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

8 THE MARINE RECORD. GORRESPONDENGE. 8@-We do not hold ourselves responsible in any way for the views or opinions expressed by our correspondents. It is our desire that all sides of any question affecting the interests or welfare of the lake ma- rine should be fairly represented in THz Marine Recorp. _——— LET THE GOOD WORK GO ON. To the Editor of The Marine Record: While working for a 20-foot channel on the lakes nothing has been done to deepen the harbors. Now is the time for Buffalo to wake up and use her political pull to “‘get there’’ without one cent of cost to the city. Our citizens appear to be waking up to the sensible idea that the true way to obtain deep water is to stop the outflow by damming Niagara River. If said dam is placed in the neighborhood of Tonawanda, the entire river bank from there to Lake Erie would be lined with docks and ware houses and would be one of the grand- est harbors, not only on the lakes, but in the world. Some people will say, ‘Oh, that won’t do; look at the amount of damages we will have to pay for flooding private property!’’ But they are mistaken; the banks of the river are high and bold nearly the entire dis- tance, and the price of property will more than double the day when work begins on said dam. Of course the consent or co-operation of Canada would have to be ob- tained; but that would be easily arranged, as they would have all to gain and nothing tolose. If the water was raised three or four, feet above the present Lake Erie level, say, at the International bridge, it would not damage one f.ot of property on the Canada side. The only property I know of that could be flooded by placing the dam just above Tonawanda, is the low portion of Black Rock, just below said railroad bridge; but the government or private individuals can make millions by buying up all the real estate on both sides of said river, then getting the consent of both govern- ments and building said dam. R This is a big scheme, and some may say that it is a wild one; but it isa money maker. Let me know when you organize a company and I will drop the first nickel in the slot, and feel suré it will roll out on the other side a full fleéged dollar. : j I am pleased to read your article on the ship “Great Bastern.” I Heatd quite a heated argument about her a short time ago, and, as usual, both parties were off. We are in receipt of a handsome calendar, with life- _ saving scene in steel, from John S. Parsons, successor to Daniel Lyons & Son, in the shipchandlery and sail loft business, corner W. Cayuga and Water streets, Oswego. The American Injector Co., of Detroit, have also issued a natty calendar, illustrating the ‘‘good suction’’ properties of their product. * EEE De A FAMOUS FURNACE. The Morison Suspension Furnaces for stationary boilers have attained a wide and well deserved popu- larity in all that appertains to economy, safety and dur- ability. There is no doubt that the principle of an in- ternal furnace tubular boiler is the correct one and that this type has certain advantages over others, partic- ularly where considerable power is required and only a limited amount of space is available for boiler room. This suspension furnace is very compact in form. It consists of a horizontal cylindrical shell having an in- ternal furnace flue in one end of which the fire grate is located, the other end terminating in a fire brick lined back connection, or combustion chamber, which is con- tained in a casing, forming an extension to the shell proper. The products of combustion are conducted therefrom through horizontal tubes and delivered into the sheet iron breeching attached to the front head of the boiler. This breeching may be connected directly with smoke stack. This boiler may be also arranged to contain two or more furnaces, or it may be provided with comparatively short furnaces terminating ina combustion chamber from which the tubes lead direct to a smoke connection at the rearof the boiler, without re- turning forward over the furnace. Boilers of this lat- ter type have, in numerous instances, been employed in the U. S. Navy with highly satisfactory results. The corrugation of the furnace surface serves to retard the passage of the gases, thus producing more perfect com- bustion than is generally attained. This in connection with the increased amount of heating surface in the most active portion of the boiler, gained by this confor- mation. cannot prove otherwise than convincing in re- spect of the claim of economy for this furnace. The Continental Iron Works (Greenpoint), Brooklyn, N. Y., are the manufacturers of the Morison Suspension Fur- nace, also protector fire fronts and doors, welded steel shells and drums and special forgings. ——qmoa ee VALUE OF TRUTH. NOWHERE GREATER THAN IN THE WORDING OF AN AD- VERTISEMENT. The most casual reader of advertisements (and most people do read them in this age of knowledge-seeking and knowledge seekers) cannot help being struck with the seeming exaggerations in statements that are so uni- versally used to command attention. With new seekers after public approval for an article offered for sale or, rather in advertising a new article or invention for sale, its promoters have to create a reputation for it, or their own reputation must stand sponsor for it before the aggressive or seemingly exaggerated style of adver- tising can be successfully adopted. But if one sticks to the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, the article so advertised, provided it has intrinsic merit, cannot fail to win. With the winning of a crown of success comes the right to tell the big, big truths which look so much like exaggerations. For example, when in the Keasby & Mattison Co.’s advertisement you read that magnesia sectional cover- ing is ‘‘absolutely fire-proof”’ and a ‘‘great coal saver,” it is true. ~ When the Upson Walton Co., of Cleveland, advertise “best steel tow lines,”’’ it is true. When the Garlock Packing Co. say of their packing: ‘““We guarantee every ounce of it,” it is true. When Eid Wertheim, of Chicago, says he is headquar- ters for the celebrated ‘‘German Asbestos Goods,”’ it is true. , And when you see stated in an advertisement 0 Beeson’s Inland Marine Directory for 1896, on Page 12, of this paper, that ‘it is ordered by and in use in all the offices of the United States government having to do with vessel interests,’’ it is true. And it don’t mean in a few, as this order for one branch of the gov- ernment service will show: Order No. 708. .WEHATHER BUREAU. é WASHINGTON, D. C., Jan. 2, 1896. Please deliver at the Weather Bureau, 24th and M streets, N. W., ten copies of Beeson’s Inland Marine Directory for 1896, as per price quoted in your letter of Dec. 19, 1895, for issue to stations. A. ZAPPONE, Assistant Chief of Division of Accounts. Consider well the weight of truth in advertising. It has always paid me, and it will you, Mr. Advertiser. Yours sincerely, HarvEy C. BEESON. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF me Buxnac.. | ooo ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN OCEAN STEAMERS. By those conversant with the problem attending the propulsion of large steam vessels, it will be conceded that the limits of practical speed have with the present apparatus been pretty well reached. At the present time most of our large passenger vessels work certainly at uneconomically high rates, and probably at speeds on which but little improvement is, from an engineer- ing standpoiut, possible. The difficulty with the bear- ings in high seas when the propellers are apt to race, is not a trifling matter, but in addition to this consider- ation, speeds have a very detrimental effect upon the structure of the ship, involving either unnecessarily heavy construction, or shaking of the vessel to pieces. An American inventor, who advocates the use of elec- tricity for propulsion of ocean going steamers, is about to equip a steamboat on the following lines: He will put in his boat a powerful engine of the slow-speed type, connected toa multipolar generator transmitting cur- rent to electric motors attached directly to the propeller shafts. The motion of the motors being rotary, a very high speed could be attained with comparatively little vibration, while the reciprocating part of the propelling machine—the engine—could be run at a comparatively slow speed. The further advantage of better regula- tion in rough weather, when the propellers lift, would be secured.—Electrical Plant. A TIDE OF OPPORTUNITY. It is highly improbable that the United States wil engaged this year in any war. But the air is fil with war talk and all the nations of Europe seeme determined to get a whack at England, for one rea or another, that some of them may before the y out be gratified with a fight, whether, however, wi satisfactory results to themselves is by no means ¢ tain. The situation is wholly in favor of the Uni States. In any case they cannot but reap advant from it. Their policy is to push forward their foreig trade. Their best opportunity has now come. Amer can goods for all the disputants should be their policy There is an immense amount of bluff going on, but tl American has now his chance to push his interests the world.—_New York Maritime Register. ——— rd ee ee TACOMA’S COMMERCE FOR 1895. Harbor Master Clift makes the following report of th ocean commerce at the port of Tacoma for the year 1895: : IMPOR‘. ' Twenty-three cargoes Oriental mdse, total $17,711,630.84 — : EXPORTS. i vy 3,385,292 bushels wheat..-..-.......-..5++ $1,507,953.15 295,938 barrels flour 94,056,689 feet lumber SIO LOSitonS: COala. oi encore eee ee ee nes Merchandise to Japan and China, exclu- Siveiofo Nour 20th a ees ear se Merchandise to British Columbia......... $4,633,389.78 Inward registered tonnage, 601,707; outward register- ed tonnage, 551,506; inward cargo tonnage, 102,516; ou ward cargo tonnage, 652,187; deep sea arrivals, 417. rr TRADE NOTES. The Roberts Safety Water Tube Boiler Cu., announce that they will be glad to supply any engineer with one of the artistic calendars which we mentioned last week. The Penberthy Injector Co., of Detroit, issues a very handsome calendar, the work of this company’s own advertising department. It shows excellent taste, and gives a good idea to the trade, by illustrations, of the various types of the Penberthy injector. The Lake Michigan Car Transportation Co. have ~ written another very complimentary letter on the Shaw & Spieglesteam towing machines to the Ameri- can Ship Windless Co., Providence, R. I., manufactur- ers of this machine. A very flne Christmas and Indus- trial number of the Providence Telegram prints an il- lustrated description and history of the American Ship, — Windlass Co. ee Four of the largest steamers building at FE. W: Wheeler & Co.’s yard, West Bay City, will be equipped with the usual extensive electric plauts by the General Electric Co. These are the Roby, Eddy, Whitney, and Mitchell boats. The revenue cutter John G. Carlisle, — building at the Globe yard, and three steel schooners under construction at the yard of the Chicago Ship Building Co., will also be equipped by the General Electric Co. : ’' The Link Belt Machinery Co., Chicago, are still run- ning their works day and night, using the largest force ever employed by them. Recent contracts for electrical coal mining machinery have been closed with the following companies: Norfolk Coal & Coke Co., Nor- folk, Va., consisting of two 66-inch x 18-foot boilers, one 14x16 McEwen engine, one 7-foot chain breast machine one enclosed electric grinder, circuits, etc.; Reed City Coal & Mining Co., Reed City, Ill., one 15x16 McKwen engine, one emery grinder, one 100 kw. dynamo, switch- board, circuits, and four 6-foot chain breast machines; Osage Coal & Mining Co., Krebs, Ind. Ter., one 6-foot chain breast machine. -_ EE ENGINEER-IN-CHIEE MELVILLE has proposed to the Navy Department that he be permitted to lengthen the propeller shafts on the ram Katahdin. By this means he believes that he can safely make the vessel reacha speed of 17 knots with a cost of only $5,000 at the ut- most. The department is considering the proposition. The President has signed the bill directing the Secre- tary of the Navy to accept the ram and Gen. Hyde, the president of the Bath Iron Works, is being heartily congratulated upon the acceptance of the ship.