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THRE MARINE RECORD. 4 _ Maritime Law. /harfingers liabitities s2em to be clearly set forth in the owing recent decisions. The digest of the case cited tive toa weak shaft is also of direct importance to vessel “District Court, D., Massachusetts. May 30, 1892. AND WHARFINGERS—Oxssrructrons—LIABILITY or WHARFINGERS. A schooner drawing 11 feet 8 inches, loaded with coal owned by and consigned to the respondents under a bill of lading guarantying to her generally 12 feet of water, arrived at respondents’ dock. One of the respondents was present at he schooner’s arrival, but said nothing to the master. The latter was unacquainted with the cbstructions and the tides at the place. The schooner struck a ledge of rock on which at average tides the water was 12 feet deep. Respondents did not own tie bed of the river, but dredged it, and occupied and used the wharf to berth vessels, Held, that the master hada right to rely onthe respondent who was present, and his silence amounted to an express invitation to enter. Held, therefore, that respondents were liable, Circuit Court of Appeals, Second Circuit. Feb. 16, 1892. WHARVES AND WHARFINGERS—OrsTRuCTION—K NOWLEDGE Lrapiniry, Libelant’s steamer was berthed at respondent’s wharf, along- side of which lay a sunken wreck. ‘The presence of the wreck waa known both to respondent’s agent and to the agent of lib- eluant. who applied for the berth, here was no understand- ing, express or implied, relieving the respondent from the ordinary obligations of a wharfinger, except the implied ob- ligation on the steamer to go to the particular berth assigned. | Respondent’s agent saw tne steamer at the wharf discharging but made no objection tothe berth. The steamer was after- wards injured by the sunken wreck, and sank in the slip. Held, that the steamer’s agent was justified in assuming that respondent’s agent hud better information than he had as to the condition of respondent’s premises, and in relying and ncting upon such assumption; and that as a wharfinger, in offer- ing accommodations for hire, the respondent impliedly agreed that the steamer would not be exposed to danger arisiag from cone-aled obstruciions known to its agent, and which the steamer was not required to anticipate: that respondent there- fore was liable for the injury done the steamer. 5, 1888, Dis'rict Court, D., Massachusetts. August 15 Suiprrinc—Unsraworruy VesseL—Werak SHarr. Where a steamer’s propeller shaft, which had been long in use, broke in fair weather, when the ship was under ordinary full speed, and no wreckage lay about or rock that could have been struck, and the shaft showed no flaw subsequent exam- ination, the court found that the shaft was weak befor the ves sel left port, und held, that this constituted such a defect as tu render the ship uaseaworthy at the commencement of her voyage, and her owner liable for damages arising out of such coudition. Fed. Rep., Vol: 50, page 567. ro THOSE CANAL ‘1OLLS. Special Correspondence to U'he Marine Record. Yoronro, CANADA.—A government official at Ottawa of some power, whose advice is always sought by the administration regarding questions affecting the waterways in controversy be- tween Canada and the United States gives it as his opinion that sooner or later it will be recognized that American policy is far broader than mere rectification of canai tolls. Their object, this official gentlemen vouchsafes, comprehends the ultimate right of navigating not simply the Welland canal but the complete St, Lawrence system by United States craft on a per- fect equality with British ships and under an unlimited guarantee, The United States idea is demonstrated in a re- port of the Congressional committee on interstate and foreign commerce preseuted by Mr. Lind to the House of Representa- tives last spring. It 1s there pointed out that the shortest and cheapest route of communication between the Great Lakes and the sea is the St. Lawrence one, with its canals deepened toa depth uniform with that of the ‘Soo’? canal. It is palpable, according to the official Canadian view, that American diplo— macy contemplates the possibility thus opened up of the mag: nificent fleet of the United States inland marine sailing direct from Chicago to Liverpuol or any other port in the world. Access to the sea would also enable the modern lurge lake ves- sels to avoid the loss of laying up all winter, for they could be employed on the Atlantic in voyages to South American countries, returning to the profitable Jake trade in the spring. So much has been sid regarding the tolls on grain eastward- bound, that it will be interesting to see just what quantities went to Ogdensburg, N. Y., last year of cereals passing through the Welland. ‘The figures for the season of 1891 are us followe: Corn 119,198 tons; oats 52,823; wheat 18,204; or atetal of 190,225 tons of gruin going via the Welland to Ogdensburg, the discriminatory dury upon which would amount says a dispatch from Ottawa to the Globe, according to the official revurns, which will shortly be published, to 734,489, Of this sum about $3,000 would represent the discrimination in favor of the port of Kingston, a quantity of 17,817 tons haying been transhipped at Ogdensburg for Montreal. If the rebute of this small sum had been conceeded to the port of Ogdensburg the broad claim now made by the American Goy- ernment would probably have been postponed indefinitely, to the diplomatic advantage of Canada, Lhe total quantity of _ grain passing through the Welland for Canadian ports was iast _ year 291,217 tons an over 1890 of 46,000 tons. Communications are passing between the Canadian and the _ American Governments through the channel of the British ion at Washington with the view to the issue of simul— taneous proclamations bringiag inte force the new law passed by each legislature providing tor reciprocity in wrecking and towing in waters contiguous to each country, The act ot Con- gress has yet to receive the President’s signature and: con— tains, as the act of the Canadian parliament does, u clause ‘Suspending it until brought into effect by proclamation. The new Dominion revenue cutter Curlew culled in port on her way down from the Polson shipyard at Owen Sound, to , and was inspected by many visitors. She is a sister to the cutter Constance, which went down to the Gulf of St. Lawrence this spring, and the latter’s exact counterpart as nearly as possible, the cruiser will carry a crew of 17 men. To starboard and port of the boilers the coal bunkers are built to act as buffers, a protection to the machinery in case of her being fired into. Naval equipment, ammunition and stores will be shipped at Quebec and the Curlew will then chase smugglers in the Bay of Fundy. J. A.C. er AN UNJUST COMPARISON, Mr. John F. Pankhurst, general,manager of the Globe Tron Works Co., is somewhat indignant over figures recently pub- lished in a New York contemporary, which he Bays are en- tirely misleading. To Tum Marne Recorpjman he said: ‘1 desire to be correctly quoted on this subject and am pleased to furnish you the exact figures in question, The New York paper stated ‘that the Matoa of the Min- nesota Steamship Line, and the ‘“whaleback’’ Colby Hoyt made each four round trips last year for. the purpose of com- parison, he trips were made and cargo discharged in 28 days by each vessel. The Hoyt, it is said, carried 8,660 tons, and the Matoa 8,500 tons in that period. The Hoyt burned an average of 122 toné of coal per trip, and the Matoa 178 tons and 300 pounds, The bills for the Hoyt’s engine supplies were $23.46 and Matoa $48,78.’" This report so favorable to the whaleback is eminently mis- leading and quite at variance with the facts as shown by the comparative tests. The figures seem to be given with a spirit of fairness and candor sufficient to convince the uninitiated, and I feel it to be my duty to correct this wrong impression, When the Minnesota Steamship Co. desired to add to their fleet, tests were made for the purpose of deciding whether the whaleback type would answer their purpose any better than the usual construction, and after these tests were made an order was placed with the Globe Iron Works Co., and the Chicago Shipbuilding Co. for each to build a ship on the same lines as their present fleet, only somewhat larger, This ought surely to have sufficed even if not satisfactory to some interested parties, without rushing into print on the comparative tests and mis quoting figures to bolster up erron- eous assertions, I have takeu some pains to secure the correct showing of these test trips and find that the Hoyt’s time for four round trips was 34} days while the Matoa covered the same distance in 28.67-100 days, The Hoyt carried 8,438 tons, and the Matoa 8,732, mean, draft of water of the Hoyt was 14 feet 5 inches, and of the Matoa 14 feet 3 inches, con- sumption of coal, Hoyt 134} tons, Matoa 187 tons, speed of Hoyt 11.45 miles per hour, Matua 12 69, engine supplies, Hoyt $13.50, Matoa’s $12.88, These figures you see are different from those quoted by the New York paper, and when you consider that the Matoa is a much larger vessel, was handi- capped by such low water at the “Soo”’ canal as only to be able to carry about two-thirds of a cargo on the limited draft aliowed, yet, she carried nearly 300 tons more cargo ata speed of 1} miles in excess of hercompetitor during the test trips. Anyone acquainted with the power required to propel ships will realize what a mile anda quarter extraspeed means. 1 like honest criticism and fair competition, but have not a particle of use for erroneous statements, or inaccurate figures when quoted to assist wrong impressions.” oe oe DREDGING WORK AT THE “SOO,” THE PATROL SYSTEM CONTINUED. Speciai Correspondence to The Marine Record. Dunbar & Sullivan, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., have put one drill at work on the excavation of 300,000 yards of rock in the canal this week, a channel twenty-four feet deep will be dredged, work will commence on the north side of canal, and it will be well for wooden vessels not to lay near the dredges while blasting is going on, as itis very liable to shake the oakum out of their seams. The drill will haye a green and red light displayed at night. ‘The same firm have six dredges at work on the Hay Lake channel, and from present indications will certainly have their contract completed in the fall of 1893. ‘There arel50 men employed on the work. The firm of Dunbar & Sullivan have justly acquired the reputation of having the best organized and most systematic force of dredge men on the Great Lakes. i Hughes Bros, & Bangs are pushing their work on the new lock and have about four hundred men employed. They will have their contract completed on time and have every modern improvement to facilitate their large contract. P.M. Chureh has received instructions to continue the patrol service on the river until further notice. This is a very important service to vesselmen, and it would certainly mean loss to them by vessels grounding if the patrcl work which has been so well performed were to be discontinued. It is probable that The Pioneer will continue the patrol for the balance of the season, Harvey's Marine Bureau, ee THE ASHTON VALVE COMPANY. The Ashton Valve Co., 271 Franklin street, Boston, Mass., have bought the entire pant, material and business of the Boston Steam Guage Co,, together with a series of valuable patents, and have consolidated the latter business with their own. ‘They have secured the services of the former manager of the Boston Steam Gauge Co., H, L. Willard, long aud fay- orebly known to the trade, and bespeak for him the same consideration in this new connection that has been so gener- ously extended to him in the past. The Ashton Valve Co., will manufacture all classes of steam pressure and vacuum gauges, hydraulic gauges, water pressure and ammonia gauges and all similar instruments used in connection with steam plants, more particularly the sole manufacturers of the Bos- ton patent steam gaage. The reputation gained by nearly twenty years’ experience in the manufacture of safety valves, and the widely recognized quality of the product of the Ashton Valve Co. will be the only guarantee needed for the unsur- passed quality of the goods they will put upon the market, LLOYD'S REGISTER SHIPBUILDING RETURNS FOR THE QUARTER ENDING JUNE 30, 1892. From the returns compiled by ‘‘Lloyd’s Register of Ship- ping,” it appears that, excluding warships, there were 447 vessels of 778,462 tuns gross under construction in the United Kingdom at the close of the quarter ended 30th June, 1892, compared with 530 vessels of 769,300 grogs tonnage on June 30th, 1891. Of these there were 328 steamers of 631,222 grove tons, and 119 sailing vessels of 147,240 gross tons. ‘Tue steamers were divided into 281 steel, 40 iron, and 7 wood and composite, while the sailing vessels there were 84 steel, 5 iron, and 30 wood and composite. Comparing the present retur.g with those of the quarter ended 31st March, 1892, a decrease is observed in the tonnage of vessels under construction of nearly 65,000 tons. This decrease has taken place chiefly in respect of sailing tonnage, which, however, remains at the high proportion of nearly 19 per cent. of the work in hand. Considerably more than half the suiling tonnage (or over 80,000 tons) is being built on the Ciyde; sbout a quar ter is distributed between the districts of Beitast, Leith, and Liverpool, leaying only aboat 30,000 tons under construction at all the remaining shipbuilding ports of the United Kingdom. It is remarkable that, of the very large total of 433,000 tons which is under construc— tion on the north-east coast, the sailing tonnage only amounis to about 10,500 tons, or under 24 percent. A very consider- able falling off from last quarter’s figures is observed in the returns of vessels for the cunstruction of which preparations are being made, At the end of March, 1892, there were re- ported 118 vessels of 223,276 tons as “preparing;” the present returns show 77 vessels of 123,249 tons, or not much over one- half of the previous tonnage, In fact, the tonnage preparing is now less than it has been at any date since June, 189, Wita the exception of that time, so low a figure.as the present has not been touched since September, 1887. The vessels now preparing are divided between steam and sailing vessels, as follows: Steamers, 51, 92,964 yross tonnage; sail, 26, 30,285, gross tonnage. The high proportion of sailiug vessels which has prevailed of late is more than maintained, it will be seen in the vessels which are about to be put in hand, “ During the quarter ended 30th June, 1892, there were com— menced 117 steamers of 175,695 gross tonnage, and 40 sailir g vessels of 44,465 gross tonnage, and there were launched 123 steamers of 164,409 gross tonnage, and 51 sailing vessels of 82,267 gross tonnage. Of the 447 vessels under construction, 232 steamers of 489,- 122 gross tonnage, and 89 sailing vessels of 124,157 gross ton— nage, are for the United Kingdom, this being about three— fourths of the whole. The British Colonies are taking six steamers of 13,490 gross tonnage, and one sailing vessel of 2,000 gross tonnage, while Australia is having built 12 steamers of 23,703 gross tonnage. here are also two steamers under construction for the United States the gross tonnage being 5,500, and two steamers for Russia with a gross tounage of 9,500. ‘Three sailing vessels are being built for Germany of a gross tonnage of 4,900, and three for Norway, the gross ton- nage being 4,560. Classified according to tonnage the returns give the follow- ing figures:—Under 200 tons, 70 steam 41 sail; 200 to 499 tons; 36 steam 9 sa’ 00 to 999 tons, 27 steam 2 sail; 1,000 to 1,999 tons, 41 steam 33 sail; 2.000 to 2,999 tons, 64 steam 28 sail; 3,000 to 3,999 tons, 53 steam, 6 sail; 4,0U0 to 4,999 tons, 22 steam; 5,000 to 9,999 tons, Il steam, and 10,000 tons aud s.eam. The various shipbuilding centres haye vessels under con- struction, as follows: Belfast and Londonderry, 13 steamers of 55,824 gross tonnage and 7 sailing vessels of 9,358 gros tonnage; Clyde, 76 steam of 114,659 and 41 suiling vessels of 82,073 grocs tonnage; Mersey, 6 steamers of 7,282 and 8 sai!— ing vessels of 15,030 gross tonnage; Tyne, 63 steamers of 138,— 601 and 1 sailing vessel of 3,220 gros tonnage; Wear, 45 steamers of 125,139, and 4 sailing vessels of 7,283 groas ton- nage. + cr NOTICE TO MARINERS. Notice is hereby given ,that a small shoal, gravel and boulders have been found 900 yards west % south of the Waugoshance 18 foot shoal buoy, the least depth of water over this shoal is 15 feet 10 inches. A second class nun boy painted black has been placed in 23 feet of water, 15 yards northwest of the shoal. The position of the buoy is as follows: Waugoshance light house 8. S. E. 1} miles, St. Helena lighthouse E..N. E,, } E., 12} miles, White Shoal light vessel N. N. W. 2} miles, Gray’s Reef light vessel W. S. W. + W. 3 miles, The buoy is on a line between Wauzoshance lighthouse and White Shoal light, vessel, and nearly on 9 line between St. Helena lighthouse and Gray’s Reef light vessel. These ranges stould be useful in turning this buoy at night. The red and black nun buoy on the 18 foot shoal has been re— moved. By order of the Lighthouse Board, Commander Nicoll Lud- low, U. S. N., Inspector 9:h. Lighthouse District. eS STANDARD TECHNICAL BOOKS. Pa Regular =; With ‘he Marine Retail Price.|Record one Year. Beeson’s Inland Marine ‘ RDA Ores ones cusici ong a $1.00 $2.50 Law of Bills of Lading. 5.00 6.50 Patterson’s Nautical Dic- tionary. .... ...5 s200s22- 5.00 6.50 Drawing & Rough Sketch ing tor Engineers by James Donaldson... .. 2.50 4.00 Scott’s Coast Pilot (new : bs see oer tener 1,50 3.50 ; Simple Elements of Navyi- " gation wciumeede e 2.00 3.0 “Wrinkles” in Practical Navigation........ 6.00 7.50 Practical Seamanship. 1. 8,00 ‘Thurston’s Manual of the Steam Engine, part 1.. 7.50 9,00 Thurston’s Manual of the) Steam Engine, part 2..