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Pl avine Record. Published Every Thursday at 144 Superior Street, [Leader Building) Cleveland, 0. A. A. POMEROY, EDITOR AND PUB" BRANCH OFEICE: 252 South Water Street, Chicago, Mlinols, THOMAS WILLIAMS, Associnte Editor, TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION: One year, postage paid....... Six months, paid. oe Invariably n advance.’ - THE MARINE RECORD can ve found for sale by the following news dealers : CLEVELAND, O,—G. F. Bowman, corner ie Pear] and Detroit Streets, Evans & Van Epps, Superior street, Cleveland. R. A. Castner, 254 Detroit street, Cleveland. ASHTABULA HARBOR, O,.—C. Large. CHICAGO, ILL,—Joseph Gray, 9 West Ran- dolph Street. CHICAGO, ILL.—H. B. Hansen, 33 West Randolph Street. BUFFALO, N, Y.—Miss McCabe, Elk Street, near Ohio. DETROIT, MIC H.—Connors’ Marine News 0. s MILWAUKEE, WIS.—T. S. GRAY, CO. 126 Wiscensin St. SAULT STE MARIE—J. P. Hal'er. ASHTABULA HARBOR—O. M. Kahne. ERIE, PA.—Reed Caughen, 816 State St. DULUTH, MINN.—C. F. Johnson, 323 West Street. MARQUETTE, MICH.—J. A. Vannier. ESCANABA, MICH.—Wm, Godley. ESCANABA, MICH.—George Preston. SARNIA, ONT.—D. McMasters, OWEN SOUND, ONT.—J, Sharpe, Jr. KINGSTON, ONT.—F, Nisbet, corner Bri ck and Wellington Streets. Subscribers and others are respectfully invited to use the columns of the MARINE RECORD for the discussion of pertinent topics. Enteredat the Post Cfice at Cleveland as second- lass mail matter. CLEVELAND, 0., THURSDAY, AUGUST ». CLEVELAND VESSEL OWNERS’ ASSN’ ORGANIZED IN 1880. [{Membership, 1887] Sixty-five steamers aggrega\ing....---.... 67,865 ons, Ninety-five sail and consort, aggregating.60,089 ons, Maintains shipping offices at Cleveland and Ashta- bula Harbor, Regulates wages, protects crews, and es cognizauce of all matters in the interest of its mbers and of the Lake Commerce Beuy, OFFICERS. Paap President is Vice President TERS, are "Fred Bennet, Reunick, Ashta- AL INSURANCE. The » question 6fignéurance in apy of its phaees usually attracts the attention of ves sel owners during the spring mont : 8, but it is not out of order during the mid-summer month of August, to draw attention to the advisability of organizing a mutual insur- ance company. In view of this preamble we consider it incumbent upon us to say that a meeting of prominent vessel owners of Canada has been held with a view to establishing a society for the purpose of mutual insurance and the protection of ship- ping on the inland lakes of Canada, Cuap- tain James Norris, the well-known ship owner of Sr, Catherines, presided, while Mr. H. J. Livingston acted as secretary. Mr. Livingston, who is an English ship underwriter, explained thst the ship own- ersjof the Dominion had recently had a great deal of difficulty in getting theic ves- sels insured owing to the high rates charged ‘by the insurance companies doing a marine business. He showed how ships were in- sured in England on the mutual systew. He had, after visiting the ship owners o1 the Dominion, received their approval of this scheme and the meeting had been called to get matters into shape. He described the difference between Lloyd’s and the mutual associations which were known in England as “shipping. clubs.” The advantages of the mutual system were, first of all, econ- omy, as the ship owners only paid the actual cost of the insurance. Then, Mr. Living- ston said, the security was absolute. The association as proposed would also provide for arbitration In cases of dispute, The association would select its own risks, If a vessel was classed as Al and it was wrongly classed the members of the association, who would be men who understood the business, would not insure that boat. During the spring of 1884 and 1885 the feasibility of ‘mutual insurance was dis- cussed at length in the columns of the Marine Rxecorp by vessel owners, and much valuable information was evolved, but as our American vessel owners were too diffident to take active measures in the prem- fses no results were attained. Now, how- ‘|sure their own ships. Ihe Marine Record. ever, it is hoped that owners will look into the matter before the insurauce companies issue their fiat for the ensuing fall season and action that will tend to establish a mu- ‘ual insurance com pany be fullowed to an issue. British and Norwegian vessels and those of other North European ctates ave all in- sured on the mutual plan, The system got its first development among the old-fash- ioned colliers of the Tyne “and the Wear about 150 years ago and has since then in- creased and embraced nearly all the ship- ping. of the countrys” “At the present day these ‘scluts” still flourish in their old first ‘home* more than in ‘any other part of the kingdom, and vessels from all sround the country areinsured.there. .Qne association, for instance, comprises over ,600.A1 iron steamships of an average size of seme 1,200 tons register. are dying out, owing to the gradual decrease of that clase of vessel. Perhaps one of the largest is a London club showing over 700 vessels by its Jast return. The reason of Englitb and continental underwriters not caring to write the bulls of ships is that all ca rgoes are invoiced, therefore they are in a position to strike an average rate and work upon that basis, but they find thatall ships are not insured. “If’’ they argue “the rick is a good one the owner runs it all, or nearly all, himself; if, on the other hand, it is doubtful he insures fully, consequently we are at a disadvantage; further, the owner has means of knowing more of the value of the risk be offers us than we have, so that we have little chance of making money out of him.’’ This is the unvarying opinion of English underwriters, and if one does be- gin with confidence to write the bodies of ships he changes his opinion to that of the majority in. due course, This view is a sound one and the ship owners admit it, but the good men among them must be insured and so join together to insure one another. They buve an advantage an ordinary tn- derwriter can not have, in that they know as much of each ship as the respective owners do and are guided by that knowledge; again, each owner, in running clear of claims, is saving Lis own pocket, and he also avoide having to pay the necessary expenses of discounts, salaries, fees and dividends to share-holders, which, companies or even Lioyd’s underwriters labor under. The American companies have, like their English brethren, realized that ship’s hulls are not a profitable subject tor their books and it ap- pears as if history was going to repeat itself in our inland waters. As we have said, the Canadian owners have taken up the: subject of mutual insurance very warmly, and it is not unlikely that the American owners will are squared Off annually. Every spring there is much indignation among vessel owners. Telative to the dis- criminating policy of lake underwriters The question now under consideration is whether it would be advisable for vessel owners to pocl their own interests and in- This is no rove) measure as an wgsociation of this nature was in existence as fur back as 1840 in this country, and which was prompied by the same cause as obtains today,. that is, if a master loses a verse] he can not, as a gen- eral rule, obtain insurance without much vexation and litigationin the courts. The first mutual organization in this country wae formed by the whaling interests of the east, which were very large at that time, The vessels engaged in this trade were gen- erally of a low class, and the premiums ex- acted by the insurance companies were large. In order to escape payments of the rates exacted by the insurance companies, the owners of whaling vessels resolved to form an association for their own protectivn, which they did under the name of the Ma- rine Association. After the losses of each year had been paid there remained a sur- plus of cash which reverted to the members in the shape of a dividend. -_————-(7“eoe___—_—_ TRAFFIC OF THE SAINT MARY’S CANAL. Weare indebted to Genearl O. M. Poe for the following records of St, Mary’s Falls canal ineluding the statistics of its com- merce during the month of July, 1888:— Number and class of vessels through the canal: Steamers 930; sail vessels 381; rafts and unregistered craft 85; tolal 1,896, Total freight 1,156,842 tons; total regis- tered tonnage 887,647 tons; number of pass- engers 7,393; number of lockages 668. Again the usual report is made that the business of the canal for the month’ was greater than for any other month in its his- tory: the excess being 138,527 tons of freight, and 79,869 tons registered. On July 23, the freight tonnage was 58,- 648 tons, and on July 30 it was 65,854. The latter was 11,012 tons greater than the larg- est day’s business In any previous year, namely, August 28, 1887, when 54,842 tons of freight passed the canal. The average daily freight tonnage for the month was 87,- 317 tons. The treight traffic was 188,113 tons lar er than for the corresponding month las “ear. The tota. + this season’s traffic of the ca- nal tothe c. se ci July was 2,810,816 tons, Clubs for sailing ehips alone - hear from them on the subject. Theineur- | | ance is for one year at a time and the books as against 2,535,193 tons for the same period last year, or an increase of 276,623 tone. No onecan make an assertion more posi- tive than the above of the value of the lake traffic to the commerce of the country. Notwithstanding the records presented each month to congress regarding the tonnage passing the St. Mary’s canal there are mem- bers of the present congress with minds so narrow that they ignore these reports and insist that unless their Individual hobbies are recognized they will with tooth and nail oppose all legislation calculated to bene- fit the conmmerce of the great lakes. We do Sot charge'these things to the Democratic party; neither do we charge them to the Republican party, but toa set of local dema- gogues who do not know whereof they speak. They thirk to eat butter on their watermellon is the hight of ambition. It is well known that many of our legislators are posted in this matter and if they hesi- tate to urge adequate appropriation they are culpable. Efforts have been made for three years by the’engineers in charge of the im- provements at the Sault to havethe work necessary to next season’s traffic pushed along as rapidly as possible. A bill was } assed during the session of congress (1887) sppropriating about $18,000,000 in view ot the necessity of river and harbor improve- ments but it was carried off by some one, never received the signature of the presi- dent and hence failed to become available, We trust that a like fate will not be meted’ out to the bill recently passed by the house and senate and which is now in the presi- dent’s hands. While we are aware that there are a number of riders attached to the bill referred to we are strong in the belief that the good sense of the president will urge hin to attach his signature that merit- orious work may go forward, believing the obstruction measures may receive the check they werit in atter days. AIDS TO NAVIC ATION. We direct the attention of our readers to the diagram of the Detroit river printed be- low relative to the shoal in the middle ground and the eketch of buoys at Bar Point, placed by the Canadian government at the instigation of Captain Andrew Hack- ett. There is also a black spar on the east side of Bois Blanc island. These*aids were very much needed and masters are well pleased to have them there. It will be seen by the sketch that boats can pass to either side of the center line by keeping either the red or black buoys aboard, but the best wa- ter is to the left of the line and boats can pass in about 100 feet of the black buoys. The Middle Ground has long been » menace to vessels passing up and down the Detroit river and this enterprise on the part of the Canadian government is the thing most needed at that point. It is astonishing that it has not been done bef re. As Mr, Hackett says in a letter to Captain George P, KeKay masters must be will pleased with these new lights. In supplement No. 4 of the Inland Lloyd ‘W..W. Bates, manager, the new propeller Britannic, is given an Al rating and a valua- tion of $100,000; the Faury C. Hart is classed Al, and her value placed at $30,000; the Corona is not rated but is valued at $190,- 000; the Neosho and G. W. Morley, both Al* are placed at $130,000 and $80,000 re- spectively; the Scranton and Eber Ward, both Al* craft, are valued at $175,000 for the former and $90,000, for the latter; the barge Fontana is rated Al* and is valued at $72,000; A. Booth & Son’s salt water boat Hunter comes under the A2 head, and her worth is placed at $12,000, while this Chi- cago firm’: other importation the Hiram R. Dixon ratcs Al $20,000; the Mongaugon’s rating is omitted since she sought the bottom of Milwxiice creek, though her valuation has adva ced $1, 000. The Charlotte Rook jumps fio !.2 to B14g, while the Scotia’s rating, oni’ edin the regular register, be comes A2 With a valuation of $30,000. measuring 22,207 tons, which, valued. at $45 | Brunswick, 269,224; Nova Scotia, 526,921; | ward Island, 80,658; British Calunveia: 11,900; SIGNAL LETTERS. “United States commissioner of navigation. C. B. Morton, in a communication addressed to the marine department of the custom house here, and received yesterday, advises the offi- cials of the contemplated introduction ofa most important Jaw for lake navigation. The communication requests that immediate in- quiry be made among vessel-owners, and that the opinions of those interested be canvassed, touching the granting of signal letters to ves- sels of 100 tons and over navigating the North- western lakes. This is undoubtedly the most important move made during the last ten years, and its ultimate adoption will undoubt- edly be of incalculable benefit to vessels in moments of danger. Had the coast code of signal letters been adcpted on the great lakes last fall, many of the precious lives which perished might have been saved. The steam whistle’s scope of usefulness does not cover one tenth part of the exigencies which arise daily during tempestuous weather and heavy gales, and the adoption of the coast signals can not be pushed with too much vigor. Commissioner Morton realizes the importance of the measure, and urges the department to aspeedy completion of the work. Accom- panying the communication is the code in full, and mariners will see at a glance the imp prt- ant features covered therein.”—Jnter Ocean, It is not likely that the introduction of sig- nal letters, as arule, on the lakes will be of much importance and perhaps 99 out of every 100 owners will object to them on that ground. Many of the ocean going vessels of the larger class carry the international flags, and letters have been assigned them, but it is not com- pulsory. But few-of our lake craft have ap- plied for the signal letters and they look well decked out with the little flags on a Sunday, although there is usually no use for them on the lakes, The signal letters are used by Jocean going vessels. not as a means of saving ife, but that they may report themselves in passing the different foreign ports. As re- gards the utility of the code for use in saving life little can be said, »s the dangers of the deep, when life is imperiled, requires speed ier action to avert them than can be obtained through the use of the code signal flags. Our life saving system is much more effective than telegraphing by flags. As regards the grant- ing of signal letters: It has been necessary to appiy to the department and the letters have been granted. It is possible now, how- ever, that the commissioner of navigation is considering the advisability cf making it com- pulsory for all vessels of one hundred tons and over to carry signal etters and the inter- national code of flags, as a circular letter has been received at all the custom nous around the lakes to that effect. Tue Toronto Empire gives. more onigiete details of Canadian vessels as follows: The number of steamers on the registry books of the Dominion’ is 1,998, having as gross tonnage of 257,818 tons, Calculating the average value of the vessels at $80 a ton, the amount of capital invested in the shipping of the Dominion is $37,532,980. The num- ber of new vessels built last year was 259, a ton, are worth $1,449;312, The total ton- nage of the different provinces is: New Quebec, 252,556; Ontario, 140,929; Prince Ed Manitoba, 5,578. The highest tonnage is St. John. New Brunswick, which has 535 ves- sels, measuring 217,286 tons. Next comes Montreal, 939 vessels and 127,286 tons. The number of steamers registered in Montreal is |. far greater than that of any other port in th jh Dominion, being 192, having a tonnage of | 111,070; Quebec hason its register, 914 vessels, with an aggregate tonnage of 101,491. - There are 154 steamers on the Quebec register, meas- | uring 27,107 tons. Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, has a registered tonnage of 123,722 and Wind- sor, Same province, has 124,055 tons. The total net tonaage of sailing ships and steamers jn British “Columbia was: HEA ig 9,945; New Westminster, 1,955, ‘ roo Engineers have a way of speaking which tothe uninitiated seems rough and curt, | P Dudes dislike it. It is not rough, curt, for this reason, it is born directly of | their calling, Engineering is apursuit that de- mands the premptest sort of action on all oc- | ¢ casions. If steam goes into the cylinder the | & piston has got to move, and if speech comes| out of the mouth of an engineer it is as few iniwords as the occasion demands. An engi- neer does notsay: ‘‘Mydear fellow would: you be kind enough to let me know how much water there is in the boiler at this time,” but he roars out: ‘Below there! where's the wa- ter?” and he getsasshort ananswer: *‘‘Half a glass, sir.” Engineers are awfully cross bihrnthA En- gineer. ic AmonG the vessels to which official num- pers were assigned during the week ended August 4are the following on the lakes; Schooner J. A. Clay, Toledo, Ohio, 12.30 net tons; schooner Lizzie Metzner, Milwaukee, Wis., 73.31 net tons; propeller F. R. Buell, Detroit, Mich., 1199.02 net tons; propeller Helena, Milwaukee, Wis., 1578.66 net tons; propelle: Mary H. Boyce, Grand Hayen. Mich., 607.60 net tons; making a total of n tonnage for ths week of $470.89 ne: tons, ler Blackhawk two years ago off Ca head, > land a baoy has been placed on the obstrue LAKE CARRIERS’. ASSOCIATION, TO CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION UPON ALL GENERAL QUESTIONS aE LATING TO THE NAVIGATION AND CARRYING BUSINESS OF THE GREAT LAKES AND THE WATERS TRIGUTARY THERETO, WITH Tnomas Martin, - - + = Oswego, N. ¥. 7 ASH, ©: .4) 30 = Buffalo, N.Y. BULLARD,- - + + Buffalo, N. ¥. ef D. CALDWELL, President, - Buffalo, N. Y.. £. T. Evans, - - Buffalo, N. Y. W. P. Hesky, - = eS Buifilo, (N.Y; P.P. Miuer. - - + + Buffalo, N.Y, Franx J. Frets, Vice President, - Erie, Pa, M. A. BRADLEY, eed eveland, 0, HL M. Hanna, THomas Wiisox, Vice President, - venaenot oO. A. W. Cotto, - To! Tames W. MILLEN, View President, ” Detroit, Rien ; Esper Warp » .- - = Detroit, Mich. JaMES DavIDSON, = = == =) Jos. AusTRIAN,- - § * = ‘= Ch . EGan, ~ Ira H. OWEN, Vice President, « R. P. FitzGERALD,- —- « Davip VaNce =) -i0F to = a betes lage oy te 3% ARRY MURPHY, Secrelary, - , JAS. CAREY Evans, Treasurer, - MARINE RECORD—OFFICIAL PAPER. FORE AND AFT. Chicago seamen are talking of advancing wages, The recently launched City of New York is 560 feet long and is the largest passenger steamship afloat. The capsized schooner Maggie Thon: pson, lying at Milwaukee, was sold at marshal’s sale Friday for $255. The new steamer on the stocks at the Mil- waukee company’s yard will probably be launched August 11. The commissioner of navigation desires to make the International code of signais on the lakes compulsory. Spencer Briggs, a marine engineer who resided in Milwaukee, was killed on Satur- day last on the propeller Roanoke. Ship owners have organized the Inland Marine Mutual Protection Association, to further Canudian marine interests. The schooner Lizzie Metzner was launched e at Minitowoc Monday. ‘She is 78 feet long, sis 21 feet beam, 6 feet hold, aud cost $5,000. Shipments from the Saginaw river last week aggregate 21,575,000 feet of lumber, 3,000,000 shingles, and 1,000,000 pieces of lath. The N, Ludington Co., of Marinette, Wis, have purchased the tug City of Holland and lighter seow from George Metz, of Holland, ~ Mich., for $2,000. : MeDonugall’s cigar shaped barge, 101, rode out a forty mile gale on Lake Huron with- out being in the least affected by it, 80 Cap- sca tain Holbridge claims. : The anchor and chains lost on the schoon- Es Se pike near Frankfort, Mich., have tion. * At St. Catharines,; Captain. fame; stone, one of the oldest lake navigators, was buried Monday. He sailed hiksnucy belonging to that port for thirty yea was 70 years of age. _ The schooner Minerva has loca reef off South Park, Chicago, whi ; the scho Fron Sate some yea captain: Paes 3 there cha | water over the ore that the State lost ting off | the reef. Union sailors continue to Milwankee, ones ee Oliver Mitchell ; of the former le: be secured from sea ; The U. S times i quest : nf discovered “nothing. It hallion = The echooner | 2 no steambarge H ey ore laden fro tempt to knock out the An Ottawa sien have been