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~ MARITIME LAW. | @TRANDING OF TOW—LONG HAWSER—SAN : SPIT—TUG BOUND TO AVOID. U. S. District Qvurt, Sruthern District of New York. while in tow of a tug Be a ates m hawser, struck on a sand spit on 0 ate ot a channel way. The tug’s Sea was that the barge was not steered after ae tug. The evidence showed that those on t e barge were attentive to their duties; how oe was steering was observed and known to the tug; it was not a subject of complaint pie the accident; and that whatever sheering t ne re was on her part was due to the long hla which the tug had given out and to oe currents, and to change by the tug Here ; Held, that the tug was bound to have taken these things itito account and provide pttond them by giving a wider berth to the spit. ae that the tug wastherefore liable for the straud- ne rown, J. On repeated consideration of this case, am satisfied that the principal fault was with the tug, in going so far in the Westward in and so near to the head of the Dd A barge, Loyd’s Channel, re * spit on which the barge struck, The esti- mates of distance, and of amount of the sheer by the barge, are diverse, and cannot be much relied The witness Stapler, who was fishing from his boat not far from the west spindle, wag in the best situation to see the whole course-of both boats. He estimates that she passed within 30 yards of the spit, and saysshe then hauled two points to the west- ward, and so say the bargemen; and that the effect of this, together with an eddy tide, was to draw the barge, which was on a hawser a hundred fathoms astern, upon the spit. The pilot of the tug testifies, that instead of haul- ing to the westward, he hauled half a point 4o the southward. J do not credit the estimate by some of the witnesses that the barge sheered one hundred and fifty feet to the westward, or that she got four points off the tuz’s starboard quarter at any time, unless when the tug sheered to the westward 80 much as to bring her on that bearing through a change in the tug’s own direction. The master of the tug says the barge sheered on one side and on the other from half a point to a point, and got as much as fifty feet out of line. The witnesses from the barge say that they did not at any time get out of line while the tug kept her own @ourse, but steered after her as closely as possible. With a hawser of 75 or 100 fathoms, and ating through somewhat variable cur- yme sheering was no doubt unavoidable, evidence of negligence in the barge. ost important is that the master of say that the barge was badly er her sheering was, it was t and should have on. ably admitted. If n observed wes to a ge through Loyd’s hail or whistle from ons, as customary, given to the barge. “ander the circumstances of a possible eddy, ‘and a change in the tug’s own course, so as to ~ throw the responsibility for the accident on the barge. Just how near to the spit the tug “ran cannot be made certain; but it is certain that there no was need of her going so far to the westward; she could have taken a course one— ‘third of the way across without difficulty, and ‘free from all danger. As respects the length of the hawser, it I ‘could find that it was necessary for the tug in going through Loyd’s Channel on the ebb tide to go so far to the westward and so near to the spit as she went, J should hold her to blame for the use of so long ahawser. But with a channel way of deep water unobstructed more than a quarter of a mile in width, al- though the ebb tide did set straight towards the east spindle, there was not the least need for atug proceeding with a tow on such a shawser at the rate of five or ‘six miles an hour, to take a course more than two-thirds across to the westward; and in the absence of any such necessity, with abundant room to the eastward, and with the known liability of a tow to sheer in changing currents and on the tug’s turning, it was at the tug’s own peril that she proceeded so near the west spit. I am not satisfied that there was any fault in the steering of the barge, such as should legally charge her with responsibility of the -accident. The evidence shows that those in charge of her were attentive to their duties; hhow she was steering was observed and known to'the tug; it was not a subject of com— yplaint before the accident; whatever sheering there was was owing | think, to the long hawser which the tug had given out, and to variable “currents, and to the tug’s own change, all of which the tug was bound to take into account and provided against by giving a wider berth ‘to the spit. Decree for plaintiff and with costs. May 13, 1890. Those who cannot see the advantage of one engine over another might bear in mind that when Corliss intreduced his engine he was willing to take for his pay what it would save in fuel. Wattdid the same thing in replac- ing the atmospheric engine with the steam LS SS —————— Ihe Marine Record. NIX IRON WORKS, PHOE Port Eturcn, MWZich.- MANUFACTURERS OF-——— MARINE ENGINES AND BOILERS ee) Feces ‘ Pet hol DES aN so. PATS ALLTEL AE RITE ITT TE I~ A I RGEC) THE HENNEPIN CANAL. Notwithstanding the boom which the Her- nepin Canal scheme has received iu the first session of the fifty first Congress, the Sen- ate will undoubtedly make haste slowly,in committing the country to the illimitable ex- pense of forming a ship canal from Chicago to the Mississippi; and then chaining the “big waters” within navigable iimits. The Chicago Inter- Ocean which has been an able supporter of the entire measure during the past decade, seems to have spoken almost too plainly in a recent editorial, so much so, that the big drainage scheme and the ship canal have been allowed to become merged in the one under- taking. Under the heading of the Drainage Commission we find the following: “Tt isreported that the Dem »2rats are actively *try- ing to arrange for the filling of vacancies occasioned by the resignations of Messrs. Doyle and Gregory from position under the drainage commission. * * The political phase of these appointments, however, ought not to be given too much weight. JI'he enter- prise itself is one of the most stupendous and import- ant known to civil engineering, and Chief Engineer Cooley has a responsibility absolutely appalling. * * The first thing should be to begin work on a right basis. In civil engineering, as in everything? else, ‘the beginning is half of the whole.’ Start out with the idea of a mere ditch for sewage and the result will be the expenditure of # great deal of money on works unsuited to the purpose in yiew and bound to be re- jected. * * * Dr. Rauch, of the State Board of Health, wants the commission to afford relief, first of all, for sewage by putting up temporary pumping works at the Sum- mit, or thereabouts. Perhaps something of that kind is feasible and ought to be done, but especial care should be taken to guard against giving color to the suspicions of the valley people that Chicago was not inearnest about a water-way; was really only scheming to get a chance to pump its liquid filth into the canal and ultimately the Illinois River- Once let that notion prevail and the General Assembly might step’in and put astop to the whole project. *““* The assurance is given that the Nicaragua Canal will be in operation in five or seven years, with ships passing through it as they now do through the Suez §Cunal. The Chicago Ship Canal ought to be finished as soon as that. Chicago ulone can not stand the expense of such a mighty undertaking, but Congress will un- doubtedly come to her relief. The channel which is to be constructed for drainage purposes will have to be extended a good way to be available as a ship canal, but that is a matter which will take care of it- self indue time. Our drainage board has only to do its duty faithfully and the rest will follow almostas a matter of course.” Decidedly as a “matter of course’? would the enormous annual appropriation require to be granted if once the Federal authorities “put their hands to the plough,” but will they? We believe not, for the simple reason that the natural difficulties to be overcome are simply insurmountable, unless at a fabu- lous outlay. With a result equally disap- pointing to the inland commerce of the United States. Chicago commerce alone would not even be benefitted, for the sanitary drainage would probably; and according to the views expressed from time to time by eminent en- gineers, assist in draining the level of the chain of lakes, (equally prominent advices to the contrary notwithstanding) If an artifi- cial measure was desired to lower the lake level no better system could be devised. daa ACES IE Se William McKittrick has been appointed chief engineer of the new steamer being built by Captain James Davidson at West Bay City, of which Captain Robert Jones will be master. She will come out about August 1, | AN ELEVATOR NEEDED. Our esteemed contemporary, the Kingston News, puts before its readers the necessity of building grain elevators at Kingston, Ont. Notwithstanding the able manner in which the question is handled by the Kingston News, we are of the opinion that neither Ogdens- burg or Kingston will suit the Lake grain transportation trade for a terminal point In fact, measures are now being taken to have a large proportion of this trade carried through to Montreal for transhipment. It would therefore be hardly a wise step for Kingston to erect large eleyaturs, simply to stand empty while the business for which they were built went floating past on its way to Montreal. There should certainly be found some other way out of the difficulty which the Kingston News sees ahead if Ogdensburg became the objective point. “Should the rebate on canal tolls of 18 cents a ton be granted by our government for grain transhipped at Ogdensburg, as has been de- manded by those interested, the result wauld be first to destroy the transhipping trade of this city; and secondly, to sweep the Canadian shipping from the Jakes, for, as Canadian vessels cannot ply between one American port and another, all grain from Chicago, Duluth and other American up-the lake ports consigned to Ogdensburg would be carried in American vessels. At present the business of transhipping that certain interested persons would transfer to Ogdensburg is done at Kingston, and three-fourths of the grain is brought in Canadian vessels. Montreal ap- parently cares neither for Kingston nor for the Canadian shipping interests. It sees in the scheme of transhipping at Ogdensburg a prospect of diverting to the St. Lawrence route and Montreal the greater portion of the grain trade of the west. Whether the grain is carried in American bottoms or not does not seem to bother the Montrealers, so eager are they for their own advantage, even at the expense of other portions of the Dominion. The government of Canada, we may be sure, will not willingly acquiesce in Montreal’s schemes of self-aggrandisement at the ex- pense of the rest of the Dominion, 1f it can possibly avoid doing so. But Kingston must take the ground from under the feet of those who are asking for the rebate on grain tran- shipped at Ogdensburg, by supplying elevator facilities here quite as good as exist at Ogdens- burg. With an elevator of a million or a million and a half capacity here, the govern- ment could inexpugnably take the ground that there was no necessity for transhipping at Ogdensburg, since elevator facilities equally good were to be found at Kingston. The Board of Trade, if it be alive to the danger that threatens an important industry of our city, should at once propose some plan of securing the required elevator facilities at this port. An elevator of the ponents re: quired could be erected for $150,000, we are informed.” —Kingston News. ee On Chinaman to every 50 tons is the regu- lation now being enforced by the Dominion of Canada against the steamers employed in the Canadian-China trade. The Japan Herald of recent date says:—‘The departure of the Canadian Pacific Company’s steamer Parthia from Yokohama was somewhat delayed today (20th) owing to the fact that she had to dis~ embark a number of Chinamen. There is a Jaw in the Dominion which, however, has hitherto practically been a dead letter, that only one Chinaman should be imported for every 50 tons of the vessels’s tonnage. Hith- erto this law has not been acted upon, but it appears that it has recently been put into force, and that the Abyssinia, the last vessel to arrive there, had been heavily penalised for having an excess of Chinese on board. ; Number of boilers inspected (steel)... RECAPILTULATION. Below we print a capitulation of the work done by the Board of Supervising Jospectors during the fiscal year ending December 31st, 1889, which embraces the various matters and occurrences relating to steamers navigated under the act of Congress relating to steam vessels. The figures thus given may still further tend to enlighten our readers who are immersed in mercantile pursuits of the wide spread interests and influences of the steam ton- nage enrolled in the United States mercantile marine. MARINE ENGINEERS. Joho H, Galwey was for ten years engineer of the steamer Alaska, plying between De— troit and Put-in-Bay, but resigned last winter — upon being elected president of the National Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association the annual convention in Charleston, S. The reason for this was that the national con= vention, for the first time since its organiz: - tion, voted the president a salary, aad directec him during'the year to visit all of th local associations, located in thi | cities from Maine to Flordia, from 2 | t0 Portland, Ore. and ali~ lakes. Mr. Galwey has returne western trip of six weeks an “Our order originated in Cl years ago, and only four citi ted. Now eighty cities with a total membershi, are only about 15,000 Inspected Nuniber of boilers inspected (iron)....-.... Total number of boilers inspected...... Inorease in number of steamers inspected over last year....... ce Increase in tonnage over previous yeur.. eH Increase in number of boilers inspected 370 OVELr PYEVIOUS YORE .csscce cccccsscecarocesees i Officers, = Number of masters that have received li- : cenge 8,183 1,812 7,463 14,573 im: $0 Number of pilots that have received license Number of engineers licened during year... | Many improver marine engines during more are constantly bi must be taught cor : We have never had a strke; stitution express] ie ing to the regulation — stands for what he is wort! any lack of employment wages. ; Rat “On my trip west I visited ports of California and Pu am impressed with the amount of steamboating will in ti be done on the sound; but at go ahead of everything, and h half of the steam tonnage States. ‘ “About the Ist of next S make my eastern tour, visi which we have associations, Charleston, S,C. About the | uary we hold our next annual Washington. This is because | Supervising Inspectors meet there : and also because we have some legis Congress, which will be for staal convention and introduced then.” Total number of officers licensed... Casualties—Loss of Life. Lives lost by explosions or accidental es- _ cape of steam... ose Lives lost by collisions.. Lives lost by fi Lives lost by wreck or fo Lives lost from other causes... ‘Total number of lives lost..., Deorease in number lives previous year, Loss of Property, Property lost by explosions......... Property lost by collisions Property lost by fire............ Property lost by snags, ice, roo! and breaking of machinery.. Property lost by wreck or groun DB, 1Biae 8 ‘Total value of property lost during year 2,587,459 30 Tnerease in property lost over 1882...... 171,481 30 NOMENCLATURE, Regarding the nomenclature of naval ves- sels the house naval committee has come to the conclusion that the name must clearly in- dicate the characteristic of each class of yes— sels, battle ships, armoured coast defence ves- sels, cruisers, etc., should be named accord- ing toa classified code in accordance with their burthen and armour. The committee there— fore amended the Senate bill so as to provide that vessels of the first rate shall be named after the states of the union, vessels of the second rate after cities of the United States, vessels of the third rate after important events or names connected with the nayal history of the United States, and vessels of the fourth rate after lakes and rivers of the United States. If this bill, as amended, becomes a law, the vessel now designated as Cruiser No. 6 will undoubtedly be named the Buffalo. She will have a displacement of 5,500 tons and will be the largest cruiser U. 8. afloat. Congress appro- priated $1,800,000 for her construction exclu- sive of armament the contract haying been awarded to the Union Iron Works of San Francisco at $1,796,000. STEERING § As the question of d jority of tonnage steering crossed chains, isa desirable. interests of all concerned, — ing space each week to a fer} kindly assist our efforts by office any positive data hand. Harbor tugs and stood as steering resp “The babe is the mother’s anchor’ patheti- |. cally observes a religious weekly. Hence it | 3 follows, we suppose, that the mother is the | 7 anchor’s spanker as well. ae