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1902.] MARINE REVIEW. 4y TWO VESSELS ON SAME TRIAL COURSE. Baltimore, July 23--On. Thursday last might have been seen on the Chesapeake a sight probably never paralleled in this country or elsewhere. On the government measured course off Barren island were two vessels undergoing an official standardizing trial at the same time, both of which were built by the same firm, the Maryland Steel Co. One was the 12,000- ton freighter Tremont, a sister ship to the Shawmut of the Boston Steam- ship Co.'s fleet. The other was the torpedo boat destroyer Whipple. The Tremont made a speed of 18.88 knots at a mean draught of over 19 ft. and immediately started for New York, going through a four-hours' speed trial on the way. The Whipple completed her standardization trial, making over the required 28 knots, and on the next day made an hour's endurance run at a speed of 27% knots. After the hour's endurance run the Whipple went again over the measured mile at the rate of 30% knots. NEW-LIFE SAVING STATION AT CHICAGO. Work has been commenced upon the construction of the life-saving station at the mouth of the Chicago river, which is to replace the old station under the name of "Old Chicago" life-saving station. - The loca- tion is in the inner angle between the south pier of the river and the harbor breakwater. The building will contain accommodation for four boats of various sizes up to 35 ft. in length, and a complete and com- fortable house for the keeper and a crew of about eight men. The station will be built upon a wharf adjoining; and level with the pier and the break- water, and measuring 75 ft. east and west by 175 ft. north and south. The wharf will be very substantially constructed, the material being most all oak. There will be four openings left in the wharf to form harbors for the lifeboats, each opening about 10 by 40 ft., facing westward into the har- bor. These four harbors will be separated by narrow galleries and cov- ered by the boathouse, which measures about 50 by 60 ft. Four large " | 1 om i | year 1897 was $2. 181,024, and in 1902 will be about $8,000,000. . From the Hawaiian islands the imports in the fiscal year 1897 were $13,687,799, and the total for 1902 will be about $23,000,000. From the Philippines the imports in the fiscal year 1897 were $4,383,740, and for 1902 the total will be over $7,000,000. The value of merchandise, including gold and silver, received from Alaska in 1897 is estimated at $5,000,000, and for 1902 about $15,000,000, making the total imports of 1897 from Porto Rico, Hawaii, the Philippines and Alaska about $25,000,000, while the total for the fiscal year 1902 will be about $50,000,000. The bureau of statistics has just received its first record, under the new law, of shipments to Alaska. Formerly no statistical record was made of the shipments to and from Alaska, which was a customs district of the United States and treated as such in the commercial reports of the custom houses. During the last session of congress, however, a law was enacted applying to trade between the United States and its noncontigu- ous territory the provisions of the law relating to the collection of sta- tistics of foreign commerce, and this will enable a complete record of the movements of merchandise between the United States and its noneontigu- ous territory. It is in compliance with this law that the first record of the shipments to Alaska is now in the hands of the bureau of statistics. The shipments from Seattle alone during the month of June amounted to $774,000. Among the 'more important articles shipped from the United States to Alaska were cattle, horses, flour, oats, railway cars, coal, eggs, gunpowder, hay, builders' hardware, machinery, fresh beef, milk, refined sugar and vegetables. BIG SHIPS BUILDING ON THE DELAWARE. Philadelphia, July 23--Two of the largest vessels ever built in the United States have just been started at the works of the New York Ship Building Co. The keel blocks for both are down, one inside, the other outside the company's great sheds. The one inside the sheds occupies space required for two ordinary vessels, and for the one outside special G NEW LIFE-SAVING STATION FOR CHICAGO. ways have been built. These two giant vessels, names for which have not yet been chosen, are for the Atlantic Transport Co. and when completed are intended for service out of New York. In size they are each 620 ft. long, 65 ft. wide and 51 ft. 3 in. molded depth. They are to have an indicated horse power of 12,000 and gross registered tonnage of 14,000, sliding gates will close the harbors. The boat house will be two and one- half stories high, containing on the second floor one large room and eight small rooms for the crew. Adjoining the boathouse will be an office, a kitchen and a large messroom on the first floor, and three chambers on the second floor. A large lookout tower will adjoin the building within which are to be the main stairs, toilet rooms and the watch room of the station. The building will be constructed in a simple but substantial manner of the best material available; the framing to be white pine or spruce; the exterior, cedar shingles with white pine trimming; the interior to be plastered (except the boat room), with trimmings of white pine wood- work, hard-oiled. The floors will be of maple. TRADE WITH THE AMERICAN COLONIES. The noncontiguous territory of the United States now furnishes a market for $50,000,000 worth of the products of her people. A statement just prepared by the treasury bureau of statistics shows that the shipments from the United States to its noncontiguous territory during the fiscal year just ended have been, in round terms, as follows: To the Hawaiian islands, $20,000,000; to Alaska, $15,000,000; to Porto Rico, $10,000,000; to the Philippines, $5,000,000; total, $50,000,000. This is practically five times as much as the exports to those terri- tories in 1897 when none of them, except Alaska, was under the American flag. The exports to Porto Rico in the fiscal year 1897, for example, were $1,988,888, and in the fiscal year 1902 they were over $10,000,000, the exact figures for eleven months being more than $9,500,000. While the figures for the twelfth month have not been received, it is certain that the total will exceed $10,000,000. To Hawaii our exports in the fiscal year 1897 were $4,690,075, and for the fiscal year 1902 the best estimate of the cus- toms authorities is, in round terms, $20,000,000. Exact figures of the shipments to Hawaii are not at present available, but it is known that the shipments from Hawaii to the United States during the year will amount to about $23,000,000, and it is believed that the estimate of $20,000,000 for our shipments to the Hawaiian islands, is a conservative one. To the Philippine islands our exports in the fiscal year 1897 were $94,597, and in the fiscal year 1902 will be over $5,000,000, exclusive of shipments made by the government for use of its troops or other officers in the islands. To Alaska, the best estimate obtainable of the shipments in 1897 is $3,924,- 000, while those for the fiscal year just ended are estimated by the customs authorities at $15,000,000. This would make the grand total of shipments from the United States to its noncontiguous territory $50,000,000, exclu- sive of goods sent by the government for use of the army or of its officials. _ Inimports from the islands the increase has not been as great as that in exports. The total value of our imports from Porto Rico in the fiscal with speed of 15 knots. : The Cramps have just received a contract to build for the Central Railroad of New Jersey a steamer for service between New York and Sandy Hook. The dimensions of the new vessel will be: Length over all, 308 ft.; length on water line, 298 ft.; beam, 52 ft.; draught, 11 ft. She is to be finished by May, 1903. She will have a torpedo boat stem on account of the shallow water in Sandy Hook bay. Her speed is to be apn 25 knots, as she is to make the trip to Sandy Hook in about an our. The Texan, third vessel built for the American Hawaiian Steamship Co. iby the New York Ship Building Co., and fourth vessel to be launched from the yards in Camden, will be launched during the week between August 7 and 14. This vessel, larger than her predecessors, the Nevadan and Nebraskan, is 484 ft. long, 57 ft. wide and 42% ft. molded depth. Her. indicated horse power is 3,400 and she is to have a speed of 10% knots. The torpedo-boat destroyers Chauncey, Barry and Bainbridge, built by the Neafie & Levy company, are lying at dock awaiting a supply of Pocahontas coal before final trials are run over the Chesapeake course. The New York Ship Building Co. has secured contracts for two new oil steamers of 1,200,000 gallons carrying capacity each, for the J. M. Guffey Petroleum Co. Officers of the American Boiler Manufacturers' Association, elected at the fourteenth annual convention, held this week at Atlantic City, are as follows: President, John O'Brien, St. Louis; secretary, J. D. Fara- sey, Cleveland; treasurer, Joseph Wangler, St. Louis; first vice-president, Robert Monroe, Jr., Pittsburg; second vice-president, Samuel Borger, Columbus: third vice-president, J. M. Robinson, Boston; fourth vice- president, M. F. Cole, Newman, Ga.; fifth vice-president, J. F. Casey, Chattanooga, Tenn. The next annual convention will be held at Chatta- nooga. The date will be decided upon by the local committee, and all members and others interested will be duly notified. Rear Admiral Bowles has recommended that the contract price for vessels be divided into fifty instalments, and that the government retain the last three until the vessel is accepted. An electric traveling crane, to cost $90,000, is to be installed at the New York navy yard. The general specifications are to be completed by Aug. 1. aes, i