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JUNE 6, 1991. THE MARINE RECORD. 13 AUSTRALIAN LIGHT-HOUSES. Although the greater portion of the Australian coast is re- markably free from dangers to navigation, light-houses have been erected at every available point; hence the compara- tively limited number of shipping disasters other than those oceasioned by stormy weather. The whole of the New South Wales coast is efficiently lighted and still further im- provements will be effected. Some of the lights are visible _ at a distance of 12 miles. The most important of the New South Wales light-houses is the Macquarie, at the entrance to Port Jackson, and which ranks as one of the largest and finest in the world. It is also the grandest example of elec” tric lighting of which the southern hemisphere can boast. The structure was commenced on March 1, 1880, and the light in connection with it brought into operation on June I, 1883. The old light-house, which the new one has re- placed, was built in 1816, and was the first structure of the kind in Australasia. It is equally interesting, and also illus- trative of the enterprise of the state, that the electric light was the first used for light-house purposes. The light is of the first order, sixteen-sided, dioptric, holo-photal revolv- ing white light, of the system of Fresnell, showing a flash of eight seconds in every minute, and having a range of 25 miles seaward. It is, however, discernible for a consider- ably greater distance, owing to the luminosity produced in the atmosphere by the electric beam before the direct rays become visible. It was constructed under the supervision of Mr. Jas. N. Douglas, engineer to the Trinity Board, Lon- don, From that gentleman’s report of his final inspection of the apparatus, together with a descriptive account by Dr. Hopkinson, the following extracts are taken. “T can confidently state that the Macquarie light is at the present moment the most efficient in the world.’’ Also, that he had ‘‘invented an improvement in oil and gas burn- ers, by which a greater condensation of the focal light is ef- fected than hitherto,’’ which he had ‘‘placed at the disposal of Messrs. Chance Bros. for the Macquarie light, free of royalty, and consequently the gas and oil burners for use during clear weather have, with flames of 134 inch diameter, an intensity of about 200 candles instead of 80 candles with the same diameter, as with the old type of burner originally intended. When these flames are at the focus, there is a consumption with the 16 candle gas of about 40 cubic feet per hour, and with good paraffin of about one pint per hour, and I estimate the mean intensity of the flashes from the apparatus at about 40,000 candles, or about five times the in- tensity of the flashes of the existing Macquarie light. With full power of the electric light at the focus, the mean inten- sity of the flashes in the direction of the sea horizon is not less than five or six millions of candles. “By a simple arrangement the change from gas light to electric light at the focus, or the reverse, can be effected in ten seconds, and the flames of the oil lamp can be substitut- ed for the gas or electric light in nearly the same space of time.’’ - The Macquarie light-house is intended only to illu- mine half the horizon; it is therefore possible to make use of the landward rays by meaus of a dioptric mirror. This was probably the first instance of the use of a dioptric mir- ror for an electric light. Special adjustment was needed to attain the result in a satisfactory manner. The whole ap- paratus is carried on a round pedestal, which offers the great advantage of enabling the keeper to enter without interfer- ing with the rotation of the apparatus. Arrangements are made to burn either gas or paraffin oil, or to exhibit the elec- tric light at full power or half power. When the electric light is in use there is always a second lamp in readiness for action. The practical result of the light-house has been to make the entrance to Sydney harbor perfectly safe, except during the most violent weather. ———————— THE earlier that capitalists realize that the Welland canal and St. Lawrence system of canals are adapted only for the smaller class of lake tonnage, the fewer the hybrids that lake shipyards will be paid to turn out. If only the least econom- ical type of lake carriers can use the largest canals, how then can such tonnage compete in the Atlantic trade? The Counselman fleet, known as the Northwestern Steamship Co., supposed to be built to forma regular line between Chicago, England and the Continent of Europe, are of the type mentioned. They are not vessels fit to enter the lake trade, are worse than failures as steam canal barges, and abortions so far as Atlantic trafficis concerned, what then, it may be asked, were they built for, and to what use can they eventually be put. Well! so far as we can see, they will only make handy little coasters to trade between shoal water orts, The fact is more pronounced now than ever before n lake history that, special tonnage is required for special trades and combination coaches don’t go. NEW TONNAGE. Messrs, Mitchell & Co., Cleveland, have placed an order ‘with the American Ship Building Co. this week for the con- struction of two 6,0o00-ton steel cargo steamers for delivery next spring. As the company have yards at all of the prom- inent lake ports it is not yet learned to which yard the new contract will be apportioned, but it is safe to surmise that the sister ships will be built at the same yard. This, the latest contract for high-classed steel tonnage may be con- sidered as indicative of continued activity in lake shipbuild- ing as also in the advance of lake commerce, commensurate with the shipbuilding output of new tonnage. ed -DETROIT RIVER MAIL SERVICE. In comparing the amount of work done by the marine de- partment of the postoffice in May, 1901,with that done in the same month last year, Assistant Postmaster Mayworm reports a marked decrease. This is all to be attributed to the ice jam and the consequently late opening of naviga- tion. In May the marine service delivered to passing steamers 22,447 pieces and received from them 7,491. They issued to them 69 money orders, amounting to $1,- ae 87. There were 2,002 passages in the port of Detroit in ay. The general receipts of the postoffice were $70,138.72. In 1900 they were $68,791.98, making an increase of $1,346.74. OOOO ORE RECEIPTS AT ASHTABULA. The ore receipts at Ashtabula for May were 223,725 tons as against 602,432 tons received in May, 1900, or only a lit- tle over one-third of the receipts of May last. The ice block- ade and engineers’ strike were largely responsible for the great slump. June starts off with docks crowded there be- ing twenty vessels at Ashtabula Harbor on Tuesday loaded with ore. . If the rush continues June will break all previous records in ore receipts. There were 128,376 tons of coal shipped and 106 vessels arrived and 114 cleared in May. OO 2? oO SHIPMASTER VERSUS COMMODORE. The title of ‘‘Captain’? should from this time forward be discarded by people when addressing A. B. Wolvin. In addition to the title of vice president and general mana- ger of the Pittsburg Steamship company, the title of “‘Com- modore’’ has been conferred upon him. This we learn from the Duluth News-Tribune. The title is one which means more in his case than in that of any other living man who bears it today, for Mr. Wolvin is the commodore of the big- gest fleet, both in point of number of ships and aggregate tonnage, that floats upon either fresh or salt waters of the globe. ‘‘Commodore’’ Wolvin is the title which the well known steamboat man must now get accustomed to, and those who know him best are aware that he has earned it. From cabin boy to manager and commodore of the biggest fleet in the world is a distinction that probably Mr. Wolvin would not exchange for many another proud position with- in the reach of human endeavor. The news of Mr. Wolvin’s latest title was given to The News Tribune by James Gay- ley, first vice president of the United States Steel Company, yesterday. The first official announcement of the title which W. J. Olcott will bear under the steel corporation’s mining com- pany was also given out by Mr. Gayley. He will be general superintendent of mines on the Mesaba range. This is in line with an unofficial announcement by The News-Tribune a short time ago. ———_ na ee” LAKE ERIE LEVELS.—A CORRECTION. CHIEF ENGINEER’S OFFICE, DEPARTMENT OF MARINE AND FISHERIES OTTAWA, CANADA, 4th June, 1900. To The Editor of the Marine Record: Sir: I have to thank you for drawing my attention to two items in your paper of the 23rd ultimo, purporting to give my conclusions, with reference to the level of Lake Erie. I have merely to say that the statements I made have been to a certain extent colored by the imagination of the reporter. Ididsay that Lake Erie was lower, when I was on it last month, than in previous years, and I did say that if this lowering increased it would be necessary to adopt remedial measures, but I certainly did not commit myself to any prophecy of what would happen, because I have not the necessary data on which to base an accurate forecast. Yours sincerely, Wa. P. ANDERSON, Chief Engineer. IRON AND STEEL BOUNTIES IN CANADA. The iron and steel: bounties offered by the Dominion of Canada have grown to such proportions as to create much discussion, and there is a growing disposition to demand from Parliament a repeal of the law granting them. . In 1898-99 the iron bounties reached $280,109. Last year, according to the Auditor-General’s report, tte Dominion gave $312,774 as bounties on iron and steel, the distribution being as follows: Radnor Forges, Three Rivers..............-...-+:: $ 18,234 Deseronto Iron Company..............22000000008 27,02 Hamilton Blast Company........ ts ei oie a Deane rare aone 107,009 © John McDougall (& Comin. 2hb cs Jane ere: selon 5,485 Nova Scotia Steel Company..............¢.---0005 137,522 Mineral Products Company............. uae Ga 7,378 Ontario Rolling Mills... 030 ..o son crecon ie serenats 1,200 © Hamilton Steel & Iron Company.................- 8,920 Total bounties paid. .......... 00... e ee eee ee $312,774 The bounty paid is $3 a ton on pig iron from Canadian ore and $2 on pig iron from foreign ore, $3 a ton on puddled bar from pig iron made in Canada, and $3 a ton for steel in- gots made from Canadian pig iron. The Dominion Iron & Steel Company, Limited, of Sidney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, in its offer of sale of $3,000,000 - of 7 per cent. preferred stock, sets forth an es imate of the government bounty which will be received by that company for seven years. The company states that ‘‘ifthe production © from the company’s works be as estimated—300,000 tons of pig metal and 60,000 tons of steel blooms in 1901, and there- . after 400,000 tons of iron and steel per annum, made from foreign (Newfoundland) ore—the bounties to be received from the Canadian government’’ will be as follows: TOQUE sage an chepiysacioensun oe cues vascatovocchoetscnu ans cane Lek MavaTy, sisieee $ 870,000 TQO2 eg ara cecrpicinis diese aopuisiee Dis ante aomage ene Rie nie eee te 2,075,000 TOOS iow es anees gue ve ee Cee stet are seats heures 1,850,000 TGOA CE RTP ReY ees SRS aa en eg ca te rcs atau ota «+++. I,4§0,000 TLQOS iio a Seataeh EUR SPAR EA ae celits cake gee I,000,0Cc0 MOOG susie card stn image ioe Paiierofs iiaies obeiahsloe ages lage 625,0 0 TQO7 or reigg eerste ce bs se ee ed eo et ei pie iaiEe pes 225,000 Lota er eee A ie a eee $8,095,000 The Cramp Ontario Steel Company, with a capital of $5,000,000, is a new enterprise located at Collingwood, On- tario. The bounties granted to such enterprises in the Province of Ontario by the Province and Dominion com- bined amount to $7 per ton of the product. So many iron and steel plants are being started in the Dominion that it is feared that the bounties offered will shortly become a greater burden than the country can stand. The United States Consul-General at Montreal, John L. Bittinger, states that in all the iron and steel plants now in operation, as well as in those projected, United States capi- talis dominant, and that with so large a bounty, abundant raw material and cheaper labor than in the United States, the iron and steel plants of Canada will have a considerable advantage over the plants in our country. ror or NOTES. In Brassey’s Naval Annual for this year, Mr. John Ley- land, expert among experts, states his belief that England will have a distinct superiority in first-class battle-ships over the Dual Alliance. But he adds that, ‘‘in view of the mod- ernizing of the second-class battleships of France, the prac- — tical equality of numbers in the first two classes possessed by England on the one hand and France and Russia on the other, is not reassuring, and the need is urgent for pushing forward the ships in construction.’’ We are in receipt of Beeson’s Marine Directory of the Northwestern Lakes, published by Harvey C. Beeson, 308 Royal Insurance Bldg., Chicago, which is the 14th annual edition of the work, and what the publisher is pleased to term, the 20th century edition. It is larger than any former edition and more fully illustrated, and very careful work in its compilation is indicated throughout the volume. Eastern manufacturers seeking trade throughout the central west should find it of value as a book of reference. Its advertis- ing patronage shows well for its influence. THE Joseph Dixon Crucible Co., of Jersey City, N. J., has just issued a very handsome catalogue of seventy-seven pages, showing the various graphite productions of the com- pany, with many illustrations, several of which show the graphite mines and mills of the company. The catalogue gives a great deal of information in regard to the mining and manipulating of graphite and the various uses for which it is used—from stove polish to lead pencils. It is the best known solid lubricant, and all users of machinery, light or heavy, should write the Dixon Crucible Co., for any desired instruction on the subject, which will be freely and prompt- ly given.