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MUNICIPAL FERRIES LOSE. Deficits on the New York ferries continue to increase, while the de- mand for the extension of the mu- nicipal ferry system more than keeps pace with' the loss. Commissioner Bensel says: "I estimate this. year's loss on the Battery and Thirty-ninth street ferry at $150,000, while Staten Island ferries will lose $300,- 000 more. We have no fund from which to pay these losses, which must be met by the sale of bonds, and I am quite unable to see where the matter is going to end. In the face of these facts we have a bill pending in the legislature. to make the ferries free. In other words, the proposition is that instead of sinking nearly half a million every year in our ferries we are to sink millions. "There must be an end to mu- nicipal ferry extension somewhere, but where is the line to be drawn? We cannot cut expenses in operating. When the Staten Island ferry was taken over we were told that New York city must have the finest boats 'on the bay. We have the finest in the world.. We were told they must be speedy. We haven't the speed quali- ties of torpedo boats in these craft, but we have cut the time down until we burn' just four times as much 'fuel as any commercial body would in operating the boats the same num- . ber of trips." Commissioner Bensel further says that nothing has been formulated "which can serve asa check to the expansion idea. I hope we may, for we are rapidly approaching the dan- ger limit, and while there is no dan- ger of saddling the city with free ferries, you can't tell how soon it may come. Too many of the legis- fators are prone. 46° vote, not in ac- cordance with their best judgment, but in whatever way will best please the people." THE AMERICAN SCHOONER. From the two-mast schooner Polly, built in 1805 and of 48 tons, to the seven-master Thomas W._ Lawson, built in 1902 and of 5,218 tons, is a "far cry;" and while these two craft are still afloat, it is interesting to note something of the development of the schooner-rigged vessels that are leaders in their class at the present day. Of these the Oliver Ames is the largest two-master, being of 456 tons and built-in 1866 at Berkeley, Mass. Of the three-masters, the Aurora of 147 tons was the first one built, in 1831, but long since lost. The oldest three-master. afloat at present is the Marie Pierson, launched in New York the | "TAE MarRINE REVIEW in 1864, and the largest the Bradford C. French, of 968 tons, built in Ken- nebunkport, Me., in 1884. The small- est three-master now afloat is the Mary and Anna Beswick, of 149 tons, built in 1891 at Milford, Del. Coming to four-masters, the North- land of 2,047 tons, launched last year at Rockland, Me., is the largest afloat, while the first of the rig was the Francis' C. Yarnall bik i 1881" at Wilmington, Del. The smallest four- master, a bald-headed schooner, is the Judge Pennewill, built at Bethel, Del., last year.. The five-masters of spe- cial distinction are the Governor Ames, of 1,778 tons, built in 1887, she being the first one of the fore-and- afters to demonstrate that rig capable of off-shore sailing by making a. suc- cessful voyage around Cape Horn when new; and the Kineo, being the only five-master built of steel. largest five-master is the Jane Palmer of 3,138 tons, built in East Boston in 1903, while the smallest of that rig is the James Pierce of 1,664 tons, built: in 1899, With the beginning of the twentieth century came the first six-master, the George W. Wells, built at Camden, Me., in 1900, The largest vessel of this rig afloat (and of which six have so far been built) is the William L. Douglas of 3,708 tons, built in 1903. The Thomas W. Lawson has two dis- . tinctions; first, for being, the. only seven-master so far constructed, and second, she is the largest schooner in the world. This brief synopsis of the develop- ment of schooner-rigged vessels shows two things; first, that the fore-and-aft rig is one that has withstood. success- fully the test of competition with steam vessels; and second, that the Lawson has been proved from her size to be somewhat of a freak ves- sel, so that in the six-master~ the limit of size for successful handling has evidently been reached.--American Shipbuilder. NORTH GERMAN LLOYD'S NEW STEAMER. The North German Lloyd Steam- ship Co. has ordered a new large pas- senger steamer to be built in the yards of the Vulcan.Co. at Stettin for the line between Bremen and New York. This steamer is to receive the name George Washington, and will be 720 ft. in length, 78 ft. beam and 54 ft. in depth, with a gross tonnage of 27,000 registered tons, a draught of 33 ft. and a displacement of 36,000 tons. Her speed across the ocean is to be 18 knots and her engines will indicate 20,000 H. P. This steamer is sideration, 'The 19 intended to meet the demand of those with whom speed is a secondary con- and who prefer. comfort and room to record trips. She will enter the service in the year 1909. -- The North German Lloyd also has another large passenger "steamer for the New York trade under construc- tion with the ship building firm of Joh. C. Tecklenborg in Geestemunde, near Bremerhaven, of 17,000 gross registered tons and 14,000 I. H. 'P,, a displacement of 26,000 tons, length, 614 ft.; beam, 68 ft.; depth, 42 ft.; speed 17 knots. This steamer will re- ceive the name Prinz Friedrich Wil- helm, and is expected to €nter the service of the company between Bre- ~ 'men and New York in the year 1908. MERCHANTS' & MINERS' TRANS. Co. of the Merchants' The directors -& Miners' Transportation Co.- in a meeting held at Baltimore recently, elected representatives of the New Haven & Hartford railway; which has recently acquired a very large interest in-the company, to the board. E. P. Whitney, of Boston, and W. K. Cromwell, of Baltimore, resigned, and Charles S. Mellen and J. B. Hem- ingway were chosen to succeed them. Mr. Whitney, of Boston, also resigned as first vice president. and was suc- ceeded by N. W. James, Baltimore. The Merchants' & Miners' Trans- portation Co. has formally taken over the Boston & Philadelphia Steamship Co., which was purchased from the - New Haven & Hartford railway. ADMIRAL COGHLAN RETIRES. Joseph. Bullock Coghlan, rear ad- miral, United States navy, recently -- retired from the service after passing forty-five years of his life therein. Rear Admiral Coghlan fought in the battle of Manilla bay. He has been acting as commandant of the Brooklyn navy yard, and was suc- ceeded by Rear Admiral Caspar Fred- erick Goodrich. Not a little of Rear Admiral Cogh- lan's fame was won by the recital, 'at a Union League Club dinner, of the now well-known poem "Hoch der Kaiser," of which he is the author and which proved itself very trouble- some for some time. . -A new water line is in process of formation to operate between Boston and. New York to be known as the Independent Navigation Co. Mr. By- ron T. Pitts, formerly agent of the Joy line, will be general manager of the new company.