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MARINE REVIEW 48 COL. SYMONS MAY NOT SERVE ON COMMISSION. There seems to be some doubt as to whether Col. Thomas W. Symons can serve as a member of the Erie canal advisory commission. Difficulty is being experienced in congress in giving him the necessary relief from his regular duties. A certain element in congress appear to be unwilling to do this, except in such form as would jeopardize Col. Symons' rank and preferment in the military department. Writing to the Marine Review concerning the subject, Col. Symons says: "Whether or not I can accept the position as a member of the New York state canal advisory board of engineers will depend upon the final action of congress in permitting or not permitting me to act and the terms under which this position is granted. I very much desire to serve on the board far more on account of my dear friends in the state than on any personal account, and have done-all I could to procure the requisite au- thority. The refusal of the military committee of the house of representatives to permit me to aid the state as desired by me came as a great surprise. [| hope that between the senate and the house some acceptable measure may be devised and put through. I am most desirous of seeing this great canal work of New York carried through Prepay and ee and wish to aid it in every way I can.' It would seem indeed as though no technical objection ought be permitted to stand in the way of'Col. Symons serving on this commission. There is no man in the United States who is better qualified for this work than he is, because there is no man who has given more time to this particular subject than he has. He is the projector of the present undertaking. OBITUARY. Capt. William Bolster, one of the oldest and best known cap- tains on the lakes, died last week. Capt. Bolster's home was in Bay City, Mich. The interment took place in Cleveland. Henry L. Marindin, sixty years old, physical hydrographer connected with the United States coast and goedetic survey since 1863, and a member of the Mississippi river committee, died at his home at Woodside, Maryland, last week of cerebral ' hemorrhage. Augustus Cass Canfield, for many years commodore of the Seawanhaka-Corinthian Yacht Club, and also a member of the America's cup committee, died at Aiken, S. C., on March 24. Mr. Canfield designed the schooner yacht Sea Fox, with which he won the Goelet cup, and the sloop yacht Isis, which was also successful. eae The death of Capt. A. J. "Hall of Rockland, Me. was very sudden: On Thursday of last week he went to the water front to get a glimpse of the-ocean and within a couple of hours after his return home he died of heart failure. Capt. Hall was born in St. George in 1831, being the son of Capt. and Clarrissa (Linnekin) Hall. He began to follow the sea at the age of fourteen and made voyages to most of the world's important ports. His first command was the schooner S. C. Loud. Capt. Hall's last vessel was the large schooner Olive Pecker, built for him at Belfast by George A. Gilchrist. Capt. Hall had sailed from Rockland since he was thirty , years of age and had retired from the sea about. seven years" ago. PERSONAL. W. M. Leeds, first vice-president of the American Sheet Steel Co., has resigned. This is one of the snags com- panies of the United States Steel Corporation. Mr. Charles F. Glew has been appointed general superin- tendent of the Crosby Transportation Co.,,operating the Grand Trunk car ferry ee with headquarters at Grand Haven, Mich. Mr. Wesley B. Siuich, formerly a foreman at Cramp's ship yard, has resigned his position as foreman at the yard of the Eastern 'Ship Building Co., New London, Conn., to resume his old position. Mr. F. Meriam Wheeler, who lately retired from member- ship in the George F. Blake Mfg. Co. of New York was pre- sented with a gold watch and chain by thirty of his associates. The presentation took place in the directors' room. Veryl Preston, formerly president of the American Steel Hoop Co. and afterwards vice-president of the United States Steel Corporation, has been elected president of the Eastern Steel Co., Pottsville, Pa., to succeed William A. Donavan. Commander William Winder, nephew of Admiral Dewey, has been ordered to duty as naval recruiting officer in Boston. J. B. Dwyer has been appointed traveling agent of the West- ern Transit Co., with headquarters at 47 Main street, Buffalo, succeeding J. D, Feeley, who has been promoted to the posi- tion of agent at Troy. ee Mr. George J. Bancroft, Jr., well known throughout the west by his professional work as consulting engineer to the Stratton estate, as well asin other enterprises, has become associated with the Engineering Company of America and will take charge of their department of mine management. His headquarters will be in Denver. ITEMS OF GENERAL INTEREST. Evidently things are not altogether harmonious among the members of the American Association of Masters & Pilots. District Captain Charles Maytham, who has charge of the lake harbors, has resigned. The present trouble has' come about over differences in the wage schedule and classifica- tion adopted by the advisory board and lately presented to vessel owners. The classification of the board was in some instances most peculiar. The Eastern States and the West- ern States of the Detroit & Buffalo Line, which are the largest passenger boats on the great lakes, were placed in the sec- ond class, where, of course, a lower rate of wages obtains. This created great astonishment and dissatisfaction as well among the other lines. Some latitude will be exercised by the Lake Carriers' Association in determining the wage sched- ule for the passenger lines. There is very little in common between freight and passenger business and it is probable that the passenger schedules will be handled independently. Order has been received by the collector of Port Bowell from the commissioners of customs at Ottawa that American vessels will no longer be permitted to load at Vancouver or Victoria, Canadian goods destined for Dawson via _ St. Mitchell and the lower Yukon river route. If Canadian mer- chandise is to be shipped to Dawson via St. Mitchell it must be transported from Vancouver or Victoria by British bot- toms. In other words the Dominion government is applying coastwise laws to this territory. Advices from Philadelphia are to the effect that the nego- tiations between the reorganization committee of the Con- solidated Lake Superior Co. and the Canadian Improvement Co. for a reorganization of the Lake Superior Co. are off. It is expected now that the work of reorganization will fall upon Speyer & Co., who managed the syndicate which advanced more than $5,000,000 to the Lake Superior Co. and which holds its assets, bought in at auction, as a pledge. It is reported that the Seaboard Air Line is preparing for extensive improvements of its property in anticipation of its business to be taken south by the building of the Panama canal. The company is contemplating establishing a line of steamers from Florida to Cuba and points of the West Indies. A sur- vey is being made for an extension from Rutherfordton, N. C., to Peach Orchard, where connection will be made with the Chesapeake & Ohio. The stockholders of the Eastern Ship Building Co. held their annual meeting in New York last week and re-elected the following officers: President, Charles S. Hanscom; treasurer, Frank H. Swift; secretary, Frank N. Allen.