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‘ . proved. Major Symon’s plan was approved __ ,14,500 feet long with but three exposed ends. _ tions, one section 2,800 feet long adjoining _ Stony Point, and one section 9,700 feet long 1 BUFFALO HARBOR IMPROVEMENTS. EXTENSION OF BREAKWATER AND SAND CatcH PIER. EO (ILLUSTRATED.) permanent improvements which Major T. W. Symons, Corps of Engineers, U.S. A., is about car- rying out in the Buffalo district, in accord- ance with the act of Congress relating thereto. The sum of $2,200,000° will be spent in conserving the approach to Buffalo and specification for bids on the work hav- ing been sent out, contracts are to be opened November 30, and the work proceeded with at an early date thereafter, This project was begun in 1894, when Major E. H. Ruffner, then in charge of the “ government work, was ordered to prepare _-a plan for the extension of the break-water southerly to Stony Point. His report thereon Was submitted in February, 1895, but his plans were not approved. A board of en- -gineers was then appointed and made its report in July, 1895. Its plans and esti- mates were approved. This board consisted of Gen. H. L. Abbot, Major H. M. Adams and Capt. D. C. Kingman. In the autumn of 1895, Major T. W. Symons was placed in charge of the Buffalo harbor work. Major Symons immediately * began a thorough study of the harbor and its needs, and of the approved plan of the _ board of engineers for its improvement. He found many defects in the board’s plans and after much consideration, he submitted -to the department in Washington a plan dif- fering radically from the one already ap- by the division engineer, Col. John M. Wil- son; by the chief of engineers, Gen. Wil- liam P. Craighill, and ultimately by Secre- tary of War, D. S. Lamont. _.. Major Symons’ plan calls for a breakwater The original plan called for nine exposed ends. The breakwater will be in two sec- between the Stony Point section and the ex- isting breakwater. There wiil be two open- ings; one main opening 600 feet wide, ata distance of 2,800 feet from Stony Point, and one fair-weather opening 300 feet wide _at the junction of the old and new works. By moving the breakwater out to the location now proposed (as shown in the illustration), the area between it and the 18- foot curve would be 470 acres, an increase of 120 acres, or 35 per cent., over the former plans. This area of deep water is none too large, consider ing the magnitude of the interests involved and the cost of the work. As Major Symons so truly observes: ‘‘ The navigable capacity of the channels connecting the Great Lakes is ’ being increased, ships are being built greater in size and draught, and the end is not yet in sight. In plan- ning a harbor for Buffalo, it is wise to provide ample accommodation for the largest ships which it is at all _ likely will want to come and make use of the harbor.”’ y = In concluding his report, Major Symons submitted °. the following summary of recommendations: “That for 5,000 feet in length on its northern end, the type of breakwater adopted be a rubble mound. ‘*'That for the remainder of the breakwater the type adopted be the timber crib mounted upon an artificial _.foundation extending down to the solid rock. _ ** The estimated cost of the work as recommended is -as follows: 5,000 feet rubble breakwater at $176.13, $880,650 ; 7,500 feet timber crib breakwater, at $186.64 (average), $1,399,816 ; total, $2,280,466. “This includes 10 per cent. for engineering, superin- tendence, contingencies, etc. The unit prices on which _ the estimates are based are those of the board of en- gineers, for excavation, gravel, small stone and large stone. The crib work estimates are based upon actual ‘contract prices.’’ The new breakwater will give a large, commodious ‘ There is something wholesome in the liberal form of THE MARINE RECORD. area for the accomodation of shipping. It will permit wharves, piers and manufacturing establishments to be built out from the main shore into well protected waters, allof which can be reached with the greatest facility by water and rail. It will enable an opening to be made = — SS Map of BUFFALO HARBOR,N.Y. Showing Proposed Extensions of the BREAKWATER AND SAND-CATCH PIER under the direction of Major T.W.Syrgons', Corps of Engineers,U.S.A, . Scale of Feet. ee yee = For ATE Ff 2D TYPICAL CROSS SECTION RUBBLE MOUND BREAKWATER: SCALE OF PERT TIMBER CRIB BREAKWATER. ee tieeeelicereemeed \/ NX \ VALLEY. @ and maintained directly into the great excavated basins of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Co.,on the Tifft farm, access to which is now only through the Blackwell canal. mt a MARITIME LAW. OREGON RY. & NAV. CO. etal. v. LAW- TON et al. Circuit Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. June 15, 1896, 1. SHIPPING—LIMITATION OF LIABILITY— OWNER’S PRIVITY oR KNOWLEDGE. In the proceeding under Rev. St. §§ 4283—4289, for the limitation of the liability of a corpora- tion, owner of a steam vessel which has been damaged by the explosion of her boiler, privity or knowledge of a defective condition of the boiler is not to be imputed to the corporation unless the defects were apparent, and of such a character as to be detected by the inspection of an unskilled person, if the corporation has in good faith employed a competent person to inspect the boiler. Accordingly, held, that where a cor. poration owning a steam vessel had delega- ted toa competent ané skilled marine en- gineer the duty of inspecting the boiler on such vessel, and supervising the repair thereof, it was entitled to limit its liability for damage resulting from an explosion of the boiler through a defect not apparent to an unskilled person, although there had been negligence on the part of some of its employes in the inspection or repair of the | boiler. 2. SAME.—If the government inspectors of steam vessels fail to discharge properly their duty of inspection of a vessel, privity or k owledge of defects which would have been revealed by a proper inspection is not to be imputed to a corporation owning the vessel, which has delegated the matter of the inspection of the vessel to a competent em- ploye. 3. SAME—EVIDENCE.—In a proceding un- der Rey. St. $4283, for the limitation of the liability of a shipowner, where it appears that such owner is a railroad corporation, having its home office a long distance from the place where the vessel was operated, itis not necessary to show by direct testimony that the principal officers of such corporation at such home office had no personal know- ledge of the condition of such vessel, or of the steps taken to inspect and repair her. 4.0 SAME—REV. St. § 4493—Acr JuNE 26, 1884. Rev. St. § 4493, making exceptions in favor of passengers, from the rule of limitation of liability of a shipowner: under Rev. St. §§ 4283—4289, is not-repealed by Act June 26, 1884 (1 Supp, Rev. St. 440.). 5. SAME—INSPECTION oF STEAM VESSEL REPAIRS.—It isas much the duty of an owner of a steamship, under Rey. St. § 4418, to cause an inspection of a boiler which has been repaired ina substantial part, as to cause an inspection of a’ new boiler before using the same; and a failure to cause such inspection will render the owner of the vessel liable, under Rev. St. $4493, to a passenger injured in consequence of the explosion of the boiler. 6. SamE.—A failure to comply with the steamboat inspection law may be invoked to prove that a ship- owner is not entitled toa limitation of liability under Rev. St. §4283, though itis not set up in pleadings of the parties to the proceedings for limitation. EEE ee SANDUSKY AS A COAL SHIPPING PORT. When the season of navigation opens next year the importance of Sandusky as a coal shipping point will be greatly increased. The port will.be in a position, by the use of new maahinery, to more than double the capacity of its docks. Coal unloading machines to be erected on the Columbus, Sandusky & Hocking railroad docks in the West End have been contracted for, and the process of construction will be commenced in a few weeks. The machines are expected to work a quick revolution in the methods of transferring coal froma railway car toa vessel. Ze AIX