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“SAPT. JOHN SWAINSON THE MARINE RECORD. The Marine Record, ESTABLISHED 1878. Published every Thursday, at 144 Superior Street (Leader Building,) CLEVELAND, O. Peiseeceors BRANCH oFFice, 2 _ MarcaGo ILL., - - - 35 Franklin St. THOMAS WILLIAMS, Associate Editor. IRVING B, SMITH. Froprietors. SUBSCRIPTION. ‘One copy, one year, postage paid, - - - “ ~, $2 00 One copy, one year, to foreign countries, — - . $3 00 Invariably in advance. ADVERTISING. Rates given on application. Sen eee CLEVELAND, O., DECEMBER 15, 1892. ——— SSS REPRESENTATIVE CuRTIS, of New York, has had a separate bill passed for a fog signal at Tibbett’s Point, Lake Ontario. He stuck to his object, and, despite “watch-dog” Holman’s quibbing, gained the point. Lake marine interests require more men with the pertinacity of a Mr. Curtis, as this aid only came under the head of “necessary,” not “indispensable.” + Hon. E. C. O’Brien, Commissioner of Navigation, favors the formation of a nationa) naval reserve, to be under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Navy. The Commissioner ably grasps the subject and realizes that a naval reserve should be an auxiliary to the regular ser- vice, and not stultified or isolated into a State quasi naval-military corps. The State naval militia may strut around in swaddling clothes until an inception of the duties for which it was organized dawns upon its mem- bers or a Secretary of the Navy, but, it will never amount to an efficient naval auxiliary until it is formed on national lines and placed within the strictly naval limits of the regular service. This view of the question has been advocated by THE MARINE Recorp for several years, and we are pleased to note the endorsement of same by a federal officer of so much official technical weight as the present Commissioner of Navigation. rr A synopsis of the career of the late Capt. A. W. Ros- man contained in another column of this issue, seems al- most an incredible experience in the light of the present enormous proportions of lake tonnage. Only fifty-eight years ago, Chicago almost an unknown point, and a 7,000 bushel vessel was considered an immense carrier! When such tre- mendous strides of advancement has heen made with- in the active career of a lifetime, who can say, or even guess, at the probable volume of northwestern commerce a quarter of a century hence. Capt. Rosman enjoyed an experience granted to but few, and we hope that a kind- ly light permitted him to shape a neat course to that hayen of rest where all who lead pure, honest, manly lives, may coil up their ropes and enter into secure an chorage, taut and trim, alow and aloft, and safely moored. + rr SUPERINTENDENT Frankland of the Western Sea- men’s Friend Society, owns a small island on the Miss issippi, and intends to establish thereon a snug harbor for the aged and decrepit river-men, he asks for $80,000 to enable him to open the institution under the auspices of the society. This is a private enterprise and would depend for its continuance entirely upon private sub- scriptions, donations, legacies, etc. There ought to bea national home established for the worn-out seamen of the United states mercantile marine. This home should be centrally located and made eligible for incapacitated seamen who had served under the flag for a stated num- ber of years. It is wrong to saddle private charities with the support of wards of the nation, and while we hope that Mr. Frankland’s Island scheme may go on and prosper, we would much prefer to see a more extensive, liberal and inclusive system adopted under government control, for the amelioration of the present condition of aged and decrepit seamen who have worn out their lives of usefulness in the commerce and service of their coun- try, and are now thrown on one side and neglected as useless appendages to the body politic. A bill for the establishment of such a home was introduced at the last session of Congress at the request of the Veteran Sea- men’s Benevolent Association, of Cleveland, Ohio but it met the ordinary fate of being shelved in committee, and it now awaits a revivification by a humanitarian whose congressional energy would ensure due attention being paid to so worthy a national benevolence, WAR SHIPS ON THE LAKES. The Department of State has sent an interesting doc- ument to the Senate dealing with the subject of war- vessels on the lakes and the abrogation of the treaty with Great Britain in 1866... A careful reading of the Congres- sional Record leaves no doubt that a resolution passed Congress abrogating the treaty and notice was given to Great Britain of the action of Congress, but the status of the case since that time has been a mystery, we pre- sume, to all outside of national diplomatists. Certainly there are many interested in the question who were led to believe that the treaty was no longer in force. According to the statements submitted by the State Department, it is understood that the notice of abroga- tion issued under the act was withdrawn within a few days after it was issued, and that, for reasons then exist- ing, both countries agreed to consider the treaty still in force. It is still further shown that the treaty is so re- garded to the present day by both governments, notwith- standing the act of 1866., The reopening of this topic of discussion has caused a number of senators and representatives to fly off ata tangent and assert that even a modification of the treaty would result in having the lakes swarmed with British naval vessels, and that the United States would therefore be compelled to support an equal armament on these waters. This ground was entirely threshed out in 1866, as a reference to the Congressional Record of that date evidences, and we have again a waste of oratory on the impossible. The object or cause of Senator McMillan reopening the treaty question was in response to action taken by a convention of lake shipbuilders last winter, who desired to know why, it the treaty was abrogated, according to the act of 1866, they, as American citizens pursuing the industry of shipbuilding in all of its branches, were de- barred from building or submitting bids on the construc- tion of naval tonnage. It has now been determined that the treaty is still in force, therefore, a hull ultimately in- tended for naval purposes cannot be put together on the lakes. Such being the case, the only change or modi- fication that canbe looked for on the indus- trial side of the question (and this is the only phase in’ which the treaty may now be regarded) is that naval tonnage under construction at lake shipyards must be destined for coast or ocean service and not to be’ placed in commission or even equipped with their arma- ment in these land-locked waters. Such a clause would be all that is required, and even the amount of naval tonnage under coustruction might be limited, though there is little cause to imagine that orders for any signifi- cant volume or high classed offensive or defensive ton- nage would be placed at lake shipyards, the passage to the coast preventing any powerful, pretentious or deep draft, vessels from being built on the lakes. The idea of the lakes being flooded with war vessels in the event of the treaty being annulled is far fetched, as the connecting links to each lake are insuperable barriers to inter-lake communication and if a belligerent had a naval fleet here on the breaking out of hostilities the greatest concern would be to keep them out of the way of shore batteries, but, this view of the case shows how completely ridiculous it is bringing to the front the sub- ject of naval warfare on land locked, isolated, or what can easily be made such, narrow waters as the lakes. The treaty bears an industrial aspect, or it is of no import- ance either one way or the other, as a shell through a canal lock, a torpedo, or a simple obstruction is suflici- ent to stop inter-lake communication, at the same time there ought to be found some way whereby American shipbuilders might be placed in a position to accept and carry out the constructive work desired by their own government without vitiating international agreements enforced by a diplomati¢ policy, as opposed to the indus- trial progression of an important and distinctively na- tional art. $$ $$ UPBUILD THE UNITED STATES MERCANTILE MARINE. The shipping interests dwelt upon in the annual report of the Commissioner of Navigation, just issued, is a complete epitome of the past and present standing of the United States mercantile marine, both domestic and foreign. The causes of decline and the unfair legisla- tive discrimination in mai], uaval and tonnage subsidies which American bottoms now labor under, is brought clearly to the front, and the measures advocated for the upbuilding of our merchant navy are fraught with unguestionable pertinency, couched in the following terms: “The importance of re-building the American mer- chant marine appeals to the patriotism and interests of every American citizen, It is estimated that about $200,- 0v0,000 a year is now being paid by American citizens to the owners of steam and sailing vessels under foreign flags, and chiefly under the British flag. This represents the diversion of an enormous sum, not only from Amer- ican shipowners and American ghipbuilders, but also from American miners, American manufacturers laborers in almost every conceivable branch of industry. In the year 1791 Thomas Jefferson said : = “If particular nations grasp at undue shares of our commerce, and more especialy if they seize on the means of the United States to weaver them into aliment — for their own strength, and withdraw them entirely from the support of those to whom they belong, defensive and protective measures become necessary on the part f the — nation whose marine sources are thus invade be disarmed of its d-fense, its productions will be at the mercy of the nation which has possessed itself exclus- ivley of the means of carrying them, and its politics may be influenced by those who command its commerce. — Jefferson’s Works, vol. 7, p. 648.” ~ > In the spirit of this patriotic utterance of the writer of the Declaration of Indepandence the Commissioner of Navigation endeavores to point to a line of policy whereby the American merchant ma- rine and all its affiliated commercial and international interests may be protected against the injurious results of foreign commercial and political aggressions. Do a In the classification of aids to navigation on the lakes under the head of “indispensable,” “necessary” and “desirable,” it would seem that the Light-House Board had advanced better reasons for some of the desirable aids being indispensable than those that are listed as being necessary. This style of advanced grading may possibly be the best means of humoring a Congressional committee, but to a “man upa tree” it seems like tacking ship with a free wind. We presume the “desirable” aids will be classed as imperatively necessary or absolutely indispensable for a future committee to work upon and by a graded advancement be finally authorized how- ever, this looks too much like a weak kneed policy for important measures requiring national legislation. There is not an unnecessary aid asked for, and such being the concensus of opinion among practical men, the hands of the Light-House Board should be ably held up by the marine interests and Congressmen from the lake districts” importuned to exercise their legislative influence in favor of all aids being granted to the vast commerce of the north-west. Energetic personal effort has resulted in beneficial legislation for the lakes and there is lots more of the same vitality among influential and prominent lake vessel owners, so that there is no longer, or ought not to be, any need of “beating around the bush” to secure federal recognition of the aids to navigation now required, or to point out that the tonnage of the lakes is the backbone of the United States mercantile marine and asks for only what it is justly entitled to at the hands of those who are temporarily entrusted to preside over and deliberate upon the legislation which will, or may, provide the greatest good to the greatest number. A liberal attention to the requirements of lake commerce immeasurably benefits a large population. a Tue Suez Canal, an accomplished feat of engineering skill equaling the world’s wonders, Ferdinand de Les- seps controlled the pocket-books of the French, and used them, too, but, alas, to what purpose. Other peo- ple’s money was easily and illegally squandered. Now comes the day of retribution, for the characters of all who were in any way connected with the mammoth national plundering scheme is smirched, the French people were robbed of $300,000,(00 and the Panama fiasco has at last exploded. The French Panama highway of maritime commerce is downed and cannot be resur- rected. The American Nicaragua canal awaits the desire of the American people to be carried to a successful issue and all interests should join hands in carrying it through. $+ STEAMBOAT INSPECTION SERVICE. The following recapitulation is taken from the annual report of the supervising inspector general of steamboats — just issued. rd Total number of vessels inspected... 7 661 ‘Total net tonnage of vessels inspected. 3.5. Tota! number of officers licen: ed... 36,320 Increase in number of vessels inspe ing year 237 Increase in tonnage of vessels inspected over arecedtae year 00,89 Ino ease in number of officers licensed over preceding year 1,404 J ‘The foregoing is for the fiseal year ended June 30, 1892. rr ec ComMoporE GEORGE DEweEy, U. S. Navy, Chief ofthe ~ Bureau of Equipment, in his annual report for 1892, states that $404,675.97 was expended abroad for the maintenance of cruising vessels from the appropriation — equipment of vessels. ‘There were purchased during the year 73,467 tons of coal, costing $550,451.35. $540,- 605.52 was expended for material and labor. ‘The rope- walk and the equipment shops at the Boston Nayy- yard — have to a large extent supplied rope, chain, cables, an- chors, galleys, etc., and the sail lofts at that statior and the New York, Norfolk, and Mare Island Navy-ya have been occupied the greater part of the time w sailand other canyas work. Estimates aggregat $1,555,305 for coal and equipments, including $555 for the outfit of the new armoured cruiser No. 3 mitted. »