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

THE MARINE RECORD. “I ae RECENT MARINE PATENTS. 577,001. Life-Raft. Winfield S. Palmer, Glenburn, Pa. Claim. A life-raft comprising in combination a series of interlocking partitions B, the blocks A made up of a series of layers of cork and held in the spaces between the © x iJ N N SOLE ES a intersecting partitions B, the cans C, the strips D diagon- ally disposed over the tops of the said blocks and cans, and the ropes R secured about the keepers r. 576,941. Transfer-Boat. Walter G. Berg, New York, N. Y. Claim. The combination of a turn-table, a platform held to turn therewith and vertically movable in relation there- to, and an apron hinged to said platform at the periphery thereof. The combination of a turn-table, and a platform held to turn therewith and capable of independent vertical movement without changing its original angular position relatively to a horizontal plane; a platform carried by said supports so as to turn with the turn-table, the said plat- form being also bodily movable in a vertical direction rel- atively to said support, and a hoisting device connected to the platform. 577,079. Centerboard Vessel. Samuel E. Smith, Babylon. In a sailing vessel a centerboard comprising a pair of oppositely-arranged and pivotally-connected sections D’ D” each of corresponding pentagonal form and having at their meeting edges oppositely-disposed inclined faces and formed each with slots d’ d”, so positioned and pitched as to form a sliding pivotal connection obliquely to the line of descent of the respective sections, and that are adapted to engage with pins C’C” arranged and extending transversely through the inclosing well, the whole ar- ranged and designed to effect the greatest amount of useful surface area in the drop, than can be inclosed in a well of a given size. 577,088. Marine Signaling Apparatus. James H. Walker, Hartlepool, England. A signaling apparatus, the combination with a suitable base, of a cone shaped chamber having in its base an inlet-opening and in its side a series of outlet-openings, a hollow plug fitting said chamber, having a series of open- ings in its side and other openings in one end, and pro- vided with a stem for revolving said plug upon the appli- cation of suitable power thereto, a hollow circular cham- ber on one side of the cone-shaped chamber, haying a series of ports in its side, pipes communicating between said ports and the openings in the side of the cone-shaped chamber, a hollow open plug fitting said circular chamber, having ports or openings in its side registering with the openings in the said chamber as said plug is revolved, and provided with a stem for revolving the plug, a vertical shaft connected with said stem, a wheel for turning said shaft a plate mounted on said shaft on which are indicated the points of the compass, a pipe communicating with an opening in the lower part of the circular chamber and with the bottom of a cup-shaped auxiliary chamber 13, said chamber having an opening in its side, an open hol- low plug fitting said chamber and having ports registering with said opening successively, and provided with a stem by means of which it may be revolved, means for auto- matically turning said stem consisting of a catch and a outlet pipe from said chamber 13 and a device for pro- trigger, an index-finger on the end of said stem, a steam- ducing sounds by the action of steam or air under pressure. i oo STEAMBOAT INSPECTION SERVICE. During the year 1896 there were inspected in the eighth district, 1,158 steam vessels, as against 1,199 in 1895; 61 were built, a decrease of 22 from the new ones the year before, and 9 steamers or 4 less than in 1895, went out of service. The table showing the details of the steam vessels inspected and built, giving the gross tonnage, is as follows: Local district. No. Insp. G. Ton. No. built. G. Ton. Deproity scieecs 170 75,525 02 10 13,053 49 CMa PO: as te dk & 232 148,311 22 a 7,342 68 Marquette ........ 113 0,849 37 3 17 18 Grand Haven ..... 195 28,653 67 II 488 87 Milwaukee ........ 242 89,974 10 15 1,468 03 Port Huron. 266.65 20! 63:734 09 15 18,390 96 1,158 411,046 47 61 40,762 21 The total number of officers licensed was 5,477, or 75 more than in 1895 In the matter of carrying passengers on steamers Detroit leads all the other local districts, having carried much more than twice the number of the other five districts,com- bined. The figures are: Detroit, 4,987,000; Chicago, 5309,- 881; Grand Haven, 558,013; Marquette, 181,280; Milwau- kee, 292,705; Port Huron, 495,680; total, 7,055,549. The entire property loss sustained by steam vessels in the eighth district during the year 1896 was $306,382, from the following causes: Explosions, $770; fire, $233,650; col- lision, $77,665; wreck or founder, $84,967. rr WELL MERITED HONORS. The current issue of the Army and Navy Journal, Wash- ington, D. C., has the following kind words to say relative to the promotion of the government engineer at Cleveland: Col. Jared A. Smith, Corps of Engineers, whose promo- tion to that grade has resulted from the appointment of Col. John M. Wilson as Chief of Engineers, has been the recipient of many hearty congratulations from his numer- ous friends throughout the country. A correspondent at Cleveland, O., writes of the pleasure it has given to all who know him in that city to learn of the promotion, and says: “All here are pleased at the rise to the highest grade in the corps next to the head and the consequent enlargement of his scope of usefulness to the country at large. Col. Smith is a past master in his profession, and possessed of remarkable energy and perseverence to bring upon any questions which pertain to his profession as an engineer and an officer of the Army. When his wonderful capacity for dealing with details, his tenacious memory, and thoroughly trained business mind are considered, his great success in the many important public works en- trusted to his care is readily accounted for. In private life he is a.kindly gentleman, courteous and kind to all with whom he comes in contact, socially or officially. It is ex- tremely gratifying to this community especially, as it must be to the Army and the country, that the casualties of the service have occasioned the promotion of this dis- tinguished officer.” a OBITUARY. (Capt. Parsons.) The funeral of Capt. Burt Parsons was held at Vermillion last Saturday, and it was one of the largest ever held there. Capt. Parsons was a very popular citizen. The fu- neral was held in the Methodist Church, the Rev. J. F. Lewis conducting the service. The floral offerings were numerous and beautiful, the casket being almost hidden by these tributes of friends. The pall bearers were Capt. F. A. Bailey, G. B. McConley, George Risden and George T. Wahl. Capt. Parsons was 41 years of age and leaves a wife and six children. He died of pneumonia, being ill only a few days. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. i (Capt. James O’ Neal.) Capt. James O’Neal was born on the banks of the Ohio River at Steubenville, Ohio. He was the youngest of sev- en brothers, who were all mechanical engineers, his fath- er was a boat-builder, designed and built steamboats in the early days of steamboating; the family originally came from Louden County, Virginia, and settled in Steubenville in the year 1818. At fourteen years of age he was sent to be educated under the tuition of the renowned educator of those days the Rev. Alexander Campbell at Bethany College, Va. After receiving his education, he remained with his father in the boat building business for several years, his older brothers being connected with and owners of steamboats, he soon took a part with them, first as clerk, finally as pilot and master, and commanded some of the largest and finest passenger packets of the Pittsburg and Cincinnati Packet Company, on the Ohio River. In the year 1855 he went south and commenced steam- boating on the Missouri River, first with the Lightning line of packet boats that formed the western connection of the Missouri Pacific Railroad, from Jefferson City; that being the terminus of the railroad, they running a steam- boat connection to Kansas City, Leavenworth, and as far as Weston, on the Missouri. After the extension of the Missouri Pacific lines westward, the steamboat connections being abandoned, he commenced steamboating from St. Louis, owning and commanding several of the best steam- ers on the Missouri River, in the days before the railroads monopolized the river business. With the advent of rail- roads and’ the obstruction of bridges to navigation, the steamboats finally were compelled to abandon the Missou- ri River, and had to seek other trades. He, together with several other Missouri River steamboat men, formed a line of packets from St. Louis to Memphis, and were the pio- neers of the first Memphis and St. Louis Packet Company. During the war the blockade of the Mississippi River stopped all regular business Being one of the very few steamboatmen who were Union men he was chosen to take charge of transports in the movements of the army under General Grant, and continued in the service from the first movement up the Tennessee River, then down the Mississippi River, on all the tributaries, until the fall of Vicksburg, which was the final opening of the river to commerce. After four years of government service, he owned and commanded several steamers on-the lower Mississippi River, the “Continental, Edward Walsh, Liz- zie Gill.” - After the forming of the great Atlantic and Mississippi Steamship Co., he sold out to them and accepted the management of the Carondelet Marine Dock Company, at St. Louis, remaining for five years ashore, then joined in forming the first St. Louis and New Orleans Anchor Line, between St. Louis and New Orleans; was general manager and superintendent of this line for over four years. Dur- ing this time he designed and built three of the best and finest steamers of the line, City of Baton Rouge, City of New Orleans and City of St. Louis. After the consolidation of the Vicksburg and New Or: leans lines, he sold out and retired until 1890. Afterwards he was in the employ as master in the Anchor Line, and in the employ of the St. Louis and Mississippi Transporta- tion Company, up until he was, in April, 1804, appointed to the office of United States Supervising Inspector of Steam Vessels for the Fourth District, at St. Louis, Mo., which position he has filled for over two years. Capt, O’Neal has been connected with the commercial interests of the Mississippi River for the past forty years. He is well known as one of the best practical masters and pilots on the Western and Southern rivers, a man of ex- tensive business qualifications, and has the respect of all the steamboatmen on the Western and Southern rivers. He is a citizen of the great State of Illinois, and has his home in St. Clair County, opposite St. Louis, in the beauti- ful little city of Lebanon. DO Oo CAPT. MARSHALL UPHELD. On Tuesday the Sefiate committee on commerce agreed to report as an amendment to the sundry civil bill a prop- osition construing the portion of the river and harbor act of 1896, which relates to the Chicago River. The amend- ment declares it to be the true intent and purpose of this act “that all of the work in the improvement of said river, which was recommended or suggested to be done by Capt. W. L. Marshall, Corps of Engineers, U. S. A., in 1893, shall be done, provided the total cost of such work shall not exceed the sum of $700,000.”