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RINE NOL Vale REVIE ip CLEVELAND, O., NOVEMBER 25, 1897. @" -.No. 22. Duty Truly Appreciated. Transportation interests represented by the firm of Pickands, Mather & Co., Cleveland, are the largest on the lakes, involving the management of some fifty modern steel freight vessels. It is generally understood among vessel masters that in handling ships controlled by this firm, time is counted by minutes, especially when the vessels are in port. This policy is so strictly adhered to that it has often been the subject of un- favorable comment among vesselmen. It is therefore especially gratify- ing to note that this big concern, with all its rush methods, finds time to recognize, in a most fitting manner, a brave act performed by one of its captains and to set a high example to all of its employees. A few days ago the newspapers in all parts of the lakes commended the courage and skill of Capt. F. D. Root of the steamer Mariposa, in tescuing two sur- CAPT. F. D. ROOT, OF THE _ STEAMER MARIPOSA. vivors of the wrecked steamer Idaho, which foundered on Lake ee Capt. Root felt that he only did his duty and was undoubtedly more an satisfied with the public recognition of his action, But a Pi Aa ee Tae awaited him in the following kindy ste which he received Monday upo completing another trip to Lake Superior: ; i Cae oe D. Root, ebaaTaee Mariposa.--Dear Capt. Root: I isles express to you, and through you to all of your brave crew, my ead appreciation of the unusually skillful seamanship, coolness, nerv f the bravery displayed by you all in rescuing the two poor ites eae Idaho, and to say further that notwithstanding the risk ee y acne Hae to the safety of the steamer, your act has the hearty cont a ae pig company and of myself. Not alone in this instance was the my dee erat cipline éxisting on the Mariposa evidenced, but also tO: al male? eenition the time of the collision with the Selwyn Eddy, and in some ae extra of it | wish you to give your first mate and your chief eet ian month's salary each, and to all the other members of yee wae for half monhth's salary each, for which draft is inclosed hee Sepa ae A yourself, will you please call at our office upon sae a peteem. Wish- receive in person from us a testimonial of our regard an tata savertife ing you all continued good fortune in any other such attemp Or avert disaster if similar occasions again arise, I ate ours : fice of Minnesota Steamship Co., yO TUEL MATHER, Cleveland, Noy. 15, 1897. . ar Mr. When, in answer to this letter, Capt. Root called ye ee he Coulby, manager of the transportation SS aie ase of which the Was presented with a beautiful gold watch, inside ae t by the Minne- following was engraved: 'Presented to Capt. os ae od ed in rescuing Sota Steamship Co. for the 'bravery and seamanship disp/ay "? the survivors of the steamer Idaho, Nov. 6, 1897, OT ee pene ee Te aper through Subscribers to the Review who have been gals hone addresses at the marine postoffice, Detroit, will please 1 Sa vets Once, in order that changes may be made for the A Gunboat to Replace the Michigan. Assistant Secretary Roosevelt of the navy department again manifests special interest in the naval reserve in his recommendations accompanying the report of Lieut. Gibbons, who has charge of naval militia matters. He recommends that congress be asked to substitute for the old Michigan on the lakes a small modern gunboat, perhaps of the Petrel type, to be devoted largely to cruising with the lake militia organizations and to overseeing them. Commenting on his personal inspection of the reserves, Mr. Roose- velt says: ey "I was greatly pleased with the zeal and efficiency shown by the dif- ferent organizations I personally visited (Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and New York), and no less with the showing made by most of the others, as set forth by reports to the department. There were two or three con- cerning which the reports were less favorable. The different state organ- izations are continually asking for old vessels, and the department has finally tried the experiment of sending the Yantic to the lakes for the use of the Michigan militia. The supply of these old wooden vessels has now become practically exhausted. The department has tried the experiment of loaning monitors to the different organizations, but the results have not so far been satisfactory, as monitors are poor ships for cruising or for use as barracks. There are three or four of these organizations, which, in the event of a sudden emergency, could be utilized at once for manning the smaller national cruisers, but this, of course, cannot generally be the case with the majority of the organizations. They must be depended upon primarily as a second line of defense. There are two very important feat- ures which should be attended to by such a second line. One is the plac- ing of mines, the other the establishment of signal stations for coast de- fense. "The department should request that there should be inserted in the provision for the maintenance of the naval militia the words, 'submarine mining outfits,' so as to allow of training them for this purpose. The de- partment has also been maturing plans for the signal stations for the coast defense and a very slight expenditure of money with the co-operation o} ~ the treasury department, will put this on a satisfactory basis. The organi- zations are continually requesting the detail of officers to instruct them, and they can best of all be instructed by actual service on regular war ves- sels, or under the supervision of naval officers, and in conjunction with the sailors. It is much to be wished that congress will authorize in the first place the substitution for the old paddle wheel steamer Michigan on the lakes of a small modern gunboat, perhaps on the Petrel type, to be de- voted largely to cruising with the lake militia organizations and to over- seeing them, and, furthermore, to the building of one similar craft on the Pacific and two on the Atlantic, to be used for this same purpose. With these cruisers it would be possible to bring the naval militia organizations to a very high standard of efficiency, and the cruisers themselves, of course, would be available at any moment for any of the regular naval uses in an " emergency. The Two Richelieu and Ontario Steamers. Mr. A. Angstrom, manager of the Bertram Engine Works Co., Ltd., of Toronto informs the Review that contracts for the two new side-wheel steamers for the Richelieu & Ontario Navigation Co. have finally been signed, and active preparations are being made for the construction of the vessels. The vessels will be of steel and of the following general dimen- sions: Length over all, 277 feet; length of keel, 269 feet; breadth of beam, moulded,. 36 feet; breadth over guards, 62 feet; depth of hull, moulded, 14 feet. The interests of the Richelieu & Ontario company during the con- struction of the steamers will be looked after by Mr. Frank E. Kirby of Detroit. Work on one of the steamers, to come out late next summer, will begin immediately, but the second vessel will not be built until next» inter. a These vessels are to run between Toronto and Prescott, leaving To- ronto in the evening and arriving at Prescott early in the forenoon 'of the following day. The run through the Thousand Islands will thus be in the morning, giving a splendid opportunity for observation of these waters, and with this end in view the dining room, capable of seating 112 pas- sengers, will be forward on the upper deck. The steamers will each con- tain 140 staterooms, and will be designed to be allowed a full passenger list of 1,500. Engines will be inclined triple expansion, supplied with steam from four Scotch boilers. When all details of plans are complete they will be printed in the Review with a full description of the vessels, which will be in all respects equal to the best side-wheel steamers on the lakes. Another meeting of a committee representing all of the American steamship lines, as well as leading commercial bodies and shipping organ- izations, will be held in Philadelphia on the 26th inst., to consider a plan to present to congress for means of improving the American merchant marine. The meeting would have been held earlier, but the members of the committee are awaiting the return of Mr. Clyde of the Clyde Steam- ship Co., who is now abroad, and who will give the committee the benefit of his observations while in Europe. This committee held several con- ferences during the last session of congress, but no definite plan was agreed upon, although several measures were thoroughly discussed. The Yantic has left Montreal for Detroit, supported by six pontoons. She has had 12 feet of her bow, her keel and masts removed. If the ice does not hinder, her arrival at Detroit may be expected about Dec. 2. F. W. Wheeler & Co., who are in charge of the work of bringing the vessel through the canals from Montreal to Detroit, have sent the tug Boscobel to Montreal to meet her.