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é MARCH 29, I9g00. 12 THE MARINE RECORD. OF2, Chicago TYautical School 1513 Masonic Temple, CHICAGO. W. J. WILSON, (Late Lieutenant U. S. Navy), Principal. A full aid complete course of instruction in lake and ocean navigation. Also special branches taught those desiring to qualify themselves for better positions in the marine service. $200 in prizes (Great Lakes Regis- ter) awarded annually to students. Students taught by correspondence. Students may begin at any time. Send for circular. 5S OF Cc. H. CRAMP ON SHIPBUILDING. Charles H. Cramp, the well known Philadelphia ship- builder, speaking about the relative.cost of building ships in the United States and abroad, had the following to say on about the same lines of Senator Frye’s statements in yester- day’s Day in regard to the comparative cost of American and foreign shipbuilding : “T endorse most emphatically the statements of Senator Frye. Thecost of building merchant ships is from 15 to 25 per cent., higher in this country thanit is in other countries and it will remain so as long as the present restricted demand for merchant ships continues in the United States. “Our only hope of becoming a great maritime nation lies in the passage of such a bill as the one that has just been favorably reported in each branch of ‘Congress. “From a builder’s point of view, I know such an enact- ment would be of the utmost possible permanent benefit to the nation, and would inaugurate our maritime resuscitation. ‘There need be no fear that one line or class of ships will be unduly favored. The bill prevents that very thing. It gives the same chance to each, and there is no monopoly ossible for any ove. ; “T believe that Senator Frye in his interview dicussed the relative cost of American and foreign warship building. The general public may not be aware that the’ United States is the only nation that advertises for bids for the construc- tion of its warships. ‘All other countries allot the construction of their warships to such builders as they are satisfied will build just the ves- sel desired. The price is fixed by the government either at the opening of negotiations, or arrived at during them. The contracts are made without competition, and the system has always operated satisfactorily abroad. “The newspaper editor whom Senator Frye was answering had suggested that orders had been given for warships in this country by foreign governments because we built ships of that class as cheaply here as elsewhere. But that was not the reason at all. ' “The placing of such contracts, by governments in the countries that do not build all their own warships, is a mat- ter of sentiment’and confidence, very largely. Strong pres- sure was brought to bear on Russia to place all her outside orders in Germany and in France, where the great Russian loans had been secured. : “Finally orders were placed there largely because of that sentiment. But as to our firm, it so happened that the Rus- sian admirals and her navy department officials were friends of ours and had had experience with our work. It was on _this account that we were selected as the first firm to receive a contract outside of Russia for a modern battleship and a first-class cruiser for the Russian government, and this, too, upon our own designs, plans and specifications. “The Russian government,’’ concluded Mr. Cramp, ‘‘acts precisely as other European gdvernments doin the matter of letting contracts for warships. It does as a private indi- vidual would, without advertising and without public bid- ding. It is the reputation of the builders that leads to direct negotiations. ”’ In 1877 the Cramps rebuilt the engines in the second-class Russian cruiser Crayser, and 1879 the same firm altered three merchant vessels for the Russian government into war ves- sels and built for Russia one first-class cruiser, the Zabiaca. ae ee et ee LAKE SUPERIOR STAGE OF WATER. (A CORRECTION. ) ‘ UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE, \ 519 PROVIDENCE BUILDING, DuLvuTH, MINN., March 21, 1900. EDITOR MARINE RECORD.—I see by your issue of 8th in- stant, under heading ‘‘Stage of Lake Superior Levels’’, that the reporter has written the word higher instead of lower, by mistake. The closing sentence should read: ‘‘It would appear that with a normal amount of precipitation between now and the beginning of summer, the stage of water will be lower on ake Superior this year than last.’? I added that with the condition mentioned (normal precipitation) the , stage would probably yet be higher than the general average, on account of the exceptionally high water of last season. ; J. H. DarRLIne. 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 Controlled by Continuously from 80 to 365 days and nights without atten- tion, and can be seen a distance of six miles, THE SAFETY CAR HEATING AND LIGHTING Co, Pintsch Gas Lighted Buoys. i e. a Recht Kt — BAINES BROS. Provision Merchants and Shippers of Beef, Mutton, Pork and Poultry. LARD, SAUSAGE, ETC. 43, 44 and 45 Elk Street Market, Telephone, ‘'Seneca 346.’’ BUFFALO, N. y; — HSH oS 4-— §60 Broadway, New York City. . COMPUTING SEAMEN’S WAGES. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, BUREAU OF NAVIGATION, WASHINGTON, D. C. To the Shipping Commissioners of the United States : To secure uniformity in the method of computing the amounts due seamen under agreements in shipping articles, U. S. Shipping Commissioners should observe the following rules : I. The agreement will be considered as referring to calen- dar months, example: From February the 2d to March the Ist, both inclusive, is one month. 2. In computing the amounts due for a fraction of a month thirty days will be counted as a month, example: Five days are one-sixth of a month whether in February or March without regard to the length of the month. 3. Any single fraction of a day will be counted as a whole day, example: From March Ist to the forenoon of March the 4th, both inclusive, will be reckoned as four days. 4. If a’seaman be engaged in the afternoon of one day and discharged in the forenoon of another day, the two fractions of days will be considered as one day only, example: The time from the afternoon of March the Ist to the afternoon of March the 4th, both inclusive, is three days. T. B. SAUNDERS, Acting Commissioner. rr ore STEAMBOAT OFFICERS APPOINTED FOR THE SEASON OF 1900. NORTH WEST TRANSPORTATION Co., Sarnia.—Str. Mon- arch, Capt. EH. Robertson; Eng. Thos. Bard. United Em- pire, Capt. Jno. McNab; Eng. S. Brisbin. GORDON CORNING, Saginaw, Mich.— Str. C. H. Green, . Capt. C. E. Little; captain hires his engineer. Sch. Genoa, Capt. D. C. Ryan. Our Son, Capt. G. W. Ryan. BIGELOW Bros., Chicago.—Str. Madagascar, Capt. John Jenks; Eng. Chas. Nerretur. S. M. Stephenson, Capt. Chas. Konert; Eng. ——. Fanny Neil, Capt. John Kemming; Eng. —. VULCAN TRANSPORTATION Co., Detroit.—Prop. Forest City, Capt. Joseph Sanders; Eng. Hugh Buchanan. R. J. Hackett, Capt. Thos. H. Sanders; Eng. James H. Foster. Schr. Wm. McGregor, Capt. Alexander Glen. WESTERN TRANSIT LINE, Buffalo, N. Y.—Str. Arabia, Capt. H. Ll. Dennis. Boston, Capt. F. J. McCabe. Buffalo, Capt. Robert Murray. Chicago, Capt. John Davis. Com- modore, Capt. Thomas Slattery. Hudson, Capt. A. J. Mc- Donald. Mohawk, Capt. S. R: Jones. Montana, Capt. Har- ry Murphy. Milwaukee, Capt. M. Folan. Syracuse, Capt. John Fisher.. Troy, Capt. Donald Gillies. Vanderbilt, Capt. F. D. Osborne. RUTLAND TRANSIT Co., J. G. Westbrook, Gen. Supt., Ogdensburg, N. Y.—Str. Gov. Smith, Capt. W. S. Shay; Eng. John N. Phillips. F. H. Prince, Capt. D. A. Kiah; Eng. John Alexandire. H. R. James, Capt. Jas. Owens; Eng. Jas. Trumbull. W. A. Haskell, Capt. EK. B. Shay; Eng. Morris Gore, W. J. Averell, Capt. Wm. Wait; Eng. H. M. Burton. Jas. R. Langdon, Capt. Harvey Brown; Eng. Jas. Chestnut. A. McVittie, Capt. H. Williams; Eng. D. G. Costello.. W. Ll. Frost, Capt. T. Hough; Eng. L. O. Willix. THE NORTHERN NAVIGATION Co. OF ONT., LIMITED, Chas. Cameron, Mgr., Collingwood, Ont.—Str. Majestic, Capt. P. M. Campbell; Eng. J. W. Aston. City of Colling- wood, Capt. W. J. Bassett; Eng, C. Robertson. Germanic, Capt. R. D. Foote; Eng. Jos. Aston. City of Midland, Capt. F. X. La France; Eng. Wm. Whipps. Atlantic, Capt. Jas. Wilson; Eng. F. Cleland. City of Parry Sound, Capt. E. Walton; Eng. J. L. Smith. Brittanic, Capt. Chas. Jacques; Eng. S. Beatty. City of Toronto, Capt. Jno. O’Donnell; Eng. D. McQuade. ——— OO Oo Oe Lieut. Geim, commander of the Chicago hydrographic office, has issued a new chart to lake mariners of the harbor of Fort Wing, Wis., based on a recent survey made by the War Department engineers. This is comparatively a new harbor in the Lake Superior region, and is rapidly growing to a lumber port of importance. NOTICE TO MARINERS. LicHt-Housk ESTABLISHMENT, OFFICE OF THE LIGHT-HOUSE INSPECTOR, 11TH DIST., DETROIT, MicuH., March 26, 1900. On the opening of navigation additional spar buoys will be placed in the St. Mary’s river as follows, viz.: (1) One 25 ft. black spar buoy off the edge of a 16 ft. shoal, about 4,000 ft. (54 mile) S. % W. from Round Island light-house. (2) One 25 ft. red spar buoy off the edge of ag ft. shoal about 2,700 ft. (7-16 mile) East trom Round Island light- house. (3): These buoys will be moored in 20 feet of water on the in-channel side of the shoals referred to. By order of the Light-House Board. : J. C. Winson, Commander, U. S. N., Inspector 11th District. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA—NORTHERN LAKES AND RIVERS—MICHIGAN. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, OFFICE OF THE LIGHT-HOUSE poan,} WASHINGTON, D. C., March 23, 1909. DETROIT RIVER. Notice is hereby given that, on the opening of navigation 1900, the following changes will be made in aids to naviga- tion in the Detroit river : Ballard Reef Channel Gas Buoys (Nos. 1, 3, and 5), here- tofore marking the westerly side ot the channel, above Limekiln Crossing, will be painted red, re-numbered, respec- tively, 2, 4, and 6, and shifted to and established in corres- ponding positions on the easterly side of the Ballard Reef Channel. South Gas Buoy will then be about 5,000 feet (48 miles) N. 48 W. from Limekiln Crossing Light Vessel (North), No 65, and about 350 feet to the eastward of the Grosse Isle South Channel Range line, with which the line of buoys will be parallel, and the distance between two ad- jacent buoys will be, a heretofore, about 2,920 feet (,®; mile). (L. H. B. Bulletin No. 104, pars, 53, 54, and 55.) The easterly half of the channel is dredged to 21 feet depth, the westerly half to 18 feet, and the channel is 600 feet wide. Ballard Reef Light Vessel, No. 63, will not be replaced on © her former station, off the easterly end of Ballard Reef, making off from Grosse Isle, westerly side of the channel of the Detroit River, having been permanently discontinued. ERIE HARBOR (PRESQU’ILE BAY) ENTRANCE. Notice is hereby given that, on the opening of navigation, 1900, the following changes will be made in aids'to naviga- tion at the entrance from Lake Erie into Erie Harbor ( Pres- sqwile Bay) : Erie Harbor Outer Gas Buoy, No. 2, will be moored on the prolongation of the inner face ‘of the outer part of the north pier, 1,250 feet (14 mile), to the eastward of its easterly end, and on the northerly side of the entrance to the chan- nel into the harbor. Presqu’ile Pierhead Light Station.—The fog bell at this Station, on the north pier, will be sounded, from -a square, white, pyramidal, wooden, open framework structure, with a small house in the middle section, recently erected on the north pier, about 30 feet from its outer end and about 470 feet from the light tower. No change will be made in the characteristic of the bell. By order of the Light-House Board. FRANCIS J. HIGGINSON, Rear-Admiral, U. S. Navy, Chairman. ——_—_ OS CAPT, PERSENS telephones from Thunder Bay Island to the Alpena Evening Echo that if Casper Alpern and David Lincoln want to get their fish tugs in operation soon they will have to put them on skates, as there is niore ice around the island than any time previous this winter. The ice stretches out in the lake as far as the eye can see and is piled in huge windrows between the island and North Point, though why Capt. Persons should telephone to a private concern or parties we can’t make out, Capt. Persons ought to send his official information through proper sources.