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~~ which connects Lakes Superior, Michigan and THE MARINE RECORD. May 25, 189 TRAFFIC ON LARGEST CANALS. “The great canals of the world and the growth of the busi- ness passing through them are discussed in a series of tables “recently published by the Treasury Bureau of Statistics, in its latest issue of thé Summary of Commerce and Finance. The business of the Suez Canal, the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal, the St. Mary’s Falls, the Welland and New York Canals, and incidentally the commerce pass- ing through the Detroit River, are given in detail for a term of years, and thus presents statistical data convenient for - those desiring to study the question of ship canals connect- ing great bodies of water. The Suez Canal shows a net tonnage of 6,576 tons in 1869, its first year; 436,609 in 1870, over 1,000,000 in 1872, more than 2,000,000 in 1875, and a steady increase until 1891, when the figures reached 8,698,777, since which time there has been comparatively little change, the figures for 1897 being slightly below those of 1896, but 33 per cent. in excess of those of 1887, and more than three times those of 1877. ‘The Kaiser Wilhelm Canal, which has been in operation but three years, shows an increase of 50 per cent. in that period in the tonnage passing through it, that of the first year after its opening being 1,505,983 and that for ‘the fiscal year ending March 31, 1898, 2,469,795. The St. Mary’s Falls Canal, connecting Lake Superior with the lower lakes, shows a more rapid gain than the Suez. The freight tonnage passing through St. Mary’s Falls Canal in r88ris given at 1,567,741, reaching more than 3,000,000 tons in 1885, more than 5,000,000 in 1887, more than 7,000, - 000 in 1889, more than 9,000,000 in 1890, more than 11,000,000 in 1892, more that 13,000,000 in 1894, and more than 18,000,000 in 1897. Incidentally the freight tonnage passing through the Detroit River, Huron with Erie and Ontario, is shown to have increased from 9,000,000 tons in 1873 to 23,900,520 in 1896, an increase in that time of 200 per cent., while the increase in the registered tonnage through St. Mary’s Falls Canal alone in that time is from 204,446 to 17,619,933. The Welland Canal tables show that the quantity of freight passed through that canal in 1880 was 819,934 tons, and in 1896 1,279,987, though compar- ing 1896 with 1872, 1873 and 1874, no increase is found, the figures of 1872 being 1,333,104, and those of 1873 1,506,484, while the tons passed from United States ports to United States ports through the Welland Canal fell from 748,557 in 1874 to 653,- 213 in 1896. ee The New York Canal tables show a steady de- crease since188o in the tons of merchandise carried to tide water. The number of tons of freight carried to tide. water on the New York canals in 1880 was ‘4,067,402, in 1890 3,024,765, and in 1897 1,878,218, while all other canals mentioned as above indicated show large gains in business meantime. The reduction of freight rates, especially on the Great Lakes and by rail, in competition with the lakes and their canals, is also shown by a series of tables. These show a material reduction in freight rates between Chicago and New York, whether carried by lake and rail, lake and canals, or by all rail, though the reduction where carried by the all-water route of lake and canals is greater than in cases where a part or all of the transportation is by rail. The average rates per bushel for wheat from Chicago to New York by lakeand canal were in 1877 11.24c per bushel; in 1887, 8.5c, and in 1897, 4.25c. Inthe combination of lake and rail freights the rate fell from 15.8c per bushelin 1877 to 12c in 1887, and 7.37c in 1897, while the all-rail freights fell from 20.3c per bushel in 1877 to 15.74c in 1887, and 12.32¢ in 1897. rr or or Action for Repairs—Evidence of _Ownership—Custom- House Register—Admiralty Decree.—In an action for re- pairs of a steamboat an entry of plaintifi’s name in a cus- tom-house book showing the registry or transfer of the boat, is inadmissible to show that plaintiff was a part owner, in the absence of evidence that he authorized the making of the entry. In such action a decree in admiralty against the boat and the papers in the proceeding are inadmissible to prove plaintiff’s ownership, where he made no appearance in the proceeding. Moynihan et al. vs. Drobaz et al., 56 Pac. Rep. (Cal.) 1026. TRIPLE SCREWS. Rear Admiral Melville’s paper on triple screws, read at the recent meeting of the Institution of Navy Architects in England, has excited much interest and discussion abroad. It is subjected, however, to the criticism that the Admiral gives neither names, dates, nor any other particu- lars in regard to the character of the ‘‘two hundred trials of nearly as many vessels” furnishing the data upon which he founds his conclusions. Chief Engineer Harold P. Norton, who read the paper, promised that the required information should be forthcoming. Admiral Melville is entirely confi- dent that his reasoning as to the triple screw problem is sound, and he has such abundant data to maintain his con- clusions that he expects in the end to convince even his critics in this matter. He is, meanwhile, meeting the usual fate of those who are in advance of others in their knowl- edge of a subject. Perbaps when the English naval officers are possessed of the data to which Admiral Melville could only refer in his brief paper, they may accept his conclu- sions. OO OO SECRETARY GAGE brought up the question, at a cabinet meeting this week, of a flag for the Cuban shipping. About Aes MR. LUTHER ALLEN. Ex-President Cleveland, Chamber of Commerce and late Secretary and ‘Treasurer of the Globe Iron Works Co. $6,000,000 worth of Cuban shipping is tied up and prevented from engaging in international trade because it has no flag to sail under, The question presents many complications and it is recognized that a great injustice is being done to the Cuban owners of ships under the existing state of affairs. Secretary Gage will confer with the Bureau of Navigation regarding the matter in the hope that some solution may be found. ee In the case of collision, stranding, etc., only one conclu- sion can be drawn, viz., that in every instance somebody is to blame, and whatever action is taken to prevent a collision under exceptional circumstances it cannot be justified if it occurs. It stands to reason that if something else had been done other results might have followed, but if it takes weeks to ponder on the pros. and cons. of acertain course that must be decided upon in a moment under considerable men- tal strain, the possibilities of a different ending should not be accepted as certainties. ‘Téhere always will be casualties at sea,on the lakes, rivers and harbors, nor should those who have been found in fault be too hardly judged. 1 NOTES. : Tur Armstrong Cork Co. have changed their local ad- dress at Pittsburg, Pa., from the Monongahela National Bank building to 23d street and Allegheny river. A CIRCULAR letter sent out from Rutland, Vt., states that Mr. Percival W. Clement has been appointed receiver for the Ogdensburg Transit Co. Mr. James G. Westbrook is ; appointed general superintendent, with E. J. Lancto as treasurer and Frank Owen general freight agent, each hay- — ing offices at Ogdensburg. The auditor, Mr. M. H. Chamberlin, has offices with the receiver, at Rutland, Vt. AN invention named the ellipsoid float has recently been submitted to the Navy Department for use on warships. It is an egg-shaped device, fire, water and burglar proof, to be used for the preservation of gold, silver and other valuables in case the vessel is wrecked. Itis designed to float under all conditions of weather, and yet is so heavy as to make it difficult to be broken in. The invention is to rest on a cra die upon the deck of the ship, and will not move until the vessel goes down, when it floats. It is so contrived that the action of the water raises a flag signal, rings a bell, and starts alight .which it is claimed will burn for several weeks. Officers who have examined it assert that it would be of great value in preserving the records of a ship in casé it wentdown. ‘The inventor hopes to have all vessels in the Navy fitted with one of these floats. : In the autumn of 1897 eight whaling vessels were caught inthe ice in the vicinity of Point Barrow. None of them had supplies to last until spring, which was the earliest date when help could” reach them. The subject was thoroughly dis~ cussed at a cabinet meeting, and the task of rescu- ing the ice-bound whalers was assigned to the reve : nue-cutter service, the officers of which had seen so much Arctic/duty. The story of the expedition is told in a most interesting narrative entitled ‘“‘ The Rescue of the Whaler,” in Harper’s Magazine for June. The article is written by Lieutenant Ell worth P. Bertholf, of the revenue-cutter Bea which vessel was assigned for the expedition. AN impression is gaining credence that the im provement of the St. Lawrence canals is bout to have a helpful influence on shipbuilding on ~ the lakes. This expectation is founded on the claim on the part of some lake ship builders that ~ they are in a position to build certain classes of steel vessels cheaper than they can be turned at the coast yards. This premise is based solely on mercantile tonnage, and should the Anglo- American commission reach an,agreement whic will permit the construction of war vessels on th Great Lakes, the prospects will be even brighter There are lake ship builders who claim that eve: should a depth of fourteen feet be unavailable thi year throughout the entire distance from the Wel land to the coast, on account of delay in comple ing the improvements, the canal will at least far enough advanced to send to the coast, withou cargoes, vessels like the Minneapolis and St. Pau and the steamers now building by the Craig Shi Building Co. of Toledo. Vessels of this kind would be especially suited to Atlantic coast trade. OO Collision—Steamers Meeting Head and Head—Signals The Catskill and the St. Johns, side-wheel steamers, met i: North river in the evening. The Catskill was going up at | speed of about 10 knots, and the St. Johns coming down a speed of about 13 knots. Both carried the regulatior lights. When about one-third of a mile apart, the Catsk gave the signal for passing to the left, which was at one contradicted by the St. Johns. Both vessels sheered to he westward, and the same signal was again given and ¥ tradicted. Both vessels then reversed, buta collision lowed almost immediately, in which the Catskill was sun Each vessel claimed that when the signals were first git the other was further to the eastward. Held, that the dence established that the vessels were approaching abo’ head and head, and the Catskill was in fault for not pas: ir to the right, as required by the rules, and also in furth violating the rules by failing to reduce speed to bare ste ageway at once, on the first contradiction of her signal, bo New Jersey, 92 Fed. Rep. (U. S.) toro.