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16 : MARINE REVIEW. {April 18, THE BATTLESHIP IOWA IN CAKE. The Creve Coeur club of Peoria, Ill., presented to Capt. Robley D. Evans at its annual banquet a few weeks since a model in cake of the battleship Iowa, which "Fighting Bob" commanded in the battle off San- tiago. Both captain and guests were completely surprised when the beau- tiful model: was carried into the banquet room with every light ablaze. The model is built entirely of cake and confectionery. This remarkably correct and artistic creation is a wonderful piece of work. The hull from the waterline to the gun deck is composed of white fruit cake, 56 inches long and 11% inches beam at waterline. The gun deck from the fore to aft turrets is of pound cake, the turrets, funnels, guns, cabin, bridge and all detail work of confectionery, all iced a snow white and trimmed with rolled gold and sterling silver chains and tape; weight 71% pounds, mounted 'on an oak board of 1 by 16 by 66 inches, the uncovered margin MODEL OF THE BATTLESHIP IOWA IN CAKKH, of board being heavily iced with water-colored icing. This board rests on a scrolled base 4 inches high, in the center of which an electric battery, composed of six cells of 1,900 open circuit batteries, are stored, pro- ducing the light in the cabin and the searchlight aft, which can be turned on at will. These lamps are without sockets and are molded into gum paste pedestals as wanted. The boat was made after photograph and deck plan supplied by the assistant secretary of the navy and is built on a scale where possible of ¥ inch to the foot. The body of the boat as a cake is exceptionally fine and will keep for years, being well iced and enclosed in a plate glass case. The silver plate on the after deck bears this inscription: "Presented to Capt. Robley D. Evans, U. S. N., by the Creve Coeur Club, Peoria, at its second annual banquet, Washington's birthday, 1900. Designed and made by John L. Blocher, superintendent." The model is now at Capt. Evans' home, No. 324 Indiana avenue, Washington, D. C. ANOTHER LAKE AND RAIL PROJECT. Another lake and rail line of a kind similar to the Canada Atlantic line, which now operates between Chicago and Montreal and Georgian bay to Parry Sound and thence by rail, is talked of in Canada. Among the incorporators named in dealings with the Canadian government are J. G Keith, vessel owner and agent of Chicago, Frederick Kraus, a grain dealer of Milwaukee, and George F. Piper of Minneapolis, one o} the promoters of the American Linseed Oil Co. Canada National Rail- way & Transport Co. is the name of the new corporation and the route proposed from the Georgian bay, where vessels would deliver freight from upper lake ports, is via 'Collingwood and Toronto. The Collingwood- Toronto connection of ninety-five miles will be an air line and it is claimed that the new company will have the shortest route between points on the great lakes and Montreal, with a minimum of rail and a maximum of water haul. The route proposed will, of course, avoid: the Welland canal and the long haul through St. Clair and Detroit rivers and Lake Erie. The incorporators of the company are: John Wilson, Fred T. Hodgson and David Wilson of Collingwood, J. G. Keith of Chicago, Frederick Kraus of Milwaukee, G. G. Barnum and William Buchanan ot Duluth, G. F. Piper of Minneapolis, George H. Breyman of Toledo, R. C. Stewart, John H. Boyle and J. B. McCall of Toronto, W. J. Hill of Deer Park, Ont., and G, P. Graham of Brockville, Ont. The capital stock is fixed at $5,000,000 and the company headquarters are to be lo- cated in Toronto. A bill which is now before the Canadian parliament authorizes the company to acquire property for docks, elevators and tram- ways in connection with its railway, and to construct and operate tele- graph and telephone lines along the railway to be used in connection with the road and docks. The company may issue bonds, debentures or other securities to the extent of $40,000 per mile of the railway and to the extent of two-thirds of the cost of such docks, elevators, telegraph and tele- phone lines, and may also receiye aid from any government, person or municipal corporation in the construction of its line. SENATE PASSES THE CABLE BILL. The senate has passed the substitute Pacific cable bill, a measure appropriating $3,000,000 for the construction of a cable line between San Francisco and Honolulu. The bill provides that the work shall be done under the supervision of the navy department, which has made surveys and determined the practicability of the route. The navy may use any of its ships that can be adapted to the task of laying the cable and if it needs others it may charter them. In addition it provides that the secretary of the navy, in his discretion, if he finds that it is not practicable to lay the cable by the force of his own department, may contract for laying it. All materials and appurtenances are to be of American manufacture. SHIP BUILDING ON THE PACIFIC COAST. The San Francisco Call in discussing the fact that the Risdon Iron & Locomotive Works of that city intends to engage in ship building says: "The purchase by the Risdon Iron Works of the ship building plant of the Pacific Rolling Mills probably presages the organization in this city of another large ship yard, with its consequent advantages to the coast. The property in question is immediately east of the yard of the Union Iron Works, and has 1,700 feet of the water front, with facilities for accommodating vessels of any draught. The land comprises thirty-two acres, and with a small expenditure the buildings now standing may be utilized for ship building purposes. It is said to be a part of the plan of the Risdon Iron Works to construct a dry dock and thoroughly equip the establishment for the construction of modern vessels of all kinds, including men-of-war. To appreciate thoroughly the significance of this enterprise it is only necessary to consider for a moment the effect which has been produced upon the state by the operations of the Union Tron Works during a period of about fifteen years. That establishment has rot only constructed one of the finest men-of-war ever built, but it has developed upon this coast a ship building industry that employs about 3,000 men and which constantly supports between 15,000 and 20,000 peo- ple. If the Risdon Iron Works establishes a similar ship yard not only will our shipping interests receive the 'benefits of competition, but the business will be greatly stimulated. The history of all such enterprises is that the greater the number of them the greater the demand for their products. The Union Iron Works has been largely supported by govern- ment contracts. If the Risdon company is able to build as good warships es those built by the Union Iron Works there will be no reason why a portion of the government patronage should not be conferred upon it." ATLANTIC TRANSPORT CO.'2S NEW MINNEAPOLIS. The new twin-screw Atlantic Transport Co.'s steamer Minneapolis, Capt. Layland, which is exceeded in length only by the White Star liner Oceanic, arrived at New York April 9, from the yards of her builders, Harland & Wolff, at Belfast, Ireland. She is the first of four colossal passenger and cargo carriers that the line will have in service between New York and Liverpool within the next two years. Her sister ships will be called the Minnehaha, Minnetonka and Minnewaska. She measures 13,700 gross tons, is 650 feet long, of 65 feet beam and 44 feet depth of hold. She has accommodations amidships, above deck, for 250 cabin passengers. She will carry no second-cabin or steerage passengers. On her trial trip she made about 19 knots and her owners expect her to cover the 3,200 knots between London and New York in eight days. The best of the other ships of the line make the trip in ten days. She is the first passenger steamer that has ever come directly from the yards of her builders to New York in ballast and she will thus make her maiden voyage to London instead of to the westward. THE SHIPPING BILL TO PASS THE SENATE. The Republicans in the senate intend to put the shipping bill through that body during this session. Speaking on the subject in answer to an inquiry, Senator Frye, chairman of the committee which reported the bill, said: "T should not like any better campaign work than speaking to the public on that measure. Let the people of the United States thoroughly understand what that bill will do for the country in general in promoting our foreign trade and in giving employment to the people in the United States, as well as in saving a part of the enormous sum we now annually pay to foreigners for doing our ocean carrying trade, and there will be no manner of doubt about their support of the measure. I observe that the English newspapers specially devoted to the shipping interests of that country are very anxious for fear that this measure will soon go on our statute books. Incidentally they concede that we just need such a law. And so we do, and we will have it in my opinion before long." HAVANA'S FLOATING DRY DOCK. The Spanish government has offered to sell the floating steel dry dock at Havana to the United States for the sum of $200,000. The army now in control in Cuba has no use for the dock, so the negotiations have been carried on by the navy department. The dock, it is said, would be of uch service to the navy, in view of the utter lack of any other large dry dock in the West Indian waters, and even if Cuba should be vacated by the United States government without retaining a naval station at 'lavana--which latter is a project cherished by many naval officers--the dock would still be of great value at the Pensacola naval station, which has only recently been discovered to be accessible to large ships, or at the splendid new station to be established at Dry Tortugas. The price asked by the Spanish government for the dock is, however, regarded as excessive, in view of the deterioration which has taken place in the struc- ture, owing to neglect, and there must be further bargaining before the title passes. Sc nrnne ee LITTLE LETTERS FROM WASHINGTON OFFICIALS. An item has been floating about that the transport Logan would represent the transport service of the war department at the Paris expo- sition, Col. Charles Bird, quartermaster in charge of the transport service, writes the Review that the department has no intention of sending the Logan to the exposition and that the transports are all too busy to be used for any purpose other than that for which they were fitted up. Brigadier General M. T. Ludington, writing to the Review, says that the transport Sumner is not the finest transport of the fleet, as was represented in congress. He says that she is a comparatively small boat and fitted up pretty much on the same line as that of the other trans- ports. "Exaggerated reports and remarks have been made in regard to this vessel," said he. _ Rear Admiral Frederick Rodgers, president of the naval board of Inspection and survey, writing to the Review, says: "I have not ven- tured an opinion as to the merits of the superimposed turrets. Further and more exhaustive trials will no doubt be made. The report of the board of inspection, which is in the hands of the navy department, referred oe particularly to the structural strength of the ship and her appoint- S.