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MARINE REVIEW. An Important Salvage Award. The decision of Judge Wm. Lochren of the United States court at Duluth in the Arabia: Hadley salvage case has attracted a great deal of attention, on account of a division of the award, in which it is pro: vided that one-quarter shall be given to the crew. A copy of this de- cision is at hand. The libel against the steamer G. G. Hadley was filed by the Western Transit Co., owner of the steamer Arabia, and by R. Murray, master, on behalf of himself and the crew of the Hadley. In a statement of the case the court says that from proofs submitted in answer to the libel it appears that on Sept. 7, 1895, the Arabia was on a voyage from Duluth to Buffalo with a cargo mostly of flour. About 10 o'clock in the morning she sighted a steamship about five miles from the southern coast of Lake Superior and opposite the mouth of Eagle river making signals of distress, and on approaching, found it to be the George G. Hadley, laden with a cargo of wheat and bound from West Superior to Chicago, There wasa strong wind blowing from the west-north-west and a high sea, and the Hadley had lost its rudder, and was therefore almost unmanageable and in considerable peril; and the master of the Hadley requested the master of the Arabia to aid in rescuing the Hadley from its dangerous situation. The master of the Arabia at first attempted to tow the Hadley, but after breaking a hawser went to the stern of the Hadley and passed two hawsers from the bow of the Arabia to the stern of the Hadley, and caused the Arabia to act as, and in the place of a rudder, in steering the Hadley, and thus assisted and returned with the Hadley to Duluth, where the damaged vessel was repaired, and the libel for salvage filed. 'The value of the Hadley" says the court, "is admitted to be $70,- 000, its cargo $45,000 and its freight for the trip $2,450. The value of the Arabia is shown to have been $80,000, its cargo $40, 000, and its freight for the trip $2,000. The Arabia was delayed two days in assist- ing the Hadley at an expense of $125 per day and had one of its haw- sers, worth $150, rendered worthless in the same service. The sery- ice rendered by the Arabia was plainly a salvage service, in every way meritorious, skillfully performed and deserving of substantial reward. The Hadley was without a rudder, the waves ran high and the wind was strong, driving toward a rocky shore. Its signals of distress showed that its officers and crew regarded its situation and condition perilous. The master of the Arabia "assumed considerable risk to his own vessel and cargo from the dangers of collision in such a heavy sea when approaching the other vessel sufficiently near to pass lines to it and render the required aid. He performed the entire service skillfully and with complete success. An award of salvage is neces: sarily a discretionary award, varying with conditions and circum- stances, such as the value of the vessel and cargo saved, and the danger from which it is rescued; the value of the vessel and cargo risked, and the hazard to which it is exposed, the skill employed and the measure of success. Public policy requires that salvage allowances shall be sufficiently liberal to induce seamen, even at much risk and inconvenience, to succor and rescue endangered vessels. In this case as a fair salvage I award to the libellants the sum of $5,000. This will cover the expense of delay, $250; the value of hawser rendered worth- less, $150; and 4 per cent. of the value of the vessel and cargo salved. If distributed rateable upon the value of the vessel and cargo the award would be $3,043.50 against the vessel and $1,956.50 against the cargo. But as the bond of claimant is to pay the amount awarded by the final decree against the ship and cargo, such distribution will not be necessary. Of the amount awarded seven-tenths should go to the owner of the steamer Arabia, one-twentieth to the master, and the residue to divide among the master, officers and crew of the same vessel, in proportion to their wages. The libellants are also entitled to costs ead to prompt remedy upon the bond."' H. R. Spencer of Duluth was proctor for the libellant in this case and ©, E. Kremer of Chicago for the claimant. Luce's "Seamanship'"' is a book that is specially suited, to assist young officers of the naval reserve. It is being used by naval reserve organizations all over the country. It isa standard work, selling at $10, and will be mailed to any address at that figure by the Marine Review, 409 Perry-Payne building, Cleveland. The actual weight of the steamer Queen City's big Ashland ore cargo, including the 1per cent. moisture allowance, was 4,891 gross or 5,477 net tons. This is the largest load of ore ever moved from Lake Superior. It was unldaded at Fairport. Ship Yard Matters. The steel steamer Niagara, built for D. O. Mills of New York, A. L. Hall of Bay Mills, Mich., and J. L. Crosthwaite of Buffalo, and launched at F. W. Wheeler & Co's ship yard, West Bay City, on Satur- day last, will prove a very substantial vessel. She is double for water ballast fore and aft and her outer bottom is sheathed with oak timber to the upper turn of the bilge. Dimensions are 281 feet over all, 266 feet between perpendiculars, 42 feet molded beam, and 19 feet molded depth of hold, and she is expected to carry 2,500 net tons on a mean draft of 12 feet 10 inches. She is single-decked with plate bulwark 4 feet high, all fore and aft. Engines are of the triple expansion type, with cylinders 17 inches, 29 inches, 48 inches by 86-inch stroke. Power will be furnished by two Scotch marine boilers, 11 feet in diameter and 12 feet long, with a working pressure of 170 pounds per square inch. Steam windlass and capstans of the American Ship Windlass Co's make and an electric light plant of 200 16-candle power lamps are features of the steamer's COE Ca The Niagara will be ready for service in a few days. Repair jobs to steel vessels, which form an important part of the business of the ship yards during the navigation season, seem to be all coming to Cleveland this spring. The new steel ares Constitution, which struck at the Encampment in the Sault river on her first trip down, will be in one of the docks of the Ship Owners' company until probably Saturday of this week. It is unfortunate that the Constitution met with an accident on her first trip, as the excellent workmanship in all parts of the vessel has been favorably commented upon by every- body who has seen her. The survey, which was conducted by Robert Logan for the underwriters and Robert Curr for the owners, provided for the removal of forty futtocks, which were bent considerably and had to be taken out, furnaced and replaced. Forty futtock angles, which were too badly damaged to be put back, were made new, in addition to forty new angles and eleven new plates. The plates are 17 feet ne and 5 feet wide. It is expected that the steel barge building at South Chicago for James Corrigan of Cleveland will be launched Saturday, when she will be prepared to sail immediately. Preparations are also being made for launching the barge which the Globe company of Cleveland is building for Mr. Corrigan, and it is expected that this vessel will go into the water on Tuesday next. Stocks of Grain at Lake Ports. The following table, prepared from reports of the Chicago board of trade, shows the stocks of wheat and corn in store in regular eleva- tors at the principal points of accumulation on the lakes, May 29, 1897: Wheat, bushels. Corn, bushels. Chica@o .. 1c) ae OOOO. 5,618,000 Duluth (28 gee ee eee 3,045,000 - 9,000 Milwaukee qr cc0 eso eae wee £0,000 3,000 Detroit. cc loser eee eee ot 44,000 2,000 Toledo "sc. vel es cae oe er eee 792,000 210,000 Biftalo. soc geen oe herve 655,000 507,000 10,175,000 6,349,000 As compared with a week ago, the above figures show, at the sey- eral points named, a decrease of 1,995,000 bushels of 'wheat and an increase of 1,043,000 bushels of corn. The case of Henry Scheele, Jr., as owner of the schooner Sunrise, against the steamer William H. Gratwick and whaleback barge 133, in tow of the Gratwick, for the sinking of the Sunrise by collision with the 133 on Lake Michigan, May 21, 1896, was decided by Judge Grosscup on June 1. The Gratwick was exonerated; the 133. was held at fault for not having an efficient bell, and the Sunrise for not altering her course. Several interesting questions, as to the duty of a steamer with tow in fog, the location of bell, etc., were considered, but as the full text of the opinion is not at fad fhe determination of these questions can not be given. The efficiency of the passenger service on the Nickel Plate road is meeting recognition on all hands. Solid through trains between Chicago and New York City; elegantly equipped palace sleeping cars; an unexcelled dining service uniformed colored porters on through trains; fast time and rates always the lowest; all combine to make it the ribet popular line between Chicago, Cleveland Buffalo,New York and Boston. 49 June 10