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(ESTABLISHED 1878.) PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY BY THE MARINE RECORD PUBLISHING CO., : [INCORPORATED. ] GEORGE L. SMITH, President, CLEVELAND, WESTERN RESERVE BUILDING, FOURTH FLOOR. CHICAGO, ROYAL INSURANCE BUILDING, ROOM 308, C... E. RUSKIN, MANAGER. W. L. McCormick, Error. THOMAS WILLIAMS, Ghivagtp: : ASSOCIATE. SUBSCRIPTION. One copy, one year, postage paid, $2.00. One copy, one year, to foreign countries, $3.00. Invariably in advance. ADVERTISI NG. Rates given on application. All communications should be addressed to the Cleveland office. THE MARINE RECORD PUBLISHING Co., FOURTH FLOOR, WESTERN RESERVE BUILDING, CLEVELAND. Entered at Cleveland Postioffice as Second-Class Mail Matter. CLEVELAND, O., MAY 28, 1896. THE RECORD is pleased to note the good work which has been accomplished by Mr. W. J, Wilson, who is nau-. tical expert and assistant to the expert and assistant to the officer incharge of the Branch Hydrographic Office in Chicago. Mr. Wilson established a school of naviga- tion some months ago by permission of Commander Sigsbee, the Hydrographer, and has already met with a good measure of success. The yachtsmen of Chicago are particularly interested in the schoo], and there are few places on the lakes where the sport of sailing is more warmly cherished, or where the innovation of the BLealing yacht has been more coolly greeted. ee 0 a 9 WHATEVER may be said against the fairness of under- writers in fixing rates, it must be admitted that great leniency is shown in connection with the payment of losses. THE RECORD is reliably informed that one of the steamers which has received a heavy damage from stranding left port a day or two previous with her com- passes badly out of adjustment, nothing having been done to them this spring. Her master had advised the owners of this state of affairs, but the latter refused to allow him to incur the necessary expense of having the adjusting done. ‘This, if proven, would clearly invali-. iy oa _ the bridge. * date the insurance under the general terms of the policy; © yet, while there is little doubt that the facts are known to more than one agent, the loss will probably be paid just the same. ee > WHETHER justly or not, the White law is blamed, with great unanimity on the part of masters who have been discussing the Sunrise-133 collision, with being the cause of this casualty. The old law prescribed different fog signals for steamers traveling alone and those hay- ing barges in tow. This collision certainly brings up eagain the question as. to whether inspectors are suffi- egiently rigid in their requirements as to the quality of “the bells placed on barges for the purpose of fog signal- ‘ing. A suit has grown out .of the collision, and while the courts will not be assisted materially in deter- ‘mining the blamé, the evidence brought out on trial will without doubt be listened to and read with interest by all having this subject at heart, as demonstrating whether fog bells are as useful on all occasions as would have been a warning signal from the steamer. The claim on the steamer in the libel is that the bell on the barge was not rung. The crew of the barge will cer- tainly swear that the bell was ringing, and here is where the court will have to express an opinion as to the facts. THE MARINE RECORD. THE BRIDGE HEARINGS. The Toledo bridge hearing has not yet come to any- thing, because of the apathy shown by all parties in regard to it. At Lorain the War Department has, decided, upon the recommendation of. Col. “Jared A. Smith, that the Nickel Plate bridge is not an obstruction to navigation. Col. Smith’s position in all these hear- ings is judicial, and he could not recognize the bridge as an obstruction until it had actually proyen so. Ac- cording to the evidence produced the beam of the largest boat that ever passed through the draw was less than half the width of the draw, and the Lorainites were figuring entirely on the future. This, however, leaves the case without prejudice, and when large ves- sels begin to go to the Johnson Steel Co.’s docks, and fail to get through the draw without great difficulty, the matter can again be taken up. In the matter of the drawbridge over the river at Bridge street, Ashtabula Harbor, Col. Smith has given a hearing, as was noted last week, but.no recommenda- tion has been sent to the War Department. A part of the evidence at the hearing was that the Coralia just managed to squeeze through the draw, going up the river, while the steamer Saxon was lying atthe P. Y. & A. coal dock on the west side of the river, just below Drawings have be prepared in the Hae Ss. Eyngineer’s office, Cleveland, with the river and the boats drawn to a scale,and itis a difficult feat to get the drawing of the Coralia through the passage without en- roaching on the existing lines; so that the skill shown by Capt. Cummings in accomplishing this feat was most thoroughly demonstrated. Had the Pennsylvania dock above the draw been occupied by a boat, neither the Coralia nor boats of much smaller size could have passed through. ‘The only opposition shown by the Ashtabula County Commissioners is that great expense will be involved in moving the bridge, which they do not wish toincur. Another drawing has been prepared in the engineer’s office which shows that if the abut- ment on which the bridge revolves were placed on the opposite, or west side of the river, the bridge would prove to be very little of an obstruction, as it would only occupy the space between two docks on that side which are occupied nearly all the time by ships.. This would leave the east side of the river, which is the inner side of the bend, practically free from obstructions. While the United States” ‘government does not take “upon itself to say where the, bridge shall:be placed in _ paid out of Buffalo for that port: such a case, it is probable that a compromise will be effected on this plan, and that the formal order of the War.:-Department will require that a chainel be. left clear equal to the width of: the present channel, but ex- tending from the east side of the bridge pier on the east side of the river, thus allowing space. on’ the “west side™ of the river equal to the diameter of the bridge pier; and no objection will be interposed if the commissioners remove the bridge pier across the river. This will re- duce the expense to a minimum, and still provide an excellent channel at that point for some years to come. SS ee AMERICAN MERCHANT MARINE .NEEDED. Reciprocity treaties undoubtedly lead to close rela- tions with those countries with which we enter into commercial advantages, but after all we have been for years embarrassed by not being in possession of a mer- chant marine service, and until the latter is encourged by our people upon the basis of.a gratuity of some sort —térm it subsidy if you like—we will never be able to accomplish the objects involved in reciprocity. The American ship carrying goods from New York or from any portin the United States to any foreign country can be regarded almost as I would regard a salesman that is traveling throughout the country or world in our interest. Jointly. with a marine service we also must establish mutual banking facilities; they are col- lateral necessities.—Geo. J. Seabury, New York. ———____————*li>D> ~~ + — ae THE USE OF PAPER SAILS. It is claimed that paper sails are meeting with con- siderable favor. They are considerably cheaper than canvas sails, and owing toa special treatment are made as soft, flexible and untearable as the original article. To the paper pulp is added fat, a solution of alkali sili- cate, glue, alum and potassium bichromate. From this, by means of a paper-making machine, a fairly thick paper is produced. Two strips of this are pasted to- gether, and by passing under considerable pressure s % tock a conical beacon is erected,. and on its summit — ‘theré is ng burning lamp.in the lantern and no atten- “the Detroit river, is being rapidly pushed at Marin through rollers a very thin soft sheet of paper is for ( It is then passed through a weak solution of sul acid, which has the effect of converting the upp face into a species of parchment, Washing with a sol tion of soda, drying and glazing follow. Care is tak to leave the edges free when the strips of paper fastened together so that other strips may be adde t the sides, thus forming a sufficient breadth of sails. To fasten the strips together a paste is used which contains the same ingredients as those added to the ‘paper while by inserting. cords of ribbon on the sides the ing of the sail is formed. There are few articles which offer a greater field for ingenuity than that of paper. THE FREIGHT SITUATION. The last week’s'slump in-freights was only, tempor; has already been proved by the. partial reaction wh has already occurred. The ore rate from the heac Lake Superior went to 95c under the general pressure, but the Marquette rate remains at80c.and the Escanz is firm at55c. ‘The corn rate out of Chicago, which again on the advance, with14c. paid Wednesday, soon lend strength J to fhe Escanaba elie aa if e the time of year, eihas arrived Micro boats will cease to depend upon wheat cargoes for two or three months to. come. mae Coal freights alee a “wonderful ‘degree of activit cargoes being plenty and rates good. There is a good deal of Milwaukee soft coal to go at 50¢c, and 55cis being The hard coal rate to Chicago is now firm at 60c. Lumber rates continue to hold up des and Duluth shippers have been compelled to bid $2 to get boa enough out of the ore trade to accommodate them Lumber will probably move more freely during the rest of the season, as shippers are beginning to realize th Wes rates must prevail. a “> LIGHTHOUSE WITH NO LANTERN. The most extraordinary of all lighthouses is to found on Armish Rock, Stornoway Bay—a rock whit is separated frorh the Island of Lewis by a channel ove 500 feet wide.* ei is” in the Hebrides, Scotland. On th lantern i is fixed, from which, night” after night, shines light. which i i ‘geen’ ‘by the fishermen far and wide. Yet dant ever goes to it, for the simple reason that there is no lamp: to attend to, no wick to trim, and no oil well replenish. : se The way in which this pecatee lighthouse is illumin- ated is’ this: _Onthe island of. Lewis, 500 feet or s away, isa lighthouse, and from a window in the tower, a stream of light is projected on a mirror in the lanter on the summit of Armish Rock. These rays are reflecte to.an arrangement of prisms, and by their action ar converged to a focus outside the lantern, from . wher: they diverge in the necessary direction.” The conse- quence.is that, to all intents and. purposes, a lighthouse exists which has neither lamp nor lighthouse keey and yet which give as serviceable a light—taking in account the requirements of this locality—asif an elab- orate and'costly lighthouse, with lamps, service’ room, bedroom, living room, storeroom, oil room, water tanks, and all other accessories were erectedon the summit of the rock. ee y Be NEWLY ENROLLED TONNAGE. : eof Following is a list of lake vessels to which official numbers and signal letters have been assigned: by the Commissioner of Navigation, for two weeks ending May 16: Bi 3 TONNAGE. <a Where Built Official : Saas Rig. Name. ; ] No. g&. (Bea | Net. Home Port. 107,222 |Schr.|Algeria 2,038.66] 1,917-68/Port Huron |W: 161,768 |Schr. Vinland 965.12} 873 02/Port Huron a ty 161,767 |St. s.| Vigilant 372.09] 253.03/Buffalo * |Port Huron -$4,247 |Bge, |Carbonate 94.07} 97.07) Buffalo Buffalo 36,865: |Bge. |Hleanora _ 225.70} 225.70] Buffalo Buffalo. 127,183 |St. s.|Chief 10,35 7.04)/Duluth °° ° {Duluth ~ 136.545 |St. s.|Edna G-. 154.15) 67.44/Duluth Cleveland 145,718. |St.s.JT. C. Lutz 136.26). . 70.82/Chicago Chicago. — ° « ’ de A Work onthe steamer Britannic, wrecked last fall in City by M. P. Lester. She has been entirely rebuilt,