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

THE MARINE RECORD. way to Buffalo with the wind that would have headed his vessel off had it been encountered on Lake Michigan. The well-built three and four thousand ton iron and steel “steamers havingia good side out of water and with power- ful engines, have little to fear from the ordinary lake storms, beyond a few hours detention, and in fact few of them are ever held in port on account of a change of weather being predicted. With passenger boats and smaller craft the case is of course very different and the storm predictions then become valuable. LIBERAL POLICIES--LOW RATES. There is said to. be an intimation on the part of insur- ance men interested in what are called the foreign com- panies that there will be quite a material drop in the rates on steel bottoms next spring. It is known that the lake agents are on the watch for any chance to recover their lost business and say that they will make a cut that will settle the matter of competition at once. Still the fight is not over by any means, and so far as the lake agencies are concerned is not really begun. _._A dispatch from Buffalo says: There is bound to be a sharp’contest between the lake insurance agents and those ' representing ocean companies that are not located on the lakes directly. Little by little the best of the hull and cargo business has slipped away from the resident agen- cies, till they are in anything but good shape, and they are now engaged in finding some way of getting even. The report is that the ocean agencies are footing up the season’s business as carefully as possible in order to sec how stiff a fight they can safely carry on next season. At the same time the lake agencies are watching them as ° closely as they can, for they are in much better condition financially than they were last season. The hope is that the unusual amount of partial losses on; A-I vessels, espec- ially steel, which the ocean agents carried off mainly, and the comparatively small losses sustained on vessels held by the lake agents, may enable the latter.to turn the tables on the ocean men and recover a good share of the lost business. A big fight will be made if there is any show for it. ASSOCIATION OF LAKE LINES. On January 5 the lake transit companies which are members of the recently formed association will meet in New York to ratify the proceedings of the preliminary meeting. The past season has shown that rate cutting is injurious to the earnings of the transportation lines, and the long anticipated organization was brought about in a great measure by the experience of 1896. A confedera- tion composed of all the principal lines and the mainten- ance of rates are desired. The following companies are said to be members of the “Association of Lake Lines.” Detroit and Cleveland Steam Navigation, Company, Cleveland and Buffalo Transit Company, Western Transit Company, Union Steamboat Line, Erie and Western °. Transportation Company, Northern Steamship Company, ~ Lehigh Valley Transportation Company, Union Transit Company, Minneapolis, St. Paul and Buffalo Steamship Company, Lake Erie Transportation Company, Clover Leaf Steamboat Line, Ogdensburg Transit Company, Port Huron and Washburn line of steamers. The incorporation of the Joint Traffic Association, which includes the principal lines connecting New York and Chicago, in fact, all the lines, will undoubtedly be brought about. This would make the organized lake lines very strong, and would give them a position that could not be gained in any other way. The indiscriminate cutting of rates will be stopped if the association is able to do what ~ it intends to do.. The list of members includes nearly all the prominent lake companies which carry freight, other - than ore and coal and lumber. With the aid of the Joint Traffic Association the lake line organization prongs ny which cuts rates. It is state tio eC. Gornipeay lost $60,000 in fighting the Grummond Line this fall. ne TO LENGTHEN THE STEAMER LEWISTON. Capt. John Green of Buffalo, owner of the steamer Lew- iston will probably enter into a con the Chicago Ship Building Co. for adding 60 feet to the length of his composite built steamer Lewiston and also i Phis wi ri i to about new top-sides. This will bring the Lewiston up to a 3000 on carrier and will no doubt be a paying invest- ment for her owner. The Spokane of the Wilson Transit ; Line, lengthened by. the Cleveland Ship Building Co. a couple of seasons ago, is.a better ship than ever and it may be assumed that the earnings on her increased carry- wg capacity has easily paid for the cost of lengthening. in January is 20. tract this winter with. THE TOLEDO BRANCH. set 1E a | The annual meeting of the Toledo branch of the Amer ican Association of Masters and Pilots of Steam Vessels was held Monday evening. The Toledo harbor was organ- ized April 9, 1806, with twenty-four charter members and it now has thirty-five members. The officers elected are: Captain, Albert S. Fitts; first pilot, John J. Cunningham; second pilot, Homer Durand; captain’s clerk, purser and purser’s clerk, George E. Hardy. ‘Capt. Fitts made the following appointments: Chaplain, Edward A. Williams; starboard quartermasters, John Dun- seith and George W. Disbrow; port quartermasters, Charles P. Sherbuo and Wallace King; saloon watchman, Harry Tyrie; forward deck watchman, Edward R. Mc- Nutt; trustees, E. A. William, John Dunseith and George E, Hardy. MORE FIGURING ON NEW TONNAGE. For the past two or three seasons the Northern Steam- ship Co. have been chartering other steamers in addi- tion to their own splendid fleet of six large iron boats. It of course stands to reason that where it is profitable to charter, it would be of still more advantage to own. Such being the case, no one will be surprised to learn that the Northern Line are out for bids on two of the largest steel steamers ever constructed on the lakes, and while the Globe Iron Works Co. have built everything so far for the Northern Line, yet it is not positive that they will secure the present contract. ae —— AN AMICABLE SETTLEMENT. There is prospect of settling the Williams-St. Louis col- lision case without any resort to law. When the collision occurred at the Buffalo breakwater last summer the own- ers of the Williams undertook to set up the defense that as her engine was steamlocked the affair was an act-of Providence and that she was not liable. But now some of the underwriters interested on both sides of the case are trying to effect a settlement from the Williams direct, and expect to succeed in a short time. The survey of the St. Louis called for $7,300 in new work, but the repair bills fell short of that amount several hundred dollars. J. L. Crosthwaite, the owner of the St. Louis, is not satisfied with the repairs and claims that the steamer will never be as strong again. OHIO WEATHER. The Weather Bureau has compiled a forecast of Jan- uary weather for the various states, taking the averages from the data of the offices covering a period of 26 years. According to this report, the normal temperature of Ohio The warmest nionth was in 1880, with an average of 40 and the coldest, 1803, when it averaged 16. The highest January temperature was 71 on the 13th, 1890, and the lowest was 15 below, on the 2oth, 1873. The average precipitations for the month is 2.01 inches. The greatest monthly precipitation was 3.66 in 1873, and the least was .54 inches in 1881. The greatest amount of precipitation recorded in any 24 consecutive hours was 1.51 inches on January 16th 1873. The greatest amount of snowfall ‘in the same lengt” of time was 9.8 inches, on January 16th, 1885. The av- erage number of clear days is 4; partly cloudy, 11, and cloudy, 16. The prevailing direction of the wind is south- west, and the highest velocity recorded is 55 miles, on January 9, 1880. CANAL BETWEEN LAKES ERIE AND ONTARIO. A gentleman who. was in Detroit during the sittings of the Deep Waterways Commission, and who took an active interest in the deliberations of that body, is author- ity for the statement that, should the Dominion govern- ment refuse to give its consent to the deepening of the St. Lawrence river to 21 feet, the American commissioners will recommend to their government that a canal be built between Lakes Erie and Ontario, commencing somewhere near Buffalo, the whole length of the course to be in Inited States territory. From this, vessels will sail down ake Ontario to Oswego, whence a canal would be con- structed through the Mohawk Valley to the Hudson river. Tt is claimed that on account of natural formation of the ground between Oswego and Albany, a canal 28 feet in depth could be constructed between those cities at a com- paratively small cost. Such a plan if carried out would seriously affect the shipping business of Kingston, Mont- real and Quebec. PERFORATED SAILS FOR SPEED. The Record printed an article some time ago showing the result of some experiments madé by an Italian ship- master in carrying perforated sails, Such an idea would haye been scouted in the early days as One way of reefing a sail, always spoken of as an Irish reef, was to have, or put a hole in it to spill the wind out, lessen the pressure, etc. Now a writer in La Nature, a French periodical, has a recent article on perforated sails for vessels, and the advantages which they give. The Literary Digest, in a recent issue, gives a translation of the main points of the article, which is of value to all interested in sailing vessels, especially yachts. Perforated sails have long been in use by Italian sailors and are being adopted in Spain and Eng- land. M. Vassalo, an Italian writer on the subject, finds the speed of vessels considerably increased by the use of sails that will let part of the wind out. He has made a study of the size and location of the holes to secure the Sest results. The philosophy of the perforated sail-is dis- used as follows in La Nature's article: “It is easy to ac- -ount, on general principles, with a little reflection, for the nfluence of the holes on the increase of a ship’s speed. several theories have already been advanced on the sub- ject, but it may all be simply explained. In the ordinary system the wind rushes against the concave surface that is opposed to it; the currents of air bound back and hinder the full action of the currents that follow. Thus a counter- pressure is set up, and the work of the wind is only that due to the difference between its initial pressure and the counter-pressure thus produced. “To increase the effective work, this counter-pressure must be reduced to a minimum, that is to say, a means of escape must be given to the air that accumulates in the sail. The aperture solves the question. For an analogous reason, rudders made of badly joined planks are used, especially in China, to allow the excess of water to pass. The water acts as a cushion, and hinders the movement of the rudder, but the effect is lessened by permitting the liquid to escape. Every time that an obstacle tends to lessen the speed of air or water there is hindrance and counter-pressure. If this retardation is avoided, we gain in power; the result is increased. That is what is gained by perforating the sails.” The paper in question also discusses the proper position of the perforations in the sails, the following being the points of interest: “‘Every perforated sail is better than a whole one. Nevertheless, the position of the holes evi- dently must have its influence, and therefore the perfora- tion must not be performed hap-hazard. In square sails, Captain Vassalo made two holes at the base, six or. eight inches wide, and their distance from the point of attach- ment was four to seven feet. In jibs and other triangular sails there was but one hole., The action of the perfora- tions is double in the case of square sails oblique to the wind. The leeward hole relieves the sail of the dead air that keeps it back, and the windward hole allows the air that accumulates in front of the sail to pass through.” The Toledo Blade, in speaking of the question, makes the practical suggestion that the yachtsmen of that port give the new system a thorough trial to be made at a regatta the coming season. The best.test would be upon a single vessel of the fleet, whose speed, as compared with that of other yachts, is well known. Let it use per- forated’ sails, and if its average speed is increased, as com- pared with the other boats, the advantages of the ‘perfora- tions will be demonstratéd beyond cavil. ; As we have said, those accustomed to handling canvas would in nearly every instance consider such a proposition as piercing their sails to be almost idiotic. Yet, it should be borne in mind that even after the practice of centuries there is always something further to learn, and in this connection it is well to note how the many old positive forms and standing rules are being regularly exploded, condemned and replaced by newer and better ideas, etc. MARINE ENGINEERS’ BENEFICIAL ASSOCIA- TION NO. 1. At the annual election of officers of Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association No. 1, of Buffalo, the following officers were elected: Frank Miller, president and repre- sentative; James L. Walker, vice president; Alfred E. Welch, recording secretary; Theodore A. Meyers, corre- sponding secretary; Peter Burns, financial secretary and treasurer; James Wixted, conductor; M. F, Hanna, door- keeper; Frederick Hale, chaplain.