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44 at Bar Point light was operated whenever requested for calibration purposes—a-~ whistle code being ar- ranged for the purpose—and day after day vessels swung three or four miles off the light as simultaneous pelorus and radio bearings were taken to check and compensate for error. The results of the past season have fully demonstrated the radio direction finder’s value as an aid to Great Lakes navigation and particularly is this true on Lake Superior where fog and low visibility were unusually prevalent. In the complete records of over 1300 radio observations from 24 vessels may be found a story of consistent, reliable operation which, in the first year of widespread use on the Lakes, has insured for the instrument a permanent place as standard navigation equipment. Radio beacons, each emitting its characteristic signal have been oper- ated on the Great Lakes by the light- house department during this past season at Buffalo light, N. Y., Bar THE LOOP IS RUGGED TO PREVENT DAMAGE BY STORM ICE OR SHIP’S ROLL- ING. THE TRIPOD CARRIES ALL THE WEIGHT WHILE CENTER SHAFT SERVES AS ROTATING CONTROLS AND TO, CON- DUCT WIRE TO RECEIVER BELOW Point light, Lake Huron lightvessel, Detour light, Whitefish Point, Manitou island and Devil’s island. A _ radio beacon at Thunder Bay light, Lake Huron, came into operation early last December. The points under con- struction or projected for radio bea- cons include Chicago, Milwaukee, Lansing Shoal and Passage island. In commenting on the proposed in- stallations a year ago, the editor of MARINE REVIEW in a letter to the writer said: “Anything of real genuine merit MARINE REVIEW RADIO DIRECTION FINDER MOUNTED IN PILOT HOUSE—COMPENSATOR BELOW CONTROL WHEEL CORRECTS FOR ER- RORS BY SHIP’S RIGGING AND SPARS in adding to the safety of navigation is bound to be adopted. Nothing can prevent it. The main thing, how- ever, is that such apparatus when put out should be so carefully made and so thoroughly inspected, that it will continue to give satisfaction and will be easy of operation.” This idea of accuracy and atten- tion to. detail is the heart and soul of direction finder work, and it is with a distinct sense of satisfaction that the efforts and results of this season have insured not less than 125 additional Great Lakes installations of radio direction finders to be made during the coming winter, by the Radio corporation. December Lake Levels The United States Lake survey re- ports the monthly mean stages of the Great Lakes for the month of Decem- ber as follows: Feet above Lakes mean sea level SU OTTO Lira to cass ccces caus taassessptnvec tal scncatecaiceseees 601.68 Michigan-Huron 578.26 St. Clair 574.05 1 OF AC eam ep 571.45 OTEATIO . rer eeieaccasanes suncueaskcanavarsabnsguivistbocaddas 245.42 Lake Superior is 0.07-foot lower than in November and it was 1.43 feet higher than the low December stage of a year ago. Lakes Michigan- Huron are 0.04-foot higher than in November and they were 0.72-foot higher than the low December stage of a year ago. Lake Erie is 0.07- foot lower than in November and it was 1.06 feet higher than the low Decem- ber stage of a year ago. Lake On- tario is 0.18-foot higher than in No- vember and it was 0.87-foot higher than February, 1927 the December stage of a year ago, 0.23-foot above the average stage of December of the last ten years. Launch Large Motorship at Federal Shipyard The new motorship GULFPRIDE, a 17,400 deadweight, twin screw bulk oil tanker, building for the Gulf Refining Co., was launched on Jan. 20 at the yard of the Federal Ship- building & Dry Dock Co., Kearny, N. J. Mrs. J. E. Nelson, wife of the treasurer of the Gulf Refining Co., acted as sponsor. The GULFPRIDE is especially interest- ing on account of being the first ves- sel built in this country on the new Isherwood bracketless system of hull construction, and is also the largest so far constructed on this system in the world. The vessel is 544 feet long overall with a beam of 74 feet and a molded depth of 40 feet 6 inches. There are 10 main cargo and 10 summer tanks with a total capacity for over 6,000,000 gallons of oil or gasoline. The dead- weight capacity is 17,400 tons on a 28-foot draft. The propelling machinery consists of two Bethlehem four-cylinder, 2- cycle, single acting diesel engines of 2000 shaft horsepower each, which will give the vessel a speed of 11 knots. All auxiliary machinery, in- cluding the cargo oil pumps, will be electrically driven and _ special me- chanical ventilation is provided in the pump room as protection for gasoline cargo. The vessel will be completely equipped, including such modern ap- pliances as Gyro compass, radio com- pass, automatic steerer and Lux sys- tem of fire protection, and is ex- pected to be ready for sea about April 1, 1927. Captain Spilman Dies Capt. John A. Spilman, president of the Maryland Drydock Co., died at Baltimore Jan. 9 at the age of 49. He was a former naval constructor and resigned from the navy June, 1920, to become general manager of the United States bureau of survey and repair. Increased Facilities The Air Reduction Co. Inc., New York, recently acquired by long term lease the plants and business of the Commercial Acetylene Supply Co. Inc. on the Pacific coast. These two acetylene manufacturing companies. thus taken over are located respec- tively at Berkley and Los Angeles.