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8 MARINE REVIEW. Channel System of Construction. The latest supplement to the United States Standard Register of shipping, for which Sinclair Stuart is the chief surveyor, contains a report on the channel system of construction, which has been adopted - | in a large number of steel vessels on the lakes. Mr. Stuart, who has been engaged by lake vessel owners to supervise the construction of vessels classed in the Standard register, introduced this system of con- struction. In this report he submits to the officers of his association, and through them to the underwriters with whom they are associ- ated, certain claims in support of the channel method. The report will probably bring out some comment from ship builders who are not entirely in accord with Mr. Stuart's views as to the merits of the channel system. He says : '"'In my report to you, dated August 23, 1895, in regard to the channel system of construction, I spoke of the effect of grounding or stranding on vessels of this construction, as follows: 'It has been found by actual experience that the damage to the bottom of the chan- nel vessel is of a purely local nature and does not spread and affect. other parts of the structure at a distance from the point of contact as readily as in vessels of the ordinary construction, and can be: more readily and cheaply repaired.' A most convincing proof of the truth of this statement has been furnished during the past season of navi- gation, two large steel steamers, one built on the channel system under the association's rules and the other on the cellular bottom sys- tem, having grounded under very similar circumstances and both hav- ing to be placed in dry dock for repairs. 'The following account of the damages and repairs to the steamer constructed on the cellular bottom principle was published at the time: 'Repairs on the steamer L. C. Waldo, made by the Cleveland Ship Building Co., were of a very extensive kind, anda record was made on the job. The Waldo struck several days ago at the Encampment in the Sault river. The damage extended for about 210 feet along the bottom of the ship, requiring eighteen plates to be removed, eight of which were renewed, and the others rerolled and replaced. The sur- face covered by the eighteen plates amounted to about 18,000 square feet. There were eighty-eight frames bent and broken, fifty-six of which were renewed, the rest being straightened and replaced. Forty-six floors were taken out, straightened and replaced. The _ bot- tom being constructed on the cellular plau, the inside damage was much more extensive than the number of plates taken off would indi- cate. The longitudinal girders in the bottom were badly damaged and several plates had to be renewed. The boat was in the dry dock only eight days and eight hours. In the course of this work between 30,000 and 40,000 steel rivets were removed and replaced.' 'The repairs to the steamer W. D. Rees (channel construction), _ the other vessel referred to, as officially reported to the association by the superintendent in charge of same, were as follows: 'The star- board plates taken off were B 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, three of which were replaced by new ones ; thirty-six channel floors bent, bent pieces cut out and part new channels put in. Port side plates B 4,5, 6,7 and 13, A 14, C 4, E13 and 14, all of which went back except B 5, 6 and 7; twenty-eight channel floors bent, bent pieces cut out and replaced with part new channels, None of the new pieces of floor exceeded 42 inches long, all of which were connected with channel butt straps on reverse side of floor. Had the vessel been built on the ordinary plan of floors, i. e. plate and angles, the whole bottom would have been ripped from end to end. This goes to show that the channel system of build is the best and strongest for all vesesls that are so liable to bottom dam- ages as our lake vessels.' 'From these reports it will be seen that the claim made for the channel system of construction, that the damages received from grounding or stranding will be of a purely local nature, instead of spreading and affecting other parts of the structure at a distance from the point of contact, etc., is fully justified. It will also be seen that the damage actually received by the W. D. Rees was more readily and cheaply repaired than would have been the case with a vessel of ordinary plate and angle-bottom construction. I would also in- stance the case of the steamer Queen City (channel construction), which grounded during the past season and had forty-six channel floors bent im consequence, with eighteen plates in connection that had to be taken off and straightened. These forty-six channel floors were all heated and straightened in place, none having to be removed sae? oats a een ee (channel construction) in May, g peed with a full cargo of iron ore, grounded at the head of Hay lake channel and had to take Off be. tween 300 and 400 tons of cargo before being released. Twenty-fiy, bottom plates were broken, bent or indented in consequence; forty-siy frames were broken at lower turn. of bilge; thirty-eight floors frac. tured and other damages received in the immediate location only, The channe! floors were straightened in place and repaired by having new ends fitted. The total. cost of all repairs. was. $8,700... The cog of these repairs was less by $10,000 than the repairs to the Centy. ion, a steel steamer with cellular bottom which had practically the same experience as the Kearsarge in grounding at about that time "As the association, by providing rules governing the distriby. ae nen he lg ARO la ion of material under this system of construction and accepting for classification vessels built in accordance with same, has encourage(| the building of vessels of this construction and is therefore interestej in its complete success, I am pleased to be able to submit this evidence of not only its inherent strength, but of the less serious nature of dam. ages resulting from grounding and the readiness and economy with which such damages may be repaired. Where, as in the case of oy lake service, vessels are so liable to ground, this is of very great im. portance to the underwriters who have given us their support."' Around the Lakes. Capt. G. N. Spencer, who was some years ago engaged in sailing steamers and large river tugs on the upper lakes, but who has of late been engaged on the St. Lawrence river, died at his home in Oswego a few days ago. ' Officers and directors of the Minch Transit Co. of Cleveland, elected a few days ago, are: President, H. D. Coffinberry; vice-president, V, T. Palmer; secretary and treasurer, P. J. Minch; directors, H. D, Coffinberry, John B. Guthrie, V. T. Palmer, Capt. William Gerlach and P. J. Minch. «= The family of the late Capt. J. B. Symes of Port Huron acknoy- ledge the receipt. of a letter from the Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Co. com- mending his services as master of the steamer Cadillac and expressing | sorrow upon hearing of his death. The Cadillac will be sailed next season by Capt. Geo. Symes, brother of the deceased. In the work of inspecting machinery for the new Great Lakes Register, Mr. Walter Miller of Cleveland will soon have under his charge three or four practical engineers, who will visit the various ports and if possible report upon the machinery of every vessel on the lakes before the opening of navigation. Rumors of John Gordon arranging to charter or buy a couple of the steel steamers of the Menominee fleet of Cleveland have again. been revived, but there is absolutely nothing in the reports. Itis understood, however, that Mr. Gordon has made satisfactory terminal arrangements on Lake Erie for the steamer Globe for the coming season. Practically 'all of the statistics contained in the report of St. Mary's canal traffic for 1896, which has just been submitted to congress by the secretary of war, was contained in monthly reports published throughout the season by the Marine Review and finally collected in a summary for the year, which was printed in December last. Two bills of interest to the lakes are now well advanced in the present congress' and will very probably be passed within the present month. One of them provides for a life saving station at Fort Gratiot and the other authorizes the construction of a light and fog signal station, to cost $75,000, at the outer terminus of the straight channel entrance to Maumee bay and river. Beyman Bros. (John and Eugene) of Toledo are the lowest bidders on @ job of dredging in Boston harbor that will involve an expend! ture of about $1,145,000. Under the firm name of Geo. H. Beymal & Bro. the Toledo contractors have been engaged on a profitable see tion of the 20-foot channel work on the lakes, and they have an exten: sive plant for work of this kind, but if they are to undertake the Bos ton contract it will probably be necessary to build new dredges on the coast. A Very Desirable train to take when going to New York is Pennsylvania No. 6, leaving Union station 1:40 p. m, daily and from Euclid avenue 1:50 reaching New York 7:40 next morning. Pullman sleeper through without! change. Supper served in dining car. Apl 13