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Kugineering, TACKLE BLOUKS. A CBUISE INTO HISTORY, ANCIENT AND MOD- ERN.—CAPTAIN FORD, BY INVENTING A HEADBLOCK PROVES HIMSELF NO BLOCK- HEAD.—A GROWING CLEVELAND ENTER- PRISE. Sacred history informs us concerning the dimensions of that ancient cratt, the Ark, Captain Noah, of her decks, her compart- ments, hatches and ventilation, but is utter- ly silent in regard to her outtit. Had she centreboard, rudder, bowsprit, spars or even a figurehead?) As she wis in no danger of colliding with other cratt, it may be ques- tioned whether she was ever fined for not carrying ‘good and suflicient lights” and a fog-horn, At all events these interesting particulars are left wholly to the imagina- tion. Slightly tarther down the stream of time, we find, floating, the ships of the PHG@NECIANS AND OF THE EGYPTIANS, half canoes, but capable ot resisting a con- siderable sea. Soon the wind was impressed into seryice, and it is evident that Arg naut and his crew dreaded‘ white breeze” as much as any modern Jack ‘Tar. ‘Certain it is that some appliance for chang- ing the lead of the haliards must have been early introduced, for the earliest models in the museums of Europe show rude at- tempts to construct pulleys for the running rigging. , Strange to say, the first patent for block- making machinery of which we have any record, issned to Walter Taylor, Southamp- ton, is dated exactly 102 years ago, and the product was clumsy enough. It is buta few yearsginge a bright genius, one of our own countrymen, of course, hit upon the idea of. making the sides of a block, or “‘cheek-pieces,” as they are now called, sepa- rate and interchangeable, bolting the whole together in the direction of the pin, or axle, while large blocks were still further strengthened by means ot cross-bolting. All this time no one thought of using anything lighter or more durable than rope as a fast- ening or strap for blocks, small and large. A score of yenrs ago an advanced step was taken, patents were issued for blocks with straps of iron, running first around the out- side, as the rope had done, afterwards through the centre of the block, as closely as possible to the sheaves, which, instead of being made invaribly of wood, began to be turned out of cast iron. he shells could be made of lighter wood, such as ash, and the whole affair reduced in. weight, while the strength was augmented. BLOCKS MADE OF IRON have been from time to time introduced, and for chain pulleys, and for use in places ex- posed to the action of dry heat, they have proved very serviceable. But the increased cost of wrought iron blocks together with their liability to bend, and thus by friction defeat the prime quality of easy motion, has never permitted them to supersede the old- fashioned blocks made of wood. It remains for us to speak of a Cleveland invention which has been winning rapid fa- vor among our like mariners dumng the past few years, especially during the season of 1882, Captain George A. Ford, formerly master of the Senator Blood, Augustus Ford, Caroline A. Simpson, L. B. Crocker, and other lake vessels, son of Captain Augustus Ford, U. 8. N., well-known curing the past eneration as having made a survey of Lake ntario from which a set of working charts was made and used by the lake marine dur- ing and since the War of 1812, has been for some years patentee. of a-block which he ap- plied to his patent steel ranner haliards. Made entirely of metal, the body is com- posed of the finest malleable iron, the straps of refined wrought iron, the sheaves of grey re and the pins of drawn machinery steel. This block made for itself so good a ree- ord as ahaliard block, that prominent Cleve- land capitalists have been impressed with its value for all purposes tor which blocks are used, and, after careful experiments, a company was formed, under the title of the CLAVELAND BLOCK Co, In the manufacture of these new blocks their first intention. was to make an fron block, equal, at least, in every reapect to. the wooden one, and at about the same cost. They soon found, however, that the demand was for a better block, even at a slightly in- creased cost. They have accordingly spared sto get up the best article which metal. and brains would prodnce. ° no mo The wide mortise blocks are particularly fine, adapted they are, for the heaviest work, such js raising boilers and bridge bents, warping river steamboats and the like. No wire rope has ever excceded the above for practical use. The most recent addition has been a mal- leable iron snatch block, a cut of which, representing it open, is given above. These illustrations, a few only out of many kinds made by this company, give some im- perfect idea of an industry which touches not only the marine interests of the world, but those of that innumerable multitude on land who bend their strength toa rope, al- beit without the musical ‘“Yo-heave-o” of the sailor. VESSEL SALES. Hans Johnson sold a half interest in the scow R, H. Becker to Andrew Peterson for $1,050. R. H. Trumbull sold a one-third interest in the schooner Newsboy to William Patter- son for $1, and G. R. Thames sold a one- half interest in the schooner Ruby to Morris Van Platen for $1,500. The barge Norway was sold at Buffalo by Captain Charles Hamilton and others to Charles ‘Turner, of Saginaw for $5,000. She earries about 500,000 feet, Fred G. Elwell sold the schooner Bertie Calkins to Peter Hanson for $12,006. Edward M. Brainard sold the steamyacht C. EK. Kremer, to Charles West tor $1,000. The new barge being built by R. Mills & Co. was sold to J. C. Lockwood, of Milan, O., for $43,000. She is 213 feet long, 34 feet beam, 14% feet hold, has single deck and will carry three spars. Capacity is about 50,000 bushels of corn. She is built for ma- chinery, but will run this season as consort tothe steamship Columbia. The Goodrich Transportation Co. has sold the sidewheel steamer City of Milwaukee and the propellers Wisconsin and Mizhigan to the Grand ‘Trunk Railway Company, and the new owners will continue the boats on the Milwaukee and Grand Haven route, ee er eee A HUNGRY MAN. The man who cleaned out a first-class res- taurant in Boston the other day and then tried to come the “Cannibal? on the colored cook, had been using Swayne’s pills, the best medicine known here below, composed of concentrated valuable juices of plants. They are undoubtedly the best and safest purgative, aperient and anti-billious medi- eine known, 25 cts. per box. Five boxes $1. ‘Try them, ry METALLIC LIFE RAFY. ‘The great loss of life caused last year by the wrecking of so many passenger steamers has naturally made the public feel very timid in regard to selecting this mode of traveling. So long as Canada will persist in sending old hulks to sea loaded to the guards with passengers, the only safe thing for them to to do is to see that these boats are properly supplied with life rafts and life sav- ing apparatus, We think the Calkin’s life raft superior to other makes tor reliabjlity and recommend it to our steamboat owners. Messrs. Calkins present this raft to the owners of steamships and steamboats, and feel confident in saying that they have suc- ceeded in producing an article tor life-saving purposes, which, for utility, solidity of con- struction and durability cannot be excelled. In this ratt it will be seen that the two cylinders are constructed of galvanized sheet iron, with a series of water tight compart- ments, and insuch wmanner thatany injury to one compartment will not effect the other —the row ot rivets next to jointed part showing each compartment. There are no parts requiring adjustment, but all form a strong, compact and thor- oughly connected whole, ready tor use at any time; and, when required, there is noth- ing about the raft that bas to be fixed or ar- ranged, but it can be launched into the sea either side up, and when in the sea can only be broken or rendered useless by sundering its bolted and riveted parts. This has proved effeetual in saving life, where lifeboats failed, as follows: The steamship Leo, burned off Sayannah, April NAUTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC, The light on South Manitou Island began operations Wednesday night. Four hundred and thirty-seven vessels, of all classes, are in port at Chicago, The bay at Owen Sound is clear of ice-and vessels have commensed running on Geor- gian Bay. Barge Marine . City ran aground on the foot of Bois Blane Island, but succeeded in getting herselt off. Shipping from Whitetish Bay pier opens lively this spring, over a dozen craft having loaded at that point, thus far this season, Arrangements are said to be partically concluded for running the propellers Pacific and Saginaw Valley on the Green Bay and Buffalo route. It is reported that there is only nine feet of water in Pentwater harbor, and com- manders of vessels should make soundings on entering that port. ‘The steamer Pearl was the first boat into Alpena, the steamer Flora the first boat in- to Cheboygan, and the steamer City of Cleveland the first into Mackinaw. The City of Sheboygan, of the Goodrich Line, is undergoing a through overhauling at the company’s shipyards at.Manitowoc. She will be ready for-business in abouc ten days. S ; ‘The steamer City of Cleveland collided with Hickler’s dredge near the dock at Sand 13th, 1877. The captain of this steamer and twelve of the crew and passengers, after be- ing on this raft seven hours in a. heavy sea, were rescued by the crew.of the bark Hop- pett. All who left the steamer in the life- boats were lost. , The steamship Emily B. Souder foun- dered off Hatteras, December, 1878. ‘Two sailors, who took refuge on one of these ratts were saved, after being on it forty-eight hours (the captain rejecting the ratt, it hav- ing a hole in one of the end sections, he not knowing that the eylinders were made in compartments.) ‘lhe captain and all others on the ship who took the life boats and te. - porary rafts, perished. The following steamship lines. are fur- nished with these rafts: Pacific Mail S. S. Co. ;- Ocean S. S. Co., of New York and Sa- vannah; N. Y. & Charleston S. 8. Co.; CromwellS. 8. Line, of New York and New Orleans; James E. Ward & Co., Havana 8S. S. Line; C. H. Mallory & Co., New York and Galveston 8. S. Lines; F. Alexandre & Sons, Havanaand Mexican S. 8S. Lines; Wm. P. Clyde & Co’s. 5S. 5S. Lines; Old Col- ony S. B. Co., Fall River Line; New Haven S. B. Co., New York and New Haven; Nor- wich & New York ‘Transportation Co.; Startin’s 8. B. Line; R. Cornell White’s S. B. Line; Iron Steamboat Co.; Providence & Stonington 8.8. Co.; American 8, S. Co., Philadelphia and Liverpool; San Francisco & Oregon, 8. 8. Co.; White Star Line, New York and Liverpool; Red Star Line, New York and Antwerp. They are manufacturing three sizes as fol- lows: . One with cylinders twenty-two inches in diameter, sixieen and a half feet long, with eight compartments in each cylinber. When put together complete, ready for nse, the raft is sixteen and ahalf feet long by six feet wide. s One with cylinders sixteen inches diame- ter, sixteen and almlf feet long, with eight compartmenfs in gavepyiinder When put together complete, ready for use, the raft is sixteen and a half feet long by five anda half.feet wide. One with cylinders’ sixteen inches diime- ter, eleven feet long, with six compartments in each cylinder. When put together, ready for use, the raft is eleven feet long by five feet wide. ; We ask the reader’s attention to their ad- vertisement on the last page of the Recorp, and should be pleased to have them send for circulars. LIFE SAVING SERVICE, The United States life saving station at 'To- ledo opened with the following crew: Cap- tain, Charles Goodwin; L. B. Hopkins, A. M. Miller, F. TV. Hateu and TY. C. Nolan, of Cleveland; Charles L. Leonard and James Christman, of Sand Creek; John LL. Eve- leigh, of Sacket’s Harbor; and L. Distal, of Buffalo. Captain Babcock, of the life saving station at Fairport, received orders from Superin- tendent Dobbins to open the station and go into commission, ‘the following is the crew for the coming season: Frank Nettleton, O. J. Hawley, John Capron, James Wilson, Charles Call, Neal Maddock, Daniel Pettis and Stephen Freedybaugh. — Muskegon has shipped about 6,000,000 feet of lumber to Chicago this spring. Beach ‘Tuesday, doing considerable damage. It will cost $1,000 to repair her. The Cleve- land was not damaged much, At Point Albaye shoal, Lake Superior, the red buoy will be discontinued, the black one remaining to mark the outer end of the shoal. Buffalo, April 25. The first arrivals by - lake to-day were the steamer D. Leuty, from Cleveland, light; followed by the Jiio- C. Gault and Russell Sage from Toledo, with wheat. The lake is clear of ice, only occasi- onal floes being seen. A circular from the Lighthouse Board, Treasury Department, requests all mariners to promptly report at Washington any Gov- ernment lights not lit at sundown or ex- tinguished at sunrise, and all buoys that are found out ot their proper positions. A smokestack, apparently from -some steamcraft, was washed ashore during the storm in the vicinity of Thirteenth street, Racine, and was recovered by a German family. Some people are of the opinion that it is the smokestack ot the illfated tug Wet- zel. It is probable that a line of steamers will be re-established between Buffalo and Green Bay some time during the ensuing season. A representative from the former city was recently at the Bay for the purpose of per- fecting the preliminaries with this end in view. Captain Kirthland will place his vessel, the Veto, in the carrying trade between Egg harbor and Menominee again the coming season. He will also carry several cargoes of staves to Green Bay for 'I. W. Wright from Horseshoe Bay as soon as navigation opens and the boat is ready. The steambarge Milwaukee, owned by Messrs. Harford & Latimer, is at present plying between Grand Haven and Chicago in the Jumber trade, but will soon begin car- rying stone from Washington Island to ‘Traverse City for the new Northern Michi- gan Insane Asylum, John Wattisley, second engineer of the Grand Haven line propeller Michigan, was arrested by the United States Marshal at Milwaukee on Monday, for an assault’ com- mitted on the high-seas, Walmsley is charged with having beaten one of the deckhands or fireman of the boat during the passage across the lake on Sunday morning. The office of the Ogdensburgh and Chicago Transportation line (formerly the Northern) will be moved to the foot of La Salle street. ‘The propeller Oneida, of this line, is loaded, The propeller Saginaw Valley, also of the same line, is at Bay City, and will come to this port as soon as the Straits open.—Chi- cago Times. At Oswego, Superintendent Phelps has received orders to build a dock extending east and west along the shore from the east side of the new harbor trestle to the old stone pier, The dock will be 400 feet long, and will require 20,000 cubic yards of filling. An immense quantity of timber will be used in its constrnetion. There will be a depth of thirteen feet of water its entire length. Tugmen complain that as a rule the “smoke consumers” don’t consume smoke ; that one of these patent appliances does purify the smoke, but that while itis ona