The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

WHO IS TO BLAME. Editor Marine Record:— CHICAGO, December 29, 1806. The lake captain mentioned in The Record who can rely on his compass “only with the aid of approximation of distance and guess work,” is evidently not familar with the rudiments of navigation and the judicious use of the lead. Distances are not measured by the compass, but only angles are, and when distances are found to be wrong the compass is not to blame for it, for distances are always measured by the log. The floating or patent log conimonly in use for measuring distances cannot be re- lied upon, because of unknown currents. Every naviga- tor of experience knows that. It is the currents that viti- ate all calculations as to the place the ship is in, even if the compass is correct, and so much more so if the compass is wrong. But to make allowance for currents has never entered the minds of men who hold the compass responsi- ble for all miscalculations and miscarriages. Even Thompson, one of the foremost pilots of his age, says in his “Coast Pilot,” 1878, page 95, that from Milwaukee to Grand Haven “most compasses will deviate on the return course from one-half to three-fourths of a point,” attribu- ting to the compass what is due to the current. The trouble with these men is, that they do not know how to find set and drift of current. Their limited knowledge of navigation is the cause of all their troubles. As to his statement, that compass adjusters claim they can so fix the compass as to guard against local attraction, it would be well for him to show these fellows up by name, that they may become known to the lake commun- ity if they are jugglers. His reference to the late Capt. A. W. Reid finding himself ashore on White rock in a fog on a short run from Port Huron, supposing to be two miles further out into the lake only shows that Reid had no business to hug the shore so close as two miles in a fog. White rock is fifty miles from Port Huron, and a difference of two miles in fifty equals an error of not quite one-fourth point in course. Had the vessel been kept in from 10 to 20 fath- oms of water she would never have got stuck, showing that the lead was not used judiciously tto verify her posi- tion; for which neglect the compass is not to blame, even if it had been in error ten times the amount. For it is a fact a vessel will never get stranded on White rock in a fog if she only uses the lead and keeps to the 20 fathom curve, with or without a correct compass. But our good fellow says: ‘“‘That was what a false compass did for one man, and I could name a dozen such instances were it necessary.” s His last remark is fully to the point; men of his calibre are met with but too frequently. Like him, they “hope the time will come when some inventive genius will come forward with an idea that will forever guard against local attraction or any other kind of attraction.” In other words, these fellows won't go to the trouble of studying the rudiments of navigation and the judicious use of the lead—they want the compass to do it for them. JOHN MAURICE. FAST OCEAN STEAMING IN 1896. For the Queenestown-New York record we go back to 1894, when the figures were:— —Sail— —Stea.a— Total 1895. Ves. Tons. Ves. Tons. ‘Tons. Tons. Clyde 97 46,814 280 374,027 420,841 360,152 Rorthe ai... Rae ea 22 8,650 8,650 16,757 eet Mar siagt ie ere oe 8 4,364 4,364 8,013 LORS SEES e aaa tess 19 5,069 5,009 4,738 1 YS) ch ERG Bi eR aes A Q 71,970 71,970 70,350 Wear Se eae 84 218,350 218,350 138,641 LS ASS EA ih oS 6 3,978 57. 109,429 113,407 116,480 Hartlepools .. 2 100) =63r_~— 85,654 +3=85,754 90,869 Humber ..... ZU 8,470. .-05. , 24.250. 27,734. 117,053 Mersey ...... I 40 14 19,266 “19,306 6,972 Thames ...... “04 ° 1,330 35 15,271 16,601 6,110 Barrow .....- SPER SEOs 7 14,054 14,654 25,644 Minor ports.. 62 7,073 45 13,303 20,466 14,019 Belfast .....-. 4 3,320 20 116,327 119,656 102,096 OVE: eee - Binh tahoe: 190,000 190,000 174,319 257 66,142 6096 1,260,680 1,326,822 Last year the table, which the Cunard Line furnished, for this record was:— This year’s official statement._is as follows:— In the case of the Liverpool boats the passage is taken as from and to Queenstown. On the Southampton route THE MARINE RECORD. : the record made in 1894 by the New York stood last year, so far as the American Line was concerned :— This year the American-built boats have unmistakebly outpaced the comparatively old Clyde-built cracks, as the following tables, supplied by the American Line, show:— Time. Dis- ed i Vessel. Bound. Date. De HSM. ace sae a Lucania Out. Oct.... 5 FD! 2770 21.81 Campania Out. Aug... 5 9 29 2783 21.49 Campania Home. Aug... § 10 47 2814 21.51 Lucania Home. Sept... 5 8 38 2810 21.84 Time. Dis- Speed in Vessel. Bound. Date. D: -H. M.* tance. knots. Campania Out. Aug... 5 Ore 26 2784 21:57. Campania Home.Aug-Sep 5 10 0 2820 21.69 Campania Home.Oct-Nov 5 11 36 2812 21.36 Lucania Out. Oct-Nov 5 9 29 2781 21.47 Lucania Home. Sep.... 5. 9 53 2805 21.50 Lucania Home. Aug.... 5 /10 35 2801 21.45 CAMPANIA. Outward. Date Distance Length of Knots leaving in passage. per Liverpool. — 1806. knots. D. H. M. hour. August I 27 S545 HO 35a 5 20d August 29 2700 5.10 10...::21.43 October 34 2813-5 12 AA 2119 Homeward. Date Distance Length of Knots leaving in passage. per New York. — 1806. knots. D. H. M. hour. August 15 2804) 555 11 27) OTe Re June 20 2808 25712) 32" 821136 November F, 2S10. 952 12" 4 eTeL7 LUCANIA. Outward. Date Distance Length of Knots leaving in passage. per Liverpool. 1806. knots. D. H. M. hour. August 15 27SB TEC ee OU AS eT VOT July 18 27BBt As Hy TO <ssi419 October 10 BIG LG I Ae a OEeta Homeward. : Date Distance Length of Knots leaving in passage. per New York. — 1896. knots. D. H. M. hour. August 29 2805; 52103452 2h: 43 March 14 280025 12 7 5 22 70 April ia 2804 5 I2 45 (21.80 Time. Dis- Speed in Vessel. Bound. Date. D,. “HM... tance!. ‘knots. New York Home. Aug.... 6 11 12 3074 19.8 New York. Out. Sept..... Op Fedde 3047, 20.15 WESTBOUND. - °—-Pastage.— Vessel. Date. Dys. Hrs. Min. Distance. Speed. St Paul Aucustiere: 200.0 S93 3046 21.08 St Louis Agust. Gases Oey 2e4 20 3055 20.87 New York Sept-Oct... 6. 9 51 3047 19.80 Paris jantary 2-12-0310. 29 3050 19.74 EASTBOUND. St. Paul October: - 2-6? 10) e178 3070 19.19 St Louis September... 6 12 27 3070 19.62 New York March..... 6 16 9 3150 19.62 Paris Aprilinin.. beeen ese | 3152 18.62 BUFFALO TUG PILOTS’ ELECTION. At the regular election of the Harbor Tug Pilots’ Asso- ciation, held last Saturday night, the following officers were chosen: President, L. P. Cole; vice-president, Thomas Doyle; treasurer, S. M. Sloan, financial secre- tary, E. G. Gilbert, recording secretary, Joseph Green; trustee, Michael Carr. COMMODORE OF THE ANN ARBOR FLEET. Capt. William P. Robertson, who has been in charge of the Ann Arbor car ferry. No. 2 the past two years, has been appointed shore captain for the Ann Arbor railroad boat line, now four in number. Capt. Stufflebeam of Manistee will be master of No. 2. The large increase of freight business across Lake Michigan is the reason for this change being made. CALLED HENCE. The late Captain August Foye died at his home in Put- in-Bay Island on Thursday last. Captain Foye was about 47 years of age and had been employed on lake vessels abouty 20 years, a large portion of which time he com- manded steamers plying out of Sandusky. He was master of the old Lakeside steamer B. F. Ferris and took out the steamer A. Wherle, Jr., of which he was at the time a part owner. When the latter steamer was sold to the present owners, the Cedar Point Steamboat Company, Captain Foye was appointed mate on the steamer City of Sandusky, and succeeded to the same position when the new steamer Arrow was placed on the island route, resign- ing from that position last July on account of poor health. He was a careful seaman and was generally liked. Ww LICENSED OFFICERS. American steam vessel officers are now generally aware that on May 28, 1806, an act of Congress was approved directing the issuance of licenses to steam vessel officers for a period of five years instead of one year. Beginning on the first of the year, therefore, licenses to steam vessel officers will now be issued for five years. There is really no reason why these licenses should not be issued for life. Still, it is far better to have them extend for five years than for only one. Besides the foregoing we call atten- tion to two other clauses, as follows: “And all the officers of vessels of the United States who have charge of a watch, including pilots, shall in all cases be citizens of the United States. The word ‘officers shall include the chief engineer and each as- sistant engineer in charge of a watch on vessels propel- ling wholly or in part by steam; and after the first day of January, 1897, no person shall be qualified to hold a license as a commander or watch officer of a merchant vessel of the United States who is not a native-born citi- zen, or whose naturalization as a citizen shall not have been fully completed.” _ “No master, mate, pilot, or engineer of steam vessels licensed under title fifty-two of the Revised Statutes shall be liable to draft in time of war, except for the per- formance of duties such as are required by his license: and, while performing such duties in the service of the United States, every such master, mate, pilot, or engineer shall be entitled to the highest rate of wages paid in the merchant marine of the United States for similar services; and, if killed or wounded while performing. such duties under the United States, they, or their heirs, or their legal representatives, shall be entitled ‘to all the privileges accorded to soldiers and sailors serving the the Army and Navy, under the pension laws of the United States.” THE JANUARY ADMIRALTY DOCKET AT DETROIT. The following assignment of admiralty cases for hearing at the January term of the United States District Court, Detroit, has been arranged: January 5—3915, Charles Frazer vs. schooner Emma C. Hutchinson. January 6—4343, Hans Krause and Mark H. Hanlon vs. steamer F. & P. M. No. 2. January 7—4350, the Western Assurance Co. VS. chnooner Hunter Savage; 43360, James Knaggs vs. tug Dan Runnels; 4391, Louisa B. Grummond, executrix, vs. barge Leland. January 8—4479, Charles St. Louis vs. scow Magnet. January 11—4561, James McBrier et al. vs. steamer J. H. Devereux; 4562, Gus H. Kruse vs. steamer Atlanitc. January 12—4571, U. Grant Drummond vs. Wm. H. Chapa: 4572, U. Grant Drummond ys. the City of De- roit. 4 Be ale 13—4578, Frederick R. Straight vs. schooner 1g0. January 14—4580, John Bedard vs, barge John Breden; 4581, John E. Mills et al. vs. steamer Tower. January 15—4582, Thomas S. Lester et al. vs. steamers Sweepstakes and Sumner. January 16—4590, Thomas E. Belton vs. steamer City of Chatham. ; January 18—4592, Louis Wheelock vs. schooner Lone Star; 4613, Charles Gilmore et al. vs. schooner Lone Star and cargo; 4614, Michael O’Rourke vs. barge Lone Star; 4616, Thomas Eccleston vs. schooner Lone Star. January 19—4597, the United States vs. tug Martin Swain; 4608, the United States vs. tug Geo. E. Brockway; 4617, the St. Clair County Savings Bank vs. propeller Thos. D. Stimson. January 20—4612, Michigan Boiler Works vs. tug James Adams; 4621, Frank Lapire vs. tug John Miner; 4624, the Lehigh Valley Transportation Co. vs. steamer William Chisholm. January 21—4631, Ida Newberry vs. schooner Senator Blood; 4634, Wm. T. Roberts vs. schooner Egytian; 4618. Geo. Bryant vs. schooner O. J. Hale. January 25—4635, Cutler & Savidge Lumber Co. vs. steamer Fedora. January 26—4636, Edmund Hall vs. steamer Rufus P. Ranney; 4639, Charles A. Chamberlin vs. schooner Emily B. Maxwell. January 27—4531, C. E. Chilson et al. vs. propeller Parks Foster and tug Kittie Haight; 4478, the Menominee Transit Co. vs. steamer Jack; 4480, petition of the Calvin Co., owner of propeller Jack, for limitation of liability. fies 28—4415, John W. Squires vs. Aaron Parker et al. : February 1—4642, Frank Robertson vs. steam barge Le- and. Judge Daniels, of New York, proposes to Congress that the United States Court for the northern district of New York hold special sessions in the winter and spring of each year at Buffalo for the hearing of such admiralty cases as might be brought before it, affecting the interests of the great lakes. The committee regarded the proposi- tion favorably, but hesitated about the necessary expendi-- ture of money. Vessel men and shippers on the lakes are interested in this matter, and are strongly urging that Judge Daniels’ proposition be adopted. It is thought that the Congressional committee will take favorable action upon it.