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MARCH 22, I900. THE MARINE RECORD. STEAM TOWING MACHINES. In 1888, T. Jackson Shaw, of Wilmington, Del., andj. M. Spiegle, of Philadelphia, invented an arrangement for tow- ing which they patented soon after, and built and put into immediate operation on two different vessels—an arrange- ment for equalizing the strains on a hawser in towing— which has proved to be perfectly reliable, safe and economi- cal under all circumstances and under all conditions of tow- ing. The machines that they built at that time have been in constant and successful operation ever since. In 1893, the American Ship Windlass Co., obtained the control of this invention and built one of these machines for the Chicago Fair; and John Corrigan, of Cleveland, having had a practical experience in towing, seeing the advantages of this invention and approving of the design, ordered one for the steam barge Aurora, which was in successful opera- tion as long as the vessel was afloat. Four years afterwards, in 1897, James Corrigan, of Cleveland, brother of John Cor- rigan, ordered three of these machines, which have been in constant use ever since. Being satisfied by this long ex- perience of the value and reliability of the machines, James Corrigan has now ordered five more, one No. 3, and one No. 2 and three No. 1 machines, his experience convincing him that it was as practicable and as profitable to use these tow- ing machines forsmall barges as it was for large barges. In 1895, the Bessemer Steamship Co. commenced to build steamers and barges, and called for this towing machine on the first barge they had built, and they have continued to order them until now they have purchased twelve of these machines. With the increased draft of water on the lakes it became practicable to build larger and larger barges, and this called for larger machines, so that some of their later barges have the No. 4 machines. Mr. Dalton, of Pickands, Mather & Co., in the building up of their fleet for the Min- nesota Steamship Co., also saw the advantages of these towing machines, and began to use them in 1894, and on their largest barges they have used as large as No. 5 ma- chines, which handle a two-inch diameter steel wire hawser, until now they have on their own vessels and on others un- der their management, as many as twelve of these ma- chines. Capt. James Davidson, on the lakes, also early saw the ad- vantages of the towing machines, and in 1895 ordered two and in 1897 ordered two more, and now he has given the American Ship Windlass Co. an order for another machine, which is to be delivered the 1st of May. Vespasian Ellis, of the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Co., early became acquainted with the advantages of the machine, and put one first on the steam collier Lebanon, and after using it five months ordered one for the tug Inter- national, and since that time this company has continued to order until they have bought eight of the machines. The New York, Philadelphia & Norfolk branch of the Pennsyl- vania R. R. Co. have a dangerous route towing barges con- taining freight cars, and they decided to try one of these machines on this route between Cape Charles and Norfolk, and ordered one in 1806 for the tug Norfolk. A year after- ward they ordered one for the tug Portsmouth, and, as a result of their experience with these machines, their latest tug, the Delmar, which has just been built at Newburg, als has one of these machines. : / In 1895, the Standard Oil Co. put a machine on their barge No. 58, and, having tested the machine thoroughly and as- certained its merits, they put another towing machine on barge No. 81, built at Buffalo in 1896, and in 1898 they put one on the steamship Atlas, built at Chester. In 1898, the tug Sampson, belonging to the Hale & Kern Contract Co., of Portland, Ore., put on one of these ma- chines, and a couple of weeks ago this tug was at San Fran- cisco, having just towed a large barge loaded with lumber into that port. The engineer was interviewed in regard to the merits of the machine, and he said that it proved all that ‘was claimed for it, that it had been tested under every con- S.F HODGE &CO dition, and, in fact, that there was no test to which the ma- chine had not been put, and he was very enthusiastic in re- gard to its efficiency,’ These are a few illustrations showing the test which these machines have been put to, but there are thany other in- stances which could be mentioned. The government, hay- ing had great difficulty in towing the monitors during the late war with Spain, adopted these machines, and ordered nine of them in the month of June, 1898, and they now have fifteen of these machines. ' This invention was a new departure in the towing busi- ness, there never having been any improvement that amouuted to anything inthis direction. Various expedients have been adopted, such as heavy steel springs, bridles, etc., but all proved failures and were abandoned, and this ma- chine is the only real improvement that has been brought out since the commencement of the business. Being pioneers in this line, Messrs. Shaw and Spiegle were enabled to secure a patent which covered all the essential features of the invention by broad, solid claims, and it has been found impossible to construct a towing machine that was reliable or efficient in towing without the combination claimed by Shaw and Spiegle. Their claim is broadly for the combination with a cable drum of an engine, the shaft of which is geared to the drum to balance the load on the cable, and a pressure regulating valve located in the steam passage to the engine cylinders and operatively connected with the shaft of the drum, whereby the pressure of the en- gine cylinders is increased as increased strain on the cable causes the cable to be paid out and is diminished as the strain on the cable is lessened and the cable is hauled in. The effect of this is that any motion of the drum, either to pay out or take in the hawser, opens or closes the port of the regulating valve. Of course after this invention had been proved and tested and placed before the public, imita- tors appeared and have tried to construct a towing machine which would be feasible, and which at the same time would not conflict. with the claims of the Shaw and Spiegle patent, but it can readily be seen that it is impossible to construct a machine without infringing this combination. The first patent that was taken out at Cleveland had all the elements of this combination, namely, the drum, the engine cylinder or cylinders, the regulating valve and means of connecting to the drum, to make itso that it regulates the machines and makes it automatic. Although it was slightly changed from the Shaw and Spiegle arrangement, it still had every element of their claims, and consequently was clearly an in- fringement of their patent. Others have lately taken out a patent, leaving out the most -essential features of the Shaw and Spiegle patent, namely, the regulating valve, which is like trying to make a watch without a regulator, which is the most essential feature of a watch, because the whole value of a watch depends on the regulator. The time is not far distant when this towing machine will be employed to tow small barges as universally as it is used to tow large barges, as the small machine, designed express- ly for small barges and other small vessels, occupies a space of only about five feet square, and weighs less than five tons. In consequence of these facts it has been fully demonstra- ted that this machine is thoroughly reliable and thoroughly automatic under all circumstances, so that it is perfectly sure to relieve all strains which would tend to part the hawsers, and render breakage of the hawsers impossible. There are eighty of these towing machines in operation and five more have been sold, which will soon be shipped, which will make eighty-five in all in operation.—New York Marine Journal. Oo Se Injury to Volunteer.— Whether the voluntary undertaking of a duty delegated to another will bar a recovery for injury received in performing it, quaere. The Samuel S. Thorpe, 99 Fed. Rep. (U. S.) 108. AN EXTRACT FROM EUDOSIA. Now let us watch the rising of the stars And look where mid December points the hour ~ Most apt for contemplation of the scene. The fourth hour from noon is past and half the space Fled to the fifth, in the meridian view,’ Cepheus sublime, the Dragon’s tortile spire Where shines to Britain’s great metropolis * The correspondent star; alike remote, This from the heaveuly, that the earthly pole And perfectly coincident in place. The Greater Bear is seen, and Pegasus, Tends to the South, the beauteous Twins emerge | From the horizon; Taurus climbs oblique. Still higher Aries, the declining Fish Verge to the southern wave, and Capricorn Glistens diminished in the Western sky; And near the goal with languid ray appears Chiron; but nigh to the direct of East Orion half is risen nor prevails The horizon even now to eclipse the pomp Of the proud constellation; his right side Blazes, the star which lightens on the left Is winning now upon our hemisphere And near him the vast whale conspicuous shines. The sixth hour is elapsed—Orion shows His flaming belt, the Twins are wholly risen; Soon Procyon appears, and now the crown of , Ariadne rises; Charles—thy star Though never setting to the horizon stoops. And of the Crab the far diminished light Emerges; little later than the seventh Perseus appears; the ninth the lion shines And in the vertex is Medusa seen. Near the tenth hour from noon Hydra appears; Southward at mid of night Orion’s form Fires the meridian, but the Whale retired The radiant Lyra meets the horizon’s bound. The Virgin form shows her ascendant wing; Capella in the zenith glows; an hour Is passed, Arcturus rises, ere the night Has maked the second hour from its mid space, Shoots in full beam the great Newtonian star; The fourth approaches, when the golden star Of Libra gains the eye; the sails retire Of the resplendent ship, her lucid masts Shine eminent; the sixth her fettered arm Andromeda discovers, and the heart Of Scorpia rises, Hydra fills the west Medusa’s head sinks and Orion bears With difficulty his shoulders unsubmerged. Monocerous succeeds; why should I name The Snake or Serpentarius fully risen, Or why repeat the wonders which before Engaged our eye; the Great and Smaller Bear, With the Camelopard, and varied Lynx Or gaze on thee, oh Perseus—thee admire | Aquila, or the Lyre which re-ascends; But rising Eastward beams the glorious arch Of the pure Galaxy, and now appears Urania’s Sextant, and persuades to leave The starry theater, and yields to dawn For now Aurora’s fiery coursers gild The frosty summit of the Eastern hills. All this delightful scene revolving earth Produces, visiting the several stars While undisturbed remains the heavenly spheres. or oo oo ONLy three of the grain carriers wintering at Manitowoc have thus far been loaded. The vessels are the steamer Spokane and barge David Z. Norton, with oats, and the barge Yukon with corn, MARINE ENGINES, PROPELLER WHEELS, DECK HOISTERS, MARINE REPAIRS.. @ 312 ATWATER STREET, DETROIT, MICH. ° Chas. E. & W. F. 58 William Street, New York City. 5 and 6 Billiter Avenue, E. C., - 4 BROWN&CO., - - - Royal Insurance Building, Chicago, Ill. C. T. BOWRING & CO. London, England. 202 Main Street, Buffalo, N. Y. Peck, INCORPORATED 1899, AN ASSOCIATION FOR THE PROTECTION OF UNDER~ WRITERS’ INTERESTS AS REGARDS WRECKED AND DAMAGED PROPERTY AT SEA. Application for the services of surveyors of this Association | may be made to either the Chicago or New York offices. A. A. PARKER & BRO., 15 Atwater St., W. Detroit, Mich. VB — es ¥ Insurance J.G. KEITH & CO., - 138 Rialto Building, Chicago, Ill. <CEORATEDS: LA SALLE & CO., Board of Trade Building, Duluth, Minn. : 3 Chicago Office, Are prepared to make rates on all classes of Marine Insurance on the Great Lakes, both CARGOES and HULLS. ROYAL INSURANCE BLDG. Pes ae Rely Fics New York Office, MUTUAL LIFE INS. CO. BLDG.