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August, 1909 THE Marine REVIEW Fic. 10.--AssemsBiy oF Frire-ControL INSTRUMENTS. With push-buttons made of water-tight pattern where exposed to the weather or rough usage, with innocuous ones in the better part of the ship and with well-designed annunciators, the call- bell system not only possesses an en- viable and convenient position, but also is as indispensable to the comfort of the passengers and _ officers as_ the pleasant quarters or the agreeable cuisine. The distinction between the mechan- ical instruments used on naval vessels and those employed on merchant ships has been punctuated. There are three systems of such communication that are not ordinarily fitted on the latter type of ships, but which are never omitted from battleships, namely, fire- room telegraphs, blower telegraphs, and turret-hoist telegraphs. The principles of their operation and methods of in- stallation remain the same. Turret- hoist signals were only lately changed from electrical to mechanical, due to the sluggishness of the carbon filament incandescent lamps as compared to the increase in speed of the hoist, the lat- ter lifting the charge from the handling room to the gun breech in five seconds. The signals are very simple, to wit: "Hoist," "Lower." The fire-room tele- graphs control the management of the fire-rooms (or boiler-rooms). For the accomplishment of this purpose their dials are accordingly designed. They 291 read as follows: "More feed," "All tight," "Less. feed. "stop 1 fring," SPriming," "Stop, "Slow, hull speed," "Start auxiliary feed,' "More steam." In battleships, where the de- sign of the compartments has required that the forced-draft blowers be lo- cated at some remote place as regards the fire-room floor, the use of 'tele- graphs was occasioned for the purpose of producing more or less draft as the conditions might demand. The regular fire-room telegraph has been requisi- tioned for this object with naturally its dial readings changed to those which would follow from the applica- tion. The signals indicate to the opera- tors at the blowers to increase or de- crease the speed of the motors. Elec- tric motors are now the prime movers for these auxiliaries instead of steam engines. Mechanical gongs and jingle bells for the operation of the anchor windlass engine, ash hoists, and on the transfer platforms of the turrets com- plete the signals that are not either electrical or electro-mechanical, if the latter classification include the voice- tube system. (To be continued.) -- TWO LAKE LAUNCHINGS. The steamer G. A. Tomlinson, building for Capt. J. J. H. Brown, of Buffalo, was launched from the Lorain yard of the American Ship Building Co. on |July 10 and was christened by Mrs. G. A. Tomlinson in honor of her hus- band. Immediately after the latching the - launching party adjourned to the Clifton Club where luncheon was served and where speeches were made by Thomas F. Cote, formerly pres- ident of the Oliver Iron Mining 'Co., President Will'am Livingstone, of the' Lake Carriers' As- sociation. Capt. J. J. H. Brown. of Buffalo, Robert Wallace and Russell C. We'more. The new steamer is 524 ft. over all, 504 ft. keel, 54 ft. beam and 30 ft. deep. The steamer J. S. Ashlev was also' launched from the Lorain yard on July 3 and was dis- tincuished by the fact that the affair was ex- clusively stag, the vessel being christened by Mr. "Ashley personally. Mr. Ashley is the seventh person associated with the firm of M. A. Hanna & Co. to have a vessel named after him. The Ashley a"so is in the 524 ft. class. Those who attended the launching voted the s'ag arrangement to have been most successful. CONTRACTS FOR LAKE VES- SELS. The American Shin Building Co. has booked an order for a bulk freighter to be 524 ft. long, for 1910 delivery. The name of the contracting parties is withheld. The American Ship Building Co. has also received an order from the Anchor line for a duplicate of the Tuniata to come ont next year. She will be 360 ft. over all, 340 ft. keel, 45 ft. beam, and will have quadrnle-expans'on engines and Scotch boilers. Other contracts are pendin and additional announcements may be expected at any time. Another remarkable unloading feat was fre- cently accomplished at the Conneaut ore docks. when on Saturday. June 10, two cargoes oO 19,999 tons were taken out in 11 hours. Work was started on the Pittsburg Steamship 'Co.'s steamer William E. Corey at 7:15 p. m. She had 9.935 tons of ore in her hold, which was unloaded in 4 hours and 15 minntes. The Corev was followed at the dock bv the steamer Frank C. Ball and her cargo of 10,064 tons was taken out in 5 hours and 45 minutes. The Rall left the dock at 6:15 Sunday morn- ing. The work was done by four Huletts and four Brown electric machines.