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STURT E Rp Se ee eR Io Eee Nee PS Da ee eee ITEMS OF GENERAL INTEREST. The Institute of Naval Architects will meet at 5 Adelphi Terrace, Lon- don, on Wednesday, March 31. The welcome home of the Atlantic fleet will take place on the morning of Feb. 22 at Hampton Roads: the fleet left Hampton Roads for its cruise -+around the world on Dec. 16, 1907. John J. Townsend and Henry M. Atkinson have been appointed ancil- lary receivers for the Brancwiee Steamship on tthe petition of the At- lanta, Birmingham & Coast Railway Co., which thas a claim against the company for $118,124.57. The steel barge Blaskwood has been delivered by the builders to the Lehigh, Valley - Railroad Co: "Tiis is the third barge of this type already delivered on an order for several to be used in the coal trade between Perth Amboy and New York and other coast points. The third international conference on maritime law will be held at Brus- sels, Belgium, during the autumn of the present year. The secretary of state has petitioned congress for an appropriation of $5,000 to defray the expenses of the United States dele- gates to this conference. At a recent conference of the agents of various steamship lines engaged in Mediterranean trade with New York it was decided to keep freight rates at the present scale but the passage money for third class was raised $3. After March 1 it will therefore 'be $28, $30 and $33, according to the class of vessel chosen. An amendment to the naval bill has been offiered by Senator Newlands pro- -- viding an appropriation of $12,000,000 for the construction of auxiliary ships such as transports, dispatch boats, cruisers and scouts that may be necessary in time of war. The amendment provides that in time of peace these vessels shall be leased for commercial purposes. Meetings in the interest of the American merchant marine were also held at Indianapolis on Feb. 5, and at Cincinnati on Feb. 6. Both meet- ings were addressed by Congressman Humphreys, of Washington, and Con- gressman McCleary, of Minnesota, and at both meetings stirring reso- lutions in behalf of the upbuilding of the merchant marire were adopt- ed, Ward & Sons, Seattle, Wash., are to build a schooner for the United States Trading Co. for use in the coasting trade in Alaska. The vessel is specially designed for work in the north. She will be 52 ft. long, 13 ft, 6 in. beam TAE MarRINE. REVIEW PHOTOGRAPH OF BATTLESHIP NORTH DAKOTA, TAKEN AT FORE RIVER YARD .ON FEB. 1 ' SHOWING HER 70.6 PER CENT COMPLETED. a sail area of 1,500 sq, ft ané 'will be powered also with a 25 H. P. Union gas engine. A unique feature of this vessel will be the installation of a "crow's nest,' to be fitted to the main mast, and from which the vessel can be steered. This is for the purpose of permitting the navigation of the vessel in ice fields, as the leads in the ice can be observed more readily. The James Rees & Sons Co., Pitts- burg, Pa., thas just shipped in sec- tions to Egypt for work on the Nile river a steel steamer 140 ft. Jong. 26 ft. beam and 41% ft. deep, equipped with a compound engine and three boilers. The steamer is of the stern- wheel type. It required 10 freight cars to transport the vessel to the seaboard. The steamboat John H. Starin, owned by the Starin Transportation Co., of New York, sprung a leak in Long Island Sound while bound from New Haven to New York, Feb. 19, and sank outside the breakwater at PHOTOGRAPH OF BATTLESHIP NORTH DAKOTA, TAKEN: AT FORE RIVER YARD ON FEB. 1, and 4 ft. 6 in. draught. She will have ,j SHOWING HER 70.6 PER CENT COMPLETED,