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engineering department. The value of the system that -reytires vessels to report to the governinent engincer is » well understood by people that know that the regulations cf the customs department are so liberal as to make the ‘reports almost valueless. The figures submitted by Major Sears will be read with interest by everybody interested. -in the growth of the business and increase in the traffic of the head: of the lakes generally. The figures indicate that there was a large increase in ‘the Volume of lake business at the ports of Duluth and Superior during 1896 over that of 1895, both in the quan- tity of cargo handled and in the valuation. The valua- tions of commodities are based upon the averaye whole- sale prices on board vessels for exports, and on dock for imports. The total freight tonnage of the ports of Duluth and Superior for 1896 was 7,886,833%4 net tons, as com- pared with 6,325,351 net tons for 1895, indicating an in- - erease for the season in all freight handled of 1,561,4S82% tons. - The total valuation of all cargo handled for 1896 was $111,676,900, as compared with $95,000,000 for 1895, indi- cating an increase of $16,676,900 for the year. The ton- nage for 1896 was carried in 10,948 vessels, as compared with 10,086 vessels for the season of 1895. It will be ab- ‘served that, while there was a much greater volume of ‘cargo handled in 1896, the business was done with fewer vessels. This fact is attributed to the appearance last sea- son of a largé number of the vessels of the ‘400 foot class.” The season of 1896 was celebrated for its <ecord- breaking cargoes all over the lakes, and particularly from the head of the lakes. The total receipts in net tons were 2,407,880% tons. fo: 1896, and the total shipments in net tons were 5,478,053 net tons, as compared with 2,035,465 net tons receipts for 1895 and 4,289,886 net tons shipments. The total receipts ‘and shipments for the port of Superior for 1896 were 2,995,067% net tons, and for the port of Duluth 4,801,766 nét tons. The valuation of the lake commerce of Duluth ¢ 1896 was $59,577,498, and for the port of Superior $52,000,402. The total registered tonnage of vessels ar- riving and departing in the Duluth-Superior harbor dur- ing the season of 1896 was 13,353,068 tons, as compared with 11,444,272 tons for 1895. The total number of pas- ’ sengers arriving at and departing from the head of the lake during 1896 was 49,690, of which 45,674 arrived at or departed from Duluth, Following is a statement of receipts and shipments for I sd RECEIPTS. Duluth Superior. Total. — Anthy-coal;, tons. fii. 3) 263,212 431,031 094,243 Pett. COAl; tONS. ccc... 6. 308,911 972,798 1,371,709 Limestone, tons......... TSie4oe th Sy eC 18,842 eSaltji barrels $<). si. vat 114,292 118,366 232,658 Machinery, tons......... 435 124 559 Manufactured iron....... 40,380 21,869 62,255 Kerosene oil, barrels..... 1,675 79,083 80,758 Gen. merchandise, tons.. 116,002 53,303 169,305 “Wogs;) Mz: feet: 220i. 76,203 20,680 96,883 Bish’ ‘tonsie.n .ailioed ies. BU Glii std. isie% 737 Cement & lime, bbls.... 40,814 24,094 65,898 Sand; cubic: yards... 5.0. 7,820 4,835 12,655 Building stone, tons..... 9,458 1,350 10,808 Passengers. iy ei i esis 23,176 1,074 25,150 SHIPMENTS. Duluth. Superior. Total. aon Ore; tOUS.¢.. 2. as. 1,981,507 165,033 2,146,630 Copper, ‘tons’. {520% 667° 5,798 49,148 54,946 Fiour, :barrels..3: it. 3,729,440 4,201,097. 8,920,537 Wheat, bushels.......... 28,025,114 20,111,692 49,036,806 MENGE. STAINS <5: soo 0s ts 13,384,718 5,547,012 18,932,330 Structural iron, tons..... 180 145 325 Wool, pounds.......... . 1,870,692 9,115,470 10,982,168 Lumber, M. feet......... 208,516 33,232. 241,748 Shingles, M. teet......... PSO eae co, 12,836 Peete WE, Peete sc ee oes ss MTOO er see 1,100 Vessel merchandise, tons. 17,215 10,308 27,583 Passengers ..%. .i.ses-+e 24,408 2,042 26,554 During the season of 1896 there were 7,423 entries and departures of vessels recorded at the Duluth ship canal, and 3,525 at Superior. Of the vessels entering the Duluth canal, 3,033 were steam and 704°were sail and other ves- gels; departing, there were 2,972 steam and 714 sail and other vessels. There were 1,570 steam and 220 sail and ‘other vessels recorded as arriving at Superior, and 1,512 steam and 223 sail and other vessels departing from Su- perior. ae 000,000 feet of logs have been floated down he Medemitice River during the past 20 years. halt ~ are at least 4,000,000,000 feet of all kinds of timber age ing in the pineries today that is tributary to this river. s goodly part of this amount will probably be cut peng the railroads penetrating the forests, but Menominee mills will saw lumber many years yet.. first vessel through the Straits of THE MARINE RECORD IN LITIGATION. The case of the steamer B. W. Blanchard, which has been in court ever since 1891, is just where it started. The Blanchard was in the Ogdensburg Line that season and on coming down Lake Michigan, June 10, dropped the crown sheet of her boiler and was towed into South Mani- tou Harbor in a condition that made extensive repairs necessary and practically spoiled her season. The line sued for loss of the boat and the case went to referee, who heard some testimony and then dropped the whole pro- ceeding for more than three years. Some one then spurred him up on the time he was taking and he at once rendered his decision, finding for the Ogdensburg line. The owners, Parker & Millen, demurred and claimed that the referee was not qualified to make a report, as it was quite certain that he had forgotten most of the testi- mony. On the appeal Judge Coxe sent the case to the higher court and that has now ‘sent it back for-a new trial, on the ground that it was out of court through :he delay of the referee. a ANOTHER LAKE AND RAIL LINE. The announcement that the Baltimore & Ohio Railway had arranged for its own lake line has created some sur- prise in railway circles, and complications are expected. The first boat starts on April 1, and will probably be the Mackinaw. Three steamers will ply between Fairport, Milwaukee and Chi- cago and carry cargo on through rates for the B. & O. Railroad Co. oo AIDS TO NAVIGATION. It is learned that eight new gas buoys will be place in position by the opening of navigation. The buoys were shipped from Tompkinsville, N. Y., March 22, and will be turned over to the lighthouse departinent at De- troit fully charged and ready to be placed in position. The buoys will be placed at the following points: Three at Ballard’s Reef, one ‘at the inner end of the straight channel at Toledo, one at Fisherman’s shoal, Lake Mich- igan, two at Poverty passage, Green Bay, and one on Lansing shoal. It is expected that before the close of the season there will be upwards of forty gas buoys in position on the laixes, and the expense of kceping private lights by lake carriers will be reduced. a LIFE SAVING STATION APPOINTMENTS. No. 1, Jas. White; 2, Ben Kuhlman; 3, Henry Lafond; 4, George Flaherty; 5, Peter Dionne; 6, Jos. Leclair; 7, Jos. Gauthier. : The Kewaunee Life Saving Station will go in commis- sion for the season of 1897, Thursday, April rst, at noon, and the members in charge of Capt. N. Craite, will be as follows: The following members will constitute the crew of the life saving station at Two Rivers, for the ensuing season, provided they pass the necessary requirements: Surfman No. 1, Alfred Lafond; No. 2, Antony Cayo; No. 3, Ed- watd Nequette; No. 4, Peter Gagnon; No. 5, Oma Gau- thiers; No. 6, Raymond Bavry; No. 7, August Schwaiker. Capt. Dionne wil have charge of the station The usual physical examination will take place at Two Rivers this year instead of Milwaukee, in accordance with orders from the department at Washington The station will open April T. oe CONDEMNED. The United States revenue cutter Andrew Jackson, which has done duty for nearly forty years on Lakes Michigan and Superior, is to be condemned and sold. The vessel is now lying at Milwaukee. Her present value has been appraised by a board of revenue cutter officers. As soon as the report of the Board of Survey has been turned in to the Treasury Department the vesse! will be ordered auctioned off to the highest bidder. The value set by the board of appraisement will determine the low- est figure at which the authorities will permit the vessel to be taken. The Johnson commenced her career as a revenue cutter on the lakes in 1859. She is almost as old as the Michi- gan, and like the latter vessel is a side-wheeler with a walking beam engine. Her speed is about ten knots an hour. The Johnson has rendered service to commerce on the lakes which in value would buy, it is estimated, 150 ves- gives warning by night as well.as by day. “OP SSS ssssssssssssssssessssssstsessssssessssssnssessn sels and more of her class. During the sixties, when the lake marine was made up for the most part of sailing vessels, the old Johnson pulled off the shore many a craft when tugs or other help were»miles away. The Johnson will be replaced. by the. fine new steel revenue cutter Gresham. This vessel’ was tecently built at Cleveland, and on her trial trip made over twenty miles an hour. ; ux Notice has been sent to Capt: Alfred: B. Davis that he will command the Gresham. The detail of officers for the new ship will be made out, it’ is reported, early in April. The non-commissioned officers of the Juhason, in- cluding the boatswain, gutiner, carpenter, master-at-arms, and two quartermasters, have heen transferred to the Gresham. The crew for the new cuttet will be shipped for the most part at Clevland. HODQEA Capt:. Davis will bring the Gresham to Chicago. She — will then go to Sault Ste. Marie and enforce the recent Treasury Department regulations regarding the naviga- tion of the waters at that point. For the purpose of bet- ter carrying out these orders the Gresham ‘will have as tenders two fast steam launches, each in charge of an officer. The launches will do the patrol work, taking or- ders from the Gresham as conditions require. Fr A MAGNETIC SENTINEL. Lieut. F. B. Badt has patented an electro-magnetic sen- tinel, which is designed to give warning at a distant post of the approach of a hostile warship to a submarine mine, or to explode the mine automatically. The usual method employed for coast protection-by: means” of «explosive mines has been to sink them in the waterway to be pro- tected, ordinarily in a narrow channel, and from two ob- servatories on shore, connected by telephones and tele- graph, the officers on duty follow, by means of range- finders, the movements of any hostile vessel: When the instruments indicate that the vessel is directly above’ the hidden mine, a switch is thrown which sets free an. electric current, and explodes the mine. ‘This method is) ex- pensive, as it entails keeping up two observatories, two sets of instruments, and. two or more operators. More- over, the apparatus cannot always be relied upon; it may get out of order just at the moment it is needed. It can follow the movements of only one vessel at a time, and at night, in fogs or storms, it is of little or no ‘use. 5 Lieut. Badt’s device is automatic in its action, and It is simple and direct.in.its operation, and requires-but one observa- tory, one set of instruments, and one attendant. When arrangements are made to. explode the mine automatically, the attendant can be dispensed with. An induction coil, suitably connected, is secured to the mine or torpedo, the fuse of which is fired by a powerful. electric current— switched on either automatically or at, the observatory. When the modern war vessel, heavily protected by. iron or steel armor, approaches the induction coil, there will be a magnetic disturbance which is instantly indicated. to the officer on duty at the observatory. _ He: watches the vessel, and at the proper moment closes the fuse, circuit and explodes, the mine. In case an, automatic device, is employed, the arm. of an indicator is deflected until, con- tact is made, which ¢atses the explosion. — OO Oe re The Wisconsin Central Railroad’.Company ‘-has*con- cluded arrangements” with the Great Lakes: Steamship Company whereby:a laké and rail line: is established: be- tween Buffalo, Cleveland and other Lake Erie ports:and St. Paul and Minneapolis and other points, via Mani- towoc, Wis. The Wisconsin: Central had the subject un- der advisement for some time but the establishment of the line became’ a certainity and the announcement has been made. Four first class steamers will be put into ser- vice at once. : rf ee : The German naval authorities have decided to-equip all the existing men-of-war in the German navy with ap- paratus for heating their boilers partly with oil, and the use of liquid fuel will, it is stated, be provided for in all new vessels. The oil will be stored on board in special tanks, from which it will be conducted to the furnaces by pipes, and ejected in a spray by steam. For. the storage of the liquid fuel in large quantities, reservoirs holding over 100,000 gallons have been built at Wilhelmshayen, and similar arrangements are-to be made at Kiel and Danitzic. ate bi