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10 * THE MARINE RECORD. ESTABLISHED 1878. Published Every Thursday by THE ‘MARINE RECORD PUBLISHING CO., Incorporated. Cc. E, RUSKIN, - - - Manager. CAPT. JOHN SWAINSON, - - - Editor. THOS. WILLIAMS, Chicago, - - Associate. ~ CLEVELAND, i CHICAGO. Western Reserve Building. Royal Insurance Building. ~-- SUBSCRIPTION. One Copy, one year, postage paid, - - $2.00 ‘One Copy, one year, to foreign countries, - . $3.00 Invariably in advance. ADVERTISING Rates given on application. - All communications should be addressed to the Cleveland office. THE MARINE RECORD PUBLISHING CO., Western Reserve Building, Cleveland, 0. Entered at Cleveland Postoffice as second-class mail matter. CLEVELAND, O., APRIL 20, 1899. ee ENGINEERING WORKS IN EUROPE AND AISIERICA. -- ‘There is a marked difference between the appearance of the men emerging from an American engineering establish- ‘ment and that of those leaving the average European shop. In this respect the continental worker is in advance of the English mechanic. In many continental factories I have seen good washing appliances, which are always used by the men before leaving. In almost every respect the European proprietor pays far less attention to the surroundings and comforts of his work people than does the American manu- facturer. It is rather the exception to see a thoroughly i y heated, lighted and ventilated European machine shop. .. Fine’ mechanical production requires the best of surround- ings and the greatest comfort for the worker. Particularly is this true in working metals, as it is impos- sible to work in badly-lighted, poorly-ventilated shops, with benumbed fingers and cold feet, and turn quta really first- class product.—H. F. 1. Orcutt, in The Engineering Maga- zine for March. . 5. THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER. Between lighthouse and lighthouse there isa vast differ- ence. Some are snugly ensconced on the land, and. the keeper can open his door and walk out into his garden or orchard. ‘Others, again, are on piers or near docks, so that the keepers can hardly be regarded as cut off from the com- pany of their fellowmen..... There are outlying reefs and islets which must be legibly labelled with the kindly oe light Signal, and it is on these advanced stations where the ~ horrors of a lighthouse keeper s lot are most developed. . . To take a boat trip to an isolated lighthouse when the seas are calm and the summer sun shines warmly is one of the most delightful experiences. The landsman visitor is then imbued with the idea that, of all men’s, the lot of the light- house-keeper is the most pleasant. He is housed and fed; is not overworked; has not over much responsibility; while > ‘the view from ‘his windows is such as the king in his palace cannot attain. This is one side of the shield certainly. But even this would tire after the novelty had worn off. As Lord Bacon has pointed out, persons have shuffled off this mortal coil through sheer weariness of performing day after day the same trivial, but necessary duties. Now, the work of a lighthouse-keeper is not hardin the sense of being la- borious, but it is none the less a great strain on the physical “and mental powers, because from it there is little or no recreation or relaxation, save what sleep may bring. There are lamps to be trimmed and fed, reflectors or mirrors to be kept clean and well polished; while the fog-signaling ap- paratus must also be attended to, if the light station is so equipped. Then there is the log and weather report, etc., to be written up, and over and above all these duties, it must be remembered that the lighthouse-keepers are their own cooks, house, and laundry-maids, so that over and above professional work, domestic duties have also to be performed. But the operations of the lighthouse and its menage do not absorb the whole of the keeper’s energies, either physically or mentally, and, unless a man has a hobby. he is, when not working, eating or sleeping—moping and thus becoming demoralized. To many lighthouse men the solace and companionship of books is a dead letter. “Watching in a lighthouse does not require much scholarship, and many of us are just scholars enough to read our news- paper,’’ was the remark of an old keeper who had spent the best years of his life in the service. Deadly dull, therefore, expressive phrase though it is—fails to do justice to the un- manning effects of a two-months’ spell of isolated lighthouse duty on the average man. And, if this is the case during normal conditions of weather, imagine the fearful nature of the extra strain induced by a protracted duration of fog. There is not much to be seen in the way of variety from a lighthouse lantern chamber at any time, but, when fog shuts down and blots out the seascape, even' preventing the in- habitants of these exposed eyries from seeing the surface of the ocean, when all is obscured save palpable, yet impalp- able mist, the sense of utter isolation must be overpowering in the extreme. une Baie ene? Gh Se MIRAGE ON LAKE SUPERIOR. An interesting and possibly instructive characteristic regarding the physical geography of the lakes and more particularly relating to weather conditions, or the study of hydrography, is the mirage which so often forms when the extraordinary refraction caused by certain states or stages of the atmosphere undergoes when strata of air of different densities extend above each other. Mirage is popularly known as ‘‘the loom’’ among seamen, or rather that is the next and nearest thing to it. Mirage usually reflects objects at a great height besides doubling or inverting the image. - There are various parts of the world where the mirage is most marked and characteristic of the localities, such as for instance, the straits of Messina, African deserts, and other places, including the lakes. Refraction which, as we have said, is the principal or visible cause of mirages, may be tersely explained as a quantity by which a body appears above its true place in the heavens, actually an inflection of the rays of light, ora property in the atmosphere which bends the rays of light in their passage to the eye, especially when near. the horizon. There may, ot may not be, some significance regarding these mirageson the lakes at various seasons of the year, and as we now have branch Hydrographic offices as well as a multiplicity of Weather Bureau stations at all available points, the marine community should look to these possible experts for a thorough understanding and explanation of the causes which lead up and bring about the natural phenomena. Let us quote a report from Lake Superior as follows: ‘‘A most remarkable mirage over the south shore of the lake was to be seen yesterday afternoon between 2 and 3 o’clock. The whole of the coast line appeared elevated to a height of 100 feet in the air, and every tree. seemed to stand out dis- tinctly. The light-house at the Superior entry appeared to the observer to be a gigantic structure, and Park Point was plainly discernible from the city hall. Toward midnight a few heavy drops of rain fell, the shower being followed by a brilliant display of sheet lightning. These, the old timers say, are a sure presage of coming spring weather. It is said that the old Lake Superior men firmly believe that no open water will be seen until there has been a thunderstorm in the spring. The concurrence of a mirage on the lake is also considered to bea precursor of heavy weather, generally in the shape of a nor’easter.”’ It will now be in order for our hydrographic and weather bureau scientists to explain the apparently physical phe- nomena, ror oe Our thanks are due the Buffalo Merchants’ exchange for a copy of its annual report including statistics of the trade and commerce of Buffalo for 1898, as compiled by Charles H. Keep, secretary. The report seems to contain less data than was published for many years by the late secretary, Mr. Thurston (deceased), nor does the contents furnish the ex- cellent statistical value of former issues, besides, it appears to be somewhat discriminatory in its tabulation contents. OO Ol Se THE Tonawanda Iron and Steel Co. is negotiating for two additional vessels, said to be a steamer and towbarge. Apri, 20, 1899. SHIPBUILDING AT THE COAST YARDS. The Enoch Moore & Sons Co., Wilmington, Del., has — received a contract to build a steam. barge for Capt. R.W. | Lute, of Hainesport, N. J., for service’ in New York. harbor. The general hull dimensions are to be 125 feet long, 24 feet beam and 8% feet deep, and to be finished by the. first of July. The keel for the steamship which will be cousin at the shipyards of the Harlan & Hollingsworth Co., Wilming- ton, Del., for the Winsor line, has been placed in position. The stem for the steamship Ponce, building for the Puerto Rico Steamship Co., is being bent and . will be placed in po sition in a few days. The new angle iron furnace, 69 feet in length, and the new plate iron furnace recently con- structed are about ready for operation. The plate furnace is 21 feet in length by 7 feet in width. Both furnaces are situated west of the big crane and will be placed in operation next week. Thomas C. Munn, lifeboat builder, Wilmington, Del., has many contracts for lifeboats. About 10 boats are now lying in the yard awaiting the completion of others under way to finish an order and fill two cars. Among the contracts are eight metallic 24-foot boats for New York steamers; 12 metallic boats 22 feet in length for the Great: Lakes; two boats of cedar for the United States government, each cop- per fastened; one whaleboat' 27 feet in Jength'to be equipped with center board and sail; a rowboat 16' feet im length; 20 metallic boats running from 12 to 18 feet in length for dif- ferent steamship lines. One metallic boat -was’ shipped to Philadelphia last week. Work will be started in a few days on three handsome mahogany boats for a New York yacht club. ‘The boats are to be constructed of the best material and no expense is to be spared in making them the finest that can be produced. The boats will consist of a gig 26 feet in length, a cutter. 18 feet in length and a dinghy 15 feet long. We do not know whether that new slit baias will come to Chester, but it seems the old one is doing pretty well. One day last week Senator Sproul came home with a contract for a $200,coo ship in his pocket, and the next day his father-in-law, John B. Roach, closed a contract for: the two largest ships that have ever been coristructed i in ig yard.— West Chester Republican. Capt. George McClain, of Rockport; Mass., recently com- pleted the design for a new schooner yacht fr Major Luther S. Bent, of Philadelphia, a summer resident of Annisquam. The yacht will doubtless be a speedy’ and beautiful craft, the designer having given special attention to these points. The new craft will be 52 feét over all; '14 feet 9 inches beam, 7 feet depth of hold and 6% feet ‘draught:’ She will bea pretty and valuable addition to the pleasure fleet of Cape Ann. Capt. McClain has also’finished a model of a 4o-ton fishing schooner to be built by John Bishop for Capt. Manual D. Grace. The dimensions are'76 feet over all, 20 feet beam and 7% feet depth of hold. A. R. Merrill, of the Merrill-Stevens inkgiheering Co., Jacksonville, Fla., has just returned from-Tampa, where he closed a contract with the Plaht Steamship Co. to build a new steamer for the Tampa Bay and Manatee river trade. The vessel will have a steel hull, 120 feet’ long; 21 feet beam, 3% feet draught, and will be of thé side-wheel pattern, and with inclined engine. Work will be begun on her in the yards inthis city at once, and completed in five months. The cost of the steamer will be about $30,000. The new ferryboat now under construction at the yard of William McKie in East Boston to the order of the Boston, Revere, Beach & Lynn Railroad, will bear the classic name of Darmouth on her paddle boxes. She is nearing comple- tion, and it is expected that she will’be in commission some time in May. She is practically of the same dimensions as the other boats of the line, the’ only difference being an additional length of six feet and a somewhat broader beam. It is the intention of the company to retain the Swampscott and the City of Lynn in its service, keeping one of the three — in reserve during the summer months. The two new ships for the American Hawaiian line, to be built at Roach’s shipyard, will each have! but one smoke stack and two pole masts: They will likely be known as the Cape Horn, and the Magellan. The new steamer for the N. V.P.& N.R. R., to replace the Cape Charles, will have two smokestacks. She will be known as the Pennsy!- vania. The Jefferson, of the old Dominion line was ~ launched at Roach’s shipyard. on Saturday last. _, if The New York Board of Docks and Ferries has just \ awarded to the Gas Engine & Power Co., of Morris Heights, the contract for building the department’s new boat. The boat is to cost $59,500. She will be 110 feet long, 21 feet beam, and 12 feet deep. She will be a sister boat of the Pier, F b; 4 Ea