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e THE CARPENTERS OF. THE BRITISH NAVY, THEIR DU'TIES, RESPON- SIBILITIES AND NEGLECTED POSITION. In noticing the methods tried by the Government to raise the number and stand- ard qualifications of the carpenters, ship- wrights, etc., of the British Navy, we will first notice some of the supposed inducements set forth tor the purpose of augmenting the the staff of artificers placed under the car- penters to carry out the various duties devolving upon him. At the present time and for years past he has practically had no shipwright staff. Owing to the great scarcity of these artificers, the Admiralty have been endeavoring to induce the apprentices from the Government dockyards to join the Navy, but without success. The reason is obgiou Before the lads are entered as apprentices in the Government service they must produce evidence of re- spectability and good character, undergo a medical examination, possess certain phys- ical qualifications, and pass a civil service ex- amination of a most trying character. Supposing there are to be twelve entries, of which six are to be shipwright ap- prentices, the six who obtain the highest number of marks are selected for this branch, the remainder being entered as millrights, blacksmiths, plumbers, and calkers; others not being successful in obtaining the re- quisite number of marks are rejected, many being afterwards entered as machine or rivet boys, and passing through different grades ultimately become fitters. These young men go on working together, the one asa jobbing class of boys and the other as indentured shipwright apprentices bound to the Queen by proxy foraterm of seven years. The shipwright apprentice form eventually the body from which the staff of dockyard officers up to the directors of naval construction are selected to design and superintend the con- Struction of our men-of-war. As this is the case, these apprentices attend school nearly half of their time for the first three years of their apprenticeship, where they are in- atructed in the higest mathematics and geometry of shipbuilding. Every six months they undergo a searching examination, and are placed on a list in order of merit. The other portion of their time is occupied in be- coming acquainted with all the practical * details of every branch uf shipbuilding, both ‘in the shops, and at the dockside. At the termination of fivegyears the youths who have made most progress in their studies, both practical and theroetical, are formed into a superior class and sent to the Royal Naval School at Greenwich to qualify for high positions in the civil service. ‘Those who have not succeeded so well remain in the dockyards, qualifying themselves either in the mould loft, drawing offices, or other offices, for positions as leading men, writers, and foremen. As we mentioned before, about’ 20 years ago the Government became alive to the tact that a better class of artificers was required in the shipwrights staff of our men-of-war At that time a great revolution had taken place in the ships composing our Navy. In fact, within the last quarter of a century, greater strides have been made and entire changes in construction of men-of-war than in 200 years before. The old wooden line of battle ships, the frigate and corvette, which were built entirely of wood, has been swept away, and in their place has arisen massive iron hulls, divided and subdivided intoa complication of compartments, every portion of which teems with new styles of workman- ship, the whole formed a stupendous struct- ure of the most complicated engineering skill and detail. The Admiralty then being desirous that their own apprentices should enter the service of the British Navy, offer induce- menta (80 called) as follows: The addenda to the Queen’s regulations, page 264, states: “* All apprentices entered in the dockyards will be liable to be employed during the last two years of their apprenticeship, or part of that time, on board the British seagoing ships in commission. On the expiration of their period of service they will receive a certificate of their character and conduct, and the progress they have made in their trades. If this certificate be favorable, it will receive due consideration when any of these young men shall be candidates for promotion, either as carpenters’ mates, or as inferior officers in the dockyards.”’ But should they remain in the dockyarda as writers, leading men, etc., their pay Would be as follows, compared~with~ that of the navy. DOCKYARD, NAVY. Per diem, Per diem. . SF = en d. 8 eroom art~ Witter ots \ fear. 0to5 9 Wright .. 8“26 7 Chit eh $ aul carpeuter’s MALO... eeeeeeee 26°80 Here, then, is the supposed inducement held out to these educated and skilled young men to join the Navy, the position of car- penter’s mate is offered them with a daily rate of 23. 9d., and 3d. per day -tool money ; to wear sailors’ drese, and uiesson the lower deck, assiat in serubing and cleaning decks, and to wash, make, and mend his own cloth- ing as any ordinary blue jacket. Against a position in the dockyard in a comfortable office with a rate of pay varying from 6 to 8 per diem. On the other hand, engine room artificers are wanted for the engineer department, the candidate must be either a fitter, boiler smith, coppersmith or pattern maker; in fact, the same.class of young men who fuil to pass for shipwright’s apprentices. Should they, however, join the navy they are entered as engine room artificers, with the rating of chief petty officers at 58s. per diem on entry, with a suitable uniform:and superior mess accommodation. From this it will be seen that the pay of the engine room artificer is double that of the carpenter’s mate, but’the same as-a ship- wright on shore, and the maximum rate of carpenter’s mates is only 3s., just one half the minimum rate of writers, ete., and yet the Admiralty—offer—the— carpenters matés positions as equivalent to writers, leading men, etc. Should they, however, join the navy and eventually become carpenters, they would only receive 5s. 6d. per diem, or only 6d. more than the shipwright on shore, and 3d. less than the engine room artiticer. ‘he latter being a workman with no particular qualification or responsibilities, whilst the rank of carpen.er can only be attained by well educated practical and theoretical ship- wrights by steady perseverance and good conduct, and by pussing very strict ex- aminations. By remaining in the dockyard these young men would atter 7 years’ service as a writer, etc., receive 83. per diem, but in the navy they would have to serve say four years as carpenter’s mate and 15 years as carpenter, making a total of 19 years’ service beforé receiving that rate of pay. At the present time the scarcity of skilled shipwrights in the British Navy has become a very serious matter, but this could be easily remedied by introducing a class of naval artifivers paid in proportion to their qualifications and responsibilities. ‘Ihe present pay, position ete., of carpenters is as fullows:— In sea going ships and barbor ur stationary ships In other abroad. ships. per diem. per diem, s. de a de Carp’rs under 5 years’ service..5 6 5 6 “ over5 “* s 6 9 6 0 “ “0 “ i 9 6 9 “ “45 « “ 3 73 Chief carpeuters limited twelve sn numver... 9 0 9 0 We now cowe to some of the very moderate suggestions for the improvement of their position which the shipwrights and car- penters respecttully wish to bring to the notice ot the Lords of the Admiralty. _ A few suggestions for the improvement of the shipwright department of the Navy, and the Head otf the suine, otherwise known as the carpenter. That all the men enter as shipwrights should pass an educational test previous to passing the practical examination, and that in no case should any person be allowed to pass by strong recommendations from this or that official of either the Navy or the dock- yard. That seeing the dockyard officers are entirely responsible for the class of men in the British Navy a more strict examination should be inforced, and that at the passing of men two carpenters should be compelled to attend asa guarantee; and in no case should they be allowed to offer themselves as candidates without first handing in their indenture or certificate of seven yeurs’ ap- prenticedkip to a shipwright. That all men on entry should be given the same position and pay as the men entered for the other mechanical branch of the service, for by that means the Navy would not be found wanting of good men, asa “stimulas’? would be given for dockyard ap- prentices to join, ‘That the cognomen of carpenter be altered 4, | to shipwright officer and chief shipwright officer. That being officers of the civil branch of the service, we request to be allowed to wear a distinguishing stripe of lace on the arm, and all chiefs to wear two, the same as other heads of departments. That shipwright officers be allowed to assume the rank and title of chief shipwright officers after having served 15 yeurs asa shipwright officer. ‘That the pay of shipwright officers should commence at 6s. per diem, and increase by increments of 1s. every three years up to 24 years’ service, atler which time to being pensioned the pay should be 15s. per diem. That a system of charge pay be introduced commencing at 1s. for every 1,000 tons or part thereof to be paid in addition. That in no case whatever should any per- son be allowed to pass for a carpenter (ship- wright officer) that had not sent in his in- denture or certificate of seven years’ ap- prenticeship toa. shipwright to the Com- mander-in Chief or other senior officer order- ing the passing day, the same indenture to the officers holding the examination. BULKHEADS IN ST'TEAMSHIPS. The recent sinking of the steamships City of Brussels and Cimbria induces the question what more can be done to keep vessels afloat’ in case of accident. The English press Inanifests a disposition to condemn the bulk- head system as a failure, and cites the loss of the City of Burssels as furnishing good ground for such an opinion. -Experienced contractors and navigators, however, are not inclined to take this view of the subject, and among them we may mention Commander Gorringe of the obelisk fame. It is well known that he had made a careful and prac- tical study of murine architecture, and therefore is much better prepared to give a correct opinion than mere newspaper writers. Commander Gorringé heartily ap- proves the bulkhead system and declares that whatever imperfections may exist are due to the builders and not to the plan itselt.. He points out that too frequently the lower decks that cover the compartments into whicha ship’s hold is divided are not made water- tight and as a consequence when a vessel sufferes injury through a collision the com- partments penetrated fills with water, “hich then flows over the tops of bulkheads into adjacent compartments. In such a case the vessel sinks as soon as her margin of “floatation”? has been overcome. He main- taing that there are no practical difficulties in the way of making lower decks water- tight, and that it is quite as easy to exclude water below as jit is to keep it from penetrat- ing the upper deck hatchways. One great fault, he thinks, lies ia not reducing the size of the compartments in the bow of the ves- sel. ‘hey are invariably large in these localities than in the body of the ship, and as a result when one of the end compartments fills with water the vessel is inclined to “tip.’’ He gives a number of useful hints as to the improvement of the bulkhead system, and does not hesitate to declare that with proper attention on the part of builders, ships may be made practically unsinkable. This isa matter which intimately concerns the thousands who annually cross the ocean be- tween American and Europe, and all will agree with Commander Gorringe that some system of inspection should be adopted, which will make the bulkhead system more safe than it is at present. Racinkx, Feb. 11, 1883. Editor Marine Record. Regarding a book called the “Kedge An. chor,” I would say tha it was published in 1854 by Mr. William Brady, Master U.S. N., and may be found in any of the nautical stores in New York. M. J. KEuiy, Shipmaster. Ic Thysfar not a man has appeared before the shipping Investigating Committee and said that he would buy a foreign built ship if he could sail her under the American flag, with other navigation laws unchanged; but several have appeared and sald that with the other navigation laws changed nobody would want to buy foreign ships. MARINE LAW. Boston, Mass. = Lowell, J. Samuel C. Loud vs, Henry N. Stone.—The plaintiff this suit is the owner ot the patent No, 188,879, granted to a person named Eells and himself, for an improve- ment in ship’s pumps, in March, 1877. ‘The plaintiff’s pump is proved to bea valuable one for ships, and tocontain a new combina- tion of puppet or popper valves, easily adjusted and removed by hand, with the diaphragm pump., ‘The important question in the case was whether the invention Was infringed by a pump in which the diaphragm is placed over the uptaken, instead of at one side. The detendant’s pump was invented by a person named Edson, and the dia- phragm is placed over the uptaken. ‘The judge in the opinion says that he does not think that the patent should be limited toa diaphragm situtated at one side of the uptake. ‘Ihe essence of the plaintiff’s im- provement was that the chamber and valves should be so arranged in a diaphragm pump that they could be reached and the valves be removed by hand for the purposes specified, and this improvement the defendant has re- tained, whatever else he may have added. The decree was accordingly for the plaintiff. J. E. Mayadier and F. Dodge for the plaintiff, and T. L. Wakefield for the defendant-* Rochester, N. Y. Hon. J. L. Angle, as_ referree, handed down his decision in the Supreme Court case of Quance & Becker against the Insur- ance Company of the State of, Pennsylvania. Judgment is rendered in favor of the de- fendant. The action was brought by part owners of the schooner Comanche, to recover against the insurers as for a constructive partial loss. The schooner was grounded in the Welland canal, a hole having been broken in her port bow, which caused her to sink and wether cargo. In raising her a portion of the corn was pumped out with the water, ahd lost in the canal. On being raised the vessel was taken to Buffalo, anda survey was had.. ‘The owners sought. to abandon her to the insurers, and in order to make out a constructive partial loss to au- thorize such abandonment there was includ- ed in the estimate the loss of the corn, The ofter to abandon was made after the expira- tion of the term of insurance. Judge Angle, in deciding the case, makes the following points: . 1. That the ‘corn which was raised by pumping, in freeing the vessel trom water and raising her, and which ran into the Welland canal, was a jettison and a general average charge. i 2. That the loss by such jettison cannot be carried into the partial loss. account to make a constructive total loss. 3. That the loss of such corn cannot be ~ considered as a salvage charge or expense. 4, That the abandonment proposed to be made by the plaintiffs, being tendered after the period of insurance had expired, was too late. 5. That the defendant has not waived its right to object that said offer was too late. 6. That the defendant has not by its re- pairs to said vessel accepted the proposed abandonment. ot J. B. Higgins, Mr. Benedict and Mr, Webb were counsel for the plaintiffs; Hon. B. H. Williams, of Buffalo, for the defend- ants., It is understood that a number of naval officers attach very little importance to the proposed trial trip of the new monitor Mi- antonomah. ‘The vessel will sail from the Delaware breakwater to Norfolk, a distance of about 100 miles, and the opinion has been expressed that such a trip will be no test at all, The experience thus far acquired in connection with her engines has given rise to grave doubts as to their suitability and proper construction, and it is not improbable that the contemplated trip above mentioned will reveal turther defects of an equally serious nature. Montreal papers complain of incompe- tency of officers attached to the customs de- partment at Ottawa, who are charged with needlessly obstructing business, so that mer- chants sometimes choose to abandon their merchandise, altogether, when accused of irvegularity, rather than wait the tedious course of official routine. The holding of goods in bond for an indefinite period, per- haps until they are no longer marketable, and all on account of some trifling alleged infringement of the law, is a vexatious pro- cedure, to say the least. Seizures on account of alleged undervaluations are an ordinary occurrence. ,