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1903. ] ITEMS OF GENERAL INTEREST. The Dominion Line announces that arrangements have been made to run a regular service this season between Montreal and Avonmouth. The docks at Avonmouth have lately been im- proved at an expense of about $10,000,000. The French naval program contemplates that France will possess by 1906 a fleet of twenty-eight battleships, fourteen coast- defense battleships, twenty-four armored cruisers, thirty-five protected cruisers, seventy-two destroyers, 210 ocean-going tor- pedo boats and sixty submarines. Earnings of the Dominion Iron & Steel Co. of Canada for the month of January show a deficit of $37,067 after propor- tional interest charges and preferred stock dividend requirements. The December deficit was $8,142. 'The poor showing for Jan- uary is attributed to severe winter weather preventing opera- tions. The nomination of Admiral Dewey has again been sent to the Senate, this time as "admiral of the navy." It appears that when: he was elevated to this rank and his term of active service extended ten years an error crept into the text making him an "admiral in the navy." 'The new appointment is to remedy the error. Proposals for building a life saving station at Racine, Wis., will be opened at the Washington office of the life saving ser- vice Mar. 27. Specifications, drawings, etc, mav be had from the assistant inspector of the twelfth life saving district, Rand McNally building, Chicago, or from the Washington office of the service. : Of a total of 124,649,000 bu. of grain received by lake at Buffalo during 1902 the wheat aggregated 62,469,000 bu., corn, 22,491,000 bu.; oats, 15,893,000 bu.; rye, 3,717,000 bu.; barley, 8,970,000 bu., and flax seed, 11,109,000 bu. 'These figures are from the report of Junius S..Smith, grain weighmaster for the Merchants' Exchange of Buffalo. The lake survey office at Detroit, in charge of Major Fiske and conducted under the direction of the army engineer corps, has been given for the coming year an appropriation of $150,000 for the expense of preparing, correcting, extendiiig, printing and issuing charts and bulletins, and for investigating lake levels, with a view to their regulation. 'This is one of the items in the sundry civil appropriation bill. It was recently reported that the Cartagena Terminal & Improvement Co. had contracted with James Rees & Sons of Pittsburg for two steamers and a floating dock for use on the Magdalena river. The company advises the Review that the report is incorrect and that no steamers are being built for the company. It is, however, considering the expediency of ac- 'quiring a floating dock for use on the Magdalena river. A large steel tug, the Carbonero, 134x25x15 ft., with triple- expansion engines of 16, 24 and 40 in. cylinder diameters by 28 in. stroke, is to be sold at noon on the a2ist inst, at the Atlantic Works, East Boston, Mass., by the United States marshal at that point. The tug has been thoroughly overhauled and is in very good condition. 'he sale is positive and the terms cash. The Carbonero is at the Atlantic Works where she may be seen at any time. 'At the works of the Marine Construction & Dry Dock Co., Mariner's Harbor, New York, Mr..Wm. H. Langley's schooner yacht Montauk is undergoing general overhauling and repairs, including the rebuilding of her stern with an additional 8 ft. The work is being done from plans made by Sadler, Perkins & Field, naval architects and engineers, Maritime building, New York, and when completed will greatly add to the appearance of the vessel's hull, though the sail plan has not been altered materially. The Liverpool Shipping Gazette says that it understands that the International Mercantile Marine Co. has decided not to build any more big vessels like the White Star Line steamers Cedric and Celtic until improved port facilities enable the com- pany to exercise greater economy in working the vessels and render their construction a less risky financial undertaking. 'The Gazette also says that it believes the new White Star Line steamer Arabic, which is of 15,800 tons, will represent the limit to which the combination is prepared to go under the present. circumstances. The Coastwise Transportation Co. has been organized under the laws of New Jersey with a capital stock of $3,000,000, half common and half 6 per cent. cumulative preferred. It is to operate the boats owned by Capt. J. G. Crowley of Boston. 'The incorporators are C. Frank Houghton, New York; Arthur Seitz, Hoboken; J. G. Crowley, Boston; Homer Albers, Boston; James Bostwick, Hoboken; Edmund D. Vanderbilt, Hoboken, and William KE. Parpart, Hoboken. It is understood that MARINE REVIEW AND MARINE RECORD. 3! Thomas W. Lawson of Boston is to be president of the company and J. G. Crowley treasurer and general manager. Mr. William Garrett recently had an article in the Iron Trade Review of Cleveland upon the subject, "Ihe Problem of tud Smaller Manufacturers of ods and Merchant Bars." 'The question he discusses is whether there is a field for the small manufacturer as against the Steel Corporation with its immense resources. His contention is that there is a field and he pro- ceeds to prove it. The article has now been lifted from the columns of the Iron Trade Review and issued in pamphlet form. It can doubtless be had by anyone who will write to the Garrett- ores Engineering Co., New England building, Cleveland, or it. The action of congress in striking out of the naval appropria- tion bill the 4 per cent. differential in favor of Pacific coast ship- builders is a serious blow to Pacific ship building interests. Owing to the great distance from the principal manufacturing centers, the Pacific builders are handicapped in their competi- tion with eastern builders. Of course it does not affect contracts under way but it will cause Pacific builders to exercise timidity in bidding upon naval work in the future. Mr. Robert Moran of the Moran Bros. Co. Seattle, says that 95 per cent. of ship parts are transported from the east and, of course, the freight bill is a heavy one. The Bishop & Babcock Co. of Cleveland is equipping its machine shop for electric driving. The group system has been adopted and short lengths of line shafting throughout the shops are driven by Westinghouse induction motors. Seven or eight of the latter, ranging in size from 10 to 40 H. P. have been pur- chased and are now in operation, current being temporarily sup- plied from the plant of the Cleveland Twist Drill Co., which is also equipped with Westinghouse apparatus. The Bishop & Babcock Co., however, is installing a power plant of its own and has recently purchased a 175-kilowatt, two-phase, Westing- house, engine-type alternator, with switchboard complete. Geo. S. Rider & Co. are the engineers for the plant. It is announced from Chicago that the strike of ship car- penters and calkers at the works of the Ship Owners' Dry Dock Go, is. at.an end. Extraordinary low rates to Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Manitoba and the northwest by way of the Nickel Plate road, March 17, 24, 31 and, April 7.and 14, 1003. Dee nearest agent or address FE. A. Akers, C. P. & T. A., Cleveland Ohio. 2t, Apr. 43. "KEARSARGE" ASBESTO-METALLIC PACKINGS Made from pure Asbestos yarn and fine brass wire, firmly woven together PISTON ROD PACKING For high speed, high tem- perature, high pressure, with or without wire inter- woven. FLANGE JOINT GASKETS More reliable than rubber or metallic and cost much less. Will not blow out. Unaffected by high tem- perature. Without expan- sion or contraction. Works perfectly whether condi- tions are favorable or un- favorable. GASKETS. will not blow out, will hold against any steam pressure, will stand highest temper- - ature. Used exclusively on the hand holes of Babcock & Wil- cox and other water-tube boilers. SHEET PACKING The most reliable flat pack- ing on the market for all conditions of steam service Write for samples, prices and full information. PHILADELPHIA CLEVELAND aE) ie) ae) te LONDON NT mee liLs TR CHICAGO Seely BOSTON MANUFACTURERS OF AND DEALERS IN ALBERT C. JAUL, et Manager, 100 William* St., New York, U. S. A. United Marine Mfg. & Supply Co., ELECTRICAL MATERIAL FOR SHIPS AND FORTIFICATIONS. JE SESE eevee a ame