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THE MARINE RECORD. JANUARY 16, Igo2, — DEVOTED TO NAVIGATION, COMMERCE, ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE. ESTABLISHED 1878. PusLtisHED Every THURSDAY BY THE MARINE RECORD PUBLISHING CO. { Incorporated. RU GIIN io alice ves ces hee rece ert e eee ee ce. . .Manager Cart. JoHN SWAINSON. -....5 0000060005 ses See Editor CLEVELAND, CHICAGO. Western Reserve Building. Royal Insurance Building. SUBSCRIPTION. _ One copy, one vear, postage paid............ececeees $2.00 One copy, one year, to foreign countries............. $3.00 Invariably in advance. ADVERTISING. Rates given on application. _ All communications peor ie addressed to the Cleveland ce, THE MARINE RECORD PUBLISHING CO. Western Reserve Building, Cleveland, O. Entered at ‘Cleveland Postoffice as second-class mail matter. ‘No attention is paid to anonymous communications, but the wishes of contributors as to the use of their names will be scrupulously regarded. “CLEVELAND, O., JANUARY 16, 1902. PILOTS’ LICENSES. . The American Masters’ and. Pilots’ Association during the annual session at Washington this month is going to bring several matters of importance to the attention of Congress, and hopes to bring about radical reforms in one or two directions. ' The one chief matter which will receive attention at the hands of the Masters and Pilots’ Association will be that of the revocation of pilcts’. papers by the local inspectors at the various ports both on the lakes and on the coasts. As matters now stand revocation of a master’s. papers rests with the local inspectors, and papers have been sus- pended in instances from three to six months and. the . captain is out of a job for that length of time without having been given a hearing aside from o granted by the local inspectors. It is now intended to have this changed and an effort will be made to have the Secretary of the Treasury adopt a plan whereby a master, when complained of, may have a hearing before a jury of masters or pilots. In several instances where papers have been suspended by local 1n- spectors, the limit of the suspension has expired before the appeal io the Secretary of the Treasury has been reached. It is considered ridiculous for such power to be placed in the hands of ordinarv local inspectors of steam vessels. ‘i PE A NATIONAL CANAL. The project of giving a national aspect to the Chicago drainage canal, making it a link in water connection be- tween the Great Lakes and the Gulf, was considered this . week at Washington by the House Committee on Rivers and Harbors. ‘Two delegations from Chicago were pres- ent, one including the officers of the sanitary district inter- ested in the larger project and another headed by Ex- Representative Adams, of Chicago, who appeared in ad- vocacy of improved navigation facilities, including turn- ing basins in the Chicago river. _ The project was first presented by Mr. Adams, who ex- plained the vast magnitude of the commerce on the river and the difficulties and dangers incident to navigation at this time. Chicago is making extensive improvements, widening the channel, erecting the most modern bridges, ete., costing in the aggregate about $11,000,000. All of this benefitted the general navigation interests, and it was desired that the federal government supplement the work by providing turning basins to cost about $500,000. ° W. H. Barker, chairman of the committee representing the ,canal trustees, stated the general purposes of the pro- ject of extending that -waterway to the Mississippi and thence giving a deep water channel to St. Louis. For the present the committee asked only a government survey to develop the feasibility and advantages, of the plan, this sur- vey to cost $200,000. Mr. Baker did not go into the gen- eral merits of the project, saying that the arguments were the same as those so fully presented last year. Chairman Burton stated in this connection that the members of the committee personally examined the pro- ject last summer and were familiar with its general fea- tures. Mr. Reeves, of Illinois, also stated that the members of the committee were personally familiar with the situation and that this obviated the necessity of a long hearing. At a later. day the committee will pass upon the two items proposed. ——— > ort DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE. Mr. Nelson, of Minnesota, called up in the Senate on Monday the bill providing for the establishment of a de- partment of commerce. ie explained the necessity which, he said, existed for the passage of such a measure, and was plied with questions by several senators who are looking into the merits of the measure. Mr. Teller crit- icised that feature relating to the transfer of the geological survey, while Mr. Hale: said that the bill provided for a department which ultimately would be one of the largest in the government. ‘The bill finally went over, subject to call by Mr. Nelson. — oan INCREASE OF 1901 BUSINESS OVER 1900 THROUGH THE CANADIAN LOCK. The report of the superintendent of the Sault Ste. Marie canal shows considerable increases in the vessel tonnage and freight passing through the lock this year as com- pared with last year. The statement is as follows: tn- 1900 IQOI crease Number of vessels........... 3,081 4,204 1,123 Vessel *tonneces. v0.00 ey os 2,194,784 2,440,748. 255,000 Freight tons .................2,036,677 2,520,304 584,717 _—_——— OO | ole STATEMENT OF BITUMINOUS COAL MINED IN OHIO. [From report of the Ohio Coal Traffic Association. | ee RAILROADS. November| nding Hae November, IgO!. | Net Tons; Net Tons Hocking Valley Railway............. | 368,222| 3,377,782 Toledo and Ohio Central Railway....| 179,654] 1,814,790 Baltimore and Ohio Railway......... eal 106,344] 940,868 Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway..... | 174,063] 1,463,022 Cleveland, Lorain & Wheeling Ry... | 146,445| 1,307,315 Columbus, Sandusky & Hocking Ry. 4 77,700| 878,033 Toledo Division, Pennsylvania Co.... 96,943] 921,727 SEOtAL ar cele Some a a, [1,150,331 aes: or eo or NEW LIGHT-HOUSE FOR ASHTABULA, Secretary Gage has transmitted to Congress a recom- mendation that the sum of $18,000 be appropriated imme- diately for ihe construction of a light-house to indicate the position of the new breakwater soon. to be completed at Ashtabula, O. The Secretary points out that the lights now in use at that port are not of sufficient candle power to warrant their removal to the new pier heads. — OO Se oe Tus Senate Committee on Commerce has favoraby re- ported a bil! providing for the reciprocal recognition of certificates of steam vessel inspection between the United States and other countries. ‘[he bill is intended especially to facilitate intercourse by water. with Canada, but its provisions are made general in order to make it apply to all nations having inspection laws similar to those of the United States, eo A BILL, providing fer a storm warning station for South Manitou Island, Lake Michigan, and a light-ship for Southeast Shoal, Lake Eric, was reported this week from the Committee on Commerce. ANNUAL MEETING OF THE DRY DOCK ASSOCI- q ATION. The Dry Dock Asscciation of the chain of lakes held a meeting Tuesday morning at the Colonial Hotel, Cleveland. This was the annual gathering of the men who centrol the © plants on the chain of lakes, and the purpose was to fix on ~ some scale of rates that shall apply through the coming sea- ~ Vessel 1 son upon all work which is presented to the plants. men have been interested in this meeting since there was a possibility of a change of basis, but the drydock men — gave no intimation of such a design in the meeting, as — the price list of last year was reaffirmed without a single © change and will prevail through the season. No statement of the amount or expensiveness of the work was made at the meeting, but it is known that the season just closed was probably the most successful, for | the drydock men, on record, which is easily understood, the great increase in the tonnage of the lakes being un- derstood. ‘The haste, however, in moving the craft during the year and the storms and low water caused a good many ~ groundings that made smaller or greater losses almost con- stantly in evidence, requiring in consequence the assistance of the. drvdock voyage. the case, the drydcck 1nen were not disposed to. make any change in prices which would be burdensome to the vessel owners, Be ‘he annual election was held resulting in the choice of the following: President, J. C. Wallace, Cleveland; first vice president, Edward Smith, Buffalo; second vice -pres- ident, W. W. Watterson, Chicago; secretary and treasurer, James E. Davidson, Bay City. —_ THE NEXT CUP CHALLENGER. If reports are true, Wm. Fife, of Fairlie-on-the-Clyde, is to build Sir Thomas Lipton’s next challenger for the American cup.. Ata conference recently held between Sir Thomas and his advisers, definite arrangements were made for the construction of Shamrock III., and an order for the new yacht was given to and accepted by Mr. Fife. In view of the probability of a big revival of British yachting, and the fact that designing and superintending a cup challenger necessitates constant work for at least a year, Mr. Fife was disinclined to accept the contract, but Sir Thomas found means of overcoming his objections. Mr. George L. Watson has promised to assist Mr. Fife in every way, by handing over to him the details of the construction of Shamrock II., and all the calculations and details of the tank experiments made at the Denny’s yard. With these and the experience gained with Shamrock L, Mr. Fife starts with a distinct advantage over his first efforts. It is understood that: Mr. Fife is already colloct- ing material and will commence designing Shamrock III. as soon as the boats now on hand for the next British yachting season are fairly started, which, probably, will be at the end of this month. Shamrock III. is to be ready early in the spring of 1903. SO FIREPROOF WOOD NAVY. It appears to have been settled at last that the use of fireproof wood, at any rate in the United States Navy, will be very much restricted. In the recently issued annual report of Rear-Admiral Francis T. Bowles, Chief of the Bureau of Construction and Repair, it is stated that the bureau, after having conducted an exhaustive investiga- tion of the qualities of fireproofed wood produced by two different processes, has found that while the products of both processes have desirable qualities in rendering wood uninflammable, they fail to show all the desiderata of a fireproof wood, which include the permanent retention of the ingredients under all climatic conditions, freedom from corrosive properties, and unaltered strength and durability. ‘Yhe experience of vessels in commission fitted with fireproof wood, as well as the tests conducted by the bureau, gained by the use of fireproofed deck planking, or by the use of fireproofed wood below protective decks, and also that owing to the absorptive qualities of this wood its use was objectionable in those locations, Hence the United States Navy Department has dispensed with the use of: fireproofed wood in the navy, except for such necessary joiner work as may be used above protective decks and. on torpedo hoats.—Cassier’s Magazine for January. to put the beats in condxion for another — The business, therefore, was brisk, which being — IN THE UNITED STATES Se aka Darn ee a a Da ak Pa ai a ook Dia ke showed that there was no practical advantage Se TE Ne a -n