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SHIP BUILDING AND REPAIRS. STOCKS WILL NOT ALL BE EMPTY. While no official steps have as yet.been taken, it is far from unlikely that an order will be placed, inside a few months, by the Cleveland & Buffalo Transit Co., for a sister ship to the City of Buffalo, to be delivered by next June. The time for placing such an order is get- ting very short, but the Detroit Dry-dock Co., or any other builders to whom such a contract might be awarded, will not be so badly crowded with work as they were last winter, and energies could be concentrated on a new side-wheeler with good effects. Any action in this matter will without doubt be deferred until after election, but then negotiations could go forward rap- idly, as the new boat has power so perfectly adapted to the requirements of the line that no changes which would involve study or delay would be necessary. The pressing need for a second big boat for the line was not marked apparently until within the past two months; but during that time the company has often been seriously embarassed owing to the wide differ- ence in the capacity and speed of the two lake boats now on the line. The State of Ohio has had to carry much more freight than it had been designed she should move, and on many occassions her passenger capacity has proved far from adequate to the demands upon it. The management were certain that the new City of Buffalo would attract business to their line, but the de- velopments of July and August showed that they had badly underestimated her popularity. Hach succeeding week has impressed not only the active management, but the less active directors that the business of the line must retrograde next season if the proper equip- ment to take care of traffic is not provided. While it is true that there is a wide difference between the capacity of one big boat and that of two, the argument does not apply here, as the traffic for the two will be reached before the second big boat can be built, and the cost of her operation will be little or no larger than that of running the Ohio. This is, of course, unofficial, but Gen. Mangr. Newman admitted, not many days since, that another boat is needed, and could be used to great advantage. The City of Buffalo probably earns far more money than any other boat on the lakes, and as an investment is a grand success, The new car ferry steamer for the F. & Pp, M. Rail- road, building at F. W. Wheeler & Co.’s shipyard, West Bay City, will be called the Pere Marquette. She will be a twin-screw steamer, with no wheel at the bow, this having proved worse than useless in some of the other Lake Michigan car ferries. ‘The propeller shafts of the Pere Marquette will be enclosed by the frames, in the same manner as the steamships Campania, Lucania, St. Paul, St. Louis, North West, and North Land. This plan is found in practice to fully meet all expectations, being far superior to the method of bracketing. By using the enclgging frame almost the entire shaft is in- board and can be kept under observation. The com- panies who have built steamers on this plan have been bothered a good deal by demands for royalty on the part of people who claim to have a patent on the device. It is not thought by any of the builders that the plan of building can be covered by a patent, but as some of the stockholders of the American Line are interested in the alleged patent, a royalty was paid by the Cramps, who did not wish to incur any antagonism from this quarter. The North West and North Land were built by days’ work, so the builders have turned down the application for royalty on this score. While parties owning the patent may bring suit against builders who construct boats on this plan, itis not likely that they will ever amount to much. Cecilia Hill is the name of the new tug built at Fish Creek, Wis., which has just been completed and placed in commission by lL. B. Hill. She is 93 feet over all by 21 feet beam and 7 feet 7 inches depth. A sectional water-tube boiler, with 250 pounds working pressure, furnishes steam to an 18x18-inch high-pressure en- gine. Her wheel is 6 feet 10 inches in diameter. ‘The engine shaft and wheel formerly did service in the steamer Lotus, of the Escanaba & Gladstone Transpor- tation Co. The Hillhas a hurricane deck, which starts in forward of the beam, and extends to the taffrail, with which it is flush. Beneath the texas, which is on the hurricane deck, is alarge and roomy cabin, which when + THE MarinE RES SORD. upholstered and otherwise equipped, will prove comfort- able quarters for passengers and others. Below is the berth deck for officers and crew. While the latest time schedule of the passenger steam- ships North West and North Land indicate that the former will winter on Lake Erie and the latter at Du- luth, yet it'is very probable that both will spend the winter on the lower lakes. It is at present the intention of the management to have the boilers of the North West overhauled during the winter, and is considering the advisability of doing the same thing to the North Land, although the latter boilers do not at present ap- pear to be in especial need of it. Mr. Miers Coryell, who superintended the construction of the Belleville boilers for these steamers, paid a visit to Cleveland last Satur- day, and his errand is believed to bave had some con- nection with these boilers. While the American Steel Barge Co.’s management announces that no new work will begin at the West Superior yard until after the financial stringency is relieved, present indications arethat the company will be able to go ahead by the close of navigation on the huge steamer and barge which they contemplate build- ing. Unsettling sentiments seem to be on the decline, snd business prospects are beginning to improve. Under probable conditions a new dry-dock will also be built at West Superior. The Sir. William Siemens, sister ship to the Besse- mer, is proving a very satisfactory boat. Her maiden cargo was 4,030 tons of Newark ore on an average draft of 14 feet 6% inches. She made the run from Cleveland to Detroit, on her first trip, in just eight hours, this being very good time for brand new machinery that had hardly been turned over before. Her engines worked splendidly throughout the trip. Capt. Leonard, who conducts the marine column of the Port Huron Herald, grumbles because several of the boats of the Bessemer Steamship Co. are named in honor of persons of title. He says of the Sir William Siemens that ‘‘she certainly cannot be an American vessel, as this nation recognizes no titles of nobility. The Commissioner of Navigation had no right to allow such a name on a Yankee vessel.’”? The captain should remember that the title was conferred upon Siemens solely in recognition of his services in the interest of science and constitutes a title which can be as consist- ently recognized in America as can the college degree letters of Ph. D., or LI. D. The same is true of Sir Henry Bessemer and other titled gentlemen in poner of whom the ships are named. While the steel yards expect to shut down, at least until after election, when work on hand at present is disposed of, it is stated that Capt. James Davidson will shortly lay down keels for two or three large wooden steamers. Capt. Davidson has such peculiar advan- tages in the line of material and workmen, that he can operate a plant and build ships for sale at times when the extent of the investment would frighten other builders. The tug building of Capt. Davidson’s yard for B. B. Inman, of Duluth, will be launched next Saturday. She will be named the G. A. Tomlinson, in honor of the junior member of the firm of La Salle & Co., steamship agents at Duluth. Mr. Tomlinson is a son-in-law of Capt. Davidson. She will be taken to Duluth at once and her machinery put in there. ‘The two other tugs building at this yard will be out Oct. 1. The new boat which the Goodrich Transportation Co., of Chicago, intends building to take the place of some of the older side-wheelers of the fleet will undoubtedly bea propeller. Mr. W. J. Wood, the naval architect who designed and superintenaed the work on the Iowa, has been retained, as already announced, for another year, and has begun making plans for the new boat. Fire broke out at the south yard of the Milwaukee Dry-Dock Co., early last Wednesday morning, and de- stroyed the office, stock-room, engine-room and black- smith shop. ‘The loss was about $4,000, but the plant is fully insured, and the operations at the yard will not be seriously interfered with. Mr. Cotell, of Hoboken, N. J., has purchased the plant of the late John K. Monk, at Sandusky, and will operate the dry-dock and shipyard there under the name of the Sandusky Dry-Dock Co. He will begin at once to pre- pare to conduct the business on a wider scale than formerly. The barge Alex. Holley, of the Rockefeller fleet, has ‘The launch of her sister ship at Wyandotte is set her forward and after turret connected by telepk In years to come a telephone exchange, with a “He girl amidships, will doubtless be a part of — class steamer’s equipment. The Sir William Fairbairn will probably eet from the Detroit Dry-Dock Co.’s yard on Monday Saturday, September 5. Stepsare being taken at Houghton to Greahize a building company and to construct a dry-dock in order to meet the needs of vessels desiring repairs when that locality. Rieboldt, Wolter & Co. have begun to build an additio: to their floating dry-dock at Sturgeon Bay. The addi tional pumps are already on the ground. a8 2¥ LAUNCHES OF THE WEEK. JamMES NasmytH.—The large schooner James J smyth, the first of the three ships building at F. W. Wheeler & Co’s yard for the Bessemer Steamship C was launched at 5 o’clock last Thursday afternoon August 27. The launch was, to some extent, a privat one, tickets of admission being issued to those whom was desired to have attend. if The Nasmyth has the 4,000 tons capacity on 14% f draft thatis required of all the new boats for the Rocke feller fleet, and is 380 feet long over all, and 366 feet between perpendiculars, by 44 feet 23g inches beam, an 26 feet moulded depth. Her height between decks 91%4 feet. She has main-deck beams, but no laid dec except at the ends. Her deck house is aft, with pil house on top of same, and towing-machine house 1 ward, both houses being of steel. She has 11 ¢ hatches 28x8 feet, spaced 24 feet centers. There s collision bulkhead at each end, extending to the spa deck. Screen bulkhead from the spar deck divide hold into three compartments. The water bottom - inches deep, and is divided by center keelson and ii floors into six compartments for water ballast. The towing machine and capstans are suppled bs, the American Ship Windlass Co. There is a donkey boiler aft in the main deck of sufficient capacity to operate the capstan, towing-machine, ballast pump, and dynam simultaneously. The ballast pump is duplex, with cyl inders 12 and 16 inches, with 18 inch stroke, connecte to each compartment of the water bottom by sepa suction and filling pipes. These pipes have all ne sary valves for filling and emptying the compartme separately or all together. The electric light plan capacity for 150 lamps. Her other equipment cons of a Williamson steam steerer aft, with wheel forwea a reversible capstan amidships, and a double cy n steam hoisting engine, with cylinders 6x8 inch the spar deck amidships. She carries two 3,500- stockless anchors at her bows and a 1,200-pound anchor. Mic GEORGE H. Cor1iss.—The Chicago Ship Building ( launched, on Saturday afternoon, August 29, the s more than 4,000 tons on 14% feet draft. commanded by Capt. H. Gunderson. : next week. ScHLITZ GLOBE.—Capt. Adolph Frietsch, who s: across the ocean in the little 47- foot Nina, has built ae some 40,000 ehce on Lake Michigan, the Mississip River, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific, Indian and Atla Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea. ge The Globe was launched last week at Milwaukee, an is substantially built of white oak and cypress. She i center board. She has two masts, 26 ee 2 reer. anda jib-boom 8 feet long. ed oak and measures 6x12 feet. ‘The boat cost about $1,,20 1200 and is put together £0 stay through all ee of weeu her when she slid down the ae He will make h voyage unaccompanied. Be