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THE MARINE RECORD. CA. wil Vd i -=Z\V x THE MARINE RECORD.—OFFIcIAL PAPER. « NAVAL VETERAN NOTES, The general orders from headquarters deals with the subject of more active work among the Naval Veterans, as follows: Realizing full well that we cannot exist many years more as active associations, it is incumbent on us to encourage and aid the formation of societies of sons and daughters of Naval Veterans, that the history we have made, and pride in their fathers’ seryice may be kept alive to stimulate them toa higher patriotism and appreciation of their country, which alone will guarantee the security of our republic and their homes, when we have passed away. The recent awakening of our government to the importance of efficient armaments afloat, and the universal favor and pride with which our new guns and ships are received by the people of the country is the commencement of the consumma- tion of what our Association has for years advocated and urged. It is very gratifying also to see the renewed interest in our nayal and merchant marine by the formation of Naval Militia and reserve corps. This latter effort is a new field for our usefulness, and it is pleasing to know that many of our numbers are now active in this direction. I desire to impress upon you the duty of contributing your experience and co- operation with all efforts to form these naval reserves, for it is manifest that our chief reliance must be placed upon our nayal efficiency in case of foreign complications. It is hoped that some governmental action might also be taken to encour- age an active interest in nayal matters on our great lakes and inland waters. It is proposed to have a bureau at the Chicago Fair, to be devoted to Naval matters, and of special interest to the veter- ans, Further details of the duties of the *‘World’s Colum bian Committee of Naval Vets,”’ will be announced as soon as plans can be completed by Chairman Richberg and Comdr, McMahon. Comdr. Francis B. Allen will be designated as “Chief of Staff’? and ‘‘Mustering Officer,” and will have spe- cial charge of the organization, or forming of new associations. On the evening of the 30th ult. a conference wag held in New York, with Commo. Saville and Seey. Dorton, of the Maryland Association, when matters were tully discussed per- taiaing to our next reunion and convention, to be held in Baltimore, Lhe programme as arranged (but subject to modi- fications) is as followe: The re-union will be held the week preceding the Twenty- sixth National Encampment of the G. A. R. at Washington, and on Thursday evening there will be a reception, banquet and speaking in some large building or opera house, and in- vited guests of note will be present, with ladies of the city, and our wives and daughters. Friday—Parade at 10 a, m,, in which militia, G. A. R., and sailors aud marines will partici- pute; route of march not to exceed two miles; and in the af- ternoon it is now expected there will be an exhibition of naval maneyres by several war vessels, concluding at night with the landing of a storming party by electriclights. Saturday, our Seventh Convention will be in session from 9 a, m, to 2 p. m., and after adjournment an excursion to the National delegates and their ladies will be given, Sunday-—-Special divine ser- vice at some one of the large churches, Monday forenoon— Adjourned meeting of the delegates, and in the afternoon or on Tuesday morning proceed to Washington on special train, Ribbon badges will be furnished in Baltimore by the commit- tee. All Nayy veterans of the country are invited to par- ticipate in the Baltimore Nayal trade, and those not specially taken into the ranks by associations will be formed in a sepa~ rate division, In view of this grand rally of Naval Veterans, which will be unprecedented in this country, you will see the necessity of bending your energies to recruiling your ranks to include all eligible shipmates in your vicinity, not forgetting in your activity the necessity of making preparations for the trip by the accumulation of a fund for needed expenses. Let your watchword be, ‘‘On to Baltimore.” We extend to all the above the cordial welcome of a sailor’s fraternal greeting. Nearly ull Naval Veterans are members of the Grand Army of the Republic, therefore bear in mind your various and im- perative duties at the coming encampment. It is a matter of grateful sati:faction to observe in our esteemed Commander— in-Chief’s general order No, 6, that the Veteran sailor is not forgotten by this distinguished soldier, as the order assigns the National Association of Naval Veterans to a position in the line of the grand parade of the G. A. R. on September 20th, at the 26th National Encampment, Therefore, the veteran union soldier and the veteran union sailor, the army and the navy, will appear in line of parade iy eparate divisions, equally proud to wear the badge of the Grand Army and re ceive thetplanits of the peeple as we puss in review in that grand parade. z there is no akan ein the programme from that announcea in general order No. 2, in regard to the Baltimore reunion, except the time, which will now have to conform to that arranged for the Twenty-Sixth G. A. R. Encampment, there- fore our first ussembling in Baltimore will be on the evening of Thursday, September 15th; but further details will be an nounced. The renewed zeal and interest of all the veterans of the war in each other throughout the country is especially notice- able with the Naval Veterans, Reports continually reach me that all the associations are adding to their membership at every meeting. New ones are being formed in several Iceal- ities, and those which were independent have realized the im- portance of a closer sympathy and necessity for union of ac- tion, and have, therefore, voluntarily allied themselves in a fraternal manner under our national standard of the Union Juck. During the last eighteen months the active associations composing the National have increased ‘in numbers one han- dred per cent., and the membership has practicably been doubled. Many of our active and retired naval officers of the highest rank are also now being attracted to us by a natural affinity and our growing national importance, — and are voluntarily presenting themselves for muster into our ship’s crews. ‘Chey are well pleased at the privilege of meet- ing on n common level of equality any und all of the old veterans whose faithful and valiant services contributed such great lustre to our naval history, and whose good work aided so materially in preserving this Union of States and its flag in the days of our conntry’s trials and dangers. There is not a ripple of discord on the surface of the water or a cloud to darken the bright sky under which we are sailing in our na- tional co-operation, and your commanding officer is therefore greatly encouraged in his work and well satisfied with the assistance rendered him by our national and association offi- cers and the shipmates in every direction. WILLIAM 8. WELLS, Rear Admiral Commanding. Naval Veterans Association of Cleveland, Ohio, meet every other Tuesday evening, commencing May 24th, at 422 Supe- rior street, room 18. A cordial invitation is extended to all Naval Veterans to attend the meetings and renew their acquaintance with shipmates of by-gone years. oe OBITUARY. CAPTAIN ROBERT HAYES, When off Port Staniey, Lake Erie, last Thursday, Capt. Robert Hayes, of the barge Ogarita, in tow of the steamer Seguin, went forward to attend to some work about the jib- boom when he feil overboard and was lost. Prompt effort was made to save him, and a small boat was over the spot when he sank for the last time. Captain Hayes was well and favorably known to a large circle of vessel men. He formerly lived at Oswego, N. Y., and had sailed the Sassacus, Carthagenian, A. HL. Moss, Sunshine, and the Kate Kelly, of which vessel he was part owner. He had been in the Ogarita for some time. A reward of $100 is offered for the recovery of the body, which, if picked up by lake seamen, will certainly never be claimed from his grief stricken family. It is requested that when the body is recovered information may be sent to Mrs. } Hayes, No. 290 Massachusetts street, Buffalo, or to Connolly Bros., Buffalo. Lake papers will confer a favor on theffamily by mentioning the above offer. In 1847 Captain Hayes was roate of the brig Andes, and his half century of active life placed him on the list among pioneer lake seamen. We con— dole with the family on the loss of a good husband, father, and seaman. Sn a ee GRAIN SHORTAGES, Some of the graiv shortages for which vessel owners have had to go down in their pockets is now accounted for. In the report of the committee appointed by the Minnesota Legisla- ture a year ago to investigate the charges that the elevator eompanies were guilty of perpetrating gross frauds in the handling of wheat, and combining with the railroads to de- press prices, finds that the Lake Superior Elevator Company and the Union Elevator Company, both of Duluth, shipped a large quantity of wheat in an irregular manner. ‘The com- mittee reports: ‘There is no question but in 1886 and subse- quent years the two elevator companies named did ship in round numbers at night and without the knowledge of em- ployes of the State Department 259,000 bushels of wheat. The companies admit having shipped this wheat, but say it was heated in the bins and almost totally ruined. “Tt also develops that the warehouse companies gave the elevator companies permission to do this to prevent a panic in the wheat markets of the world. The committee finds that 45,000 bushels of wheat were shipped by these companies with- out State inspection or weighing as average, ‘Phe companies allege that this wheat was the accumulation of years in the transaction of an extensive business prior to the date of State inspection, it was the duty of the elevator companies to have caused this wheat to be inspected into their houses at the time they began to operate under State superyi- B10n. “It was also proved by sufficient testimony that between tl Ist of August, 1885, and the Ist of ‘August, 1890, the Hated ies accumulated a further overage of 11,213 bushels in hand- jing 56,000,000 bushels of wheat. ‘This average was called to the attention of the warehouse commission, which issued an or- der permitting its shipment without cancellation of outstanding eae ae © report of the committee is, in effect, that over 315 bushels of wheat were shipped from Duluth in a ee irregular manner, but that nobody in particular is to blame for it, and that the elevator companies shall not be required to make restitution to anybody for the grain so shipped, To the Editor of The Marine Record. As the question of currents on the Great Lakes has been held by many experienced seamen as of such y: quantity as not to be considered in shaping courses, [ 1 thought that personal experiences would no doubt help to: 0 some of the present unexplained strandings, etc, In dlace, I baye great confidence in the system of bottle p now being distributed by the Weather Bureau to ascertain set and drift of currents, but the daily observations I ad, not clearly understanding their value. ee I have from time to time made notes of currents in centais sections of the lakes, and the results have been frequently beneficial, during thick weather especially, as I have been chiefly engaged on sailing vessels, and depending entirely on the winds and weather, It would appear that the currents, or at least the surface motion is actuated by the prevailing winds, and if we take,the formation of Lake Huron we may allow that it is probably more sensitive than any other lake, perhaps excepting Lake Superior, which has some of the gulfs, inlets and bays similar to Lake Huron. I have, therefore, taken Lake Huron as an example for on Point Aux Burques has rested millions of float. ing property, notcounting the many lives that Lave been lost through the numerous disasters. These disasters have chiefly occurred through some want, the question is what is that want, is it a want of better compasses? Is it a want of a thorough knowledge of the existing tempvrary or permanent currents? Or is it a want of a better knowledge of correcting and adjust- ing compasses? ‘These are the questions which ought to be investigated. : Observations which I ‘have been enabled to make from | time to time on Lake Huron show that with the wind NE, and just previous to such a change there is a current of from } to 4 mile per hour, increasing ta one mile, and setting NNE to SSW, and in the vicinity of Thunder Bay, the currentseems to set SSW, and as you proceed towards Point Aux Barques it gradually trends more to the westward until it sets straight up Saginaw Bay and branching off in the vicinity of Au Sable aad Port Austin Reef, one arm or stream trending to- wards Georgian Bay, and the other widening out from NE’ to N. Evidently the set uf curreut most to be guarded agatnst is the set from NE to SW, as it tends to direct a vessel off her course, and places her too far to the westward, which may in a measure account for the strandings on that coast in thick foggy weather. But, nearly all of the casualities are attributed togcom- pass errors, although the known courses haye been steered. Now if the cause is not the fault of the compass there must certainly be some other, and perhaps casualities might be averted if a better knowledge of the action of the currents prevailing, and what causes them, and how to correct the error in courses were thoroughly well known. In past years, when most of our lake commerce was carried on by sail vessels, hundreds of courses would be steered be- tween Chicago and Buffalo, and each course was projected and sai'ed as near thereto as possible. ‘To-day nearly sll of the immense commerce of these great inland seas is carried on by steam power, and it is more necessary than ever that good, safe, and reliable courses should be made, as time cannot be lost in feeling the way along as sailiag vessels used todo. I would suggest that, in crossing Saginaw Bay, with a NE wind and thick, smoky weather, it would be a safe method to allow for at least } to 1 mile of aS W set of current, and even if that set is not experienced the yessel is kept off the west shore. C, W. Lock woop. LL a OSWEGO ELEVATORS BURNED, The port of Oswego, N. Y., suffered from a million dollar blaze on Friday last, that has practically destroyed the eleval or and milling interests of that formerly thriving Lake Ont — ario port. The Washington mills and elevator, with a capacity of 300,000 bushels and 500 barrels of flour a day ; The Colu bia Mills and elevator, capacity 250,000 bushels and 330 bar- rels a day ; The Merchants’ elevator, capacity 250,000 i els; The Marine elevator, capacity 250,000 bushels; The Co 0 Exchange elevator, and the Continental elevator were a'l tally destroyed, and the Northern elevator suffered a loss. The only elevator left is the North-Western, by Gaylord, Downey & Cu, The foregoing, together with burning of a large quantity of new lumber, is a hard blo Oswego’s industries and the shipping trade of the ports Snir es “Sometime since a superannuated old commodore w ed in charge of one of our nayy yards. One day a fellow had just filled his basket with chips as the commodore ‘hove insight’ and growled out, ‘Drop you young rascal; drop it, I say.’ A chase ensued. was small and his load heayy, and presently the ol dore, pufhng and blowing, seized the boy by the Jumping away and dumping the chips at his feet, claimed, ‘Take it, you darned old skinflint, its the f you ever took in your life,’”’ Z The water in the Sturgeon Bay canal is higher than it has been for the last five yeara, pag cre