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4 ‘THE MARINE RECORD. The Marine Record. Published every Thursday, at 144 Superior Street, (Leader Building,) CLEVELAND, O. ' : 5 BRANCH OFFICE, Cutcaco, I114., - - - 252South Water St. THOMAS WILLIAMS, Associate Editor. levine B, Smith. Carr. JOHN Swainson, Proprietors. SUBSCRIPTION. One copy, one year, postage paid, = - == : One copy, one year to foreign countries, . Invariably in advance. ADVERTISING. Rates given on application, ee THE MARINE RECORD can be found for sale by the following agents and news dealers: AMHERSTBURG, ONT.—George Taylor. ASHTABULA HARBOR, 0.—0, ©. Large, 0. M. Kohne. ASHLAND, WIS.—Post Office News Stand. BUFFALO, N. Y.—Miss McCabe, Elk st.; W- H. Boyd, 60 Main st. CHICAGO, ILLS.—Thomas Williams, 252 South Water street. L- P. Ballin, 33 West Randolph street. CLEVELAND, 0.—Cleyeland News Co , 118 Wood street; G. F. Bow- man, corner Pearl and Detroit street; R. A. Castner, 254 Detroit street B. J. Ray, 452 Detroit street; Larwood & Day, 259 Superior street; N- Hexter, 303 Superior street; Taylor. Austin & Co.,116 Public Square, DETROIT, MICH.—George Abrams, River Reporter. DULUTH, MINN.—Albertson & Chamberlain, 323 West Superior st., Zenith News Stand. DUNNVILLE, ONT.—J. H. Smith. ERIE, PA.—Reed Caughey, W. J. Sell, Moses Dryfoos. ESCANABA, MICH.—John Finnegan, Sourwine & Hartnett. HURON, 0.—John Squires. HOUGHTON, MICH.--F. W. Kroll. KINGSTON, ONT.—John Henderson & Co: LORAIN, 0.—€. C. Knapp, J- B. Tunte. LUDINGTON, MICH.—Fisk & Co. MANISTIQUE, MICH.—W. S. Gilbert, Post Office Block. MARQUETTE, MICH.—Vannier & Bigelow. MILWAUKEE, WIS —T. S. Gray Co., 126 Wisconsin street. OWEN SOUND, ONT.—H. P. Adair & Co., J. Sharpe, Jr. PORT HURON, MICH.—D. BE. Lynn, Marine Reporter. SARNIA, ONT.—J. G. McCrae, D. McMaster. SAULT STE. MARIE, MICH.—J. P. Haller, Water street. 43- Subscribers and others are respectfully invited touse the columns of THE MARINE KECURD for the discussion of pertinent topics and all matters relating to the welfareof the Lake Marine. N.B.—We do not hold ourselves responsible in any way for the views expressed by our correspondents. Contributions must in every c1se be accompanied by the full name and address of the writer, and be at this office not later than Wednesday morning. Entered at the Post Office at Cleveland as second class mail matter. ALL MAIL MATTER Pertaining to the Editorial and Business Departments of THe Marine Recorp should be addressed, “SMITH & SWAINSON, 148 SUPERIOR ST., CLEVELAND, OHIO.” CLEVELAND, 0O., JANUARY 24, 1892. A REVELATION IN LIGHTS. AccorDING to Rule 7, Hatracts from Revised Statutes all lake steamers are to carry a central range of two white lights, the forward light at the foremost head showing over an are of the horizon of twenty points of the com- pass, being ten points on each side of the bow as now universally in use, and in addition thereto an after bright light to be carried at an elevation of fifteen feet above the forward light, and showing all round the horizon. Such is the wording of Rule 7, which is now to be strictly enforced on all lake steamers, according to instructions from Washington. This clause will, no doubt, bea revelation to even the most experienced lake masters and owners, for,.we must candidly admit that the Rule has been honored more in the breach than in the observance thereof. From what sinister source the prompting of a revisal of the clause has been heralded we know not, suflice it to say that the Rule bears all the foree of law which the beneficient portion of the Rules bear, and, as a Revised Statute, is considered eminently worthy of being strictly enforced. Vessel owners and masters would be justified in taking such steps during the present Congress as would be found necessary to have this Rule 7 suspended or rescinded for the season of 1892, as otherwise confusion may reign supreme, even after being put to a great.expense in fitting a spar to carry the after light. We further call the at- tention of the entire lake marine to the fact that quite a number of steamers now carry but one spar, and this pre- sumably only to accommodate their masthead light, while those with short pole spars might possibly get the after range light fifteen feet above the light at the fore- mast head, though it would be near the truck in many cases, Others would be obliged to fid their main top- masts again and rig up the hoistihg arrangement for gettirg the “sky wonder” aloft there. This is a subject which the practical navigator will hardly find patience enough to discuss, and but encour- ages a supreme indifference, not to say disgust, for the Rules so ignorantly framed. Those who advocated, ad- opted, and are placed in a position to enforce the Rule ought to have something to say in its favor, and we would like to hear from them one half rational reason in behalf of its continuance. The law went into effect January Ist., 1872, amended 1875, ’81-82, and no doubt should have been strictly enforced. Yet, reasons for not enforcing it are as plentiful as blackberries in the sum- mer time, which the framers of such a code ought to per- haps have been gathering instead of sitting owl-like forming laws to guide the lake marine which are ridicul- ous in their inception, and horrible to contemplate in their carrying out. oD Oo eo BOTTLE PAPERS. Ir is highly gratifying to learn that the Weather Bur- eau, Department of Agriculture, have about determined to learn something of the physical geography of the Great Lakes. : Hitherto, the most dense ignorance has prevailed re- garding the characteristics of the several lakes. No ob- servations of any movement have ever been taken, and no official or reliable data is at hand after a half century of navigation, if we except, within the shore line of the several districts ruled over by the officers of the Engineer Corps, U. 8. A. A short time ago Mark W. Harrington, chief of the Weather Burean, turned his attention to this lack of geo- graphical knowledge as affecting the department of which he is the principal, and as soon as the facts were made known, he appreciated the situation and set about to as- certain the best means of obtaining reliable data of the entire lake area. The first step was to determine a positive system of gathering information with the aid of volun- tary observers working in direct connection with the Weather Bureau and suited for special lake require- ments. To this end, an officer who had charge of similar work in New York previous to the service being turned over to the Navy Department, was appointed to locate in Cleveland, O. Small charts of each lake, di- vided into numbered squares was thendrawn up and a form ruled out to record desirable observations, a letter of in- tructions was printed asking for the voluntary assist- ance of all lake masters in filling out these blanks during the season of navigation a franked envelope accompanying each form, so that when filled out it might be mailed to Washington for compilation. All this work was being done ready for the opening of navigation, 1892. Whether through the wide spread agitation on the mat- ter of lake levels, the endorsement of a twenty-one foot channel over the lakes, the several stupendous canal schemes now being ventilated and for which bills are be- fore the present Congress, or for the general reasons of learning the surface action of these large;bodies of water, we are not in a position to say, but, we do know that steps are being taken to ascertain the set and drift of currents over the area of each lake, and to this end alarge number of specially constructed bottles are being made, so that lake masters and pilots may fill out a blank, drop the bot- tles overboard in the recorded squares, and the finder will send the enclosed form in a franked envelope to Washington to be there compiled. Bottles papers to ascertain the set and drift of surface currents are not unknown, though their introduction was probably first brought about through the many silent messages from the sea, which shipwrecked mariners, in their last extremity, have thrown overboard as a tell tale. The hydrographic office, navy department, has now in use asystem of bottle papers for ocean work, and it is a matter of congratulation that the Weather Bureau, in the absence of the Navy Department, has taken so earnest an interest in a similar work upon the lakes, | The bottles, will no doubt be of adistinctive character, and float well submerged, so that the surface action of light summer winds will affect but slightly their drift, and while no person will be expected to stop in mid-lake to pick up these messengers, as, if they did it would render the observation futile unless thrown overboard again. Yet, wherever picked up, near the shore or when stranded on the beach, no time should be lost by the finder in forwarding the, message according to the instructions printed on the form con- tained in the bottle, as the date of its being picked up will form an important factor in the compilation of the current data of the Great Lakes. Asa permanent method of obtaining annual data and becoming apprised of any marked changes in the ac: tion of lake surfaces, in so far as their set and drift was concerned, we would advocate the retention of these bottles by the signal service officer, within whose district the bottles are found. It would then require but a few extra bottles each year to keep up the steady supply; this a wider distribution, and always provide a s bottle papers at each port or district, now covered b; Weather Bureau, Department of Agriculture. With the advent of the bottle system It may be mined why vessels find themselves stranding on the sou! shore of Lake Superior in foggy weather, and also ; other points, for there is no greater danger to the o ary mariner than an unknown current setting him his course in thick foggy weather, and for obvious } sons this is a more especial feature in lake navigation than occurs over any other waters in the world, th all information relating to the lakes, their winds, and currents, which the government can, or may ol through its various bureaux is of the utmost imports to lake mariners, and with the initiation of the excelle system about to be inaugurated, it will not be but on a few. seasons before wind and current charts may published for the Great Lakes, and their characters full portrayed. a THAT ANCIENT TREATY. rie | The 1817 treaty, of which so much has been said recent- ly in its detrimental effect upon Lake shipbuilders, reads as follows: The naval force to be maintained upon the Am- erican lakes, by his Majesty, and the Government of the P| United States, shall henceforth be confined to the follow- ing vessels on each side; that is: 3 On Lake Ontario, to one vessel not exceeding 100 tons burthen, and armed with one 18-pound cannon, on the upper lakes, to two vessels, not exceeding like burthen each, and armed with like force on the waters of Lake Champlain to one vessel not exceeding like burthen and armed with like force. All other armed ves- sels on these lakes shall be forthwith dismantled, and no other vessels of war shall be there built or armed. If either party should hereafter be desirous of annuling this stipulation, and should give notice to that effect to the other party, it shall cease to be binding after the ex- — piration of six months from the date of such notlee. The nayal force so to be limited shall be restricted to such services as will in no respect interfere with the proper duties of the armed vessels of the other party. One year later a proclamation by the President put the “arrangement” in force, so far as this country was con- cerned, and similar public notice was given by England, Se aM SS E: IRON ORE CHARTERS. py, i There is a little chartering being done daily and the total placed now aggregates about a million and a half tons, according to the careful estimate of a vesselman who is watching the market closely. Escanaba charters held off until this week when $1 was accepted for an opening rate, Ashland and Two Harbors is quoted at $1.25 and the bulk of the tonnage now chartered has been placed at that figure. There is no inquiry for Marquette but the present rate would rule at $1.15. Vesselmen in Cleveland are in no hurry to charter at these rates, as it is thought that the season will open strong and better rates will obtain for wild boats, in any ease the pre rate may be easily obtained and consequently there is need to charter, although one large firm have placed to: nage very liberally at these figures. The iron ore companies now operating their own 01 nage take away the gist of the excitement in openin rates and this feature is becoming more prevalent e: year, large blocks of ore are now taken care of withou even being placed on, or in any way affecting the frei; market. * With the large amount of ore already sold and the rus to get grain down in the spring a lively opening is 1 for and good rates will no doubt be paid for the open months, at least. The outlook for the whole season i zs to be fairly good for vessel owners and much is expecte from 1892, notwithstanding the large quantity of ne tonnage now being built to enter into this seasons bu ness. eS AN article in another column of this issue unde caption of “Grain Stealing and the Reason Why,” th a modicum of light on the grain elevator system weighing, tallying and checking grain at the ports «¢ shipment. THE MARINE Recorp is taken somew! task for not mentioning the names of the indiy who weigh the grain. With weighers’ names we al concerned, it is on the system which permits of to so large an extent that we take issue, if a v short of her cargo and does not turn out the quantil receives, there is an open accusation of barratry, founded, but none the less an accusation, let | chandise be what it may. It is to this charge a master and crew that we take exceptions, and ask © revisal of the present cut-throat bill of lading. ewba hl Capt. Thomas?Teed died at Racine, Wis., last w' was well-known along the lakes having had charge vessels during his career, ome Rita