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M A' R oe Ne and Evanston, Ill., as well as numerous minor repairs to stations and equipment through the service as it has been found necessary. The telephone system maintained by the service has, as heretofore, proved of great assistance, and much attention has been given to its improvement and extension, Numerous points not heretofore reached have been connected, metallic circuits have been provided where the proximity of high power electric currents have made it desirable, cables have been laid across inlets, etc., and the line has been kept constantly in such repair that, even under the most adverse circumstances, communication has not been seriously interrupted for more than a few hours at any time. The life-saving service lines, which now extend practically unbroken. from Maine to the Carolinas, has connection at all important points with the com- mercial telephone and telegraph lines of the country, and also, where desirable, with the lighthouses and weather bureau offices on the coast, making them available for instant com- munication by underwriters and ship owners as well as the different branches of the government service. The life-saving stations constitute an important factor in the system of coast guard patrol maintained by the navy department for protect- ing the coast in time of war, and it is expected that the wire- less telegraph system now being tested by the navy will, when sufficiently perfected, be extended to the life-saving stations; in fact, plans are already being prepared for its installation, and when the system is put into operation, the usefulness of the stations, if connection with the extensive telephone lines, as a means of communication not only between government vessels of the navy and revenue cutter service and the de- partments, but between the growing number of large ocean liners which are being equipped with the wireless telegraph and their owners and agents, will be greatly increased. The telephone service on the great lakes, which consists of a number of short lines maintained by this service and the weather bureau, and connections with local exchanges, has been materially improved during the year by the construction of a line recently authorized by congress from the mainland on the eastern side of Green Bay, Wis., across Death's Door to the Plum Island station, thence across Washington Island, and terminating at the lighthouse on Rock Island. This line is now completed and in satisfactory operation. The general superintendent again earnestly urges the justice and propriety of extending the retirement system of the army and navy to the members of the life-saving service, thus providing for those who become disabled in the line of duty or unfit for further service by reason of advancing age. SHIPBUILDING DURING NOVEMBER The bureau of navigation reports eighty-three sail and steam vessels of 20,282 gross tons were built in the United States and officially numbered during November as follows: Wood. Steel. Districts. Sail Steam. Sail. Steam. No.| Gross. | No.| Gross. | No.| Gross. |No.} Gross. ||No.| Gross. Atlantic & Gulf... .2. 34 | 16,448 | 18 | 556 1 331 5 1,412 || 58 18,747 Porto Rico! 85550 a BAG Re ete ee Ce ole oe ees Pacific Wn 2 399 | 7 BOG os I cellos Ieee ce 9 995 Pawar oh eel ee ee ae ie cere atte coe a Great L'k's} 1 PO eS OF re sae elie eens oes Ses 15 Sie a oe 15 528 Total....| 37 | 16,859 | 40} 1,680] 1 331 | 5 1,412 || 83.| 20,282 During a blow and a mix-up of vessels and tugs at Ashte- bula Saturday night, another of the Steel Corporation vessels. the Corsica, sustained damage by collision with the break- water that will necessitate docking for bottom repairs. RR Hy EE WW I 19 ITEMS OF GENERAL INTEREST _ The steamer Zapora built for the International Fisheries -- Co. by Crawford & Reid, Tacoma, Wash., was launched re- cently. : " The Pacific Coast Steamship Co. of Seattle, Wash., will remodel the Alaska steamer City of Topeka at an expense of $50,000 this winter. : The three-masted schooner Hersis A. Colwell was launched last week at Phippsburg, Me. She is 160 ft. long, 35 ft. beam and 12 ft. deep. It is stated that the New York Ship Building Co., Camden, N. J., will launch the armored cruiser Washington on Feb. 22nd next, Washington's birthday. 'The vacancy in the list of rear-admirals created by the re- tirement of Rear-Admiral Theodore F. Jewell will be filled by the promotion of Royal Bradford. Seagoing vessel owners are complaining of the unnecessary delays caused by the pilots for the port of Quebec in coming on board. An official inquiry will likely take place. Carleton, Norwood & Co., Rockport, Me., launched their sixty-sixth vessel last week. This is the four-masted schooner Addison Bullard, 205 ft. long, 42 ft. beam and 19 ft. deep. The Turbinia, during the winter, it is stated will have some improvements effected. It is proposed, among other things, to remove the rigid ballast and to fit in water ballast tanks. Plans of the two scout cruisers authorized by the last con- gress have been sent. to the Mare Island' navy yard so that it is likely that these vessels will be built at that yard. Capt. C. A. Davis, Somerset, Mass., says that he has leased a piece of land at Nott's Point, Stonington, Conn., to build two small light-draught schooners for the lumber trade. What he will do with the yard after these vessels are built is uncertain. It is expected that the matter of applying the coasting laws to trade between the United States and the Panama canal zone will be taken up at the coming session of congress. The reservation of this trade to American ships would stim- ulate ship yards greatly. The Hamilton Steamboat Co. at its annual meeting de- clared the usual dividend of 10 per cent for the past year. The company has done a large business during the year, the advent of the Turbinia, having had the effect of increasing traffic as a whole between the two points. One of the modern Atlantic coast schooners, the Jane Pal- mer, a five-master built at the Brook's yard, Harbor View, East Boston, will load at Newport News this week a maiden cargo for Boston. It is expected that she will take on about 5,000 tons at a freight rate of 60 cents a ton. The Alaska Pacific Navigation Co., Seattle, announces that it will build a steamer for the Copper river run. The com- pany now has three vessels, the Santa Clara, Santa Ana and Excelsior in the Copper river trade. The plans provide for a vessel 250 ft. long, 39 ft. beam and 17 ft. 6 in. deep. Bids for the construction of the first six sections of the 1,000-ton barge canal have been invited by the department of public works of New York state. Proposals will be re- ceived at the department office on Dec. 15, 16 and 17 and the contract will be awarded as soon thereafter as the canal board can act. An endeavor is being made in Parry Sound, Ont., to estab- lish a local navigation company to be called the Parry Sound Steamboat Co. It is proposed to build and equip two com- posite steamers, fitted for passengers and package freight, and capable of steaming 16 to 18 miles an hour, and have them in operation in 1905. One steamer it is proposed to place on a route from Parry Sound to Midland and Penetanguishene and the other from Parry Sound northerly. Capt. A. Clarke is active in the promotion of the new company, and the capital is reported to be nearly all promised.