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AN ENGINEER’S VIEW. Col. H. M. Chittenden, a distinguished officer in the Engineer Corps of the United States Army,makes a strong plea in the February number of the North American Re- view for “Government Construction of Reservoirs in the Arid Regions.” Col. Chittenden illustrates the vast impor- tance of this subject by showing that the region which might be brought into a condition of cultivation by the use of the available supply of water, would maintain, under successful irrigation, as great a population as that of the United States in 1900. To utilize the available wat- er supply in the arid regions, provision must be made for storing it, and the question arises, Shall the reservoirs be constructed by public or private agencies? The latter, Col. Chittenden argues, will rarely have sufficient resources, and when that is not the case any reservoirs made by pri- vate agencies will be built so as to satisfy merely the pur- poses of the investment, and not to secure the full capacity of the site. As between the States and the General Goy- ernment, the duty of constructing the reservoirs 1s essen- tially interstate in character. The Government is, further- more, the principal land-owner in the West, and the pres- ent resources of most of the States would debar them from undertaking such works. Col. Chittenden calls attention to an anomaly in connection with the appropriation of money for public purposes: : : In reporting to the House of Representatives the Riv- ers and Harbors Bill at the last session of Congress, the committee having the bill in charge took occasion to anim- advert severely upon the fact that a large portion of the appropriations for the Missouri River in recent years has gone to the protection of property along the banks, instead of improving the channel of the river for purposes of nav- igation. Yet the works of protection are of far greater public utility than those for improving the channel of the river. The navigation of the Missouri, wonderful as it was in its day, is dead beyond the slightest hope of resur- rection. But during the process of its decay the fertile bottom lands have become farms and gardens among the richest in the world. ‘The river in its reckless career plays havoc with these lands, and every year destroys property by the thousands. There is no power that can properly protect these lands but.the general government, for the protective works invariably extend beyond the property lines of the individual, and often beyond. the jurisdiction of the town, city or State in which the property lies. There is no duty of the government more deeply grounded in jus- tice than that of protecting property holders from the rav- ages of this public watercourse. And yet, if any member - of Congress were to ask for an appropriation for this specific purpose, his request would be summarily rejected, although, more likely than not, he will get the money if he “pretends that it is for navigation.” OO Oe THE GROWING IMPORTANCE OF HOISTING MACHINERY. The increasing importance of hoisting machinery is evidenced by the number of new firms that have taken it up, and by the growth of the industry in the United States, France, Germany and Belgium. Many firms now make a specialty of some type or types of cranes; others manufac- ture anvthing that offers. But outside of these there are firms doing other and an entirely different class of work who also undertake the construction of cranes of excep- tional massiveness or for special purposes. There seem to be as many crane makers now in the United States and in Germany as in Great Britain, and though many of the German and French cranes have an outre appearance to us, and may certainly have weak points, that does not apply to all, perhaps not to the majority, and many are: vey excellent examples of this class of work. he growing importance of some classes of hoisting ma- _chinery is scarcely grasped by the older crane makers or users. Nearly all the older types of hoisting machinery are certain to be affected by the advent of the new, in which everything is reduced to the most slender proportions :con- sistent with the actual strength required—steel sections, wire rope, and light trolleys taking the place of heavy castings; massive framings, rigid iron rods, and heavy crabs. ‘The. differences in dead loads and in speeds at- tained are great, and are wholly in favor of the new cranes. Add to this the fact that electric driving is adopted in these to a far greater extent than it is yet in the older, more solidly built types of cranes, and we have a set of conditions. immensely in favor of the new. The differ- ences are greater even than those between the modern electric traveler and the older square-shaft type, which it has so suddenly and almost completely displaced in new installations. “ Great Britain was first in the field. in the manufacture of hoisting: machinery, and there it attained a high stage of development. When the Americans began to manufacture this class of machinery for themselves they started with ing maclinery is, therefore, different in many respects _ from British, Now under the circumstances just what ight have been expected to occur—knowing the American character—has happened. Having a clean slate, they _ started to make machinery which should give the shortest cut to the results desired; hence the originality of many of their designs. And in machines which bear much resem- _blance to those made in Great Britain they have gone on more or less original lines in the working out of details.— Joseph Horner, in Cassier’s Magazine for February. no preconceived notions or prejudices, and American hoist- , THE MARINE RECORD. FEBRUARY 6, 1902, MONTHLY SHIPBUILDING RETURNS. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER OF NAVIGATION, January 31, 1902. The Bureau of Navigation reports 74 vessels of 22,796 gross tons were built in bered during the month of Jiauary, 1902, as follows: the United States and officially num- WwoOoD. STEEL. TOTAL, SAIL STEAM SAIL STEAM No. Gross No. Gross. No Gross No Gross. No. Gross. Atlantic and: Gull... od ih see 29 6,014 18 1,062 I 1,651 5 6 698 53 . 15,425 Porto RICO. eae cee dl ecwone| see ecccese| comme o'| nba 5s wie ctell inlets ome be wie avewelasileiliaambetds ere ee Sina Opes Wareham PAGihG: Gee iro are es 7 3,821 6 PeGAe oles eee. eee I 2,036 14 7,021 Great TAR CG. cove cicscccc 5 <j 6.0010. 4 etare I 12 I BO sl ai Sises: silo wpewieiesye ol nase plete) oksstemopemnd 2 jnge Western Rivers)... fess cece ct eccew Hl cme s slaw cce cece 4 TOONS | circtahes fers cn I 142 5 308 PLOUA Le acts see rele oie 37 9,847 29 2,422 I 1,651 7 8,876 74 22,796 The largest steel steam vessels included in these figures are the El Alba, 4,614 gross tons, built at Newport News, Va. Southern Pacific Co., owners; Spokane 2,036 gross tons, built at San Francisco, Cal., Pacific Coast Co., owners. eee eaeaeaoeoooaooquqououommmmmememeoeeeeSSSSSSSssaassoasss>ss—“a—“w=_—>=—"| LOCAL AND ASSISTANT INSPECTOR OF HULLS. STEAMBOAT INSPECTION SERVICE, MARCH 4-5, 1902. The United States Civil Service Commission announces that on March 4-5, 1902, an examination will be held at the places mentioned in the accompanying list for the po- sition of local and assistant inspector of hulls in the Steam- boat-Inspection Service. d The examination will consist of the subjects mentioned below, which will be weighted as follows: Subjects. Weights. Aor dehtemswititine hs wiisuiisis 8 eae (Third grade)... 10 Dia Titian CUICK at reas OF layla «oa RN ee iaue nied A nies alate gels 10 Si orbull constrictions 22. 4i5.:.° Te DOU aa eek Lcktes 20 4. Pilot rules and inland navigation ............+.++- 20 Buetlateboataiand lifetatts 0 i. p etek ons. cee eet oe + 10 Gps eacmavigation Hosuas seed eto eee See se 10 Aig HpepPerience dd Ginweciah Mie wet kaa are « PRM es oe oe 20 TO tal eer eee Grice EGR ES UN Tal hig. 100 Information relative to the scope of the examination may be found in sections 37 and 162 of the Manual of Exam- inations, revised to January, 1902. Age limit, 25 to 55 years. Seb oeNCG From the eligibles resulting from this examination it is expected that certification will be made to the position of inspector of hulls in the steamboat-inspection service, Jack- sonville, Florida, at a salary of $1,500 per annum, and to other similar vacancies as they may occur. ‘This examination is open to all citizens of the United States who comply with the requirements. Competitors will be rated without regard to any consideration other than the qualifications shown in their examination papers, and eligibles will be certified strictly in accordance with the civil service law and rules. Persons who desire to compete should at once apply to the secretary of the local board of examiners at the places mentioned in the accompanying list, or to the United States Civil Service Commission, Washington, D. C., for applica- tion form 1087, and a copy of the Manual of Examinations. The .application should be properly executed and filed with the Commission at Washington prior to the hour of closing business on February 24. 7 oo or AIDS TO NAVIGATION. Congress authorized, by act approved on February 15, 1893, the establishment of a number of light-stations at an aggregate cost of nearly half a million dollars, but made no appropriation at that time for their construction. Since then from time to time, appropriation has been made for the erection of many of them. ‘The following is a list of the light-stations relating to the lakes now remaining for which no appropriation, has yet been made, with the maxi- mum amount which each may cost: Fairport Harbor fog-signal, Ohio................ $ 4,300 Lorain Harbor (Black River) fog-signal, Ohio.... 4,300 Sand Hills Light-House, Michigan............... 20,000 Bayfield light and fog-signal, Wisconsin.......... 5,000 Pats (or Hat) Point light and fog-signal, Minnesota 15,000 Little Gull Island light and fog-signal, Michigan.. 20,000 Peshtigo Shoal, Green Bay, Wisconsin Wilson Harbor light, New York SEO oO VESSEL PASSAGES AT DETROIT, MICH. The following report of the vessel passages through the Detroit River is furnished through the courtesy of Post- master F. B. Dickenson, Detroit Mich.: Total passages dur- ing April, 7; May, 2,002; June, 3,222; July, 3,208; August, 3,254; September, 2,892; October, 2,928; November, 2,405; December, 526; total for the season, 20,534. ‘This is 2,107 less than in 1899 and 1.931 less than in 1900. Daily weather maps, wind direction and velocity reports, and storm warnings were delivered promptly to the vessel masters by the marine post office during the season of navigation. ‘The special p. m. wind reports from stations on the lakes were furnished each night to vessel masters passing Detroit. — SIGNS AND WEATHER. The following extract is from the editorial page of the Ithaca, N. Y., Herald, for November 15, 1901, under the above heading: “The Weather Bureau has predicted a hard winter, and the present early snowfall would indicate that the predic- tion is to be fulfilled. But lake sailors recall a winter several years ago when the Bureau predicted severe weather that did not materialize, and they declare that certain signs and omens show that the winter is to be a mild one.” It is not understood how the editor above quoted could lave been so completely misled as to the purpose and work of the United States Weather Bureau. It has never yet attempted to forecast the weather for a — season in advance, and does not anticipate doing so in the near future. Neither is it aware of any other reputable meteorological service that is attempting such forecasts, with the possible exception of the Indian Meteorological Office, which is in- vestigating the relation between the variations in the num- ber of sun spots and the occurrence of droughts in India. In general, seasonable forecasts have been undertaken by prophets of the Hicks or. Wiggins type only, or by would- be scientists who read the weather from the signs of the moon or of the stars. Many farmers have professed to be able to forecast the character of the coming winter from the thickness of the husks on the ears of corn, and hunters make like forecasts based upon the character of the breast bone of the goose, and the early or late southward migra- tion of birds. We have every reason to expect that forecasts of this character will continue to be made for many years to come, or at least until the public in general has learned to dis- tinguish between science and superstition, facts and fancy. Meanwhile the Weather Bureau will devote itself to the study of meteorology and the laws governing the gener- ation and propagation of storms. It will endeavor from day to day to forecast the probable course of such storms as make their appearance upon the weather map, and to foretell the weather changes that will occur in different parts of the country as a result of the storm movements. With these daily forecasts we must be content. until the science of meteorology is more fully developed. The intelligent daily press of our land has been of ines- timable valuei n disseminating the forecasts of the Bureau among the people whom they are intended to benefit. The public will be still further its debtor if it will join hands with the Weather Bureau in an effort to eradicate from the popular mind the many fallacies that have no foundation in fact, but are a survival of traditions handed down from some past generation when scientific knowl- edge was confined to a few.—Monthly Weather Review. OO oO oe THE SHIP SUBSIDY BILL. It sometimes happens that in response to the question, “What's in a name?” we have to answer, “Just everything.” There is now up for discussion in Congress a measure which we do not hesitate to designate as one of the most important ever brought before that body, that is in dan- ger of suffering shipwreck simply and solely because of the unfortunate name that it carries. Unfortunately a large number of the American people have conceived a violent prejudice against the term “subsidy.” 4 Apparently . they look upon subsidizing as a kind of alms-giving, a. sort of feudal scattering of largess, with the difference - that the recipients, instead of being supposedly impover- - ished and helpless, are among the powerful and wealthy of the land. As a matter of fact, shipping subsidies mean nothing of the kind. They are based upon the con- viction that between the individual ship-owner and the na- tion at large there is, in respect of the upbuilding and ex- __ tending of the shipping industry, with all the indirect and enormous national benifits that are to be derived there- from, a profound community of interest. It is. realized that the assistance given by the nation to the shop-owner is to be temporary only, and that in its intrinsic value it is altogether disproportionate to the great and lasting national advantages to be derived from the rehabilitation . of the merchant marine.