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OCTOBER 17, Igor. AMERICAN COAL HOISTER AT ALEXANDRIA. “ John G, Long, U. S. Consul-General, Cairo, Egypt, writes the Department of State as follows : I have to report another trade invasion of Egypt by’ Americans, no less important than the securing of the Atbara bridge contract, which attracted so much attention on both sides of the Atlantic a few years ago. The gréatest work ever undertaken in Egypt in regard to discharging coal from’ steamers has just been completed in Alexandria, The huge mass of machinery that towers above the surrounding ships owes its origin to Mr. Alexander E.. Brown, an American engineer, who has invented a system of suspended bridge tramways, whereby colliers could be unloaded automatically in about one-quarter of the time taken by manual labor and the use of steam winches. The Egyptian railway administration decided to adopt this system ; the present apparatus is the first that has been in- stalled in Africa. The hoisters here are alleged to be capable of unloading 2,120 tons of coal in a working day of ten hours. A boat that now takes a week to discharge will; it is stated, by the help of these coal hoisters, be discharged within 48 hours of’ berthing. These machines will beable to work on two or three ships at a time, and the saving of labor is apparent. There will result an enormous decrease in ‘‘small,’’ as there will be no coal dust flying about. Every bit of coal will be put into buckets and carefully unloaded again, none being wasted. : These suspended bridge tramways, or as they are popularly called, coal hoisters, are each 353 feet 9% inches in length. They have the appearance of an aerial bridge with a cantilever-arm extension at either end. The method of working is as follows: On a suspended track on the bridge, 14-inch guage, runs a trolley carrying buckets, each having a capacity of r ton. On arriving over the hold of the ship, the bucket is automatically lowered. The buckets can be unhooked, so that three or four can be filled at thé same time. When the bucket is filled, it is raised again to the trolley and run back again and’ discharged at any point on the quay or into railway trucks. A bucket can be raised from the hold of a ship, put on the trolley, carried to the farther end of the bridge, discharged, and returned to the hold again in the space of one minute. The bridge is 27 feet clear at the lowest part, and the highest part is 72 feet. Each bridge is supported on a pier at the sea erd and shear legs on the other, side. The pier allows room fer two railway trucks’ beneath or inside. The bridges are divided into three sets of two in a set, one of which contains a boiler and two engines. These engines operate the trolley and raise and lower the buckets by wire ropes. The engines are of about 25 horse-power. Steam is used instead of electricity, as it is more economical, the work not being continuous. Each bridge stands on three tracks, two under the pier and one under the shear legs, and each set of bridges may be moved the entire length of the quay independently, so as to be available in any one of the berths. The operation of each bridge is controlled by one man, and is effected by steam power from the same engine that works the buckets. Each bridge is hinged over the pier and pivoted on shear legs, so that it may be swung to a distance of 23 feet on either side of the center. The object of this is to allow a greater area of the quay to be covered, and it is also useful in preventing the twisting of the bridge in case of slipping of the wheels. Thereis another automatic arrangement by which the coal below the bridges may be scooped up and loaded into trucks or barges. This is done by a scoop bucket, and is absolutely independent of manuallabor. The weight of the entire plant is about 800 tons, All the material is soft steel, combining the greatest strength with lightness. - ————___—q@8¢oe— para OCTOBER GALES. The Dominion Msteorological Service Weather Chart has the following: In October, during the last twenty-eight years, 1873, to 1900, inclusive, 106 gales have occurred in the Lake regions; 50 of these were heavy and the remaining 56 were moderate in fifteen cases the winds backed, and in 91 they veered. In the St. Lawrence Valley and ‘Gulf, 104 gales occurred, 59 being heavy and 45 moderate, In 28 cases the wind backed, and in 76 they veered. October and November are months in which severe storms frequently occur on the lakes. In these autumn storms on Lake Erie and Ontario, the wind commences at the south- east, works around through south to: west and’ northwest, - the time of hardest blow being usually when the barometer THE MARINE RECORD. begins torise as the winds get around to the west. On Lake Huron and the Georgian Bay the wind—though for the most part changing as on the Lower Lakes—not infre- quently changes with great suddenness, chopping after a lull from south, southeast to northwest and blowing hardest asa rule from northwest. In/October and November many severe gales are experienced also in the St. Lawrence Val-. ley, the Gulf and the Maritime Provinces, and mariners are advised to be guided by the: daily bulletins, as well as to watch carefully for the display of storm signals. ee or A JAPANESE SEAPORT. Yeija Nakajima, chief engineer of the city of Tokio, Japan and professor of engineering and mechanics in the Univer- sity of Tokio, is in this country on a tour of inspection, In an interview, he said: ‘‘After 4 careful examination of your rivers, harbors and wharfs, I' have arrived at the belief that I’ can, by dredging, bring big ships up to Tokio. We are about 20 miles from Yokohama, and there will be a lot of work to be done. Tokio has about 1;500,000° inhabitants, and her interests would .be much gteater if we had a: waterway through which big vessels could pass to the city. Even at Yokahama vessels must be unloaded by lighters. It will cost about $21,000,000 or your ‘money, docks and all. interest on money is high and counting interest it will amount to $50,000,000 before the job will be finished. But Iam sure the city will do the work. American methods will be followed.’’ — TO RELIEVE BROOKLYN BRIDGE TRAFFIC. W. Hildenbrand, superintendent of John’ A. Roebling’s Sons, has a scheme for relieving the traffic on the Brooklyn bridge, which he not only considers practical, but it can be done at a cost of $3,500,000 says Construction News. Mr. Hildenbrand is positive that another story could be added to the bridge without interfering with the traffic. It will, of course, be necessary to remodel the whole structure, but in such a way as to offer no interference to the present trans- portation. It would double the strength and double the. present carrying capacity. Four new cables would be used, with new anchorages just back of the old ones. All the trolley and train traffic would be restricted to the lower deck of the bridge, which would leave'the upper deck free for’ wagon and pedestrian traffic. Mr. Hildenbrand says he “could strengthen the present structure with an expenditure of $100,000 without disturbing a truss. It would take five years to complete the double-decker. a eg STATEMENT OF THE VISIBLE SUPPLY OF GRAIN. As compiled by George F. Stone, Secretary Chicago Board of Trade, October 12, Igor. Oats. CITIES WHERE WHEAT.| CORN. RYE. | BARLEY STORED. Bushels. | Bushels. | Bushels. | Bushels. | Bushels. Buffalo... -..| 1,646,000 776 000 281,000 15,000 435,000 Chicago... -| °5,161,000] 6,899,000] 2,007,000 274,000 21,000 Detroit... 553,006 101,000 62,000 163,000 27,000 Duets... eet necese ae 4,688,900] ° 482,090 439,000 523,000 665,000 Hore Wien Ont ois 0.608 O00 sis ies 0 leds tie ch ne ANG eS leak wees Milwaukee.......... 119.900 168,000 450,000 36,000 162,000 Port Arthur, Ont.... Qh OOO atts cet wounae Ries Hee Ainala ate oateate ok Gy 2' FF Ca Pa ae 597,000 597,00C! 1,144,000 370,006 8,000 LOOM sc ceaey sce es Zhidac | saree ents wea Se ann aa 55,000 On Canals.... ae 473,000 413.000 LIS;000 PAs 225,000 OneWakess vache ca 1,364,000] 1,228,000 234,000 25,000 131,000 On Miss) Rivers foo reo een | Or ermer eo ria oak toe Tawa, Elen ss cesses Grand Total..... 38,208, 0c0] 13,414,000] 7,769,000) 1,768,000] 2,036,000 Corresponding Date, TOQOOs erica orig Has bieia'ehs 56,978,000] 9,829,000] 12,235,000 986,000] 2,348,00) Increase for week.. 734,000|...... Svinte Patel? calls e/eiceaaese se 42,000 Decrease ‘‘ pe rear igre sparta 612,000 519 000 UZ OOO ore. ns While the stock of grain at lake ports only is here given the total shows the figures for the entire country except the Pacific Slope. OO SO THE latest return of the shipping built and building, owned and managed by Messrs. Elder, Dempster & Co., of Liverpool, shows that the total number of ships under the control of the firm is 141 vessels with a gross tonnage of 368,490 tons. There are 12 steamers building of 44,809 tons gross. In speed the figures are as follows: 17 knots, 1; 14 knots, 11 ;-13 knots 7; 12 knots, 12; under 12 knots, 110. Messrs Elder, Dempster & Co. occupy the proud position of being in possession of the largest fl2et of cargo and passenger steamers under the British flag. There are, however, two foreign lines—the Norddeutscher Lloyd and the Hamburg American line—which exceed in tonnage the Elder, Dempster fleet, but at the pace the English fleet is now traveling itis soon likely to top its German competitors. The: SHIPPING AND MARINE JUDICIAL DECISIONS. (COLLABORATED SPECIALLY FOR. THE MARINE RECORD. Negligence—Collision —Where plaintiff, while inia boat anchored near.the route of detendant’s steamer, was injured by a collision with such steamer, defendantis not bound by opinions expressed by an employe, who could give no au- thority to any one toanchor at such place, and on whose opinion plaintiff had no right to rely. Chesley vs. Nan- tasket Beach Steamboat Co., 61 N. E. Rep. (Mass.) 50. Collision.—Under Act Cong: June: 7,.1897; c. 4, art. 15, providing that ina fog a vessel at anchor shall ring a bell or sound a blast of a fog horn, or equivalent signal, at inter- vals of. not more than one minute, a fisherman in a& boat;; anchored during a fog near the channel of. an inlet,;,and. making no signals, cannot recover for collision with a steamer. making proper signals. Chesley . vs., Nantasket Beach Steamboat Co.,,61 N. K. Rep. (Mass.) 59... .. . apna Suit for Compensation.—The fact that, in the adjustment of. insurance and general average between the schooners,, insurers, and cargo owner, a charge for the salvage services was’ taken into account, would not render the schooner liable for such services at suit of the owners of the tugs, being a matter with which the latter had no concern, nor would it constitute an admission of liability on the part of the schooner, entitled ‘to weight, where. it appears that her owners were not at the time advised of the relations exist- ing between the several tugs.. Fleming et al. vs. -Lay-et:al., 109 Fed Rep. (U. S.) 952.. eee aa ge Partnership—Essential Elements of Contract—Sharing of Losses.—The several owners of tugs employed in the towing business at the same port formed an association, selecting a manager who handled and managed all the vessels, ¢ol- lected the earnings, paid all the expenses, and distributed, the profits of the business among the members in prorortion to the agreed value of vessels owned by each. Held, that | such association was a partnership, each member of which was responsible for the proper performance of a service contracted for by any one of-the vessels, and liable for a loss occasioned by her negligence or unskillful navigation; an agreement to share losses being implied by law from the other terms of the contract, although not expressly incor-' porated. Fleming et al. vs. Lay et al., 109 Fed. Rep. (U. S.) 952. gees pa _Collision—Tug and Tow Overtaking Schooner—Negligent’ Navigation. A schooner entering Hampton: Roads in: the; night, and sailing free at a speed of three miles an hour, was. overtaken and passed by a tug having a tow, on a 200-fath- om line, and sailing at a speed of six miles on nearly a par- allel course. The tug saw’ the schooner when’ 1500 feet dis: tant, and passed her ata distance of 300 feet-or more, but» the tow failed to see her, until _within 200 feet, and struck. her diretly astern. Held, that both tug and tow were in fault for the collision, the former in not keeping watch to see that the tow was following properly in passing’ the schooner, and the latter because of the failure of her master. to follow the tug, that the schooner could not be held.in. fault, since, even conceding the claim of the tug which was, denied that she changed her course after the tug passed, she. could not, by such change, have brought about the collision, considering the relative speed of the vessels. The Doris,: 108 Fed. Rep. (U.S ) 552.. Pie te x Shipping—Construction of Charter—Termination.— Under the charter of a schooner, the charterers were'to pay a per diem hire for a voyage and return to one of two designated ports. They selected the cargo.and the voyage, within cer- tain limits, and paid all expenses except the wages of the master. On the voyage the vessel met with a storm which’ drove her out of her course, resulted in the loss of a part of’ her cargo, and compelled her to seek a port of refuge, where. the charterers, being involved in a controversy with the in- surers of the cargo, ended the voyage, although the vessel, with slight repairs, requiring but a few days, could have proceeded with over have the cargo uninjured. Held; that the charter continued in force, and the charterers. were lia- ble for the hire of the vessel until her.redelivery at the designated port; the delay and abandonment of the voyage resulting from ordinary perils of navigation, of which they assumed the risk, or from their own voluntary acticn.' Nicolini et al. vs. Lutcher. & Moore Lumber Co., 108 Fed. Rep. (U S.) 550, Service on Foreign Corporation—New York Statute.— Under Code Civ. Proc. 2 432, providing that personal ‘ser- vice of summons on <a foreign corporation may be made; in the absence of the president, treasurer, or secretary, or any, person designated by the corporation for that purpose, on. “the cashier, a director or a managing agent within the state,’ provided the corporation’ has property within the state or the cause of action arose therein, which provi- sions are applicable to suitsin the federal courts where the corporation does business in the state, and thereby implied- ly assents to the conditions imposed by the statute, service of monition in a suit in admiralty in a district of NewYork for breach of a contract made in that state on a director of a foreign corporation found within the district, is a sufficient service on the corporation, where it has property within the state; and a leashold interest in vessels within the state under a lease for’ the term of forty-nine years‘ constitutes property, within the meaning of the-statute) “ReiHysyse Philadelphia & R. Ry. Co., 109 Fed. Rep:.(U. §:)- 492° soars pues