includes a generator house, ascrubber house and engine room. The side walls are of brick and the roof trusses of steel covered with oe iron. DeGrauw, Aymar & Co., New York, shipped a car load of Pyback anchors to the Chicago Ship Building Co., recently. This is in addition to some twenty-eight anchors of this mae now in use on lake vessels. Mr. Smith of the New York company says they have an excellent trade on the lakes, and as their policyis to be liberal in business matters in. order to satisfy their patrons they seldom lose customers. "When this does happen," he adds, "as a result of cutting prices, the customer usually returns of his own accord." The Western Electric Co. of Chicago has just perfected a fire pro- tection device which is attracting much attention among property own- ers and underwriters. The device is one for the automatic closing of iron doors in a building in case of fire. By this method the doors are held open by magnets and in case of fire a button is pressed, the power of the magnets destroyed and the doors closed by counter weights. Ex- periments are being made by the company with an automatic adjustment which will release the doors from the magnets at a certain temperature and greatly lessen the chances of fire spreading from room to room or even from one building to another, The Van Duzen steam jet pumps are of unique simple design, and so constructed that when placed in position for regular duty they can not retain water while not at work, and hence can not freeze up in the coldest weather. Being made of brass, they will not crack or break because of extremes of temperature, and will stand greater strain and will not rust. They will always be found ready for work, and need no watching or con- stant looking after. When put in place, it is only necessary to put on steam and the pump starts, and turning off steam will stopit. It is used for mauy different purposes--in wells, pits, quarries, mines, river and lake sides, tube wells, in tanneries, mills, factories, on steamships, tugs and ferry boats. Thousands of them are in daily use, not only in the United States, but in at least twelve foreign countries. The cost ranges from $7.00 for the smallest size, up to $75.00 for the largest size, which will elevate from 10,000 to 15,000 gallons of water per hour to any height not exceeding 50 feet, vertically measured. Where the height exceeds 50 feet, but not over 100 feet, two pumps are used, one above the other. The E. W. Van Duzen Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, will take pleasure in sending price and illustrated catalogue free. . Acontract for a steel freight and passenger steamer of about $300,000 value, and which is to run between New York and Portland, Me., has just been placed by the Maine Steamship Co. with the Delaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine Works, Chester, Pa. The shipisto be about 315 feet in length and 46 feet beam, and in addition to large freight capacity will have about 110 state rooms for passengers. Engines will be triple expansion, and the boilers, of which there are to be four, will -- be of the Scotch type. This concern is also building two steel freight steamers in which a party of lake vessel owners are interested, and which are to run, in conuection with the Central Vermont Railway, be- tween New London and New York. One of these ships, which has been named Mohawk, was to have been launched on Saturday last, but she stuck on the ways. It is not thought, however, that there will be much difficulty in releasing her. ZThese New London-New York steamers are 280 feet over all and 43 feet breadth of hull, but. they have guards that increase the width of the principal freight deck to 60 feet, affording the advantage that is found in side-wheel steamers when handling package freight. The hull construction is especially strong, on account of the vessels being required to pass through considerable ice during some parts of the year in the trade in which they will be engaged. Engines are triple expansion, with cylinders of 22, 35 and 56 inches diameter and a stroke of 42 inches. Each ship will have three Scotch boilers of 12 feet 6 inches diameter and 12 feet length, allowed 165 pounds steam pressure and fitted with the Howden system of hot draft. Ancther article on " Modern Ship Building Tools," with numerous engravings, appears in the March number of Cassier's Magazine. J. Arthur Gray, author of these articles, was for many years manager ofa large concern in Scotland where the chief specialty was the manufacture of machine tools for ship yard and marine engine works. Subsequently he travelled much on the eae visiting the principal ship building concerns there. Col. Wm. Ludlow, military attache of the United States embassy in London, has been inspecting the Corinth and Baltic-North sea canals, in obedience to orders from Washington, and has met with special favors at the hands of the German emperor. Leslie Van Orman, who recently purchased the marine milk depot at the east end of Main street bridge, Cleveland, is making every effort to provide the best of accommodations in his line for vessels trading to Cleveland during the coming season.