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Steel Hatch Covers, 'As the tendency in lake freight steamers is to dispense with the use of wood wherever it 1s possible to do so, it is expected that steel hatch covers will soon be adopted in these vessels. The number and size of hatches in the big grain and ore carriers on the lakes will probably prompt the adoption of steel hatch covers here in advance of their use elsewhere. Several designs of steel covers have been suggested of late, among them 'one by Mr. Frank Bowman, which is illustrated herewith. Mr. Bowman is foreman machinist with the Cleveland Ship Building Co. and is well known to vessel men as an expert in the management of steering gear and other auxiliary machinery aboard ship. This hatch cover is composed of flanged plates and channels. Fig. A shows the top of the covers, the dotted lines indicating the channels un- derneath, which rest on top of an angle frame forming a coaming around 'the inner edge of the hatch opening, as seen by sketch B. These plates, | | | 1 1 | | ! \ | ! | 1 | | | A; Je . . a 7 76 | \e @ a) @ rd -- Décxw TEAr ING -- Oo . eC. 2 Covers Cen mine 2 ra - Ourtine-- -- COAMING -- -- INSIDE Conming -- on Bx Ye" ee --~Bram-- -which collectively make up the cover, are 10 by 52 inches by 3-16 inch, flanged down and fitted into the channels. Sketch B is a view looking across the ship, showing the inner coaming and the top plate flanged down. Sketch C shows the outer coaming looking across, with the number of courses suited to draining off the water. D shows the covers flanged and resting in the chanels, the channels resting on the inner coaming. E shows the outer coaming, looking forward, with the drain holes for freeing the water. Sketches F and G are larger plans of the device. Mr. Bow- man claims that this hatch cover can be applied to a vessel as cheaply as the Present style of wood covers and with no more weight than is in- volved in the application of wooden covers. He claims also that no more help would be required in handling them. The ring bolts shown in sketch A can be fitted underneath the surface of the hatch by dishing the plate to receive them. It wiil be noted from the drawing that the channels sup- eee the several sections of the cover receive any water that may work heen the parts flanged and fitted together, and holes are punched in : e channels between the inner and outer coamings, a, a, a, to drain off € Water into the gutter formed between the two coamings, the water ae carried off by passing through the water courses in the outer coam- ng b. No canvas is needed, as it is claimed that the arrangement of ee Plates, channels, etc., is such as to receive and drain any and all ae tt may fall on the covers. Fastenings may be of the usual kind, n L chain, flat iron or wood, but Mr. Bowman claims that there is no ed of fastenings, as the arrangement of different parts of the cover is such as to keep it in position under any condition of weather. A Valuable Ally for the Shipping Interests. Ppermost question today with the iron and steel interests of the tates is the export of pig iron and resultant products. It is ad- The United St mitted 9 0 ; a NAS : cai eet business in iron and steel, and it is certainly a matter of great ae 1on to know that leading manufacturers in these lines all over untry are declaring that legislation by congress for the encour- agement oO . i . aes ' : one more f American shipping is imperatively needed. It is the key to Country, ene accordance with its usual reliable methods of collecting informa- iron : Untied steel with respect to the extension of the export trade of the through tates, and the answers secured from representative manufacturers sate Out the country all agree that expansion of the trade depends Y on one thing, and that is the establishment of lines of American n all hands that it is absolutely imperative that we should extend | Sreat step towards establishing the industrial supremacy of the | tie'Iron Trade Review has sought letters from manufacturers of © have in view the extension of. our shipping trade. MARINE REVIEW. a Og steamships which will carry American products at rates equally as advan- tageous as are now obtained by foreign manufacturers who send their products to all parts of the world. President John W. Gates of the Illi- nois Steel Co. says: ' "The greatest handicap that the American manufacturer is laboring under today, is the fact that freight rates from American ports to foreign ports are very much higher than they are from European ports. This comes largely by the subsidizing of steamship lines from Europe to all parts of the world. What America needs most to do to extend her com- merce is to subsidize steamship lines all over the world. There is no reason, in my judgment, why there should not be regular liners from New York to every port on earth; and the same might be said to be true of Philadelphia, Baltimore, Boston and New Orleans. When this time arrives, and congress sees fit to grant a subsidy and encourage American ship building as it should be encouarged, no nation on earth can compete with the United States in the manufacture of iron and steel. We have immense quantities of high grade ore which can be mined and transported at very low figures. We have the best quality of coke which can be produced at a much lower price than anywhere else in the world; and with our labor-saving devices we can pay a higher scale of wages and yet compete with any other nation." . iMr. J. G. Butler, Jr., general manager of the Brier Hill Iron & Coal Co. of Youngstown, O,, writes along the same lines. He says: "I believe that we shall be forced to continue making iron and steel at low prices. Present prices are abnormally low; in many cases lower than is necessary for export. I think the only legislative action required of congress is to I believe that congress should subsidize our shipping the same as is done in the old countries, and direct lines should be established to the important ports. At present our export business is, dependent almost wholly upon foreign bottoms and the rates are fluctuating and uncertain. I believe that, if we are not now, we soon will be the greatest manufacturing country on the face of the globe, and that it is absolutely imperative that we should extend our export business." ; Gare of Sick and Disabled Seamed: 7 In all of the important ports on the lakes, as well as on the seaboard, the United States marine hospital service enters into contracts each year for the care of sick and disabled seamen, who are treated free of charge. These contracts are made mainly for the purpose of covering emergency cases, as it is the practice to transfer patients to the government hospitals in large cities when their ailments or injuries require extended treatment. For the convenience of vessel captains who may be called upon to look to the care of sick or disabled men aboard their vessels, the following list of hospitals and nurses on the lakes under contract with the government is printed: Ashland, Wis.--St. Joseph's hospital to furnish quarters, medical at- tendance, etc., and to provide for burial. Ashtabula, O.--Medical attendance by an acting assistant surgeon; Mrs. Henry Whelpley to furnish quarters, nursing, etc.; Gregory & Bur- well to provide for burial. Buffalo, N. Y.--Medical attendance by an officer of the marine hos- pital service; Buffalo hospital (Sisters of Charity) to furnish quarters, medicine, etc., and to provide for burial. Chicago, Ill--All patients to be cared for in United States marine hospital; 'Bartlett & Co. to provide for burial. 'Cleveland, O.--AII patients to be cared for in United States marine hospital; Flynn, Abel & Froelk to provide ambulance and to care for burial. Detroit, Mich.--Hospital patients to be cared for in United States marine hospital and out-patients to be treated at dispensary, No. 90 Gris- -wold street; J. W. Maney to provide for burial. Duluth, Minn.--Medical attendance by an acting assistant surgeon; St. Luke's hospital to furnish quarters, nursing ,etc.; John W. Stewart t provide for burial. Erie, Pa.--Medical attendance by an acting assistant surgeon; Hamot hospital to furnish quarters, medicine, etc.; V. Heidt to provide for burial. Escanaba, Mich.--Medical attendance by an acting assistant surgeon; quarters, nursing, etc., at Delta hospital. Grand Haven, 'Mich.--Medical attendance by an acting assistant sur- geon; Anna Farnham to furnish quarters, nursing, etc.; James Barnes ta provide for burial. : Ludington, Mich.--Medical attendance by an acting assistant surgeon; Mrs. H. D. Linsley to furnish quarters, nursing, etc. "6 Manistee, Mich.--Medical attendance by an acting assistant surgeon; quarters, nursing, etc, at Mercy hospital; Switzer & Merkle to provide for burial. : Marquette, Mich.--Medical attendance by an acting assistant surgeon; St. Mary's hospital to furnish quarters, medicine, etc., and to. provide for burial. ies Milwaukee, Wis.--Quarters, nursing, medicine, etc., at St. Mary's hospital; medical attendance by an acting assistant surgeon; Geo. Thomas to provide for burial. : Ogdensburg, N. Y.--City hospital to furnish quarters, nursing, medi- cine, etc.; medical attendance by an acting assistant surgeon; Nutall & Murphy to provide for burial. 5 : ; Oswego, N. Y.--Medical attetidance by an acting assistant surgeon; Oswego hospital to furnish quarters, nursing, medicine, etc.; John F. Dain & Son to provide for burial. : Sault Ste. Marie, Mich:--Medical attendance by an acting assistant surgeon; Mrs. Annie Little to furnish quarters, nursing, etc.; J. Vander- hook to provide for burial. ; Sturgeon Bay, Wis.--Medical attendance by an acting assistant sur- eon. P Superior, Wis.--Quarters, nursing, medicine, etc., at St. Mary's hos- pital; attendance by an acting assistant surgeon; P. O'Reilly to provide 'for burial. ; Toledo, O.--Attendance by an acting assistant surgeon; St. Vincent's hospital to furnish quarters, nursing, medicine, etc., and to provide for burial. E