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way injuring the tank tops which would also injure the cutting edges of the scoops. Also when the bucket is open the frame and supporting arms form a strong arch which adequately resists the thrust or strains consequent upon bring- ing the bucket into contact with the ma- terial which is to be excavated. In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the bucket closed. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the bucket open. Fig. 4 is a top plan of the bucket open. Referring to the drawings 1 and 2 represent the trays or scoops which to- gether form the bucket proper. From a shaft 3 are suspended two pairs of curved arms 4 and 5 and the lower ends of each pair of arms are pivotally secured to the front end of the scoop. The low- er ends of said arms are offset so that they are back from the sides of the scoops thereby leaving room for the mounting of sheaves on the outside of said arms which will not project beyond the sides of- said scoops. To the re- spective pairs of arms 4 and 5 are pivot- ally secured pairs of links 7 and 8 by means of shafts 9 and 10 respectively which extend between the arms of the respective pairs of arms 4 and 5. The free ends of said pairs of links 7 and 8 are united by a shaft 11. Pairs of arms 12 and 13 are secured at their lower ends to the rear ends of the scoops 1 and 2 respectively and at their upper ends to the pairs of links 7 and 8 respectively by means of shafts 14 and 15 respectively which extend between the links of each pair of links. The arms are preferably secured to the supporting links near the center of said links, but this, of course, may be varied in some constructions. At each end of the shaft 3 is arranged a swinging pulley or guide-sheave 16 which extends out from one side thereof and a swinging pulley or guide-sheave 17 which extends out from the other side thereof. On each end of the shaft 9 is mounted a sheave 18. Near the lower end of each arm of the pair of arms 4 is mounted a sheave 19 and near the lower end of each arm of the pair of arms 5 is mount- ed a sheave 20. Two opening ropes 23 are provided which extend down at op- ' posite sides of the structure, each of the ropes passing through a pulley 17 then around a sheave 18 and then up where the end is secured to the shaft 3, and two closing ropes are likewise provided, each of which passes through a pulley 16 then around a sheave 19 then around a sheave 20 and back the sheave 19 to which it is secured. _The operation of the bucket will be readily understood. A pull on the clos- ing rope will, of course, draw the lower ends of the arms 4 and 5 toward each other causing the front ends of the scoops to swing together. As the ends of the "TAE Marine. REVIEW scoops approach each other the free ends _of the links 7 and 8 swing down thereby lowering the rear ends of the scoops and bringing the same into the proper posi- tion to easily pass through the material which is being excavated. When it is desired to open the bucket the closing line is slacked and an upward pull on the opening rope causes the free ends of the links 7 and 8 to swing up towards the upper ends of the pairs of arms 4 and 5, and at the same time the upper ends of said arms are drawn down toward said links so that a very powerful and quick movement is secured which will open the bucket against. considerable opposition, and, therefore, when working in clinging or adhesive material there is no liability of the bucket becoming stuck in its closed position and the bucket will operate with considerable facility even when there is a great weight of material actually adher- ing to the scoops. This feature is also of importance as heretofore referred to when it is desired to "heel" one of the scoops and use the other scoop for scrap- ing together the material which is after- wards to be scooped up. The operation of heeling the scoop consists simply, as is probably understood, in permitting the front end of one scoop to become em- bedded in a small quantity of the mate- rial and, using such a point as a center, operate the other scoop to scrape the ma- terial up to and around the quantity which has been left as the heel. In this way an area having a diameter equal to twice the stretch of the scoops can be thoroughly scraped. In order to take up and prevent undue strain when the bucket is cpened a stop 20 is arranged on each of the links 7 and is designed to abut against the ends of the arms 4 and 5 when the bucket is in its farthest open position. WYANDOTTE LAUNCHED. The steamer Wyandotte, building for the Michigan Alkali Co., was launched from the Ecorse yard of the Great Lakes Engineering Works on Thursday last and was christened by Mrs. John B. Ford, of Detroit. The Wyandotte, which was completely described in the MARINE RE- view of Feb. 20 last, is a novel type of bulk cargo ship and is intended for the transportaton of coarse crushed limestone from the quarries of the Michigan Alkali Co. at Alpena to their works at Wyan- dotte. The new steamer is 306 ft. over all, 286 ft. keel, 45 ft. beam and 24 ft. molded depth. The steamer was designed by Messrs. Babcock & Penton, naval archi- tects and engineers, Cleveland and New York... A continuous double hopper ex- tends all fore and aft through the cargo space, the cross section of the hopper having the shape of a flattened W with an extreme "width of 39 ft., the extremi- 23 ties being carried vertically to the spar deck, thus forming high side tanks. Un- der the hopper and above the double bot- tom continuous steel belt conveyors are fitted. It is expected that the ship can be loaded in an hour and unloaded at the rate of 750 tons per hour. The propelling machinery consists of a triple-expansion engine, 18, 29 and 50- in. cylinder diameter by 36-in. stroke, supplied with steam from two boilers, 11% by 11% ft. with positive heated draft and allowed a working pressure of 180 lbs. The boat will be operated by the Wyandotte Transportation Co. NEW TRANSPORTATION COM- PANY. The new Birmingham & Gulf Railway & Navigation Co., of Mobile, Ala., which in the earlier stages of the project was better known as the Tidewater Develop- ment Co., has announced that it has pur- chased the Alabama river steamers John Quill, City of Mobile, Nettie Quill, W. J. Bethea; Liberty, Hard Cash, Qudchita and Alert and has inaugurated a regular steamship service from Mobile via the Alabama river to Montgomery and also from Mobile via the Tombigbee river to Demopolis, Ala. The former owners of the steamboats are to continue to be identified with their operation. As soon as the river is open for navi- gation above Demopolis the service on the Tombigbee will be extended to Co- lumbus, Miss., and Tuscaloosa, at which point it will connect with the company's railroad which is now under construction from Tuscaloosa through Birmingham to Gadsden, thus connecting the mining dis- trict of Alabama with the port of Mobile. The officers of the new company are: . President, Henry S. Thompson, New York; vice. president, J. M. Dewberry, Birmingham, Ala.; general manager, J. A. Vandegrift, Tuscaloosa, Ala.; super- intendent, T. H. Moore, Montgomery, Ala.; John Quill, of Mobile, will also be identified with the active management. COL. MARSHALL MADE CHIEF ; OF ENGINEERS. Col. Wm. L. Marshall, who has been in cherge of harbor improvements of New York, has been made chief of engi- neers by President Roosevelt, succeed- ing General Alexander Mackenzie, who retired on May 25 last for age. Col. Marshall served for 12 years as engineer in Chicago and is well known throughout the lake region. Rear Admiral Charles Henry Rock- well died of apoplexy at Chatham, Mass., at the age of 68 years. He served in the navy over 40 years, retiring upon his owr{ application in 1902. During the civil war he took part in numerous im- portant engagements.