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THE MARINE RECORD. 7 ee THE STANDARD AUTOMATIC RELEASING HOOK FOR BOATS' DAVIT FALLS. (Illustrated.) »There is now being placed upon the market an automatic releasing hook for the lower blocks of boat davit falls. The patent lays solely in the formation of the hook, nor does it require any change in the shells of the blocks or davit falls, as the present equipment, where the looks are not in use, can be utilized to advantage. This device has been fully tested in the U. S. Navy, Coast Survey, Light-House Department and Revenue Ma- rine, and testimony relative to the efficiency of the hook is given by the several government departments. It is further asserted that the self-releasing hook, being re- liably automatic, more than complies with the Revised Statutes governing steam vessels, as section 4488 R- S. says “every vessel navigating any of the Northern or Northwestern Lakes shall be provided with suitable boat disengaging apparatus, so arranged as to allow such boats to be safely launched while such vessels are under speed or otherwise, and so as to allow such disengaging appa- ratus to be operated by one person, disengaging both ends of the boat simultaneously from the tackles of which it may be lowered to the water.” This automatic releasing hook, which we have seen working admirably in model Released by the Donnelly Wrecking Co., and proceeded to Kingston without assistance. The Adelia Shores, with lumber from Menominee to Milwaukee, found the rocky reef at the northwest end of Green Island in Green Bay. Her hull suffered more or less damage from contact with the rocks. The steel steamer Katahdin, loaded with coal from Buf- falo for Duluth, ran on Big Shoal, fifteen miles east of Detour, and the rocks pierced her water bottom. The Katahdin struck while running at full speed and went out 4 feet forward. The schooner Lotus, bound to Cheboygan for _ ties, went aground on Bois Blanc Island. The barge Francombe, which went ashore at Adams Point, was released and taken to Presque Isle Harbor. The vessel was not leaking badly. About 900 tons of coal were jettisoned before the vessel was floated by the wreck- ing tug Favorite. While running at full speed the steamer Bannockburn from Toledo with corn, went on the rocks at Snake Island on Tuesday morning. It is likely that much of her cargo will be ruined. The corn is consigned to the Montreal Transportation Co., and both vessel and cargo are in- sured. Immediate assistance was sent to her. The Ban- nockburn is an English-built boat, commanded by Capt. Irvine. CRITICISING THE NAVY. Mr. W. J. Wood, for some time draughtsman at the yards of the Globe Iron Works Co., and at present with the Goodrich Co., Chicago, in writing about the sar- castic comments with reference to United States naval ves- sels, says: I, in common with many shipbuilders and marine men generally, think it is time to call a halt on such reflec- tions as appear so frequently, which tend to make a laugh- ing stock of the vessels of the White Squadron and at the same time reflect on the ability of their officers. It is well known by experts here as well as by foreigners that the United States navy, although not numerically large, has vessels as well designed, as staunchly built, and equip- ped and as efficiently handled and manned as those of any navy in the world. The few accidents that occur and are so widely chronicled are of no importance. The pub- licity given to them is no doubt the work ‘of irresponsible reporters, who are not marine men, and who, through lack of knowledge of the design, constructian and handling of large vessels, are not competent to pass judgment on any slight mishaps, but who, nevertheless, write up sensa- tional stories. It would not matter so much, perhaps, if the articles and editorials referred to appeared only in American papers, but they are copied in foreign papers form, can be released on deck, or, in fact, automatic, not even requiring the one man to operate if that may be con- sidered a merit in the hook. The maufacturers of this au- tomatic hook state as follows: We have aimed in the con- struction of this device to produce a simple and reliable detaching apparatus, one that can be relied upon at all times, made of a non-corrosive metal possessing the re- quired strength, needing no oiling or attention, and is always ready for use at a moment's notice. In the mode of reeving the falls we have made it impossible for one end to detach without the other, irrespective of which end of the boat touches the water first. The jamming or slip- ping of either end of the falls would not affect the opera- tion of the hooks so long as one end of the boat became water-borne, the tackles being rove off endless fall fashion. OO Oe THE WEEK’S STRANDINGS. Fog caused five strandings on the lakes Saturday last. The steamers Eber Ward, J. J. Hill, Adelia Shores, Katah- din and schooner Lotus. The Eber Ward ran on Whitefish Point, Lake Superior, a sandy beach, from which she succeeded in releasing her- self without damage. , The J. J. Hill fetched up on Point Peter, Lake Ontario. THE STANDARD AUTOMATIC RELEASING HOOK. The tugs Walker and Bronson left Kingston with tows of barges laden with wheat for Montreal Tuesday. They encountered a snow storm and during the gale four of the barges ran ashore at the Johnstone lighthouse. These barges have on board about 100,000 bushels of wheat. The barge Kinghorn is sunk in one hundred feet of water, an- other is half full, and the others are leaking badly. On Monday night the steamer Rosedale was driven on the rocks near Rock Island light, in the River St. Law- rence. The steamer’s wheel was broken and bottom plates badly damaged. The Rosedale is insured in the Western Insurance Co., and is owned by Haggerty & Crandell, of Toronto. 2 ORE eS URE Se cae Transportation men at the head of the lakes say they have been investigating the report that the Wisconsin Central and the Great Lakes Steamship Co. has cut the lake and rail tariff 5 cents out of Minneapolis and that they believe the report to be unfounded. They say it is a scheme of the head of the lakes millers to break the lake and rail rates. The millers deny this and say that they are just as well satisfied of the truth of the reported cut as they were last Thursday. If there was any truth in the report it is evident there is a disposition to square the matter as expeditiously as possible. as news, thereby tending to lower the prestige of our officers and the fleet. I have been on cruises of fleets and squadrons of the British and French navies and have seen accidents much more serious than those recently reported, but the daily papers, much to their credit, never report them. That is not on account of any newspaper censor- ship either. The techincal journals, edited by officers and engineers, give a clear and concise account of an accident, placing the blame as nearly as they can where it belongs and avoid sarcastic comments. Take, for example, the accident to H. M. S. Victoria, which was run down by H. M. S. Camperdown, several years ago, with the loss of so many lives. On reading. the papers at that time I found that the reports in regard to that disaster were all taken from weekly technical journals. Those journals had made a thorough investigation and had the cause of the disaster clearly reviewed. If space permitted, I could give data relating to serious accidents to vessels of foreign navies, in connection with new boiler trials, collisions, getting in- to shoal water, etc., which even marine men on this side of the water never have heard of. The same can scarcely be said of marine men abroad, who are carefully posted on the slightest mishap to Uncle Sam’s smallest torpeda boat.