The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

this will be readily understood and ap- preciated by all navigators. The same principles of construction and location would prevent the undertow, hereto- fore referred to, from reaching and cutting away the adjacent shores. The use of a smooth concrete struc- ture placed on a submerged mound of some inexpensive material is very much preferable to a rubble mound, for, while the danger of striking such a breakwater as my plan contemplates is reduced to a minimum, a rubble mound would contain much greater ele- ment of danger. The reason for this is that a boat striking the rubble mound would be carried up onto it and so securely held as to make its rescue hopeless. On the other hand, with a smooth wall structure, the rush of water would be parallel to the break- water and in the same direction as the course of the vesel instead of over the structure, which would materially PAU ssa t Cuiey et aid the incoming boat to veer to either side and come through one of the other entrances. And should a vessel ven strike such a smooth structure the probability is that her damage would be slight, as has been the case M Numerous instances in the treacher- ous currents of the Duluth ship canal. The plan herein recommended would 'nable tugs, wrecking outfits, and even the life-saving crew to go to the aid " Vessels in distress, which would be ™Possible under the other method. At the Duluth entry this difficulty was "mphasized in November of 1905, when ote Mataafa was wrecked and a Ag lost within a few hundred = fom the shore and but 100 ft. continually and has 4 TAE Marine REVIEW from a pier. The term "life-savers" was a misnomer then, and always will be wherever such conditions exist. In the matter of cost, it may be as- serted that my proposition would en- tail greater expense and difficulty on account of its construction in deeper water. This, however, is not the case, in my opinion, as much less linear di- mension would be required. and a great deal of the work now proposed would be obviated. At all events, only loss and failure can attend the experi- ment now contemplated, while the im- provements which J have: herein out- lined would prove permanent and ef- fective, and would forever demonstrate the fact that there is a remedy for the difficulties which have confronted en- gineers and navigators ever since the Duluth-Superior harbor achieved its first importance. MARE ISLAND AS A WORK- SHOP. i 'Editor MARINE Review: Sir--In your edition of March 26, 1908, you printed a letter from George H. Corliss which might create a faulty impression in the minds of your readers. | I came to Mare Island navy yard from Quincy, 'Mass., last -October, Every promise made to me or any mechanic of my acquaintance has been fulfilled. I know of but one man who came from the east in response to let- ters or advértisements who has been laid off and he was re-employed the following day. Only two men have had their ratings reduced and they for causes which would have caused their discharge in any eastern yard. In regard to the lay off of 54 men con Dec. 5--duting the time that the transport Sheridan was in the dry dock every man who applied was em- ployed, as a necessary result many in- competent men were secured. Nat- urally when the rush was over they were weeded out; not*a mechanic was laid off who was competent to do the work in his line. The only plate planer who came here from the east came from Quincy where he received 30 5/9c per hour; here he received 47c per hour. First class ship fitters receive 52¢ per hour; riveters, chippers and calk- ers, 49c, and drillers, 40c per hour on day work. Men are paid for all holi- days and receive 15 days' leave a year with pay after a year's employment. In how many eastern ship yards do piece workers average as much? The only ship fitter who came here direct from Quincy was WB. Far- : ¢ k d he has been on piece wor iene geraved 95 3/10 'other ship building .world shows a lack of correct*infor- 21 per hour for the whole time; others have done nearly as well. In regard to the cost of living, I am renting a house here for $20 per month, equal to the one I paid $25 for in Quincy. Meat does not cost over 50 per cent what it does in Quincy. For example, loin lamb chops cost 15c per lb. in vale. while in Quincy they cost 35c; si®Oin steak costs 12%c here, 30c there: Vegetables are not over 35 per cent as high here as there; other groceries cost about the same; electric light costs 20c per kilo in Quincy, 10c in Vallejo; coal costs $16 per ton here, but you re- quire only a fraction of the amount; I burned $68 worth of coal and wood in Quincy during the winter of 06-07; last winter I used $18.75 worth. In regard to losing time on account of the weather, only eight days have men been sent home on account of. rain on the collier Prometheus since last October, which comprises all the © lost time for this year. I admit this - has been an extremely dry "wet sea- son," but to claim that climatic condi-: tions here are not far superior to any center in the mation on the part of the writer. There are men out of employment in San Francisco, as in every large - city in the country, but at the present. time there is not a ship fitter, tool--- maker, shipsmith, ship fitter's helper, painter's helper, coppersmith's helper, plumber's helper, molder's helper, holder-on, or boy on the employment register, and men are being taken on as fast as they register. Any statement in this letter can be- verified by reference to the navy de- department, Washington, D. C. Yours truly, ; Joun E. Merriam, Quartermaster Ship Fitter, In charge collier Prometheus. Vallejo, Cal., April 15, 1908. The Navesink, the suction dredge building by the Maryland Steel Co. for the United States government, was launched recently at Sparrow's Point, Md., and was christened by Miss Margaret Tenney, daughter of Frank Tenney, of Philadelphia, presi- dent of the Pennsylvania Steel Co. The Navesink is 290 ft. in length over all, 274 ft. between perpendiculars and 47 ft. 6 dn. beam molded. There are two propelling engines and four Scotch boilers. The dredging machinery consists of two 28-in. suc- tion pumps driven by two compound engines.