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8 THE MARINE RECORD. May 23, Igol. i cc le LAUNCH OF THE PERE MARQUETTE 17. (ILLUSTRATED ) The twin screw, steel car-ferry, Pere Marquette 17, built to the order of the Pere Marquette Railway Co., by the American Ship Building Co., was successfully launched from the Cleveland yards on Saturday May 18. The general hull dimensions of the new steamer are as follows: 350 feet over all, 338 feet keel, 56 feet beam and 19% feet in depth from the main or car-ferry deck but 36% to the upper or spar deck on which passenger accommoda- tions are fitted, she will carry 32 loaded railroad cars on a draft of 14 feet at an estimated speed of 14 miles per hour. Her engines are two sets of triple compound direct acting with cylinders 19, 31 and 52 inches with 36 inch stroke. The boilers are of the Scotch type, 4 in number, each 133 feet in diameter and 12 feet long, fitted with corrugated fur- naces and to be allowed 175 pounds of steam. The Pere Marquette 17 has been fitted with the latest and best equipment, including the ‘‘Globe’’ windlass and steam steering gear, 4 ‘‘Providence’’ steam capstans and feed, bilge, sanitary and cooler pumps, furnished by Dean Bros., Indianapolis. The electric light installation is that of the General Electric Co., Schenectady, N. Y. She carries two With the addition of the new craft, which is chiefly in- tended to develop the Milwaukee-Ludington commerce, the Pere Marquette Railway Co. has now three large twin screw car-ferries, the other two, one of which is of steel, was built at West Bay City, also under the superintendence of Mr. Robert Logan, are engaged on the Manitowoc-Ludington route, but the new boat has been given more power as well as passenger accommodation, than either of the other two and she is expected to be ready for service about the middle of July, so that nearly a full summer’s work is ahead of her before she will be called upon to enter ice, as all of these boats are ice crushers as well as railroad car-ferries. The cost of the Pere Marquette 17 will be in the neighborhood of $360,000. We herewith present a view of her sister ship, Pere Marquette, showing the manner in which the cars are transferred from the wharf, etc. i Oe EASTERN FREIGHT REPORT. Messrs. Funch, Edye & Co., New York, report the condition of the eastern freight market as follows: The business transacted during the last week has been on a very limited scale. ‘The two small steamers reported fixed for grain have been able to secure a trifle in advance over ILLUMINATED LIFE BUOYS. Consul-General Guenther, of Frankfort, March 20, IgoI, informs the State Department of a recent improvement in the means of saving life at sea. It has often happened, says the consul-general, that on account of darkness, life belts could not be seen when thrown to persons who had fallen overboard at night. Buoys with life belts attached and supplied with 8-candle-power electric lights, have been constructed heretofore, but their use was confined to vessels equipped with electric lighting plants, and their heavy weight, requiring three or four men to handle them was a serious handicap. The new apparatus weighs but thirty-three pounds and produces a light equal to 150-candlepower. The buoy is of a globular form, carries from two to four life belts, and sup- ports a long cylinder of sheet tin having twelve compart- ments filled with carbide of calcium. These compartments are arranged at different elevations. When the apparatus is thrown into the sea, the water passes through perforations in the bottom of the cylinder and, coming in contact with the carbide, generates acetylene gas. Each compartment is con- nected with a burner by a pipe, proper valves preventing the escape of the gas other than through the burner. When the ~~ RAILROAD CAR FERRY PERE MARQUETTE IN SERVICE ON LAKE MICHIGAN. masts and is fitted with 4 metallic life boats approved ac- cording to the government inspection service. Promptly at 2 o’clock the christening platform was occupied by Mr. G. H. Kimball, chief engineer of the Pere Marquette Railway Co., and his daughter Miss Kimball, who performed the christening ceremony. Gen- eral Manager S. T. Crapo, Superintendent W. L. Mer- cereau and a party of their friends representing the owners of the boat, also Mr. Robert Logan, Clevel- and, consulting engineer and superintendent of con- struction. Mr. James Wallace, General Manager of the American Ship Building Co. and other builders’ representa- tives were also present. Exactly at the appointed time the word was given to cut away and as the hull started Miss Kimball liberated six snow-white pigeons, (a la Japanese style) exclaiming at the same moment ‘‘I christen thee Pere Marquette 17,’ as the craft left the ways the pigeons circled around her and winged in circles until lost to sight. The launch was one of the most perfect and successful ever wit- nessed, the weather was simply superb, and the thousands that were on the ground seemed to be heartily pleased at the punctual and perfect manner in which the large hull was sent from the ways to her future element. what shippers were prepared to pay, owing to the scarcity of handy size boats. The larger class of tonnage, however, has had to accept the prices, current during the last week or so. Further charters have been effected for general cargo business from the Gulf, principally for Denmark to fulfill old contracts for the carrying of oil cake. The inquiry for grain tonnage from this direction, however, is still neglected. A new departure in the transportation of case oil is the fix- ture of a large steamer of 250,000 cases hence to three ports in Australia, this being the first charter of its kind by steam to that direction. Tonnage continues to be taken for deals from the British Provinces, but for timber from the Gulf shippers do not seem to have any pressing requirements. Sail tonnage continues devoid of animation as well as of any interesting features and rates remain nominally without change. $ a JAMES J. H111’s haste to complete the four large steam- ships which he is having built for his Oriental trade by the way of his Northern lines and Seattle, and the vigorous pushing of the plans for big transfer docks in West Superior and elevator facilities in Duluth are due, in a measure, to the advent of a new competitor in the field. volume of gas inthe cylinder decreases, hydrostatic pres- sure opens the valves and allows water to enter the next compartment to generate an additional supply of gas. The gas is lighted electrically, and ignition takes place in about twenty-five seconds after the buoy is thrown into the sea. The flame is protected from the wind by glass and burns steadily and with great intensity for three or four hours. Cleaning and filling the apparatus requires only a few minutes. The cost of a charge is about 12 cents. The advantages claimed for the invention, adds Mr. Guenther, are: First, that it can be used on all kinds of vessels; second, that it may be used for general lighting purposes; third, its cheapness and light weight. ior ori — Shipping—Bottomry—Necessity.—Where a vessel carry- ing passengers was so destitute of provisions that passengers ~ and crew were put on short allowance, and very little remained when she reached an intermediate port, and the master was without money, and unable to obtain credit at such port, or to communicate with the owners or charterers within a reasonable time, the case was one of such necessity as justified his giving a bottomry bond on the ship for the money required. The Northern Light, 106 Fed. Rep. (U. S.) 745. ‘ ‘ FR Oe Ee Ee A a ns ernie s i hele altel a le rants se a a ao UG a cee ar Sve ET iy r ee ee en ee Te kala : Be OF eee