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1901.] MARINE REVIEW. 37 but with full decree against the New York for all the Conemaugh's cargo damage. After issuance of mandate decree was entered in the district court against the New York for all the cargo damage, and the damage to the Conemaugh and to the New York was divided to these two vessels. Proceedings in mandamus were then brought in the supreme court to modify the decree so as to divide the cargo damage to both vessels. The petition was dismissed. The cause was appealed again to the circuit court of appeals on the same question and a few weeks ago that court delivered an opinion affirming the decree of the district court, which di- vided the damage to the two vessels but requires the New York to pay all the cargo damage. As noted above the case is again in the supreme court, this time through action of counsel for the New York. Harvey D. Goulder of Cleveland for the Conemaugh and C. E. Kermer of Chi- cago for the New York are leading counsel in the case. IMPROVEMENT IN SHIP CONSTRUCTION. No one acquainted with the subject can deny the statement that British ships are incomparably safer than they were, say, two or three decades ago. The teachings of costly experience have shown us what are safe and what are unsafe types of vessels, and the natural law of the sur- vival of the fittest has resulted in the elimination of ships of unseaworthy proportions and the evolution of types which are--well, superior to their predecessors of twenty or thirty years back. But, at the same time, we should be more than optimistic did we not recognize that many of the mistakes and faulty methods of twenty years ago are still existent, and that then, as now, the unscientific, and consequently unseaworthy, ship was under criticism by those who were actuated by the laudable aim of safen- ing the sea for sailors and floating properties. We are impelled to these remarks by the perusal of an exceedingly able paper which was prepared at the request of the Cleveland Institution of Engineers and read to the members on May 3, 1880. The author was Mr. Hy. Foxton Craggs of the well-known firm of R. Craggs & Sons, a gentleman, as the world of ship- ping is aware, fully qualified by actual sea experience, and by his ship building and ship owning business, to speak with authority on the subject of improvements in the construction of decked vessels for the safe carry- ing of bulk cargoes, and the provision of water ballast without loss of stowage space. To state that such a paper was necessary is to put the matter very mildly. During the eight winters preceding and including that of 1879-80, no fewer than 148 British cargo steamers, aggregating 172,605 tons, had either capsized, foundered or gone "missing." Sixty of these vessels were grain laden and forty carried coal, while sixteen were laden with iron or other ore, and fully two-thirds of this appalling loss- roll was incurred by vessels crossing the North Atlantic or the Bay of Biscay. Thus it is evident that there was an urgent necessity for some qualified person to come forward and, by suggesting remedies for this untoward condition of things, check the awful tide of disaster and life-loss. We have no intention of discussing those suggestions of Mr. Craggs' which have been adopted, and which have played their part in safening « the sea to British ships and British sailors, but would rather call attention to faulty methods then, and now, existent, and which thus afford a striking object lesson on the necessity of persistent and patient pegging away if reforms are to be effected. Speaking of the ship of 1880, Mr. Craggs remarked: 'What is required is a vessel that will stow as much measure- ment goods, or carry as much weight cargo, as will make the best of a bad freight or the most of a good one * * * that the same ship is required to carry coals out and wheat, peas, maize, seed or other grain home; coke out and copper, iron or other ore home; Cleveland pigs or steel blooms out and oats or timber or flax or cotton home. And. last, and worst of all, while all these extremes have to be dealt with in such a way as to secure the largest possible freight for carrying any one or more of these differing goods, provision must also be made for sufficient water ballast to enable the ship to make a passage across the Atlantic in the winter months."' This description might as well be that of the tramp of the year 1901 as the cargo steamer of twenty years ago, for the same practice still obtains, as we suppose it must. of building steamers to carry any or no cargo. Mr. Craggs suggested alterations of type, etc., and he also sug- gested a safe and unique plan of carrying water ballast both for steamers and sailing vessels. The economical benefits of water ballast were at that time by no means generally appreciated, though Mr. Martell had calcu- lated that the average cargo steamer trading to the Mediterranean, there discharging and proceeding to the Black Sea for grain, would save £1,000 per year of four voyages by using water ballast. Mr. Craggs, discussing this pronouncement, pointed out that he saw no reason why these advan- tages should not be extended to sailing vessels, and yet, at the present day, the average sailer has to rely on rubbish ballast. He suggested an improved ballast tank, extending along the floor of the ship for about two- thirds its length, and reaching about one-fourth of the width of the vessel on each side of the midship line. This tank was strongly made, and was,., when the ship was laden, available for cargo. Cargo could also be car- ried on and around it without causing it to leak when filled with water. The Isabel Craggs, built and owned by Messrs. Craggs, and fitted with this patent tank, was a most successful ship, whether laden or in ballast. Yet neither this type of ballast accommodation, nor, in fact, any other, has been adopted by sailing vessels--Syren & Shipping; London. Summing up present conditions in the steel and iron industry, the Tron Age says: "In view of all the circumstances the prolonged lull in buying should cause no uneasiness, because evidently the heavy consump- tion is going on right along. Yet it is idle to deny that buyers are acting conservatively, and the amount of new business is not large in any line, from the pig iron to the finished material." Pan-American exposition rates to Buffalo via the Nickel Plate road---- Tickets now on sale at all stations, one and one-third fare for round trip, good returning fifteen days. Write, wire, phone or call on nearest agent, or E. A. Akers, C. P.:& T. A., Cleveland; Ohio; 85, Aug. 1. BELLEVILLE GENERATORS Grand Prix 1889 Originated 1849 Hors Concours 1900 Latest Improvements 1896 Number of Nautical Miles made each year by Steamships of the Messageries Maritimes Co., Provided with Belleville Generators--Since their Adoption in the Service. Year. Australien | Polynésien Bees ye at Chili Cordillére Laos Indus Tonkin Annam ne 1590 2s: 67,728 2,460 [S91 68,247 68,331 204 10922 68,247 68,403 69,822 23,259 POO) -sccc.2-..- 68,379 68,343 68,286 68,247 1394......... 0. 68,439 68,367 68,574 68,439 37,701 . EB90- 2. osc. 68,673 68,766 68,739 68,808 40,887 28,713 Oh Ge aie: 69,534 92,718 i 69,696 69,549 62,205 63,153 40,716 1897. a3. .::. 68,250 69,606 92,736 69.555 62,235 76,110 63,357 43,146 POU st... 70,938 69,534 69,552 69,597 62,526 63,240 63,240 62,553 63,954 22,707 1599... ..;:-- 69,534 69,615 67,431 | 90,405 60,246 62,778 62,868 52,344 54,855 44,007 22,884 200.) ....: 69,534 67,494 69,744 69,564 61,719 62,382 62,502 51,471 53,373 62,016 63,066 | 52,140 'Total.......... 757,503 | 713,637 | 644,784 | 597,423 | 387,519 | 356,376 292,683 | 209,514 | 172,182] 128,730 85,950 52,140 ATELIERS ET CHANTIERS DE L'ERMITAGE, A ST. DENIS (SEINE), FRANCE. WORKS AND YARDS OF L'ERMITAGE AT ST. DENIS (SEINE), FRANCE. TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS: BELLEVILLE, SAINT-DENIS-SUR-SEINE.