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THE titties RECORD. ‘ LIFE SAVING EXHIBIT. life saving service will be represented at the ; Columbian exposition at Chicago by a life sav- tion and apparatus that will show completely perfection this humane feature of the work of ederal government. The most essential feature of exhibit—the station itself—is rapidly nearing com- ion on the lake front within the space to be dedi- to the exposition. This station will be fully wipped with all the apparatus and paraphernalia belonging toa first class life saving station, and be- sides the articles used in work on the Great Lakes it will have on exhibition boats of the styles used on the Atlantic and Pacific sea coasts and on the falls of the Ohio at Louisville, with such other apparatus as is peculiar to the work in any part of the United States. “For instance at Louisville two life skiffs and seven reels are used, this apparatus being in use nowhere else. The station will be manned by one of the regular life saving crews who will perform a daily drill, whereby the visitor who has never seen a life saving station before, or the life savers at work, may obtain a fair conception of the duties that are performed by them, and it may be that some of the visitors will have an opportunity to observe the work as it is actually in storms, for the site of the life saving station is erected on one of the most dangerous parts of the coast in the vicinity of Chicago, and the station apparatus and crew are there not only for exhibition but for business when- ever atiy vessel needs assistance. The station is to be a permanent one and when the exposition is nothing but a memory the life saving station is expected to remain in its present location. The government was not able to secure a satisfactory and permanent title to the site of the present Chicago life saving station, and in the last sundry civil appro- priation bill congress inserted a proviso that a new _ station should be erected within the grounds set apart for the World’s fair on condition, however, that there must first be ceded to the United States the title to the site selected. It is intended to make the new station a model one. As stated, it will contain all the appliances now used in the work of life saving in any part of the United States. The bureau obtained a gold medal for its exhibit at the fish and fisheries exhibition where it simply showed its apparatus and did not attempt to portray its mode of operation. It will do more than this at Chicago and Superintendent Kimball is willing to put our system toa competitive test with that used _ in any other country. The medals and awards re- ceived will be placed on exhibition and also some apparatus showing the progress of life saving inven- tion. Side by side will be shown a modern Lyle gun for throwing a succoring line to the crew of a distressed steamer and the old style mortar which was used when this method of saving line was first adopted. The bureau has in its possession the first mortar and the first ball ever used in America in life saving work. The relic has quite a history. About thirty years ago it was used to throw a line to the crew of the British ship Ayrshire, in danger off Squan Reach, N. J. The ball fortunately struck the deck and carried the line to the passengers and crew. By means of the life line 201 persons were rescued out of a total of 202 aboard. The ship sank and the ball used went to the bottom. About twenty years afterwards, through the working of the waves, the ball was brought to view again and sent to the life saving burean. or OC oo CANADIAN ENTERPRISE. Canadian builders of steel vessels are soon to be in- vited by Thomas Marks & Co., of Port Arthur, on the north shore of Lake Superior, to submit bids for the ‘construction of asteamer of the same general dimen- sions as the Algonquin. The new craft is to have a whaleback deck and stern, and the ordinary steamer bow. Mr. Marks says a steel or iron vessel can be built much cheaper on the Clyde than at any point along the lakes, for the reason that material and labor are much cheaper, but adds that the great expense and trouble of getting a boat through the canals of the St. Lawrence is all that prevents him from going to the Clyde for the “new boat. He will have the work done in Canada be- Cause material is so much cheaper there than on the American side. Mr. Marks might also have added that aspice of the spirit of patriotism might be found to exist in the placing of the contract on the Canada side of the lakes. ee INLAND LLOYDS SUPPLEMENT. The September supplement issued by Capt. McLeod, manager of Inland Lloyds, c contains besides several re- - rated vessels, the names of two new propellers, Seattle, 331 net tons, built by H. Still, Oscoda, Mich., for his own account and valued at $30,000, class B. I, The Columbia, 73 net tons, built by Robertson of Grand Haven, Mich., the order of Rudoc and others of Frankfort, Mich., at $7.500 and classed A. I. . FAMILIAR LAKE SCENES. The irrepressible Kodak gets in its work this time at the thriving lake port of Huron, O., a port which has had the attention of the officers in charge of the river and harbor improvements for the past 66 years, at which time the mouth of the river was closed by a sand bar, but in 1891 a depth of from fifteen to seventeen feet could be taken into the port. The piers at Huron, as shown in the illustration, are on the same ‘plan as those at all lake ports, being low wooden structures of vary- ing lengths, filled in with rocks, portions of which are partly repaired more or less each year, if the appropri- ation hold out, otherwise, they, the repairs, stand over, and, in this connection, it is high time that the United OFF THE PORT. States embarked ona more sightly and permanent sys- tem of constructing piers than has hitherto obtained. A pile driver projection was all good enough at a woodland- ingor a rice plantation along the banks of aSouthern river half acentury ago,bu\ such temporary improvement is not worthy of the country to-day, and reflects no credit on the able and efficient corps of officers in charge of the harbors; besides, the incessant natural decay, coupled with an occasional storm, makes the keep-up of these indifferent wooden jetties more expensive to the country at large than the total cost of a sightly, per- manent construction of concrete. The vessels shown in the cuts represent two import- ant lines recently established at the port of Huron, the ENTERING THE HARBOR. Wilson Transit Line, and the American Steel Barge Co., and steamers of either fleet may be found at almost any time during the season of navigation handling cargo at this port. The yolume of commerce for 1891 showed the arrival of 281 vessels of an aggregate capacity of 37,- 901 tons and clearances of 281 vessels of 35,563 tons, the largest cargo entered orcleared up to last year was 2,800 tons, and the deepest draft 15% ft. Although it is consid- ered that Huron is one of the best natural harbors on Lake Erie,its resources have not yet been developed, but the outlook is more favorable now than ever before,and there is every indication that in a few years hence Huron will be one of the briskest ports on Lake Erie. AT THE DOCK. ‘The truly opposite types of steamers represented in the first cut would argue that the tonnage was con- structed either for an entirely different class of trade, or that the factor of load line had been departed from to the greatest limit. Both types, however, embody a high efficiency, and are found economical freight car- riers in the lake trade. The second cut shows the form of piers built by the United States government at all lake ports. Their usual width is from 150 to 250 feet, built of white pine, and subject to more than ordinary decay through ex- posure, Cut No. 3 shows a whaleback after discharging her cargo and all ready to proceed on the lake again. WORKING A DIFFERENT WAY. When the President issued the proclamation with ref- erence to the payment of tolls on Canadian shipments by Vessels at the Soo canal, the Dominion vessel-owners no doubt expected to find little or no freight to carry at the additional rate which the toll would require them to exact. Columns were written to show that the boat lines aforesaid were earning a precarious livelihood which was to be obtained only during the season of nav- igation and could scarcely afford to pay the amounts to be exacted under the law. It is interesting to note, therefore, that there is an entirely new phase to the sit- uation, and that the lines are not paying a cent of the tolls. When the prociamation went into effect the boats for atime yielded up the 20 cents aton on goods destined for Canadian points, but the Canadian Pacific soon changed that. It notified all the lines on the lakes that it would pay all the tolls on goods delivered to it at Port Arthur, on the north shore, hoping by that means to euchre the Northern Pacific and Great Northern out of their share of the business. When a knowledge of this proposition, which was hastily accepted by the boat - lines, reached the Northern Pacific people, they imme- diately made a similar offer, with the result that the two railways are standing all the tolls, which are be- ginning to amount to something in the aggregate. This double action method seems to work like the pro- verbial school-master’s ritle—both ways, and not only the way it was intended. ———— cr 2 FREE NAUTICAL SCHOOLS FOR PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION. Mr. E. C. O’Brien, United States Commissioner of Navigation, is busily engaged in the preparation of his annual report, which bids fair to be a valuable and in- teresting document. It is learned that he will recom- mend the establishment of nautical schools for the better scientific education of the men employed in the merchant marine on the Atlantic coast and on the Great Lakes. Two floating schools, one to be on the Great Lakes and one on the Atlantic seaboard, will be recommended ; also a school. on shore. These schools are to be maintained at Government expense, and three months courses are to be established free of all expense to those who attend. The courses will consist of highly scientific instruction to masters and mates of vessels of the merchant marine. On the floating schools scien- tific principles will be applied to practical navigation. Mr. O’Brien is quite enthusiastic in his project, as he says that with the development of the merchant marine ~ there will be opened up almost an entirely new field for American talent. re cr THE ENGINEER’S EPITOME. The caption is the title of a small volume issued by the Mason Regulator Co., Boston, Mass., October 1st, 1892. The publishers state that “nearly two years ago we bought the edition of a book on Engineering which, until that time, had had a limited circulation. It was . an excellent work, and we thought ought to be in the hands of every engineer. As such works ordinarily are sold at high prices, we placed this on the market and advertised it for sale at a price which would only cover the cost of-the book and the expense of handling it. ‘The sale at once exceeded our expectation, and a second edition was published. We then bought an edition of | another book of interest to engineers, which also met with a large sale.. The present work is from the pen of N. J. Smith, of Hartford, Conn., an engineer of over — thirty years’ experience. It has cost somewhat more to, publish, owing to the mathematical work contained therein; but we trust will be found to be of sufficient value to the engineer to warrant the increase in price.’’ Quoting from the index of the work we find the follow- ing subjects treated upon, fractions, powers and roots, properties of steam, temperature and vacuum, volume, weight and velocity of steam, boilers, chimneys, h. p. of engines, thrust on propeller, condensers, slide valves, _ belts, governors, etc. ‘There are 135 pages of a 6 by 4 inch book, ably com- — piled, that can be placed in the hands of engineers for the nominal sum of fifty cents, and to all those who are determined to excel in their profession of steam engi- neering, we should say ‘get it.”” 3 a AN EQUITABLE BASIS OF VALUATION. — Capt. Alex McDougall, general manager of the ae American Steel Barge Co., W. Superior, Wis., makes — faif suggestion anent the coming change in assessing. the ; valuation of lake vessel property by the marine insur- ance companies, that has the merit of justice at least. ; Heretofore the underwriters have employed one man — to fix the valuations. ‘The captain suggests that or three vessel owners and as many representati the underwriters be appointed to perform this wi thus giving each party an equal show. ‘The und writers themselves have tired of the one-man plan, “i