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12 THE MARINE RECORD. Avucust 3, 1899. Almy’s Patent Sectional WATER TUBE BOILERS. Pintsch Gas Lighted Buoys. NOW USED IN 21 Passenger Boats from 70 to 160 ft. long. 61 Steam Yachts from 50 to 180 ft. long. U. S. TORPEDO BOAT «STILETTO.”’ Numerous freight and fishing steamers, launches and stationary boilers are giving most excellent results, ALMY WATER TUBE BOILER CoO., 178-184 Allens Ave., near Rhodes St., PROVIDENCE, R. I. Adopted by the English, German, French, Russian, Italian, and United States Light-House Departments for channel and harbor lighting. Over 800 gas buoys and gas beacons in service, Burn Continuously from 80 to 365 days and nights without atten- tion, and can be seen a distance of six miles. Controlled by THE SAFETY CAR HEATING AND LIGHTING Co. 160 Broadway, New York City. WHAT CONSTITUTESAN EFFECTIVE BLOCKADE. In case of the steamship Olinde Rodrigues the Supreme Court of the United States passed upon the very interesting question, What constitutes an effective blockade? The ves- sel in question was captured by the United States armed cruiser New Orleans while attempting to enter the blockaded port of San Juan, Porto Rico, on the morning of July 17, 1898. The claimants for the discharge and restitution of the steamship contended that the blockade of San Juan at the time of the capture of the Olinde Rodrigues was not an effective, blockade, and that the vessel was not violating the blockade when seized. The District Court rendered an opinion Dec. 13, 1898, holding that the blockade of San Juan was not effec- tive, and entered a decree ordering the restitution of the ship to the claimants. From this decree the United States appeal- ed to the Supreme Court, and the latter tribunal found itself uuable to concur with the learned district judge in the con- clusion that the blockade was not effective, holding that a ves- sel actually captured in attempting to enter a blockaded port, after warning entered on her log by a cruiser off that port only a few days before, cannot dispute the efficiency of the force to which she was subjected; in other words, that an effective blockade is one that is so effective as to make it dangerous in fact for vessels to attempt to enter the blockad- ed port. Following out this view of the case, it was held that the effectiveness of a blockade is not tobe determined by the number of blockading force, for if a single modern cruiser blockading a port renders it in fact dangerous for other craft to enter the port the blockade is practically effec- tive—all of which appears to be common sense as well as good law. Chief Justice Fuller, who wrote the opinion, well re- marked that in this case the vessel had been actually warned twelve days before her seizure, and that no reason existed for the supposition that the blockade had been pretermitted or relaxed; under these circumstances her commander had no right to experiment as to the practical effectiveness of the blockade, and if he did so he took the risk. ro oo CAUSES OF EARTHQUAKES. The cause of earthquakes was the subject chosen by M. Stanislas Meunier for a recent lecture at the Paris Museum of Natural History. Starting from the received hypothesis that the earth is cooling, though slowly and without con- densation, that it is formed by a liquid nucleus, surrounded by a solid crust, and that contraction due to cooling causes cracking, fissures, and large faults, the lecturer pointed out that these clefts and faults receive hydrated rocks which, through the action of gravity or successive glidings approach the roof of the underground excavations, and at last fall to the bottom of these abysses, formed of hot and anhydrous rocks.- On coming into contact with the burning mass at the bottom the local temperature of which is still further raised by the impact, the water of hydration contained in the blocks is instantaneously converted into steam, produc- ing dynamic effects of great intensity. The enormous mass of steam thus formed at a very high temperature causes the weaker portion of the earth’s crust to fallin, opening the craters of extinct volcanoes or giving them fresh activity, and drawing along the lateral or subja- cent matters. I: the submarine bottom be thus raised, one of those terrible tide rushes is produced, which penetrate so far and so violently inland, devastating and carrying away with them all that they encountered in their stidden return. The shock may be more or less intense and extend toa greater or less distance, according to the depth or fall and the amount of vaporization, but, wherever these effects are felt, the surface undergoes changes of condition or position which are registered by the seismograph and other ingeni- ous instruments. An illustration of the lateral displacement of the surface was given by M. Meunier, who showed, pro- jected on ascreen, photographs of a railway train overturned laterally, and of a line of rails which had assumed a sinuous curve, in consequence of an earthquake shock. a BIDS FOR GOVERNMENT WORK. Bids were opened at Duluth, Minn., on July 22, for re- moval of revetment work in the upper canal, Portage Lake Ship Canals, Mich., by Major C. B. Sears, Corps of En- gineers, U. S. A. Messrs. Powell & Mitchell, Marquette, Mich., were the highest bidders, at $16,580, and John Mc- Callum, Hancock, Mich., the lowest, at $7,815. Other bids varied as follows: Porter Bros., Duluth, $10,987; Alex. Sang, Duluth, $11,631; Frank Campbell, Duluth, $8,890; Hugo & Tims, Duluth, $9,402 and Edward J. Hingston, Buffalo, $12,823. The McCallum bid being the lowest Major Sears recommended its acceptance. For repairs to the breakwater at Ashland, Wis., Major Sears opened the bids on July 28, and found that Peter P. Ferguson, Ashland, Wis., was the lowest bidder, $10,896 for the entire work. Messrs Belknap Bros., Ashland, Wis., being the highest at $14,820. The other bids were H. Assels- tine, Ashland, $11,640 and Hugo & Tims, Duluth, $11,073. The contract will probably be awarded to Peter P. Ferguson as the lowest responsible bidder. EE LAKE STORMS IN AUGUST. BY ALFRED J. HENRY, CHIEF OF DIVISION. » The perils of navigation in summer due to causes con- nected with the weather are mainly those of fog and squall winds. The latter almost invariably occur in connection with thunderstorms. Thunderstorms develop on warm, sul- try days, generally with a falling barometer. The approach of a thunderstorm can generally be foretold by the barom- eter and the appearance of the sky. The violence of the squall winds also can in a measure be foretold by noting the color of the storm cloud and its elevation above the lake surface. Dark green or olive colored clouds indicate severe squall winds, especially when near the surface of the water or ground. or or oe BYE GONE CANALS. The recent report of the sale of the Delaware & Hudson canal, running from Rondout, N. Y., to Honesdale, Pa., added one more to the long list of State canals which have given way to the advance of railroads. The general disap- pearance of canals, notably during the past twenty years, is due largely to the decision of the Inter-State Commerce Commission in June, 1887, recognizing competition of water rates as justification for the suspension of short hauls and also to the enormous increase in river navigation. In speaking of the gradual disappearance of canals, for- mer Governor Hoadley said: ‘‘Canals are a back number. There are local exceptions, as, for instance, in some of the coal districts, where it is entirely practicable to trans- port coal by canals. But without exception as to passen- gers, and with very few exceptions as to freight, the canals are gradually being driven out of existence by the railroads. In Ohio the White River canal, which ran into Cincinnati, and the Lebanon canal are discontinued. The Miami still continues, but it runs parallel to half a dozen lines, and it is of no account.’’ © or or ior WRECK AND CASUALTY REPORT FROM JUNE 16 TO JULY 15. BY NORMAN B. CONGER, LOCAL FORECAST OFFICIAL AND MARINE AGENT. June 29: Steamer Margaret Olwill, loaded with lime- stone, Kelley’s Island for Cleveland, was caught in heavy northeaster, and in attempting to come about and run with the gale, the wheel chains parted and the vessel foundered eight miles off Lorain, carrying down eight of the twelve persons on board. Total loss; estimated value of vessel, $11,000 ; cargo, $1,500; total, $12,500. The four survivors were rescued by the steamers State of Ohio and Sacramento. July 4: Steamer Majestic stranded in Bailey’s Harbor, Lake Michigan, during very dense fog; estimated dam- ages, $3,000. July 5: Steamer Geo. T. Hope stranded at North Point, Milwaukee, during dense fog ; damages nominal. July 8: Steamer Sequin (Canadian) was driven ashore near Ashtabula during heavy southwest gale. Amount of damages not reported. Schooners Warmington and Sophia Minch, in tow of steamer John C. Glidden, broke loose from towing steamer, in heavy southwest gale and went ashore five miles west of Ashtabula. ‘July 11: Steamer Osceola stranded at Detour ‘during dense fog, and released without damage. Steamer EK. W. Oglebay stranded between Round and Bois Blanc Islands during heavy fog. Floated after jettisoning a portion of the cargo. Hull damaged by rocks. July 13: Steamer Lizzie Madden stranded at Sand Island, Apostle Group, during dense fog; released with nominal damages. The reports of amount of damages in the above cases have not yet been accurately ascertained, and will be reported in a later issue. —-—_—_—————— Dh OE SS VISIBLE SUPPLY OF GRAIN As compiled for Tak MARINE RECORD, by George F. Stone Secretary Chicago Board of Trade. Corn. CITIES WHERE WHEAT. OaTs. RYE, BARLEY STORED, Bushels. | Bushels. | Bushels. | Bushels. | Bushels, Buffalo: age 1,520,000] 909,000} 185,000] 29,000] 114,000 Chicago: iis ascis 5,720,000} 3,I0I,00c| 1,092,000 277,000 57,000 Detroit AN i es at 273,000 29,000 9,000 “000 : Duluth este 4,325,000 324,000 ,000] 22.000] 76,00 Bort wien, Ont..| 1,720,000]... .. A Bel eres aon St ar oe Milwaukee.......... 58,000 ROO | se Se | een Ch aaa ae Port Arthur, Ont.... 150,000]..... 2 She NINE See ae. ees: Toledo. ae 1,435,000 723,000 32,000 21600) ge MOFORtO shi sca 68,000 ied 10,000 eel alos 13,000 OniCanal oo ike SOG OOO de aauee aen 546,000] .......... ‘000 On: Tawes ok 429,000 985,000 162,000 26,000 0, 000 Grand Total..... 36,019,000] 11,646,000 000 Corresponding Date, ' : Ate ais a L8OS ii erreak 9,993,000) 17,575,000! 3,440,000 305,000 343,000 TUCHORREG. oes0 oc: 6,090 PRE ee Ed ee ee DACTERSe ei ae ee a 1,681,000 905,000 24 000 ae 297,000 While the stock of grain at lake ports only is here given, the total shows the figures for the entire country except the Pacific Slope. ene