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average soon after the lake season opened and after that certain other influences conspired to bring about a modification of the policy till at last one has been issued that is about as liberal as it could well be. The col- lision clause is again extended to "rafts, wrecks and docks or with any substance or thing other than water." Small losses are, of course, covered now since the deductible average is off. The new policy is now in force to Dec. 12 and one-fourth per cent net for extension. This, of course, contem- plates steel bottoms and it may eas- ily be held that everything else can easily be left out of the reckoning, for it will soon be gone anyhow. Just what will' be done with the wooden fleet and how the ports that are con- fined to such vessels are to get along remains to be seen, though the own- ers of the lumber * fleet are getting pretty well used to carrying their own insurance. On account of the delay in coming to an agreement over the exact form of policy the clerical work in the hull offices has been very slow, many of the policies not being issued yet, though all haste will now be made to get them into the hands of vessel owners,' as there is no further reason for waiting. As to earnings and prospects the re- port is now very confident.. There have not only been some big losses, but the offices note that many smaller ones and some of them not so very small either are' known to' them which have not been reported in the newspapers. The underwriters are hopeful, though they are aware that there is no heavy mar- gin to their credit to meet any such fall as. that of last year, 1¢ 15 not likely that a second series of such dis- asters as were spread over three months of last fall will recur this fall, if indeed it ever does. There is all of the former uneasiness among the underwriters over the fail- ure of the big fleets to insure, for this is bound to increase as the ownership becomes concentrated, though the in- crease of actual tonnage is a 'counter influence. Some of the uninsured fleets have been hit very hard lately and there are predictions that they may re- turn to the insured fold again next season., _ Joun W. CHAMBERLIN. Of the many boats putting in at Ashtabula, the steamer Francis. -L. _ Robbins has perhaps the most distinc- tive appearance with her hull painted green and the big "B" on her stack. The "B" lets the landlubbers know she is owned by Mr. W. H. Becker. "TAE. MarINeE. REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR OILERS AND WATERTENDERS.--NO. 1. The Marine Review herewith begins a competition question course for oil- ers and watertenders similar to the courses now running in its columns for wheelsmen and watchmen and masters and mates. The purpose of the course is to prepare oilers and wate:tenders for examination. The questions will all be practical, such as the inspectors of the. steamboat in- spection service would naturally ask. Any oiler or watertender who enters into the course cannot fail to be bene- fited thereby. The course is projected to help them and the real benefit is the instruction which they will receive. As an incentive, however, four prizes will, as'in the other contests, be offered. The oiler or watertender, having the highest average, will receive $50 in gold, the second highest $25, the third high- est $15 and the fourth $10. Oilers and watertenders generally are invited to mail their answers to this office. The percentage of correct answers will be noted upon the letters and at the con- clusion of the contest prizes will' be awarded. EON ON ae is 'the first list of questions: 1. What would you consider your first duty on entering an engine room? 2. What would you consider the most essential duty in the caré of the dynamo? 3, - State three qualifications re- | quired by an oiler. 4,. State. three qualifications -- fe- quired by a watertender. 5. If you heard a pounding in the air pump what would you ronsider the cause? 6. State a safe remedy. 7, Why does one boiler of a bat- tery require more feed water than an- other at times? 8. What effect would the opening of the soot-box door have on a tub- ular boiler, fires being in the same shape as the other boilers. g. In case the water in the boiler should fall so low you could not ascer- tain its height by simply glancing at the water glass, what could you do to tell whether it had fallen below the safety limit or not? 10, .Why is the L. P. cylinder eee a '. compound engine larger than the horsepower. QUESTIONS FOR MASTERS AND MATES. --NO. 4. In the list of questions given for masters and mates in the MARINE RE- view, July 19, an error was made 'in printing question 16. The word "vari- ation" in the last line of this question weet magnetic south? 15 should have read "deviation." The question is therefore repeated correctly as follows: Ques. 16. The true bearing through the Sturgeon Bay ship canal is NW % W, the variation is 2% degrees easterly; how should you head going through the canal if your compass was right, that is, free from deviation; sup- posing that when you went through the canal your compass read NW oz N, how. much is the deviation and which way is it? Hereafter the questions in the mast- ers' and mates' course will be num- bered chronologically, so far fifty-four questions have been asked. Following is the fourth list: 55. What is a relative bearing? Explain its use. 56. Which way do you allow easter- ly variation in convertimg a correct magnetic course to a true course? 57. The true course is B48 2. the variation is 514° westerly and the deviation 11° eastesly, what is the com- pass course? 58: What is the difference between a compass bearing and a correct mag- netic bearing? : 59. In which direction has the com- pass card turned with easterly devia- tion? 60. State a rule for naming the de- viation after finding its amount by the difference between the compass bear- ing and the correct magnetic bearing? 61. If you were to trace on a mag- netic chart the line of variation having beside it, say 5° W, at what angle would you be from the true meridian all along this line? 62. .What is the magnetic meridian of any place? How would you deter- mine it? ; : 63. You are steering NE by com- pass when an object on shore bore E by S by the same compass, what is its relative bearing? 64. A compass having natural devi- ations, that is, a compass that is not adjusted, has one point of easterly de- viation with her head correct mag- netic north. What would be the read- 'ing of this compass with the boat head- ing correct magnetic north? On south correct magnetic the deviation is of the same amount; but which way will this deviation 'be and what course by compass would you have to steer in order to make good the course of cor- 65. If you took the bearing of a lighthouse by compass and you desired to lay it off from the same lighthouse on the chart, what conversion would | you have to make to this compass bear- © ing before it .would agree with the chart; and which way would you al-