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CAPT. HENRY W. STONE. (BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.) Among the most prominent and successful lake ship- masters we ere pleased to mention the name of Capt. ‘Henry W. Stone, last season in command of the large steel twin-screw passenger steamer North Land, and whose portrait is shown on the third paige of our cur- rent issue. Henry W. Stone was born at Vermillion, O, April 9th, 1847, where he resided until he was sixteen years of age. At that time the family moved to Cleveland and Henry commenced his sailing career by joining the schooner David Wagstaff, owned by the la‘e Capt. Alva Bradley. For three seasons he stuck closely to work on the schooner, and, during the close of navigation at- tended the public schools, finally finishing what may be termed a liberal education by graduating from the Baldwin University, Berea, O. Pursuing his chosen profession, we find him before the mast in the new schooner Escanaba, still in the Bradley employ, and the following season promoted to second mate. On his owners building the schooner Fayette Brown he was placed in her aschief officer, where, through strict attention to his duties, p:r-ever- ance and integrity, he so gained the confiden-e of his employers thatin 1870 he was given command of the New London. Capt. Bradley then built the schooner -D. P. Rhodes and placed the, at that time, young man in command of her, where he remained doing successful work each season for seven years, afterwards sailing the Thomas Quayle for five seasons. At this period Capt. Stone began his experience in steam by joining the Superior, which boat he handled for two seasons, when he was transferred to the EK. P. Hale, and from her to the steamer Henry Chisholm, where he remained fortwo seasons. In 1887 the firm of M. A. Bradley & Co. built the steamer Gladstone and Capt. Stone took command, sailing her for three sea- sons, thus rounding out a period of twenty-six years in the one employ, and faithfully working his way from before the mastin a 560-ton schooner to master of the latest-built and one of the largest lake steamers afloat ‘at that time. In this brief biographical sketch it may be noted that up to this time Capt. Stone had handled wooden vessels exclusively, and,as it usually requires a still greater degree of efficiency to navigate iron and steel vessels, we find him in 1890 in command of the large new steel steamer La Salle, built by the Cleveland Ship Building Co. to the order of the Lake Superior Iron Co., one of the best ship-owning firms in Cleveland. We may here remark that several years ago it was gen- erally believed that wind or weather could have no pos- sible effect on the fine, powerful three to four thousand ton iron and steel steamers built on the lakes, hence, they were driven, loaded or light, in all weathers, under all conditions, and at their full speed. For five seasons the ja Salle was kept well at the head of the list in point of carrying the largest cargoes, chiefly of iron ore, and in making the best, almost schedule time, from port to ort. : Tyast season, or in 1895, Capt. Stone resigned his com- mand in the Lake Superior Iron Co., to take charge of the North Land, a universally known ship built by the Globe Iron Works Co. for the Northern Steamship Co., and forming with her sister ship, the North West, the two most elevated commands on the lakes. Thus, in thirty years’ experience, Capt. Henry W. Stone from crawling through the hawse-pipe of a small schooncr has reached the quarter deck, or finds himself holding the best command (for, being later built, the North Land is generally considered slightly superior to her sister ship) on fresh water, or from A, B, on a schooner to master of a twin-screw, steel passenger steamer of 4,244 gross tons. $d ae ee STEAMER CITY OF KALAMAZOO BURNED. Fire broke out early Monday morning on board the City of Kalamazoo, of the Williams Transportation Co., while moored in winter quarters at South Haven, Mich. Three persons lost their lives in the casualty. They were Robert Van Ostrand, of South Haven, Joseph Lang, fireman on the United States steamer Michigan, and Miss Rosa Germs (colored), stewardess. The flames broke out admidships and so rapidly did the fire spread over the steamer’s upper works that the escape of six other members of the crew is deemed very THE MARINE RECORD. fortunate. Samuel Welliwan, fireman, and C. Flan- ders, chief engineer, were overcome by the smoke, but rallied and broke through a cabin window. All escaped in their night clothes, leaving their wearing apparel and other personal prorerty behind. ‘The stewardess was seen for a minute on the upper deck by the first arrivals at the scene of the fire and then disappeared from sight. Van Ostrand was about 20 years old and was the son of a prominent -business man..of South Haven. The burned steamer had been plying between Grand Haven, Manistee and Milwaukee since leaving the run between Chicago and South Haven six weeks ago, but went into winter quarters a week ago. She was insured for $25,- 000 in a number of eastern companies. The steamer was built at South Haven three years ago and was rated Al.. She was elegantly fitted out for the passen- ger trade and was one of the finest vessels on Lake Michigan. Her regular trade was between South Haven and Chicago. _———— ann oe THE SIMPLEX INDICATOR. (ILLUSTRATED. } Our London contemporaries illustrate and describe the Simplex Indicator recently invented and patented by Messrs. Elliott Brothers, London. It is adapted for the use of either steam, gas or pe- troleum engines. Great care ap- _pears to have been taken i in de- signing the instrument to insure lightness and balance of the moving parts, consistent with stregth. The principal feature, it will be observed, is the “tongs’”’ shaped spring, which is carefully hardened, and_ be- ing used outside the steam cylin- ) der its accuracy is maintained as it is not subject to extremes of temperature or the corrosive action of saturated steam, and is, therefore, not so liable to take aset after a period of use. Further, the spring is more easily changed than in any other pattern, and the shape adopted allows of the springs being ec MM Pa) made very accurately with great certainty. Other special features are that the control spring from the paper drum is very easily adjusted to varying ten- sions, the moving parts are very light, a handle is pro- vided by which the indicator can be held while hot, and . the whole of the piston, parallel motion and piston rod, can be removed in a moment by simply undoing the milled nut at the top of the instrument, and drawing out the whole part as shown in our illustration. ‘The simplex indicator is made in two sizes, the large size giving diagrams 3 inches in’height for use of speeds up to 250 revolutions, and the small size diagrams for 11¢ inches in height, for use at speeds from 250 revolutions up to 500 or more. So superior does this indicator ap- pear to us over that of many others now in use, that we would not be surprised to learn of an agency being taken on the lakes at an early date, “MARITIME: LAW. bf Te ALAMO—LaHWIs,V. “ArGHigoN.. Pace Cir: eutt Const of. Appeals, Fifth Circuit...’ J Jie, 9, 1896. I. SALVAGE SERVICES—STRANDING - ON - CORAL’ “REEF— DEGREE OF DANGER. A steamer stranded upon one of the Florida coral reefs is always to be considered as ina position of dan- ger, as she is liable to go to pieces on the rocks upen the rising of the wind. II. SAME—AMOUNT OF COMPENSATION. Where a large steamer went fast aground on Mary- land Shoals (being part of ‘the Florida coral reefs, 15 miles from the port of Key West), in sucha position that she could only be taken off into the interior of the reef, and was got off and piloted out of the reef uninjured, after some 24 hours’ labor, through the aid of a tug and several sailing vessels under the charge of licensed wreckers, held, that an award of $15,000, upon a valua- tion of $500,000, was. not excessive, and would. not be reduced on ‘appeal; it appearing that six loads of cargo, admeasuring some 300 tons,.were taken out during a wind of from 15 to 18 miles an hour, with considerable danger both to the salving vess¢ls and to the lives of their crews. Appeal from the District Court of the Waited: States for the Southern District of Florida. This was a libelin rem by, Alfred Atchison against the stcamship Alamo and cargo (James F. Lewis, claim- ant), to recover compensation for sa vage services. The District Court awarded the sum of $15,000 to the salvors, and the claimant has appealed. *DAMAGE’ CLAIMS. , : Judge Sevsreus has just handed Joma’ his. decision in what has been known as the ‘‘Ohio’’ case. This was the fouling, in 1890, ofthe steamers Siberia and Mather with the steamer Ohio, which was adjudzed to be dam- aged on the survey as reported by the United States commissioner, $46,347:11. An imposing array of admir- alty lawyers were representing the cases—John C. Shaw, of Detroit, and C. KE. Kremer, of Chicago, for the Ohio; H. D. Gonulder, Cleveland, and F. H. ‘Cantield,’ Detroit, representing the Siberia; and J.'H. Hoyt, Cleveland, and H. C. Wisner and Alfred Russell, Detroit, represent- ing the Mather. The case was first tried before Judge ef be t t >» Hammond, who found all vessels i in fault, and decreed two-thirds of the Ohio’s damage agairst the other boats. An important point of law here arose, and tke Siberia and Mather excepted to the commissioner’s report, as . exorbitant, and raised the question whether the owners of the Obio had the right to recover demurrage, which was included ‘in the commissioner’s report: This was made on the ground that the Ohio’s owners by abandonment, had’parted with their tile and right to the use of the: vessel, and: they therefote could, not recover demurrage, which i is profit that they claim they would Have made from her use. Judge Severens, however, overruled all exceptions and confirmed the commissioner’s report, excepting that he adds to such report and enlarges the damages recoverable by the Ohio, by allowing interest. on all claims since 1890. The total amount thus decréed amounts to in round numbers, $64,000. ~ DEMURRAGE CLAIMS. Judge Coxe, of the United States District Court; in session at Utica, N. -Y., has handed down his decision in the case of Capt.-John 'Greén, of Buffalo, -owner .of. the steamer Lewiston, versus the Ogdensburg Transporta- tion Co , of Ogdensburg, N. Y. The case was for'a~™ claim for demurrage Inthe latter part of November, 1894, the Lewiston was chartered through W. M.: Egan, of Chicago, with a cargo of corn from Chicago to, Og- densburg ata freight of 45g cents per bnshel. She ar- rived ‘here on December 4, but the Ogdensburg Trans- portation Co. claimed that she was to hold the cargo all winter, and refused’to unload hér.” Capt. Green was not aware of this fact until after the Lewiston had arriyed at Ogdensburg, as she. came down without a bill of lading. In fact, he had chartered her forareturh cargo of coal front Buffalo to Chicago. This ag ihe BE of « oe gad had to be canceled. The boat wintered-.at Ogdensburg sas held the cargo. Capt. Green put ina claim for demurrage, but it was not allowed, and it was then carried ‘to the courts. It has been pending for two years. ‘The case in part'is as follows: It seems that Mr. Harris, the agent for the transportation company at. Chicago, previous -to the Lewiston’s charter, had made arrangements with Dan Helm, head man in W. M. Kagan’s office, to furnish him with a number of boats to hold grain in winter storage at Ogdensburg. Through some misunderstarnd- ing the Lewiston, it is said, was given one of these cargoes. Judge Coxe, in deciding the case, said that under. the previous arrangement with Mr. Harris and Mr. Helm, that Mr. Harris had right to assume that the Lewiston was one of the boats which was to ho!d her cargo’ all winter, as Mr. Helm had failed to tell Mr. Harris whether she was to hold the cargo or not. The point which the judge decided on is that it was the failure of Mr. Helm to notify Mr. Harris that the Lewiston was not one of the boats which would hold her cargo, and that she should have been unloaded: upon arrival. ‘The judge, it is said, intimated that Mr. Helm knew that,the elevators at Ogdensburg were crowded, as he had taken vessels to hold grain in winter storage. In summing up the case, Judge Coxe, refused to allow Capt. Green’s claim for demurrage, but he did allow him the freight, with the interest and costs,