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10 the association consulted with the officers of the Ligot- house Board at Washington with reference to the estab- lishment of a numberof new aids to navigation on the Great Lakes. ‘They took with them to Washington a short list of proposed new lights and signals, prepared undér the direction of the Committee on Aids to Naviga- tion, aod went over each item very carefully with the officers of the Light-house Board. hoping thereby to se- cure the support of the board and to have the proposed new lights included in tae list recommended by the Lighthouse Board for construction, and included in the annual estimates of the Secretary of the Treasury. The proposed new lights were as follows: A light and fog signal on Middle Island, Lake Huron; a light and fog signal at Crisp’s Point, west of White Fish Point, Lake Superior; a light and fog signal on St. Martin’s Reef, Lake Huron; a light and fug signal on Rock of Ages, Isle Royale, Lake Superior. In addition to these new lights we asked that the fog signal at-M irquette be located ona crib just inside the end of the pier at that point, instead of on the shore, at a considerable distance from the pier, where it is now placed. We also asked for the placing of the gas buoys as follows: : 1. On Graham Shoal, Straits of Mackinaw: 2. On the easterly side of the channel near Grosse Pint, half way between light ship and tripod; 3. On southerly point of Fish Island; 4. Atthre- points inthe St. Mary’s River above the canal, as shown on a chart presented to the board; 5. On the shoal at the southeast point of North Manitou Island, until completion of lighthouse at that point. When the annual estimates of the Treasury Depart- ment were submitted to Congress we were greatly d'sap- pointed to find that none of tnes+ new lights, wh ch were most urgently needed, were included in the estimates for appropriation at the present session of Congress In spite of this discouraging failure to secure the hearty supportof the Lighthouse Board in an attempt to in- crease the efficiency of the light-house service on the - lakes, the association hopes to obtain appropriations for a number of-these aids to navigation. A bill autnoriz- ing them and appropriating the necessary money will be introduced in Congress within a few days, aud the Lighthouse Board will beecalled upon for a report as to the necessity of each of these lights. As the board is on record in past years as favoring some of these lights it is believed that they will certify to the necessity of some, if not all of them, and a determined effort will then be made to secure appropriation in the Senate for as many as possible. At the last session of Congress, largely by the efforts of Senator McMillan, the appro- priation made by the House for general bouyage was in- creased in the Senate, and the wording of the act changed so as to permit the purchase of gas buoys out of the dmount so appropriated. The association was in- formed by the Lighthouse Board that a certain number of these gas buoys would be put in service in the Great Lakes During the year one of these gas buoys was put . in operation in the harbor at Erie, Pa., where it has given the greatest satisfaction. The board also an- nounced its determination to locate buoys at Lansing Shoal, northof Squaw Island, Lake Michigan, and at Poverty Passage, Green Bay, but it is understood that the buoys for these points, which are manufactured in Germany. were not completed in time to make it worth while to place them during the past season. ‘They will, however, be placed at the opening of navigation, 1896. It is‘hoped also that the Lighthouse Board will see its way clear to place some additional gas buoys out of this year’s appropriation for buoyage at some of the other points recommended by the association. EARLY REMOVAL OF LIGHTS AND BUOYS. The high rates of freight that prevailed during the latter part of the season of 1895 kept the entire lake fleet in commission until navigation was closed by ice. Nevertheless, although practically every large vessel onthe lakes was in commission, some of the most im- portant lights were extinguished, and the work of re- moving buoys went on as in former years. Thisisa very difficult matter to deal with, and probably it will always be necessary that the work of removing the buoys should be at least commenced before the actual close of navigation. Nevertheless there were instances during the season just closed which show how unsatis- factory are the present methods of the lighthouse afithorities in dealing with this matter. There does not seem to be any good reason why an important light like that on Stannard’s Rock, Lake Superior, a light which cost the government nearly $400,000, should be extinguished fully two weeks before the close of naviga- tion, and at atime when the lake fleet is most actively engaged. While perhaps it is impossible for the Light- house Board to fix beforehand adate at which important lights should be extinguished and lightships removed, it would appear that at present too much is left to the dis- cretion of the light keepers, whose timidity or desire to finish their season’s work doubtless leads to the extin- guishment of very important lights before there is any necessity therefor. In the matter of the removal of buoys a typical instance may be given showing how the present system works. On November 25, 1895, the secretary of the association received a tele- gram from the general manager of the Ogdensburg Transit Company stating that notice had been given that the St. Lawrence River buoys would be removed immediately. Asa number of boats of the Ogdensurgb line were yet to go down the river, and as the weather TN TERE Th ge te ee Cee Re O ToD SEDO THE MARINE RECORD. was mild, navigation in full swing, and there was no apparent necessity for the immediate removal of the buoys, which the boats in question greatly needed in order to run the river safely, the Transit Company asked that an effort be made to have the removal of the buoys postponed. Telegrams stating the facts were accordingly sent to the Lighthouse Board and to the Inspector of the lighthouse district in which the buoys in question were located. After a day or two’s delay the Lighthouse Board replied that they could not inter- fere with the discretion of the local officers in such mat- ters. The inspector replied promptiy, furnishing the association a copy of a telegram immediately sent. by him to the buoy contractor for the St. Lawrence River, who resides at Cape Viucent, N. Y.. In‘his dispatch to this contractor the inspector, Capt. Gridley, stated the facts with regard to the boats of the Transit Company still in commission, and directed the buoy contractor to leave the buoys until the last possible moment. It was believed that this prompt action of the inspector would secure the desired result, and the Transit Company was notified immediately of the inspector’s aetion. The buoy contractor, however, proceeded to remove the buoys immediately, although navigation did not close for at least ten days thereafter. As these aids to navi- gation are furnished by the government for the protec- tion of vessels, which never need them more than dur- ing the last days of navigation, it is believed that ves- sel owners have just ground to criticise the present sys- tem respecting their early removal, and to ask the Lighthouse Board to devise some better method of deal- ing with the matter, a method which shall leave less to the discretion of the lightkeepers and contractors whose interest is to yet through with their work, and which shall have more regard to the protection of the life and property, for the safety of which the buoys exist. DEATH OF GENERAL, POE. During the past year the members of the association have experienced an inestimable loss in the death of the distinguished engineer officer whose name will be forever connected with the improvements of the lake channels and the development of inland transportation in the United States. The death of General Poe was felt as a profound sorrow by every vessel owner. He was regarded as a tower of strength in all matters that pertained to the protection of the lake waterways and to the progressive development and improvement in the interest of a still greater transportation service. In addition to this, General Poe had become a universal _umpire in all matters of dispute in which the interest of vessel owners came into conflict with other interests. His accurate knowledge and his absolute fairness and probity were so universally recognized that he was not only in all cases the chairman ofthe board selected to pass upon such disputed questions, but the conclusions which were reached by him were recognized in nearly every case, even by the defeated party, asa fair and just disposition of the matter at issue. However able and accomplished the successor of General Poe may be, it must be a long time before he will be able to acquire so profound a knowledge of all the details of the lake transportation, and it will be particularly difficult for him to acquire that comprehensive view of all the ele- meuts which go to make up the greatness of the carry- ing business done on the Great Lakes which was so characteristic of his lamented predecessor and which gave him so genuine an enthusiasm for all the great projects which he originated and to which he gave so many of the best years of his life General Poe’s influ- ence with vessel owners, great as it was. was no greater than his influence with his superior officers and with Congress; and his splendid presence and fine personal- ity gave all that he said a weight which can hardly be overestimated. Iu his death the vessel owners have lost their most powerful advocate, as well asa friend for whom they had the greatest respect and affection. THE CHICAGO DRAINAGE CANAIL—LAKE LEVELS. During the past year the Secretary of War avpointed a commission of engineers, of which the late General Poe was chairman, to examine into and report upon the probable effect of the operation of the Chicago Drainage Canal- upon the water levels of the Great Lakes. This board made a report preliminary in its nature in which they expressed the opinion that the operation of the canal would have a considerable effect in lowering the levels of the lakes below Lake Superior, stating, however, that further examinations, and sur- veys would have to be made before the amount of such. lowering cou'd be definitely ascertained. The board concluded its report by recommending that such further observation be ordered. The extraordinary low stage of water prevailing dur- ing the present season, and a belief that a still further lowering of the water levels will be caused by the opera- tions of the Chicago Canal, have attracted a great deal of attention from all parties connected with lake navi- gation during the past summer. The large amount of discussion in the public press upon this subject is the best evidence of the widespread interest which is felt in it. Latterly the discussion in the public press has turned upon the possibility of restoring the water levels on the lakes to their normal stage, or even to a higher stage, and of maintaining these levels hereafter uniformly at a fixed point by means of the construction of a system of dams at various points on the chain of lakes. The very great advantages of such a system of controling the lake levels, if the same is found practicable, are easily apparent. Whileit isa disputed question as to Se ee whether there are permanent climatic changes or per manent changes in the channels connecting the Grez Lakés’ which are now operating to lower lake levels, there are some very good reasons for believing that no permanent lowering of the Great Lakes has taken place by reason of either of the causes above “named. While the water is now extraordinarily low, it was € traordinarily high so late as 1886. In fact at no time since 1859 has the water on Lake Michigan and Lak Huron been so high as it was in 1886. However this may be, it is an unquestioned fact that the operation « the Chicago Drainage Canal will have more or less effect in permanently lowering the lake levels, and it i also a well-known fact that between the high water of 1886 and the low water now prevailing there is a differ-_ ence of at least three feet. The adoption of a system — of control at the outlets of the various lakes which would prevent wide fluctuations between different sea sons and maintain the lake levels at the point which they have heretofore reached during seasons of high” water, would be of inestimable benefit. The great ad vantage, too, of a construction.which would operate not only to deepen the connecting channels between the lakes, but at the same time to deepen all the harbors correspondingly, are also obvious. While the United States engineers have not in the past been especially favorable to the proposed method of control by dams, — there are indications that a change of opinion is going on in this respect and that a number of government engineers now stationed on the Great Lakes are look ing very hopefully towards a solution of the problem of deep water by the use of this method. Resolutions. have been introduced in both houses of .Congress call- ing for the necessary observations, surveys and esti- mates, and it is believed that the association may well give its hearty support to a project which, if found practicable, will do so much for the development.of our waterways. a DETROIT RIVER BRIDGE. A bill has been introduced in both branches of Con-. gress to authorize the construction of a bridge across the Detroit river within the limits of the city of Detroit. The bridge proposed is to consist of three spans, with two piersin the river, each about 600 feet from the shore, with a span 1,100 feet clear between these piers. The bridge is to be 140 feet above the water. It is be- lieved that a determined effort will be made by the ad- vocates of this bridge to secure its authorization by Congress. At the time when the matter of bridging the Detroit river was last actively pushed, an attempt was made to secure the authorization of a sé%ealled winter bridge. At that time the matter was referred to a board of engineers, of which Gen. Poe was chairman, anda report was made by that board against the winter bridge. The board, however, went on in its report to say that a certain type of bridge might be constructed which would not in its opinion be a serious obstruction. It is understood that the pending bill is drawn to meet — this portion of the engineers’ report, and the promoters of the bridge undoubtedly hope to secure the endorse- ment of the War Department onthe ground that the bridge they propose meets the requirements of the board of engineers, which last reported on the subject. Since then, however, the tunnel at Port Huron has been. successfully constructed, and it is believed also that there has been progress in the art of bridge building ~ which makes the old report of the engineers inapplica- ble to the present day. In addition to this the com-— merce of the Detroit river has greatly increased, so that now the traffic through the river is much greater than through any waterway in the world. It is interesting also to know that two years ago application was made to Congress for the construction of a bridge across the. Hudson river from a point in the upper part of New York city toa corresponding point on the New Jersey shore, and that after a very sharp contest in Congress. a bill authorizing a bridge with a clear span much greater than that proposed for Detroit was vetoed by the President,and when a subsequent bill providing for a bridge at this point was passed which left it to the WarDepartment to determine the character of the bridge which should be built, the department reported, after thorough examination, against the placing of any piers in the river and in favor of requiring a suspension. bridge at the point in question which should do away entirely with any abutments beyond the pier lines. As. the commerce at this point in the Hudson river is small. compared with that which exists in the Detroit river,. and can never, so far as can now be foreseen, reach any such dimensions as that already attained at Detroit,it is. not believed that Congress and the War Department will. now authorize the placing of artificial obstructions in the channel at Detroit, especially since the successful completion of the tunnel between Port Huron and Sarnia. Unquestionably, however, the vessel interests. will have to make a very vigorous opposition to the pro- posed bridge, and it is very desirable that at the annual meeting of the association the matter should be dis-- ne. and the course of action to be pursued deter- mined. PROPOSED PATROL, FOR ST. MARY’S RIVER. It has been suggested that inasmuch as navigationin the artificial channels in the St. Mary’s river is now car- + ried on under regulations prescribed by the government engineers in charge of the improvements there, it would be a desirable thing to have the jurisdiction of these engineer officers extended to cover all that portion of the St. Mary’s tiver in which navigation is difficult, and.