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ESTABLISHED 1878. Z Zz VOL. XXII, No. 9. CLEVELAND---MARCH 1, 1900---CHICAGO. $2.00 Per Year. 5c. Single Copy LAKE CARRIERS’ ASSOCIATION. To consider and take action upon all general questions relating to the navigation and carrying business of the Great Lakes, maintain necessary shipping offices and in general to protect the common interests of Lake Car. tiers, and improve the character of the setvice rendered to the public. PRESIDENT. W. C. FARRINGTON, Buffalo. 1ST VICE-PRESIDENT. : Cart J. G. KEITH, Chicago. SECRETARY. CHARLES H. KEEP, Buffalo. TREASURER. GEORGE P. McKay, Cleveland. COUNSEL. HARVEY D. GouLDER, Cleveland. EXECUTIVE AND FINANCE COMMITTEE. JAMES CORRIGAN, Chairman, Cleveland. COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATION. GisBson L, DovucrLas, Chairman, Buffalo. COMMITTEE ON AIDS TO NAVIGATION. GEORGE P. McKay, Chairman, Cleveland. CANADIAN OUTLETS TO THE COAST. Canada’s progress in transportation facilities has been un dergoing lively debate in the Parliament at Ottawa during the last few days. A member from the Georgian Bay dis- trict introduced a resolution which objectsto developing the St. Lawrence canal route at the expense of the railway routes established via the Georgian Bay. Early in the debate a member from the Lake Ontario dis- trict opposed the outlay of money at Port Colborne, saying that if Montreal had harbor facilities the grain could be transhipped at Buffalo and sent to Montreal as easily as to New York. Mr. McMullen said that the Georgian Bay route is becom- ing the most principal outlet for Western produce, and the interests of that district should be carefully considered. .He admitted the efficiency of the railroads for carrying the grain, but contended that the railways ever endeavor to maintain as high freight rates as possible, while boats hold rates down. Mr. Haggarty, Ex-Minister of Public Works, said the scheme which he most approved of is the Ottawa and Georgian Bay ship canal,via French and Ottawa rivers. He declared this canal would give a system of navigation superior to any other from the Great Lakes to the seaports. He said there need be no fear that Canadian interests would be injured by the out- flow of water from the lake into the Chicago drainage canal, which would be recognized in international as in’ common law. He held that the outflow of all the lakes ought to be regulated by the erection of obstructions at the mouth of each lake to secure the economic operation of the canal sys- tem. He assured the present Minister of Public Works of his support in any proposal to improve the facilities at Mon- treal harbor. With respect to Port Colborne, he was not of the same opinion. Mr. Poupore of Pontiac approved of the improvements in Montreal harbor, but did not approve of the Port Colborne works. He spoke for some time upon the Ottawa and Geor- gian Bay ship canal, which, he said, wasa waterway given us by Divine Providence. He appealed for support for it on national grounds. DO OO THE Davies Dry Dock Co., Kingston, Ont., have the con- tract to build a steamboat, 70 feet long, for a Rat Portage firm. She will be compieted in time for the opening of navi- gation. AMERICAN PIG IRON PRODUCTION. Mr. Swank, general manager of the American Iron and Steel Association, publishes in the Bulletin complete statis- tics of the production of all kinds of pig iron in the United States in 1899; also complete statistics of the stocks of pig iron which were on hand and for sale on December 31, 1899. Twenty-one states made pig iron in 1899 against nineteen in 1897 and 1898. The total production in 1899 was 13,620,703 gross tons, against 11,773,934 tons in 1898, an increase of 1,846,769 tons, or nearly sixteen per cent. The following table gives the total production of pig iron in the United States in the last twenty-one years: Years. Gross Tons Years. Gross Tons. US7O oon see Sac ZTAL OSB ML SGO. cote aay 9,202,703 Iolo oentbires ee” vane SSS 5 LOMISOL seca ees 8,279,870 sifste) Ean Aner eng te ea AAA 254s SOQ. secs en 9,157,000 TBO2 mess sees AsO23 323) TOOR a ceca 7,124,502 TBOBi ee pete ea 4,595,510 ||\1804 ccs ea eee 6,657,388 NOOAc thee 4,097; 868: NWTSQ5s veacicnes ees 9,446, 308 LOSS Mrcnre cries 450445 526:)| T8062. ese acces 8,623,127 HOSOU se eterrel ce BiOS3. 320 1 TOO Tans ces nels meats 9,652,680 TOOT Conan: G47, TASH | ESOS se. Soe ea 11,773,934 T9885 sss 6,489,738) || SUSO9h se cae 13,620,703 TOSQts ences tees 7,603,642 The production in the second half of 1899 was more than a million tons greater than in the first half. oo or or PRICE OF STEEL ARMOR. The present indications are that the House Committee on Naval Affairs will include in the Naval Appropriation bill, which it will shortly report to the House, a provision author- izing the purchase of the best quality of armor at a cost of not more than $545 a ton. In response to requests for in- formation as to the price paid for armor by foreign nations, Admiral O’Neil stated that the Japanese paid French armor makers more than $700 a ton for the armor for the cruiser Adzuma, and that the price a ton abroad was $600 and above. ore or BIDS FOR A LIGHT-HOUSE TENDER. The bids for the steel, steam light-house tender Heather were opened on Feb. 20 in the office of the Naval Superin- tendent of the Light-House Board. The tender is to be de- livered at the buoy depot of Astoria, Ore., within twelve cal- endar months after the signing of contract by the Secretary of the Treasury. The bids were as follows: Townsend & Downey Shipbuilding and Repair Co., Produce Exchange, New York city, $112,500; Moran Bros., Seattle, Wash., $109,872; Wolf & Zwicker Iron Works, Portland, Ore., $139, 000. a ———————— THE first meeting of the Grand Council of the National Association of Marine Engineers of Canada took place recently at the Albion Hotel. The object of the association, which is intended to include all the marine engineers from the Atlantic to the Pacific, is to promote the interests of the engineers, to advance the standards, and see that none but those duly qualified according to law be employed in that capacity. Its intention is thus to protect passengers and the property of the steamship companies from allrisks. Several questions of interest to the calling were discussed, and the following officers were appointed: Grand president, D. L. Foley, Toronto; grand vice-president, Wm. I. Barton, St. John, N. B.; grand secretary-treasurer, S. A. Mills, chief engineer Toronto Ferry Co., Toronto; grand conductor, Jas, A. McCarthy, Montreal; grand auditors, J. Fred. William- son and G. T. G. Blewett, St. John, N. B. The constitution which will govern the society was adopted, and the meeting went on to discuss the by-laws. The next annual meeting will be held at St. John, N. B., in January, Igor. POPULAR NOTES ON THE HEAVENS FOR MARCH. (Communicated. ) March is not generally supposed to be an ideal month for observing the heavens, as cloudsand storms are wont to pre- vail at that time. When one is shut in it may be helpful to remember that beyond the clouds the stars are always shin- ing and when the clouds and storms have passed the stars are all the brighter because the storm has clarified the at- mosphere. The brilliant constellations that have been especially con- spicuous in the evening skies of February will lose but little of their beauty during March, but from that time on they will gradually fade, when seen through a greater depth of atmosphere as they slowly sink toward the western horizon. Leo, whose distinguishing features are the sickle and right angled triangle, will increase in beauty during the month as he approaches the meridian in the early evening. Certainly any one at all interested in the stars will be glad to welcome the return of the beautiful Arcturus in Bootes, to our evening sky once more. At present it does not be- come conspicuous in the north-eastern heavens till after nine o’clock, but before the close of the month it may be seen in the earlier evening hours. Ursa Major is still climbing the northern heavens and the great dipper is especially conspicuous. Closely following the Great Bear is the lone star Cor Caroli of the Hunting Dogs, a beautiful double when seen through a telescope. The Great Nebula in Orion is still a beautiful object in the field of a telescope on a dark, clear night. Under like conditions the star cluster in Perseus is surpassingly beautiful. Mercury will reach his greatest eastern elongation from the sun, 18 degrees and 16 minutes, March 8th, and may be seen for a few evenings before and after that date if the at- mospheric conditions are favorable. Venus is the queen of beauty in our evening sky and rules without a rival, Sheis still approaching the earth and at the close of the month will be in round numbers sixteen millions of miles nearer to us than at the beginning and will then be much brighter than at present, though she can now be seen in full daylight if one knows just where to look for her. She is now in her gibbous phase and not especially interesting when seen through a telescope. Mars will be invisible during March as his time of rising is almost coincident with that of the sun. Jupiter is still in Scorpio and will rise before midnight near the close of the month and once more be classed as evening star. He is near the meridian at dawn and is the brightest star in the morning heavens. Saturn isin Sagittarius, the only first magnitude star in the south-eastern heavens in the morning. Still the day- light is driving back the darkness, and on March 20th, the twenty-four hours will be about equally divided between the contending forces. At no time is the equality exact. From that date the sun wilkbe north of the celestial equator and there will be more daylight than darkness in the coming months. The 20th also marks the beginning of spring. In the early days of February a group of spots came into view by the Sun’s rotation, but at their first appearance it was evident that they were on the decline. For several days they con- tinued to fade and when about midway in the transit they disappeared entirely. Since that time no spots have been observed upon the sun by the writer. Toledo, Ohio D. SATTERTHWAITE. Ole ON Feb. 20, the U. S. first-class battleship Kearsarge was placed in commission, with Captain W. M. Folger in com- mand, This vessel is the first of the new class with super- posed turrets.