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34 CONCRETE BARGES SUCCESS- FUL. According to advices received re- cently from United States Consul Chapman at Rome, the Italian boats and barges built of concrete have proven very successful for-harbor pur- poses, and the builders have at pres- ent more orders on hand than they: can attend to with their limited plant. The Gabellini Co., which has. been engaged in concrete construction since 1900, built one 150-ton barge in 1905 of reinforced concrete for harbor use, which proved a great success. The next year the firm constructed "one barge of 100 tons for the Italian ministry of marine, and upon its be- ing found satisfactory, after repeated trials in the harbor of Spezzia, four others were ordered by the govern- ment. The dimensions of these barges ore. Length 51 it, beam 16' ft. They: are constructed with double bottoms, divided into watertight compartments, and thus made practically unsinkable. The barges sell for $290: each. The company has made no experiments so far in installing motive power in boats or barges, but is confident that this can be readily done. Comparing first cost and endurance in floating constructions of wood and concrete the company states that a wooden barge costing $200 is good for five years' service, repairs entail- ing an expenditure of 30 per cent of the original price, while often those constructed of concrete have been found to be perfectly sound after eight years in service. oe The concrete barges in use for a humper of years as supports of a number of floating bridges in Italy, they affirm, show like power of en- durance. The following statements of results by this company, respecting experi- ments in concrete work, are given: Asis well known, cement, when brought into contact with water, steadily acquires greater compact- ness and resistant power, and_ that having attained the maximum. in these qualities it retains the same in- definitely, without deterioration. From this consideration came the idea, with full appreciation of the difficulties that must first be overcome, of extending the use of this material to water- borne construction. While it has been demonstrated that cement possesses the highest degree of resistant power under the strain of compression, this is not the case in an equal measure as' respects the strain of permanent tension, and in a "TRAE MARINE REVIEW still less degree as regards shock re- sulting from collision. Hence would arise the necessity of constructions in castings of a more or less complicat- ed nature, and the work would re- quire thickness of material that would cause deficiency in buoyancy, unless the constructions were on a very large scale. After long study and trials the problem found a complete solution in- the use of the composition "wired (re- inforced) cement of uniform resist- ance," consisting of a conglomerate of cement, containing in its interior a reticulated skeleton of iron or steel enveloped in sheets of 'metallic net- work. Incrustations which in a short time destroy the smoothness of hulls and thus favor the life and growth of ani- mal and vegetable organism, are en- tirely avoided in cement construc- tions. 'Cost of maintenance is prac- tically eliminated in consequence of the 'properties of reinforced cement. This is an advantage of great impor- tance over construction in wood or iron, for annual repairs to which rel- atively large sums, compared | with first cost, must be sacrificed. At the Gabellini establishment vari- ot boats have 'been constructed to demonstrate the advantages enumerated. Two of these boats have been for a long time in the waters of the Tiber, in the custody of the Ani- ene Rowing Club and at the disposal of its members, who often use them, without any damage or trace of de- terioration having 'been observed. THE REPORTED ENGINEERING COMBINE IN BRITAIN. There is as yet no further develop- ment in the effort that is being made to amalgamate the marine engineer- ing firms on the northeast coast of Great Britain, but a significant an- nouncement is just made in a circu- lar. to. the shareholders of Messrs. Richardson, Westgarth & Co. Ltd. of West Hartlepool, which is one of the panticipating firms. This circular observes: "Your directors are unanimously of opinion that the proposed amalgama- tion of certain marine engineering businesses would be greatly to the advantage of the marine engine in- dustry on the northeast coast. Should the proposed mature, the entire scheme would be submitted to the debenture holders and shareholders of the company for their approval." In regard to this reported combine, it may be definitely stated that it does above: not 'hope to include all the marine en- gineering firms on the northeast coast, but it is merely a sectional af- fair covering only the southern por- tion of the distnict, the Tyne as yet having given little support to the' project. The amalgamation, if it ever becomes a reality, aims at a working arrangement among the firms it will embrace with a proportionate pooling of pronts.. It 1s not to be a tryst, and there is no intention to put up prices. What is aimed at are reduc- tions in the cost. of production, fewer management expenses, the elimina- tion of wasteful competition, the clas- sification and standardization of the different branches of engine work and the consequent redistribution of or- ders among the various firms. In the language of one of the promoters, all these changes, if carried into effect, will enable the northeast coast to cut in against the whole world. There would seem to be good grounds for believing that this ambitious project may, as far as the Hartlepool dis- trict is concerned, be finally arranged, for Messrs. Richardson, Westgarth & Co. intimate that they may decide to make up their accounts to the end of December next in view of the com- bination going forward. _ Judge Putnam, of the United States circuit court at Portland, Me., has entered a decree setting forth that the amount due upon the bonds and cou- pons of the Consolidated Steamship Lines of Maine is $63,038,200. The court orders that if the indebtedness is not paid within five days after Monday, : all shares of the capital stock of the various consolidated corporations mort- gaged to the American Trust Co. shall be sold as one parcel. John F. A. Mer- rill and Albert S. Woodman of Port- land were appointed special masters to conduct the sale. A draft decree sub- mitted to Judge Putnam today gives stockholders of the Eastern Steamship Co. until Nov. 24 to appear. with funds sufficient to pay outstanding claims, and orders the assets of the company sold at auction within one month after the date mentioned. An upset price of $1,250,000 for the assets is fixed. Judge Putnam announced that formal entry of the decree would be made at Boston. The crew of the schooner Jennie Thomas, of Savannah, Ga., were taken off that vessel by the steamer Afghan- istan, bound to New York from Ara- bian ports, the Thomas having been blown 400 miles out of her course, she was in danger of going to pieces.