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22 : TAE MARINE REVIEW WATERWAY FROM LOCKPORT TO ST. LOUIS. The river and harbor act of 1902 appropriated $200,000 for an investigation of a, 14-ft.. navigable waterway from Lockport to St. Louis, and a similar waterway 7 and 8 it. deep from La Salle to Ottawa. he Mississipp River Com- mission was charged with the investigations from the mouth of the Illinois river to St. Louis, while the remainder of the work was in charge of a board of officers of the corps of engineers, of which Col. O. H.. Ernst was chairman. The report of this investigation has just been published, and con- tains a great deal of valuable information concerning the engineering features of the proposed barge canal between the great lakes and St. Louis. The route adopted will require three southerly piers to the Cunard Steamship Co., and the remaining pier, No. 57, to the Compagnie Gen- erale Transatlantique: The city is to 'erect the ttecessary Sleds' "and to do the dredging to maintain the proper depth of water. The companies are to do all necessary repairs. The term of lease is to be ten years, with the privilege of two renewals of ten years each at an advance of 10 per cent over the previous term. The rental for the first term of the lease is to be $70,000 per annum for each pier with two sides available for wharfage, seven in all, and $37,500: each for each of the two piers with but one side available for wharfage. Mr. Franklin, of the Cunard company, thought that an THE CRESCENT CITY ENROUTE TO THE DRY DOCK AT LORAIN AFTER HER TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE IN THE LAKE SUPERIOR STORM. the canalization of the Illinois river by nine locks and five movable dams from Lockport, where it connects with the Chicago drainage canal, to Utica. From Utica to Grafton four existing dams will be taken out and the channel dredged. This work is estimated to cost about $23,500,000, using con- crete locks 600 ft. long, 80 ft. wide and 14 ft. deep on the sills. The cost of the 7-ft. and 8-ft. waterway from La Salle to Ottawa is estimated at $928,000 and $961,000, using locks 350 ft. long and 75 ft. wide. The Mississippi river improve- ments include a movable dam at Alton, a lateral canal from Alton to St. Louis Harbor and a lock 600 ft. long, 80 ft. wide and 30 ft. in lift. These works are estimated at $6,554,- ooo. No opinion concerning the advisability of undertak- ing the project is expressed in the report, as it is not called for in the act ordering the survey. RENTAL OF PIERS. The Commissioners of the Sinking Fund of New York last week accepted a committee report on the rental of the piers included in the Chelsea improvement area, with formal thanks to the non-official members--President Norman of the Mar- itime 'Association and A. Foster Higgins of the Chamber of Commerce. The report adopted recommended leasing the five northerly piers to the International Mercantile Marine, the increase of five per cent wculd be ample, but he admitted that at the new rate the steamship companies are saving about $14,000 a year. Dock Commissioner Bensel told the commis- sioners that the piers at the prices fixed will return tothe city $17,000,000 in thirty years. Mr. Higgins made a short speech in behalf of the Chamber of Commerce, in which he said that for the first time in forty years the city had acted with "justice and generosity" in dealing with outside interests. BATTLESHIP AGAMEMNON LAUNCHED. The British battleship Agamemnon, of 16,500 tons, was successfully launched at Glasgow, and was christened by the Countess of Aberdeen. Among the novelties in the construc- tion of the ship are the following: All her guns will be above the upper deck and her heavy guns will be more concentrated in the center of the vessel, while the smaller pieces will be carried on a central platform deck, extending about one- third the length of the ship and upwards of 30 ft. above the water line, giving great command on all sides of the water around the ship. The Agamemnon is 410 ft. long, has 7914 ft. beam, draws 27 ft. of water, and her engines have 16,750 I. H. P., giving her a speed of 18 knots. She hasan armored belt 12 in. thick and has 8 in, of armor on her sides, above the belt. Her armament consists of four 12 in. guns, ten