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40 THE MARINE RECORD. CHICAGO Nautical School, F.W. WHEELER & COMPANY, BUILDERS OF ALL KINDS OF 20 MICHIGAN AVE., CHICAGO. A Full and Complete Course of Instruction in Lake and Ocean Navigation. Candidates re- pared for Examinations before Local Inspectors. Iron, Steel, ana * Wooden Ships GREAT LAKES REGISTER PRIZES, TWO PRIZES, $50; SIX $25. Students may begin at any time. SEND FOR CIRCULAR. =F RONTIE Societe Anonyme De Veluwe, (A NEW COMPOSITION FOR USE ON LAND AND SEA.) JAPAN PAINTS : ALL COLORS! a Brilliancy, Glossiness and Dura- bility, it has NO EQUAL. Where applied the surface be- comes coated as with glass, resisting the influence of weather, water (fresh or: salt), keeping its gloss for years. The American Greyhounds and other crack Ocean Steamers, and numerous Yachts are painted with it. For all kinds of House Painting (Indoors and Outdoors) Railroad, Tramcars, Wagons and all kinds of Iron Struc- tures and Machinery ; ; in fact, everywhere and everything where you want something BEAUTIFUL and LASTING. EDWARD A. BUNKER Sole Agent, 27 and 29 WILLIAM ST.. NEW YORK. » i | IRON Always Tight. C os neath : Ss? BPD Put up in Boxes. 16-24 Woodward Ave., DETROIT, MICH. WORKS, Detroit Mich. MARINE ENGINES. Leaves the Stem Clean. Write us for Testimonials. FOR LAKE OR OCEAN SERVICE. West Bay / City, Mich. H. T. WICKES, V. P. C. W. STIVER, Sec’y. F. W. WHEELER, Pres. J. S. PORTER, Treas. HERCULES: (MBINATICN MEFALLICSTOP-VALVE PACKING Patented and-Manufactured Exclusively by PEERLESS RUBBER MFG. CoO., 16 Warren Street, New York. 1937195 Bank St., CLEVELAND, O. 202-210 S. Water St., CHICAGO, ILL. ST. MARY’S FALLS CANALS. ‘The season of 1897 was one of unprecedented growth in Lake Superior commerce and cargoes to the amount of 18,- 982,755 tons passed through the two great ship canals of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and Ontario, the estimated value of the commodities carried being approximately $250,000, - ooo, These commodities were carried by craft with an aggregate registered tonnage of 17,619,933. The banner year in canal history, 1896, was exceeded by 2,743,694 tons, the largest increase in any one year since the great water-ways were constructed around St. Mary’s Falls. Aside from April, the opening month, and December, when the canals closed, the monthly traffic exceeded 2,000,000 tons,-and frequently exceeded the total traffic of 1882, which amounted to 2,020,- 521 tons, Nothing could more strikingly show the magni- tude and rapidity of growth of the Great Lakes commerce, - The increase in registered tonnage over 1896 was 370,515. The number of passages was 1,444 less, owing to the greater carrying capacity of the vessels since the deepening of -the channels. ‘The canals were open 238 days this year. Dur- ing the fourteen days of traffic in December, 6,076,433 bushels of wheat and 1,458,124 bushels of other grain were carried through, the total freight amounting to 432,959 tons, a record breaker for the month of December. OOOO 8. EE A VALUABLE AND WELL DESERVED PRESEN- TATION. They seem to appreciate a life well spentin the service of a firm or company of ship-owners ina much greater degree on the other side of the pond than on this side, judging from a recent report contained in the Liverpool Journal of Com- merce, and duly mentioned in other foreign periodicals re- ceived by the RECORD. In this instance the senior master in the employ of the company was about to retire from sailing, and during his active service had so gained the esteem of those who had sailed with him that he was presented with an illuminated address, a marble clock, anda case of silver. The presentation consisted of a complete suite of massive silver dinner service, spoons, forks, etc., in the old English pattern, enclosed in a dark oak case, each piece being en- graved with the captain’s crest, also a magnificent dining- room clock in black marble, with bronze mountings, and an illuminated framed sara 4 The clock is adateloa’ in the pure Greek style of classic art, being a reduced model of the celebrated Acropolis temple at Athens. Two Greek Carya- tide figures support the entablature, and there are bas- reliefs on either side of the dial, representing an ancient sacrificial offering. The clock is of massive proportions. A silver shield on a moulding at base bears the following in- scription ; ‘‘Presented to Captain Alexander McQueen by his fellow employes, on his retirement after 37 years’ service in the Isle of Man Steampacket Company.’’ It is not so stated but the inference is drawn that he was also superannuated by the steamboat company, for whom he had worked suc- cessfully for a life time. IN WINTER MOORINGS. The vessels laid up for the winter at Gladstone, Mich., are are as follows: Barges Thomas Gawn and,Teutonic, steamers J. C. Gilchrist, Appomattox, City of Naples, J. A. Wright, and the tug Martin Swain. oo oo A LARGE SHIPBUILDING ORDER. The New York and Cuba Mail Steamship Company has completed a contract with the William Cramp Ship and Engine Building Company, Philadelphia, for, five new 5,000-tons sixteen-knots twin-screw steamers. The plans of the proposed ships fully meet the government requirements for second-class auxiliary cruisers. One hundred and fifty first and second and from 100 to 150 steerage pasengers can be carried. Next to the St. Louis and St. Paul these will be the largest merchant steamers ever built in the United States. oD | oOo WINTER FLEET AT ASHTABULA. Steamers, C. H. Bradley, Corsica, Corona, German, Fred Kelley, Skater and Saxon; schooners, Mary Woolson, Brightie and Sandusky ; barges, 201, 1o1, 130 and 132, and steam scows, Youghiogheny and Geo. B. Raser. ‘This is the smallest winter fleet that Ashtabula has had in years. ‘The local fleet of tugs, scows, etc., bring the total up to 24 steam craft. oro rr THE increase in the lake receipts of anthracite coal for the season of 1897, as compared with 1896, as compiled by the bureau of coal statistics, is 85,922 tons. the figures are 1,312,693 tons for 1896 and 1,233,771 tons for 1897. NOTES. ‘THE Tennessee Coal and Iron Railroad Company and the Sloss Iron and Steel Company, of Birmingham, Ala., shipped last week 5,000 tons of Alabama pig iron to Kobe aud Yoko- hama, Japan. A trial shipment of Alabama iron made to Japan several months ago, gave such satisfaction that ex- tensive orders are resulting, this shipment being the first of a series, Mr. CHARLES R. FLIN’, of the celebrated oereoe house of Charles R. Flint & Co., New York, says that the export of manufactured goods, especialy in iron and steel, is to be credited with bringing the aggregate value of this nation’s 2 exports for 1897 above the record of any previous year in our history. The exports will materially exceed a value of bil- lion dollars and examination of details, Mr. Flint says the character of the exports is as gratifying as the aggregate value. Nowhere has there been such a change in the nature of our trade as in iron and steel. The value of imports of iron and steel in 1897 was less then half the value of 1891 and the exports were about twice as great. Apropos of the recent stranding in the North Sea of a wooden schooner buil as far back as 1793, the Nautical Ma- gazine for December remarks that the Truelove, of 285 tons, built in the United States in 1764, lasted for 124 years. A brig, the Amphitrite, built in 1776 was turned into a coal hulk abouth 112 years later. Then there is the Robert, built in 1775, and still heading up for port after over 115 years’- hard work. The convict ship Success was built of teak, in 1790, at Malmain, and came to England from Australia when over a hundred years old. Of warships, the good old Victory dates from 1765, built at Chatham; and United States Consti- tuion has completed her centenary in state this year, having been built at Boston, Mass., in 1797. The Herefordshire and the Earl of Balcares, teak ships built in India, were more than a hundred years old on retirement. CASSIER’S MAGAZINE OF ILLUSTRATED ENGINEERING has in its January number following articles: ‘The Largest Steamship Afloat.’’ A complete description of the record breaker, ‘‘Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse,” by Gustay H. Schwab. ‘‘American Cable Ways in Open-Pit Mining,” by Spencer Miller, M. Am. Soc. C. E. ‘The Blight of Trade Unionism,’? by Benjamin Taylor, F. R. G.S. ‘Dustless Buildings,’”’ The use of filtered air for hearing and ventilat-