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2 . Ghe Marine Record. A Journal devoted to Commerce Navigation and Science, Published Weekly AT CLEVELAND, OHIO Office Nos: 171 Superior and 136 Bank Streets, Room 7- ‘TERMS: $2.00 per Annum. INVARIBLY IN ADVANCE, AGENTS ARE WANTED IN EVERY PORT ADVERTISING RATES. Ten cents per line solid Nonpariel measurement, Twelve lines of Nonpariel set solid make one inch, per line for reating notices, solid Twenty cents minion measurement, Articles, letters and queries on all subjects (are soli- | cited, BB-The Editor assumes no responsibility for the opinions of correspondents. sure notice, Contributors must give name and ss, and write on one side of the paper only. THE MARINE RECORD has an Agent in every port on the Lakes and Rivers, and will consequently cireu- late more or less in all of them, Asa medium for advertising it has no superior, as it circulates among a of people that can be reached in no other way.. elas REMOVAL APR. 1. Owing to the ‘March of improvement” in| this our great and growing city, we are com- pele to remove from our old quarters to the retanal Block at the entrance of the Viaduct. No. 2 South Water St. which is directly under the Office of the Merchantile Fire and Marine Insurance Co. Our Offices will be nearer to the docks and very handy for vesselmen, whom we shall be pleased .o see at any time. The Block in which we are now situated wi be torn down and a fine new building erected in its place. it Poeeeees ONE REASON WHY. First, it was noted that American ship- ping and shipbuilding interests were on a decline. Then, there was an investigation and a comparison of our shipping interests with those of foreign nations, which brought to light the fact that those interests were not onty ona decline, but had decreased to an’ enormons extent. This knowledge has of course awakened considerable anxiety in regard to the safety of the commercial rela- tions of the country, that is, whether the commerce of the country would pass into foreign hands as the exrrying trade seemed to have done. Still further investigation and comparison with foreign nations elicited the tact that Great Britain’s shipbuilding inter- ests and carrying trade had all this time been on the increase. ‘Then arose the ques- tion as to why this was so?) Why had American shipping declined so extensively, and English shipping increased? ‘The peo- ple have racked their brains for a solution to this perplexing problem, thinking that if the cause were but known, the remedy could easily be obtalned and applied. ‘To learn this cause they have talked free ships, subsidies, the tariff, price of labor, ete., bnt have arrived at no deflnite coaclusion, still, they are endeavoring to avert any further decline. The point we have,in view is this: That in America’s coastwise trade, also on her Jakes and rivers, Or inland waters, the ship- ping interests are in excellent condition, ‘he vessels employed on these waters and in this coasting trade are innumerable, and in build are staunch and trim, comparing more than favorably with any foreign ves- sels of their class. ‘The owners of these ves- sels and the shippers in this coast and in- Jand trade are actively interested, and do a vast amount of work, aud are doing all in their power to further the advancement of those interests; thts proving that America van and does provide means of transportation between the different sections of her own country. So, of conrse, Great Britain must provide means of transportation between the different portions of her kingdom. But the portions of her kingdom are not all to- gether like the United States, with only the width of a river or lake to separate them, but are scattered all over the wide world, with often the width of an ocean be tween them. Hence, a majority of her ves- sels must be built for the purpose of ocean traffic. Since she must have ocean-carriers, it was as well to prepare to carry as much as possible, and also to take extra pains to get all she could carry. Acting on this principle, while she was carrying freight and passengers to her own domains j across the ocean, she might as well carry | the trade intended for the foreign uations ad- | joluing, or near, those domains, Returning, |she might as well take the cargoes to be | shipped from these foreign countries to her fown, ‘This principle England has carried Jout to the very letter, step by step, veaur by year, until she has gained the supremacy. She will foster hef shipping interests so long as her domains are so widely scattered, and just so long will she strive for the su- }premacy. We have been equal to the de- }mands of our own country, but those de- | mands did not often carry us near to foreign countries, and for that reason, in the build- | ing up, and development of our domestic in- dustrigs and commerce, the foreign carry- ing trade nearly slipped) fron) our minds jandour grasp, But the outlogk is now that the proper steps are to be taken to change this state of affairs, American shipbuilders and mechanics possess as much skill and in- genuity as British shipbuilders and = me- and can build just as good or bet- ter ships. And America possesses just as shrewd and good business men. And what is more these Americans have made up their j minds that they can and will place Aimeri- san foreign commerce and carrying trade } Where they ought to be. In these matters the people of the United Staes. are like women: chanics “When they will, they will, and you may depend on’t. ee pony aie EDITORIAL NOTES, Many important signal service stations are being closed for lack of funds. we pre- dict that by the time another year rolls around the people will demand that suffi- ‘cient approations be made to ensure the re- openign and maintenance of these stations. Ow1nG partly to the extra rush of work, and. parly tothe short experience ot the edi- tor and“ manager pro tem. in these two branches of newspaper manufacture, two or three stupid blunders were made in last week’s issue. We beg to be forgiven and will endeavor to overcome our stupidity in the future. THE present outlook is that there will be considerable competition between the Cana- dians and Americans in lake: traffic this summer, and this state of affairs is said to be owing to the eniarged Welland canal. It is thought that both the competition and the enlarged Welland, will be alike beneficial to Americans and Canadians. As the time for the opening of navigation approaches, the news and reports from the various ports, in regard to the preparations and anticipations for the coming season, come pouring in to such an extent that we have been puzzled considerably to find space for them all. Last week we were obliged to leave over several important ar- ticles until this issue. ‘THE editor of the REcorD took a trip las week away down south in—well, we won’t say Dixie—but in ‘Tennessee; and while up in this region “The north wind did blow, and we did have snow,’ he was enjoying the pleasant sunshine of that warmer clime, or culling beautiful flowers that belong to early summer hours. We hope that ere he returns he will be kind enough to charter a boat and ship a cargo of warm weather and flowers to the cold- weather-surfeited inhabitants of the lake regions. We publish this week the amended: rules and regulations to pilots on the lakes ard rivers, and we consider them of so much importance that we have placed them on the first page where they will be sure to catch the eye the first thing. We also pupblish the rules for tbe prevention of collisions among sailing ve ss Of course these rules will be properly observed and enforced this season, and will undoubtedly conduce to fewer disastrous collisions. In this re- spect we think last year was an improve- ment upon the previous one, and we ex- pect this year to improve upon last. Any shipmaster can get a printed list of the beacons, buoys, stakes and other day marks in the eleventh United States light- house district, free, by applying to the In- spector of the eleventh district at Detroit. | tion, whose aceuracy has been tested with Jowing rules, and on others, shall be carried F’S POSITION AT SEA. PLymoutn, Wis, By what methed do sailors at sea deter- mine their exact position ? Doss, Answer—The mariner determines his lat- itude by observing the meridian altitude of a selestial star whose declination or distance from the equator is known, Ln the north- ern hemisphere, for an approximate answer the pole star is generally tiken, the altitude which is nearly the latitude of tne place. If an observor were standing upon the equa- tor and looking toward the north he would see the pole star on the horizon, with no al- titude. If he should move three degrees horth the pole star would have an altitude corresponding. At Chicago It is above the | horizon 41 degrees and 50 minutes, corre- FINDING ON tpondirg to the lattitude of that city. Ow- so the apparent revolution of the pole star about a central axis, which is the true pole of the heavens, the accurate. latitude can only be obtained by observing its east) and greatest altitude and taking one-half their sum. ‘The longitude of any place computed from Greenwich, Washington, or other prime meridian, is easily determined by ob- serving the Greenwich or Washington time when the sun passes the zenith meridian. In other words, knowing the difference in time between Greenwich and the place of observation, the longitude of ths place may be readily computed. A difference of time amounting to one hour represents 15 de- grees of longitude, east or west, as the case may be. The difference in time between Chieage and Washington is 43 minutes, which makes the longitude of Chicago 10 degrees and 5-minutes, reckoning from the Jegal prime meridean of the United States, which is that at Washington. Every ship carries a marine chronometer, which -is a time-keeper of the. most careful construc- the utmost precision—which is plainly a matter of the utmost importance to a vessel when it is remembered that an error of four seconds of time represents about one and one-tenth statute miles, enough to wreck a ship on a lee shore when the captain, follow- ing the chronometer, supposed himself at a safe distance from the shoal or shore. RULES FOR PREVENTING COL- LISIONS. , The following extracts from the Revised Statutes of the United States providing rules for the prevention of collisions be- tween vessels are of importance to vesselmen sailing the lakes, and will repay a careful perusal by them. ‘The fact that these rules are the law should commend their obser- vance by all vesselmen, as proof of their strict Obeyance will in all cases have great weight in case of disaster. Sec. 4,233. The following rules for pre- venting collisions on the water shall be followed in the navigation of vessels of the navy and of the mercantile’ marine of the United States: : Rule 1. Every steam-vessel which is under sail, and not under steam, shall be considered a sail-vessel; and every steam- vessel which is under steam, whether under sail or not, shall be considered a steam- vessel. Rtle 2. The lights mentioned in the fol- in all weathers, between sunset and sun- rise. , Rule 3. All sea-going steamers, and steamers carrying sail, shall, when under way, carry: (A) At the foremast head, a bright) white light, of such a character as to be visible on adark night, with a clear atmosphere, ata distance of at least five miles, and so con- structed as to show a uniform and unbroken light over an are of the horizon of twenty points of the compass, and so fixed ae to throw the light ten points on each side of the vessel—namely from right ahead to two points abaft the beam on either side. (B) On the starboard side, a green light, of such a character as to be visable on a dark night, with a clear atmosphere, at a distance of at least two miles, and so constructed as to show a uniform and unbroken light over an are of the horizon of ten points of the compass, and so fixed as to throw the light fiom right ahead to two points abaft the beam on the starboard side. (C) On the port side, a red light. of such a character as to be visible on a dark | \ | vessels, shall ea night, with a clear atmosphere, at a distance of at least two miles, xud so constructed as to show a unifoam and unbroken light over an are of ten points of the compass and so fixed as to throw the light from right ahead to two points abaft the beam on the port side. The green and red lights shall be fitted with inboard sereens, projecting at least three feet forward from the lights, so as to prevent them from being seen across the bow, Rule 4. Steam vessels, when towing other y two bright ‘white ‘nast- head lights, vertically, in addition to their side lights, so as to distinguish them from other steam vessels, Each of these masthead lights shall be of the same character and construction us the masthead light’ pre- scribed by Rule 3. : Rule 5. All steam vessels other than ocean going steamers, and steamers carrying sail, shall when under way, carry on the star- board and port sides lights of the same char- acter and construction and in the same po- sition as are prescribed for side lights by Rule 3, exveptin the case provided in Rule 6. Rule 6. River steamers, navigating wa- ters flowing into the Gulf of Mexico and their tributaries shall carry the followihg lights—namely: One red light on the out- board side of the port smoke-pipe and one green light ou the outboard side of the star- board smoke-pipe. Sueh lights shali_ show both forward and abeam on their respeetive sides, Rule 7. All coasting steam vessels and steam vessels other than ferry boats, and ves- sels otherwise expressly provided tor, navi- gating the bays, lakes, rivers, or other inland waters of the United States, except those mentioned in Rule 6, shall carry the red and green lights, as prescribed tor ocean-going steamers, and in addition thereto, a central range of two white lights; the afier light be- ing carried at an elevation of at least fifteen feet above the light at the head of thevessel. The headlight shall be so constructed as to show a good light through twenty points of the compass—namely: From right ahead to two points abaft the beam on eitherside of the vessel ; and the after light so as to show all around the horizon. The lights for ferry- boats shall be regulated by snch rules as the Board of Supervising Inspectors of steam- vessels shall prescribe. THE HISTORY OF THE MARINE CHRONOMETER. BY CHARLES FRODSHAM, F. R. A. 8. Continued. One of the experiments performed by Berthoud must be mentioned, as it has been of the greatest service in enabling,the varia- tions of rate to be traced to their true causes, namely, the changes of the elastic force of the balance-spring, under changes of tem- perature. The diminution of elastic force in balance springs by heat, was suspected as early as 1647; us appears from the following passage in the prise essay of the celebrated geometri, cian, Daniel Bernoulli, read betore the French Academy : “I must not omit a circumstance which may be prejudicial to balance watches; it is that experimental philosophers pretend to have remarked, that certain changes of elastic force uniformly follow changes of temperature. IPf that be the case the spring can never uniformly govern the balance.” That which Bernoulli only conjectured in 1747, was, in 1773, established as a matter of certainty anid the amounts in loss of time, due to each of those three causes, operating conjointly, were subjected to calculation and experiment by Berthoud; with the following result: One of the marine watches in passing from 0° to 279 Reaumur (32° to 92° ah.) Seconds, Loss per diem by expansion of diame- ter Of Walaneesss cess cassis csssans scsisescaaass Ditto ditto by loss of spring’s elastic FOKOE...., sessseeseceseees eesene sie es 312 Ditto ditto by elongation of thespring, 19 393 or 6m. 336 Few of the watchmakers of the present day can form an adequate notion ot the difliculties which had to be overcome by the early watchmakers, on finding that. their watches varied to so great an extent as six minutes thirty-three seconds, in passing from 32° to 92° Fahrenheit; while a clock, with a seconds’ pendulum, was known not to alter more than about twenty seconds, under simi- lar circumstances, Isochronism is an inherent property of the