The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

20 MARINE REVIEW. [January 381, MARINE REVIEW Devoted to the Merchant Marine, the Navy, Ship Building, and Kindred Interests. Published every Thursday at No. 418-19 Perry-Payne building, Cleveland, Ohio, by THE MARINE REVIEW PUBLISHING Co. SuBscriPTION—$3.00 per year in advance; foreign, including postage, $4.50, or 19 shillings. - Single copies 10 cents each. Convenient binders sent, post paid, $1.00. Advertising rates on application. Entered at Cleveland Post Office as Second-class Mail Matter. To All Old Sailing Masters on the Great Lakes. | The Marine Review is desirous of obtaining the experiences of old sailing masters on the lakes and the histories of the old vessels which they sailed, together with photographs or pictures of them and their craft. These old sailing masters and their vessels are a part of the history of the great lakes which is fast becoming obliterated by the revolution in lake transporta- | tion. This history is of a perishable nature because it exists» largely in the memories of men who have spent the greater part of their lives on the Jakes. If it is not preserved now it never will be preserved. The Marine Review therefore begs old captains and mates and vessel owners to write a brief ac- count of their lives, their experiences on the lakes and the histories of the vessels upon which they sailed. The Review will both publish and pay for the matter. Never mind spelling, punctu- ation and diction; the Review will furnish those; just relate the facts. The Review hopes that every old sailing master will take this as an appeal to him personally and jot down during his winter evenings a rough sketch of his life. For instance, but little is known about Lake Superior navigation prior to the opening of the Sault Ste. Marie canal. Who knows about it? Has anyone any pictures of the vessels afloat on Lake Superior at that time. . If so, send them to the Review to be photographed and they will be promptly returned in good condition. By the same token, does anyone know of the first steamboat line that ran between Detroit and the Sault? While one week ago it was impossible to see a clear passageway through the parliamentary and legislative tangle for the shipping bill, the labyrinth today presents a somewhat easier path. Evidently Senators Frye and Hanna stood upon a slight elevation and were enabled to seea greater distance than their neighbors. They seem, indeed, to have cause for the faith that was in them, for as things look now, the bill is almost sure to pass the senate, and it is extremely likely that it will pass the house. There are votes enough to pass it in both places. The determined opposition of the minority has not developed; neither have the filibuster- ing tactics of the Populists been resorted to. A great many members who were indifferent to the bill have been brought into line. These indiffer- ent senators were those who could see no good in the bill to the states which they represented and who held that money was being taken out of the treasury to benefit a few coast cities. It has been demonstrated to the. senators of the interior states that the farmers will reap a great benefit through the decreased freight rates on agricultural products. Indeed, a monograph upon this subject has been prepared by the secretary o! agriculture and scattered broadcast throughout the west.. Senator Hanna has leaped into the periodicals and magazines, both at home and abroad, and has achieved a reputation as a literary prodigy second only to his fame as a political captain. The English journals cheerfully accord to him first place as an exponent of the bill, praise him for-the lucidity of his argu- ments and thank him for not repeating the “historic lie that England sub- sidizes her ships.” The result has been that all the indifferent senatots have been won over and will vote to keep the bill before the senate and to vote for it when it is presented for passage. The sponsors of the bill have been equally successful with another class of senators—those who were unwilling to accept the commerce committee’s draft of the bill and who had bills of their own. Their pacification has come about through the acceptance, on the part of the managers of the bill, of a series of amend- ments drafted by Senator McMillan of ‘Michigan, which are said to repre sent not only his personal views but those of Senators Allison, Aldrich, Burrows, Spooner, Nelson and others. Senator Frye has given out the following statement as to the concessions made to the McMillan fol- lowing: “No extra compensation to be allowed vessels of over 18 knots, thus cutting off about $50,000 from each of the fast going mail ships as provided under the original terms of the bill. “No compensation to be allowed oil tank vessels. “The length of time for which contracts can be made is reduced from twenty to fifteen years. “The number of foreign vessels to be admitted to American registry, provided a like tonnage is built in the United States, is limited to four vessels to each firm for each class—that is, four vessels already built and four vessels for which contracts have been made and not completed. The effect of this will be to reduce the amount of foreign tonnage that may be admitted to American registry under the terms of the bill from about 350,000 to 200,000. “A modification of clause F of the bill makes it necessary for any ship owner or builder to actually begin the work of construction before a con- tract will be entered into.” In addition to these modifications it had been proposed that the com- pensation be paid in the form of postal subsidies, but Senator Frye held that this was not entirely practical as a postmaster-general who might be opposed to the principle of a subsidy could hold up payment. The senate committee on commerce did not want to accept the tank vessel amend- ment, but as the house committee has already adopted such an amendment it was adopted for sake of harmony in conference. The amendment re- ducing the time limit to fifteen years was accepted without opposition, Indeed such an amendment has been expected all along. The reduction in the amount of tonnage that may be admitted to American registry is a concession to the American ship builder. ‘A careful canvass has been made of the opposition and it develops ‘that it is not formidable. Senator Jones, the Democratic leader, says that he will speak against the bill, but will not endeavor to prevent a vote upon it. Nor does he think that the Democrats will filibuster. Therefore, its course in the senate is comparatively clear, and as the Republicans have the votes, there is no reason why the bill should not pass. One of the most invaluable books to iron manufacturers and iron ore interests is the “History of the Manufacture of Iron in All Ages,” by James M. Swank, general manager of the American Iron & Steel Asso- ciation, Philadelphia. It traces the history of iron from its earliest use down to the present time. Iron was first made in Asia and Northern Africa. Mr. Swank pursues its history through various countries and various processes with the utmost research. The work has been done with great fidelity and must have entailed a prodigious amount of labor. When the United States is reached the history is related by states, and much of historical reference can be found that is to be obtained in no other publi- cation. This is particularly true in its relation to the Lake Superior mining region. The work deserves a place in the library of every iron ore concern along the lakes. The Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge Co., Mr. Albert H. Scherzer, presi- dent, has just issued a book descriptive of the Scherzer rolling lift bridge. It is bound in blue cloth, appropriately illuminated with a profile of a Scherzer bridge in gilt. In the dedication Mr. Scherzer acknowledges his indebtedness to his brother, William, who died in 1893. The book begins with the mediaeval pivot or trunnion bascule bridge and follows the de- velopment of the type to the Scherzer. It is particularly voluminous in its reference to the development of the type along the Chicago river. The book is superbly illustrated and is for sale at $10 per copy. REAR ADMIRAL KAUTZ RETIRED. Rear Admiral Albert Kautz, who has just been relieved from com- mand of the Pacific station, was placed on the retired list this week, on account of age. Admiral Kautz has had a long and distinguished career, of which nearly eighteen years were spent at sea. Born in Brown county, Ohio, he entered the naval academy in 1854, and his first sea service was on the frigate Colorado attached to the home squadron. In June, 1861, he was captured near Cape Hatteras by the privateer Winslow and incarcer- ated at Richmond, On his release in 1862 he was assigned to the Hart- ford, and served in the engagements at forts Jackson and St. Philip, the ‘Chalmette batteries and at the capture of New Orleans and Vicksburg. Later during the war of the rebellion he served on the Juniatta of the ‘West Indian squadron and on the sloop ‘Cyane. Subsequently he was attached to the Winooski of the home squadron, on the flagship Pensa- ‘cola of the Pacific squadron, on the receiving ship New Hampshire, on the Monocacy on the Asiatic station and on the Michigan on the lakes. In 1884 he was assigned to duty in the bureau of equipment in the navy department and remained there for three years. He then went to the ,Boston navy yard as equipment officer, After traveling in Europe for three years he. was ordered to the Portsmouth navy yard, and subse- quently was made commandant of the Boston navy yard. During the Samoan troubles, about two years ago, Admiral Kautz was in command ot the American forces in that quarter, and it was mainly through his firm- ness and conservatism that serious ‘international complications were averted. He reached the grade of admiral in October, 1899, and at the time of his retirement was the third ranking officer in the navy, being subordinate only to Admiral Dewey and Rear Admiral Howell. The following promotions will result from his retirement: Capt. M. L. Johnson, at the Boston navy yard, to be rear admiral; Com. Franklin Hanford, at Cavite, P. I., to be captain; Lieut. Com. Theodoric Porter, at the Port Royal naval station, to be commander; Lieut: James H. Grennon, attached to the Vicksburg, to be lieutenant commander; Lieut. (junior grade) E, S. Kellogg, at the Washington navy yard, to be lieuten- ant; Ensign Thomas D. Parker, attached to the Princeton, to be lieuten- ant, junior grade.