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MARINE REVIEW. oe 13 Great Scope of United States Light-House Institution. Few people, aside from those who are actually in touch with the general workings of the United States light-house service, have an idea of the immense scope of this institution. The 1895 report of the board just at hand shows that there are 1,014 light-houses and beacon lights distributed over the great coast line of the United States. An experdi. ture of $100,000 for a single light of this kind is common in the under- takings of the service, and when congressional appropriations are liberal ten to twenty-five new lights of this kind may be established in a single year. The service is certainly the grandest of its kindin the world. There is no estimate in the board's report of the aggregate value of light-houses and light-house sites but the total is certainly far up in the millions. In addition to these stationary lights there were under the control of the light-house establishment on June 380, 1895, the following named aids to navigation: Light-ships in position, 41; light-ships for relief, 4. electric-lighted buoys in position, 11; gas buoys in position, 12; fog signals operated by steam or caloric engines, 130; fog signals operated by clockwork, 185; post lights on the Westeru rivers, 1,411; post lights on other rivers, 382; day or unlighted beacons, 424; whistling buoys in position, 66; bell buoys in position, 96; other buoys in position, includ- ing pile buoys and stakes in fifth district and buoys in Alaskan waters, 4,547. : In the construction, care and maintenance of these aids to navigation there were employed during 1895: Steam tenders (vessels of seagoing kind), 32; steam launches, 4; sailing tenders, 2; light keepers, 1,203; other employees, including crews of light-ships and tenders, 1,078; laborers in charge of western river lights, 1,154; laborers in charge of other river post lights, 210. But the best indication of the great scope of the service is the follow- ing set of figures, covering estimates of general appropriations for the year 1896. These general appropriations have reference simply to main- tenance, and represent yearly expenditures of the board, aside from any- thing inthe way of new construction, and aside also from the salaries of a large number of army and navy officers, who direct affairs in the insti- tution and who are paid by the army and navy departments: Supplies of lighthouses, $410,000; repairs of light-houses, $600,000; salaries of keepers of light-houses, $700,000; expenses of light-vessels, $350,000; expenses of buoyage, $500,000 ; expenses of fog-signals, $125,000; inspect- ing lights, $5,000; lighting of rivers, $350,000; survey of light-house sites, $1,000. Providence Patent Capstans. Patented Oct. 19, 1886, and Nov. 12, 1889. The capstans shown below are among the increasing list of artlcles of American manufacture which have forced their way on their merits into general adoption in Great Britain and other foreign countries. That this design should have attracted the attention and commanded the ad- miration of the British ship owners is not of itself at all remarkable, as, like the other machinery put upon the market by the same company, it has attained instant and lasting popularity wherever it has been known LISS --~EMERSON-SC, PROVIDENCE BAR CAPSTAN. Kuowing the reputation that the American Ship Windlass Co. has gained and maintained through forty years experience in their special line of business, we should not, have been surprised to hear that the manifest merits of their capstans, their simplicity of construction, ease of manip- ulation, strength and reliability had broken down British prejudice, and won over the ship owners and captains to call for Providence machines and to insist upon having them, iB Lt tonto More remarkable, however, is the information that this change in the temper of the British nautical public has been brought about not alone by merit but by a regard for economy, and this not only in the long run but on first cost. Our enterprising Providence firm are underselling the foreign capstan manufacturers right in their own cities, and at the same prices that the Providence machines can be bought for in America. When to this is added the fact of their durability and freedom from re- pairs, it will be seen that the American Ship Windlass Co's capstans are the best and cheapest in the world. This capstan by the test of long and severe service has been found perfectly adapted to the work for which itis designed. The gears are large and strong, the studs and shaft are of steel, and the shaft has no shoulders to weaken it being the same size its entire length. It can easily be taken apart for cleaning or repairs and put together again by any laborer, and is readily oiled from the outside. All parts are made to gauge and templet, insuring a smooth running capstan, with gears work- ing to best advantage, exactly on the pitch line, thus reducing the friction BoNoreass PROVIDENCE CRANK CAPSTAN. toaminimum. Duplicate parts can be furnished any time at an hour's notice. " The large number of these capstans which are sold annually, and the steady and increasing demand, have enabled the company to fit up with expensive gauges and special machinery to manufacture in large quantities, and to take every advantage in economical production. These capstans are carried in stock by numerous agents scattered all over this country, and in Canada, England, Scotland, Wales and other foreign countries, The change from speed to power in the bar capstan is made by simply reversing the direction of motion of the bars. A double set of safety pawls is provided, inside and outside, so that if either should give way there is still no danger to the men on the bars. By throwing a pawl tripper the capstan barrel may be rotated in the reverse direction. The utmost care is used in the manufacture of these capstans both in respect to material and workmanship, and the fact should be considered that loss of life and property is sometimes occasioned by the use of weak or de- fective capstans of cheaper and less reliable makes. These capstans are employed on most of the vessels of the United States navy, in government and private dry docks, and fora large variety of uses. They are built to operate with cranks as well as bars, and hun- dreds of steam capstans are furnished annually for various uses. They are also employed in connnection with electric motors and with hydraulic motors, several of the latter having been installed lately at the St. Mary's Falls canal and at Cascade Locks, Ore. Anyone interested is invited to visit the works, near Red Bridge, Providence, R I.,and see for them- selves the machine taken apart, and examine the design, workmanship and material of any of the Providence capstans.--Marine Journal, New York. Edward Towns, No. 401 Butler street. Port Huron, Mich., asks for information regarding the number of boilers in the Buffalo steamer Chemung and the cost of marine boilers at the present time. The Chem- ung has six boilers, each 11 feet 8inches by 12 feet,furnishing steam to triple expansion engines that have cylinders of 28, 42% and 72 inches diameter by 54 inches stroke. A Scotch boiler of 11% feet diameter can be purchased new for about $5,000.