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1900] MARINE REVIEW. anthem” Yet, under the conditions as they exist, such a blockade is not only a possibility, but almost a likely occurrence, and the increase in the size and niimber of vessels is every year adding to the danger. The whole history of improvement in the St. Mary’s river, including the building of the new lock at the Sault, teaches the lesson that work begun by the government at the first warning is not completed any too soon. But tor the building of the Canadian lock, the old government lock at the Sault would have been unable to take care of the business until the new lock was opened. Unless the new channels in the Sault river are begun at once, the existing channels will be overtaxed before the new improvements can be completed. The river and harbor act of March 3, 1899, provided for a thorough investigation of the further improvement needed in the St. Mary’s river. The secretary of war was authorized to “cause to be made and reported as early as practicable a survey of the connecting waters between Lakes Superior and Huron, including Hay Lake channel, with a plan and estimate of such improvement, as will secure a safe and convenient channel 21 feet deep, between said lakes, the expense of which shall be paid from the appropriation for improving Hay Lake channel. Under this provision it is understood that the engineers in charge of ‘the St. Mary’s river are prepared to make their recommendation to congress for further improvements of the channels, and it is also understood that such improvement will take the form of deepening the channel through the West Neebish, thus doing away with the difficulties at the Encamp- ment and providing two channels through the most difficult part of the river, one of which can be used for ascending and the other for descending vessels. It is highly important that the assent of congress to this project should be obtained at the earliest possible moment, and it is therefore deeply disappointing to the executive committee of the association to ascertain that there is a strong probability that no River and Harbor Bill will be passed by congress this session. One of the most important questions to come before the annual meeting will be the consideration of the best method to ,hasten this improvement, which is by far the most important now under consideration for the lakes. WATER ROUTES FROM THE LAKES TO THE SEABOARD. The continued growth of the lake traffic and the growing importance of the export business of the United States, not only in grain but in other products, such as iron and steel produced in the lake regions, has drawn public attention during the past year repeatedly to the various projects now pending for an improved waterway from the great lakes to the sea. The preliminary report of the United States Deep Waterways Commis- sion, with its project for a dam at or near the head of the Niagara river, has already been referred to. In addition to the making of that report, the past year has seen the completion of the St. Lawrence canals and the opening of a 14-foot waterway from Lake Erie to the sea by way.of the St. Lawrence river. This has been promptly followed by plans for the development of an extensive grain trade through the St. Lawrence river, and a syndicate, largely composed of men familiar with lake navigation, has been formed to build large terminals at ae and possibly at Port Colborne, with a view to the development of this branch of the business. Meantime two commissions have been at work in the state of New York examining the problem with a view to the best interests of that state. One of these commissions was appointed by the governor to investigate the causes of the diversion of trade from the port of New York. The second commission was appointed by Gov, ernor Roosevelt to report to him as*to whether the Erie canal should be abandoned or improved, and if improved, what should be the nature of the improvement. The plans for diverting the grain business to Montreal naturally aroused public interest in the state and city of New York in the work of both of these commissions. It is clearly apparent that the state is now more interested in the development of a connecting link between the lakes and the sea than at any time in its history. The report of the canal advisory commission is now in the hands of Gov- ernor Roosevelt, and will be made public within a few days. The gov- ernor has announced his intention of sending a special message on the subject to the legislature of the state. The commercial organizations throughout the state are taking an active interest in the matter and urging upon the state authorities a comprehensive plan of canal improve- ment, such as will preserve to the state of New York the commercial supremacy which the Erie canal gave to the state in its early days. It is understood that the advisory canal commission will report against the abandonment of the Erie canal and in favor of improvement. It is also understood that the improvement which they will recommend is far more radical in its nature than any that has been under contemplation by the state in recent years. Briefly, the improvement recommended is believed to provide for a canal with 10 feet draught of water, with locks 20 feet wide, and capable of taking in boats 150 feet in length, with all the single locks lengthened so as to permit two boats ‘of 150 feet length to be locked through at once, and with such enlargement in the prism of the canal as will reasonably accommodate boats of this size. A canal boat 25 feet wide and 150 feet long, drawing 10 feet of water, would carry in the neighborhood of a thousand tons, and a tow of such vessels, consisting of steamer and consorts, would carry 4,000 tons. Such canal boats are’ cheap to build and cheap to operate, and this fact, together with the advantage of the New York terminals will, it is believed by the com- mission, enable the state of New York to hold the commerce of the lakes against any competition by railroad or Canadian water route that may arise. MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS. uring the past year the bill passed by congress permitting vessel ae ia le poads i advance with the marshals of the United States courts which will secure the immediate release of vessels libeled in ad- miralty, has gone into effect, and rules and regulations to carry out the law have been adopted in the various lake districts. A number of the principal fleets in the association have filed the necessary bonds in the offices of the different districts in which their business is carried on, and are now relieved from fear of detention under the old system by which libels for small and unjust claims were served just as vessels were leaving port. This result is one which the association has had in mind to bring about for several years past, and its final accomplishment is a matter for congtatulation among the members. A committee of the Lake Carriers’ Association appeared at Wash- ington before the international commission last spring, made oral argu- ment and filed a written brief in favor of including the abolition of Wel- land canal tolls among the subjects to be taken up and settled at the international conference. As we all know the conference was unable to reach an agreement on the subject of the Alaskan boundary, and ad- journed>without making report on any of the subjects which it was called to consider. Since then a temporary agreement on the Alaskan boundary has been arrived at through diplomatic channels, and it is expected that the international conference will again be called together to consider the other questions which were before it. In that event the canal-toll question will unquestionably receive consideration. The committee on aids to navigation finds the most pressing need in the way of aids to navigation on the great lakes at the present time to be an additional supply of gas buoys for the St. Mary’s river, espe- cially for lighting the cuts at the Encampment and at the head of Little Mud lake, where the association is now maintaining private lights in Canada. The principal difficulty in securing additional gas buoys has been the lack of light-house tender facilities on the lakes, and the com- mittee has therefore taken up that matter with Senators Hanna and Mc- . Millan in the hope that provision may be made at this session of con- gress for an additional tender or supply vessel, and that in connection therewith a vessel may be temporarily chartered by the light-house authorities so that the additional gas buoys may be provided and prop- erly cared for before the completion of the new tender. The matter is receiving careful consideration, and the committee on aids to navigation expects, with the assistance of the senators above named, to be success- ful in its efforts. Early in the fall the executive committee of the association held a meeting in Cleveland and adopted a reso:ution requesting the ligh!-house board to leave the aids to navigation in service as long as possible. The exceptional weather conditions that prevailed at the close of the season and the high freights combined to keep boats in commission longer than usual. Most of the necessary lights, however, were kept in operation until the fleet was generally in winter quarters. There were some excep- tions to this, however, and some lights were removed when a large num- ber of vessels were still coming down the lakes and when the weather - conditions did not appear to necessitate haste in their removal. The question of putting lights out of commission in the fall of the year has long been a troublesome one to deal with, both from the government point of view and the point of view of the vessel owners. All that can be reported in this regard is a gradual improvement, and the general disposition on the part of the officers in charge to do the best in their power to meet the requirements of the vessels. In an editorial in one of the marine publications June 22nd, 1899, the formation of a Great Lakes Shipwreck and Humane Society was urged for the purpose of recognizing and encouraging acts. of personal heroism in efforts to save life or property on the lakes. The president of the association has taken a live interest in this question, and he sug~ gests that the following action be taken by ,the association That local committees at the different lake ports be organized inside the association, whose duty it will be to take notice of and investigate cases of personal heroism occurring in their districts, such sub-com- mittees to report such cases to the secretary of the association, and he in turn to submit them to the committee on legislation for decision as to whether or not application shall be made by the association to the United States life saving service department for the issue of gold or silver medals or bars, such as are granted by the United States govern- ment for acts of personal heroism in saving life. The president also suggests that the committee on legislation should prepare a form of engraved certificate, to be signed and sealed by the officers of the association and given ‘together with ‘the United States medal, presentation to be made in some suitable public way, preferably under the auspices of the sub-committee of the association originating the investigation and reporting the case. It is believed that such public re- cognition of cases of exceptional merit will encourage to save life and property subject to the hazards of navigation, with benefit to the entire service on the great lakes. In conclusion the board of managers congratulates the members of the association upon the prosperous condition of the association’s affairs, and the generally satisfactory conditions prevailing in the lake carrying business. It is particularly gratifying to note that the prosperity that has at- tended the lake trade during the past season, and which promises to continue during the coming season, has been widely distributed, so that the smaller as well as the larger vessels have alike enjoyed it. Respectively submitted, BOARD OF MANAGERS. Frank J. Firth, Pres, Chas H. Keep, Sec’y. FINANCES OF THE ASSOCIATION. A Summary of the Annual Report of George P. McKay, Treas- urer, for the Year ending Dec. 30, 1899. . The report of Capt. Geni P. McKay, treasurer, shows receipts ag- gregating $25,074.00; expenditures, $25,065.94; balance, $8.06. Unpaid liabilities are balances of 1899 salaries ‘due officers as follows; H. D. Goulder, counsel, $150; C. H. Keep, secretary, $150; Geo. P. McKay, treasurer, $100, ‘A summary of the treasurer’s report which goes into exhaustive detail. is as follows: RECEIPTS OF LAKE CARRIBRS’ ASSOCIATION, 1899. Balance on hand from 1898, $36.87; tonnage dues for 1898, $592.43; tonnage dues for 1899, $20,990. 49; extra 3 cents per thousand bushels of grain shoveled at Erie, $78.08; extra 3 cents on grain shoveled at Buffalo, $3,371.13; refunded by C. H. Keep for overpayment of checks, $5. Total receipts, 25, 074.00.