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m of light to a great distance. ‘he buoys burn con- tinually day and night without attention, and for from 3 days to one year, dependingupon their size. The st of gas is less than 7 cents per 24 hours. The buoys are supplied with gas from the works now established for making compressed Pintsch gas, at the following points: Atlanta, Ga.; Boston, Mass ; Buffalo, N. Y.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Chicago, Ill.; Cincinnati, O.; Cleveland, O ; Council Bluffs, Ia., Detroit, Mich.; 3 ‘Fort Worth, Tex: Jacksonville, Fla.; New York, N. Y,; Kansas City, Kan.; Oakland, Cal.; Philadelphia, Pa.; Portland, Ore ; Savannah, Ga.; St. Louis, Mo.; Toledo, O. ur system of Great Lakes would seem to offer a fer- le field for the gas buoy. The rapidly increasing ves- 1 transportation along these lakes demands quick and constantly safe communication without the innumer- able delays which navigation thereon is now obliged to submit to as a result of totally inadequate beacon serv- ice at the entrance to the various ports, and it would seem that Congress should recognize the Great Lakes traffic by offering it what seems to have been proven the best.and most econoniical of beacons—the gas buoy. EEE Oe COMPOUND MARINE BOILERS.* _ ‘The steady advance of water-tube boilers in the field of steam navigation has aroused a natural reaction in favor of ordinary marine cylindrical boilers, which, ac- cording to many, although inferior in certain respects, possess features of great value for marine purposes not yet fully secured in the new boilers. This view refers to boilers for ships other than torpedocraft, which have re- quirements that only water-tube boilers can fulfill. Within these limits the contention in favor of cylindrical boilers does not appear groundless. In fact, the marine cylindrical boiler is not a new production of the inventive genius of man, but is the result of the expe- rience of two generations at sea. It is the last stage reached of development and improvement under existing practical conditions, of an en- gine in the evolution of the entire ‘‘organism,”’ the steamship, to which it belongs. And in such a long adaptation to surrounding condi- tions, the marine boiler, from the early types to the present, has, in effect, developed features of real fitness for ocean navigation and has reached a state of perfection not easy to attain immediately with any néw boiler. The prominent features of the modern marine cylindrical boiler are well known— efficiency, simplicity of parts, firmness of bolted joints, durability, ease of inside inspection, fitness to available space on board ship, small liability to derangement, possible concentra- tion of large power in few bollers, so reducing number and complication of pipes and fittings; steadiness of action by which water, feed and steam pressure are under easy control; facility of repair of heating tubes under steam, etc. Although some of the foregoing characteristics may be claimed also for water-tube boilers of various types, others of them are certainly peculiar to the cy- lindrical boiler, and it is to these important features that cylindrical boilers owe their success in the domain of ocean navigation and the present campaign in their favor. In this respect it is worth notice that while in France, water-tube boilers of the Belleville and a few other types are in general use, both for merchant and war ships, in other countries the mercantile marine has not shown any marked propensity to abandon its famil- iar and faithful servant; while the navies, now on the full swing for the new boilers, began really to feel the want of a change only when the cylindrical boilers appeared unsuitable to forced draught. I use the word “appeared” because I think it is not yet proved whether the proclaimed unsuitableness is unavoidably due to organic construction of the boilers or to the magnitude of the extrastrain and suddenness with which it was applied before the boilers were given time to adapt themselves to the new demands made upon them. In support of this, the very good results obtained with the Serve tubes and with the Howden and Brown systems of combustion, by which the steaming power of marine cylindrical boilers per unit area of wetted heating sur- face has been brought up to limits which were but lately deemed dangerous, might be mentioned; but, SINGLE ENDED LONCITUDINAL VERTICAL SECTION ) age HES eet THE MARINE RECORD. 7 apart from those arrangements, which if efficient in in- creasing the specific power of the boilers have certainly not improved them in respect of lightness and suitable- ness to rapid steaming— which are prominent features of water-tube boilers—it may be asked, have cylindrical boilers reached their last stage of development? Can- not such boilers compete much longer, or must they soon give way to the new comers? Well, while it is pretty certain that, owing to important advantages which water-tube boilers offer, principally for naval purposes, the difficulties which still retard their general adoption will be vigorously at- tacked and finally over come, I think from what has been said above, that cylindrical boilers not only have as yet a great power of endurance in the mercantile competition, but that there is still room on their. side for further improvement; by which their vitality may be increased, and the struggle prolonged, even for navy purposes, with advantages to the great interests in- volved. ‘This new vitality may, I think, be conferred on cylindrical boilers by compounding them with water tubes in such a way as to make them partake, to a cer- tain extent, of the good features of the water-tube boil- ers, without detracting much from their own valuable characteristics. ‘There are already in the market vari- ous compound boilers having the heating surface made up both of water and fire tubes, but none of them, so far Dous.e Ended { = 8 ae Doors fr asir a S repay of tire tubes TRANSWEROE VERTICAL SECTION ‘of af ~HORIZONTAL SECTION PROPOSED TYPE OF COMPOUND BOILER. as I know, may be styled a real compound marine cylin- drical,boiler. Ido not wish to disparage these boilers, which appear very good and efficient, but simply to show that they are not the kind of boiler I mean—a marine cylindrical boiler compounded with water tubes to the extent that is necessary to give protection to the tubes and tube plates, and improve the boilers also in other respects, sich as economy of weight, fitness to rapid changes of temperature, etc., but without altering its main characteristics, Such a result may, in my opinion, be obtained by simply doing away altogether with the water spaces around the ordinary combustion chambers, and substituting for them water tubes, some of which would be properly arranged as a protecting screen in front of the tubes and tube plates. My mean- ing will perhaps be made clearer by reference to figures 1 and 2, in which the proposed alteration is sketched as applied to both single- and double-ended cylindrical boilers. Such boilers, if successful, would be lighter, simpler, less sensitive to difference of temperature, and to rapid changes of fire, while the screen of water tubes in front of the tube-plates would protect them to a great extent from damage under forced draught. The bene- fit would be largely felt by the merchant marine, on account of the larger interests involved and because of its requirements, to which the ordinary marine boilers appear on the whole, so well suited. Another advant- age of the proposed arrangement is the facility of ad- mitting air under the back end of the fire grate, in a proper quantity to improve the efficiency of combustion, through a regulating door fitted under the bridge and beneath the casing of water-tubes forming the combus- tion chambers. In marine engineering I am only a dilet- ante, therefore in what I have had the honor to say, my aim has been simply to raise a question which seems important and to merit discussion. _*A paper by Col. N. Solian, Director of Naval Construction, Royal Italian Navy, read at the Thirty’seventh session of the Institute oJ Naval Architects, at London, in March. leo ae oa ee AMERICAN ASSOCIATION. MASTERS AND PILOTS OF STEAM AKSSELS OF THE UNITED STATES. The objects and aims of the national Association of Masters and Pilots are manifold, and as it becomes known, it is commended by the owners of steam vessels and the travelling public, fromthe fact that its princi- ples are of the best that can be devised, in which it seeks to elevate the members of the profession morally and mentally, to care for the sick and destitute. It being na- tionalin scope and character, extending its influence over the entire United States, every port on the Atlantic Pacific and Gulf coast with the Ohio and Mississippi river, having a prosperous and well organized Harbor of the association—a member going from one port to another will always find friends and be cared for if sick or in distress, and every effort will be made to give employment to those unem- ployed. The insurance features of the association are indeed broad and liberal in every respect. The assessments are 25 cents levied on each total disability. Any member having joined the insurance and who may wish to withdraw, can do so, and still retain his membership in the Harbor to which he may belong, and has the privilege to return and take out another policy at any time he may so desire. A mem- ber becoming disabled by accident or his eye- sight becoming impaired so that he will not be able to follow his vocation as a master or pilot or mate, constituting a total disability for such, he is entitled to the whole amount collected and thereafter becomes an honorary member, but still retains his full membership in his Harbor and is entitled to all the benefits prescribed by the by-laws of his Harbor. ; The association desires and endeavors to bring into membership every president, gen- eral manager or Superintendent of steam- ship or steamboat lines who has a license, even be shown them that this association of Masters and Pilots has been organized largely in their interests and that the best material of our pro- fession are in the Harbors—from which they may select to fill the positions they may have to give, and that the members will do their utmost to build up their interests in every way by giving good and efficient service for remuneration received. ‘The association in nowise interferes with the wage question; it will always be found on the side of their employers in defending their interests in matters of legislation. Many wealthy and influential men who are largely interested are members of the association, and their presence gives tone to the association, and a status that could not be secured without their member- ship. The personal of the organization is elevated thereby and its success assured. There is now five subordinate Harbors on the lakes, as follows: Chicago Harbor No. 34, Sangatuck No: 44, Buffalo No. 41, Cleveland No. 42, Toledo No, 43. Hight New Harbors have been organized since February Ist, 1896, and it 1s expected that every port on the Great Lakes will establish a Harbor of this association during this year. (Rt 6 om 6 eistB The U.S. Weather Bureau will resume the display of wind signals on Lake Superior May 1, and resumed on the other lakes April 10. rrr ee We stated last week that Capt. A. C. Ackerman was master of the Lora. Capt. Ackerman has had her through the winter, but her master for the coming sea- son will be Capt. M. A. Tuttle. member in the insurance for every death or. though it be a special license, so that it may