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ANNUAL REPORT OF THE NAVAL HYDROGRAPHER. Commanéer Sigsbee, U. S. N. Hydrographer, has just issued his annual report from which we take some brief extracts as follows: “The work of constructing nautical charts has ad- vanced to such a state that I am able to report: That the set of general ocean charts is complete. The charts of the western hemisphere are practically comp'ete and four-fifths of the special coast charts and harbor and special charts of the western hemisphere, outside of the Polar regions are available for issue, also that the work has been extended into the eastern hemisphere where the general coast charts of China and Japan are prac- tically complete, and where work is in progress in refer- “ence to the general coast charts of southern and eastern - Africa. The organization of the division of chart con- struction is such that larger appropriations of money - could be effectively used in advancing more rapidly to new ground. An increase of $130,000 a year for five years would enable the office to complete its. set of . ing said framework as a part thereof, for the purpose charts, after which the expense of supplying the govern- ment and the maritime community with the latest edi- -tions would be comparatively slight.”’ The engraved chart of the southern entrance to De- “troit River, resulting from the survey carried on dur- ing the summer of 1894 by the officers of the U.S.S. Michigan, under the direction of Lieut. Comdr. R. M. Berry, U. S. N., has been published together with scharts of the dotodelies to Cleveland, Ohio, and Pelee » Passage, Can., which were made during the summer of * 1895, by the officers of the U. S. S. Michigan, under the ‘command of Lieut. Comdr. B. S. Richards, U. S. N. A detailed hydrographic survey of the water area lying south of the boundary line between the United ’ States and Canada, and north of latitude 41° 31’, be- tween the meridians 82° 41’ and 82° 53’ west of Green- ‘wich, having been ordered by the bureau, the neces- sary projections and instructions were.drawn up by the opening of ‘navigation. this spring, and since that time this survey has been carried on by the officers of the U. S. S. Michigan, under the command of. Lieut. Comdr. Hugene H. C. Leutze, U. S..N. ‘The receipt of observations. from the Great. Lakes shows a decided increase in the number of observers in those waters... These reports are being used for the preparation of papers on meteorological “subjects ~ adapted to the use of navigators cruising on the lakes. ~The statistics of the branch offices show the great ‘amount of helpful work done by those establishments. Through the operations of the branch offices at Chicago and Cleveland, a knowledge of the publications and _ operations of the Hydrographic Office is being rapidly — ‘spread throughout the Great Lakes’ region. It is be- lieved that only the unfavorable condition of the public treasury has prevented Congress from increasing the number of branch offices along the Great Lakes. ’ From the branch offices the main office receives many suggestions relating to commercial and mercantile needs, which enables the office to give a useful direction to its publications and work. CS NEW MARINE PATENTS. No. 571,741. Stuffing Box for Propeller-Shafts. James J. Bates, St. Louis, Mo. Claim.—The combination with a propeller- seh ate. of a sleeve surrounding the same, packing, and packing- glands at each end of the sleeve, rods which engage the outside or rearmost packing-gland said rods extend- ing to the interior of the hull, and means for tightening rods so that the. gland compresses the rearmost pack- ing; the rearmost packing-gland being located outside of the hull of the vessel, and means located ‘inside the hull of the vessel, and connected to outside gland for tightening said gland; having inwardly-extending ‘flanges near each end thereof, a collar arranged at the rear end of the sleeve and abutting against the rear- most of said flanges, a key co-operating with collar and sleeve, a packing gland, packing interposed between gland and collar, and means located in the hull of the vessel and attached to said gland for tightening the same. No. 571,038. Net-Lifting Machine. William F. Ahrens, Two Rivers, Wis., assignor of one-half to Peter Gagnon, same place. Claim.—A net-lifting machine comprising a rotive shaft, arms radiating from the shaft, net-guards car- THE MARINE RECORD. ried by the arms, and reciprocative net-gripping plun- gers operative in conjunction with the guards; net- guards carried by the arms, levers fulcrumed on said arms, plungers that being connected to the levers oper- ate in conjunction with the net- -guards, and suitable means for atttomatically rocking said levers at prede- termined intervals. Plungers that being connected to the levers operate in conjunction with the net-guards, and fixed cams arranged to cause a rock of said levers at predetermined intervals; plungers that being con- nected to the levers extent through the guards into the grooves of the same, and suitable means for rocking said levers at predetermined intervals. No. 571,127. Propulsion of Vessels. St. Louis, Mo. Claim.—In a vessel, the combination of a screw-pro- peller mounted on the rudder and steering mechanism therefor, of twin-screw propellers mounted on a pivotal framework, and connecting devices whereby said pivotal framework is controlled by the steering mechanism and a.casing inclosing said connecting devices and compris- John H. Mosley, set forth. In a vessel, the combination of a vertical shaft having a loose collar thereon provided with two bevel-gears, a bevel-gear on the engine-shaft meshing with one of said gears and a pivotally-mounted frame- work having one or more horizontal shafts journaled thereon and each carrying a screw-propeller and being connected to and driven by said vertical shaft, and a 571,741. casing inclosing such connecting mechanism and con- sisting of two horizontal sections, one of said sections being fixed and the section being fastened to a vertical shaft and comprising the pivotal framework above mentioned. No. 571,063. Claim.—In acurrent-motor, the combi- nation with the motor-chains, of paddles provided with floats which serve to hold the paddles upright when in the water, substantially as described. Paddles provided with floats having perforations in their tops to discharge the water. Paddles pivoted thereto upon their trans- verse axes and provided with floats so that the water- ’ current causes the floats of the paddles to point down- stream in their initial entrance therein and also as they are withdrawn therefrom, and be withdrawn with a re- verse half-revolution. No. 571,745. Means for Adjusting Blades of Screw Propellers. Heinrich Brinkmann, Munich, Germany. Patented in Germany, England, France, Italy and in Spain. ; Claim.—The combination, with a propeller adjusting device and a cylinder provided with inlet and outlet ports, of a piston within the cylinder and connected to the propeller-adjusting device, a valve arranged to close both inlet ports at once when in its central position, a hand lever for operating said valve, and mechanism aun- tomatically operated by the propeller-adjusting d for returning the valve to its intermediate position. ’ combination, with a propeller-adjusting device’ and means for operating the same, of mechanism indepe: ent of the operating means connected to said means an tending to force it in the direction it was last thrown, NOTICE TO MARINERS. mS LAKE ERIE GAS BUOYS REMOVED FOR WINTER. — The gas buoy marking South-Kast Shoal, of Pelee Spit, Lake Erie, has been removed to winter quarte Its place is marked by a wooden spar buoy. a The gas buoy on the Middle Ground, in the same vicinity, has also been removed to winter quarters, and its place is marked by a spar buoy. : SHOALS IN THE NORTH CHANNEI, OF LAKE HURON. | The following rocks have been accurately located by Mr. W. J. Stewart, of the Canadian Hydrographic Su vey. ; ; 1. Rocks IN THE WESTERN APPROACH OF ALGOMA Mitt —A small rock with 8 feet of water on it -lies S. by W. &% W., 2% cables from Simon Rock. It is shown on Admiralty Chart No. 908 as the northern of the ‘two Southwest Patches and as having 18 feet on it. ee - 2. Rocks IN WHALESBACK CHANNEL.—A small rock with 9 feet of water on it lies W. S. W. 750. feet ‘_— the west end of Parson’s Island. Another rock, awash, lies W. &% S, 825 feet ftom ane west end of the western Mulock Island. : t Another rock, awash, lies Kast 150 feet from the pes rocks off the S. EK. end of Edgar Island. Jae 3, Rock in ArrRD Bay.—A small rock with 8 feet on it lies N. W. by W. ad W. 450 feet from the north end of Lister Island. . ia These notices affect Aarne Chart No; 908. 2 5s .°4, ROCKIN THE ENTRANCE TO FRENCH RIVER: Har- BOR.—A small rock with 11 feet water over it lies 120 feet east of Lefroy Island lighthouse. It is almost in mid channel, and vessels may pass on either side of it. This notice affects Admiralty chars Nos. ‘327. and 1213. i The datum for these depths is the same as: that aaen for the charts. The water now is about three feet lowe than it was then. , If possessors of copies of these charts. will forward : them to the Chief Engineer, Marine and Fisheries De- partment, these corrections will be inserted free of charge. : ae Il. NEW CHART OF GEORGIAN BAY. » A chart (No. 327) of the whole of Georgian Bay, as surveyed by the Canadian Hydrographic Survey, has just been published by the British Admiralty. This con- tains (in addition to the work on the coast sheets pub- from time to time) the work cone in 1894 in Nottawasaga Bay, which will not be published separately in sheet form. F’, GOURDEAU, Deputy Minister of Marine and Fisheries, Department of Marine and Fisheries, OTTAWA, Canapa, Nov. 13, 1896. aa- All bearings;- unless otherwise noted, are magnetic and : given from seward, miles are nauticai miles, heights are above hi zh water, and all depths are at mean low water. - Pilots, masters, or, others. interested are earnestly requested to send information of dangers, changes in aids to navigation, notice — of new shoals or channels, errors in publications, or an other fa cts: affecting the navigation of Canadian waters to the SDuEy fin- ister of Marine and Fisheries, Ottawa, Canada. = rr ocr ELECTRIC LIGHTING CONTRACT. ° The F. P. Little Electric Construction & Supply Co., of Buffalo, N. Y., has-been awarded the contract tor installing the electric light plant in the. new steel steamer now building at the yards of the Union Dry Dock Co., of Buffalo, to the order of the. Standard Oi Co. The electric light plant will consist of one of th General Electric Co.’s latest type marine generatin sets, and will be one of the most complete plant on the lakes and entirely up to the best modern practic in all details. 0 gp : THE New York Marine)Journal added several pages to its regular issue last: week in giving a full illustrate account of the new’ Plant Line steamer La Gra Duchesse, built by the Newport News Ship Building Dry-Dock Co., Newport News, Va: About 3,000 invit tions to visit the new boatat her pier in New York we sent out and a large number accepted the same, whi on board a bounteous lunch was served and 7 cou tesy soe the visitors.