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Ghe Marine Record. Journal devoted to Commerce Navigation and Science, Published Weekly AT CLEV AND, OHLO Office Nos. 171 Superior and 136 Bank Streets Room 7. $2.00 per Annum. INVARIBLY IN ADVANCE, AGENTS ARE WANTED IN EVERY PORT ADVERTISING RAT Ten cents per line solid Nonpariel me n Twelve lines of Nonpariel set solid make one inch, ; Twenty ce per line for rewling notices, solid minion measurement. , Articles, letters and queries on all subjects are soli- cited. BaerThe be opinions of correspondents. To insure notice, contributors must give name and address, and Write on one side of the paper only. THE MARINE ORD has an Agent in every port on the Lakes and Rivers, and will consequently circu. late more or less in all of them. Asa medium for advertising it hus no superior, as it circulates among a class of people that can be reached in no other way.. urement. ditor assumes no responsibility for the THE BLOCKADE, They have commenced the fun again at Chicago. The business for this season has opened up so lively that the creek resembles the scenes of some of the most prosperous years known in marine circles. he Luter. Ocean ina recent issue says: “The swift current in the harbor running east into the lake, which was briefly announced yesterday morning, continued all day yesterday. It was reported during the day that the Des- plaines River dam at Summit had burst, and that this fact explained the high water in the river and the swift current out. ‘The water was two feet higher in the harbor than usual and was the highest it has been since 1877. The current at 2 o’clock yesterday morning was at least eight miles an hour and during the day it was from six to four miles, grad- ually losing its velocity. In the morning the wind was east, but later in the day it changed to- Northwest. : “There was confusion and trouble in the harbor.- The tugs ‘could not manage their tows, and various craft got into trouble. There were numerous jams and blockades, but the most serious of these occurred at the mouth of the harbor, where navigation was wholly obstructed most all day and up toa late hour at night. The propeller Arabia of the Western Line, got across the river at the Illinois Central Railroad bridge in the morning and blocked things for two hours before she could be straightened up, She sustained no damage. At 2:30 o’clock in the afternoon the large propeller Wo-co-ken arrived heavily laden, and she attempted to pass up the river with the V.0O.T. tug Taylor at her head. At Rush street bridge the great eratt took a sheer across the river. Her stem jammed into the dock on the north side of the river, and, with her stern within a tew feet of the abutment on the south side, she took upa position which she still held at 1:30 o’elock this morning. No craft could pass her, not the smallest tug, and things came to a stand- still. Craft arriving were compelled to lie past Of Rush street bridge, and those bound out are strung all along the harbor. The swift current east held the Wo-co-ken in her uncomfortable position, and tugs whieh worked at her from either side could not straighten herup. She was broadside to the current. The water inside of her was a full foot higher than on the east side. She formed a perfect dam, and after she took her posi- tion the stage of water in the entire harbor raised several inches higher than the high stage it had been at during the earlier part ef the day. The only damage to the propel- ler at lash accounts was the splitting of her stem. The loss by the blockade is heavy. A fleet of twenty-five vessels bound ih could not get up to their docks, and out could not leave, Numerous tugs were caught on either side of the blockade, and their loss js very heayy. The s at Adams street. Pour tugs and a propeller worked at her and finally straightened her eamship Packer got across the river up. The steamship Tacoma formed a jam at | press Mnessengers were jeame did the men drop off exhausted ; as many craft bound | Harrison street which continued for a long time, All day the confusion continued, and itex- tended to all parts of the harbor, ‘Towing | light vessels the tugs had) to run wide open in order to move taster than the currentand | keep steerage way. The schooner Mereury collided with Clark streer bridge, tearing the rail and foot) walk ;and loosing her jibboom, At the lumber market, every time a cargo was sold and the vessel towed away, there Was a grand snacl of the numerous craft and great excitement, The R.J. Gibbs lost her jibboom and head- gear by the Annie O. Hanson and Mystic drifting down on her. Various craft sus- tained minor damage, Citizens were detained at the bridges, mail and baggag: e Wagons mnissed their trains, ex- and business generelly was in the city was much demor- alized by the trouble. It was a day of delay and annoyance that has never before been equaled in Chicago. Some basements along the river front were flooded, but the damage in thls way is very light. Delay was the big item, and to the shipping and tug inter- ests alone it was estimatec last night at not less than $100,000. There is just one redeeming feature of the late, flood, the first cause of which.was, of course, the extraomlinary rainfall. This is that the swift current has cleaned the harbor of all its filth. The water had been reeking in rot- tenness, and this cleaiing out comes to the pecple of the community like a blessing in disguise. : Among the craft detained in port by the Rush street blockade was the steamship ‘T'a- coma and propellers Buffalo and Avon, all grain loaded. ‘The Buffalo belongs to the Western Transportation Company, and the Avon to the Union Steamboat Company. These regular lines cannot afford to suffer delay. The east shore line propeller Lora and various others and a large fleet of light vessels also had to wait. The craft bound in, which was still east of Rush street bridge at 1:30 this morning (and rapidly aceumu- lating) were too numerous to mention. Many arrived whose names are not even given in the Port List, for the reason that they could not be ascertained. ‘The names are taken as craft pass Rush street in, and as they could not get up to Rush street they are not announced. Before the blockade there had been forty-one sailings during the day. The propeller favorite and the schoonefs Stephenson, '. J. Brown, and S. A. Wood are among the craft compelled to remain in port here. The J. L. Hurd, Lawrence, Oceanica, and Erie Belle, grain loaded, got away before the blockade. At 2:30 o’clock, this morning the Wo-co- ken was still aground and fast at Rush street bridge, despite the eflorts of several tugs to move her and straighten her up. It was thought she would have to lighter a portion of her cargo. ‘The officers of the boat are in no wise to blame for the mishap and block- ade, ‘unless it be in bad judgment in taking asingletug when coming into the harbor, and the captain explains that of course he did not know that such an extraordinary current was running. SIXTY HOURS IN THE WATER. A remarkable instance of sustained muscular efforts is given in the Medical Press as having occurred in an Australian mine, The dvift) from shaft having unex- pectedly broken into another, a rapid in- undation took place so that in a few minutes ithe lower levels were flooded and the Water stood thirty feet in the shaft. Twenty-seven men in one part of the wor kings were unable to ascend the shaft, being caught ina drift one where the water soon rose so high that only by clinging to the timbers could they keep their chins above it. One by one during the terrible sixty hours that elapsed betore help but five of then: sueeceded in holding on during the whole of that time, and were broveht ont alive, Phe bodies of the other twenty- twe were found scattered about on the Noor of the drift. Great indeed are the strength and tenacity inspired by desperation, when they could enable five mento hang on by their hands with their bodies immersed in water for sixty hours, THE NEW STEEL CRUISERS The law requires the Navy Department to } insert an advertisement for proposals for the hew steam cruisers in five ‘of the leading hewspapers of the United States for 60 days. The Departinent determined to publish it in two papers in New York, and in one of each of the cities of Boston, Philadelphia, aud Bal- timore, and to select only those papers that have the largest circulation, ‘he five news- papers have been selected, and the following detailed iavitation for proposals appeared in them last Tuesday morning: New Steam Cruisers for the United States Navy.--Sealed proposals are hereby invited until noon, Monday, July 2, 1883, for the construction, by contracts with the Navy Department, of one steam cruiser of about 4,500 tous displacement; two steam cruisers each of about 3,000 tons displacement, and one dispatch boat of about 1,500 tons dis- placement, authorized by built for the United States Navy. Proposals will be received either from American ship builders, whose shipyards are fully equipped for building and repairing iron and steel steamships, or from constructors of marine engines, machinery and boilers. Sati tory evidence that the bidders are sueh build- ers or constructors must accompany the pro- posals or be submitted to the department in advance. ‘These vessels are to be built in ac- cordance with-all the requirements of the acts of Congress of August 5, 1882, and March 3, 1883. ‘They are all to be construct- ed of steel of domestic manufacture, having as near as may be, (according to the tests to be provided for in the contracts,) a tensile strength of not less than 60,000 pounds to the square inch, and a ductility in eight inches of not less than 25 per cent. — The 4,500-ton Cruiser.—The dimensions of the 4,500 ton cruiser will be: Length be- tween perpendiculars, 315 feet; extreme breadth, 48 feet 2 inches; depth of hold from top of spar deck beams to inner bottom, 31 feet 4 inches; means draught, 19 feet. ‘he vessel is to be constructed with a double bot- tom of 42 inches in depth, extending through the entire space occupied by the machinery, boilers and transverse coal bunkers, over which, also, will be fitted a deflective steel deck 14 inches thick, the outer edge extend- ing about 4 feet below the load water line. The machinery will be t vo complete sets of compound beam engines for twin screws, each engine with one high and one low pressure cylinder of 45 and 72 inches, re- spectively. Each set will have one condens- er with a condensing surface of not less than 4,800 square fect, and one independent com- bined air and circulating pump. There will be fourteen steel boilers ot 9 feet diameter and 10 feet long, each capable of sustaining a working pressure ot 100 pounds, with an aggregate grate surface of not less than 802 square feet and a heating surface of not less than 20,000 square feet, all fitted for forced combustion, with four blowers of sufficient expacity therefor ‘and for ventilating the ship. There will also be required the nec- essary steam pumps for fire and other pur- poses, and two sciew propellers, each 15 feet in diameter, with 22 feet 6 inches pitch. ‘The 3,000-ton cruiser.—The dimensions of the 3,000-tons cruisers will be: Length, 270 feet; breadth, 42 feet; depth from top of main deck beams to top of flat keel-plate, 36 feet 114g inches; main draught, 17 feet. The vessels ure to be constructed with double bottoms 40 inches deep,amidships, extend- through the entire space occupied by boilers, engines, and: transverse 'S, OVer which, also, will be fitted a protective steel deck 14 inches in thickness. The machifi- ery will be a back-acting compound engine, with one high, and two low pressure cylin- Congress to be ‘ders, of 54 and 74 fuches in diameter, witha piston stroke of 42 inches; two condensers with a condensing surface of about 5,500 square feet, and two independent combined air and circulating pumps. There will be eight: cylindrical steel boilers of 11 feet 8 inches in diameter and 9 feet 9 inches long, each capable of sustaining a working pres- sure of 90 pounds, with an aggregate grate surface of not less than 400 square feet anda heating surface of not less Chan 10,000 square feet, all fitted for forced combustion, with blowers of sufficient capacity therefor and for ventilating the ship. ‘There will also be required the pecessary steam pumps for fire | anc other purposes, and a serew propeller 17 feet in diameter with 20 feet pitch, jand the The Dispatch Boat.—The dime boat will be: Length, 240 feet; breadth, 32 feet; mean draught, e cluding keel, 135 feet, and the vessel will have a displacement of about 1,500 tons. ‘The machinery will be one compound engine with two vertical over- head cylinders of 45 and 78 inches diameter, respectively, and a piston stroke of 48 inches, with one surface condenser baving a con- densing surface of not less than 3,100 square feet; an air pump worked by a beam con- nected with the cross-head of the low pres- sure cylinder, and an independent cireulat- ing pump. There will be two steel boilers of 11 feet diameter and 18 feet 8 inches long, each with two furnaces at each end with separate back connections, and two shell boilers of If feet diameter and 6 feet 7 inches Jong, each with two furnaces; all the boilers to be capable of sustaining a Working sure of 90 pounds and to have an ageregate grate surface of not less than 2 square feet, and a heating surface of 6,600 square feet, all fitted for forced combustion, with three blowers of sufficient sapacity therefor and for ventilating the ship. ‘There will also be required the necessary steam pumps tor fire and other purposes, and a screw propeller of 14 feet diameter and a length and pitch for a speed of 15 knots. No offer for more than one nsions ot pres- vessel should be included in the same proposal, Eachcon- tract awarded will be for the hull and ma- chinery of one vessel, with such equipments aus may be specified. Each proposal must be preceded or accompanied by a cash deposit or satistactory certified check, payable to the order of the Secretary of the Navy, which shall become the property of the United States in case the successful bidder shall fail to-enter into a contract, with sureties as re- quired, within 20 days after the acceptance of his proposal. ‘The amount of such deposit or check shall be $30,000 on the 4,500-ton cruisers, $20,000 on exch of the 3,000-ton cruisers, and $10,000 on the dispatch boat.’ All deposits and checks ‘of bidders whose proposals shall not be accepted within five days after the 2d day of July, 1883, will, at the end of that period, be returned to them, and those of each successful bidder will be returned to him when his contract has been duly entered into. Every sucessful bidder will be required within 20 days after the acceptance of his proposal to enter into formal contract for the perforn:ance of his work and-to give a bond therefor, with sufficient sureties and with a penal sum of $500,000 if to build the 4,500 ton cruiser, $300,000 if to build either of the 3,000-ton cruisers, and $159,000 if to build the dispatch boat. The three cruisers must be completed within 18 months, and the dis- patch boats within twelve months from the execution of the respective contracts. Pay ment to each contractor will be made in ten equal installments, as the work brogresses, upon bills duly certified, from which 10 per cent. will be reserved, to be paid on the full and final completion of the contract. The designs and specifications of the vessels may be seen at the Navy Department in Wash- ington, and all information essential to bid- - ders will be there given. Proposals must be made according to forms which will be fur- nished by the Department. Wiiuiam E. CHANDLER, Secretary of the Navy. ~A LARGE TURTLE. Captain Augustus G. [all and the crew of the schooner Annie L. Hall vouch for the following: On March 30, while on the Grand Bank, in latitude 400 10’, 339, they discovered an immense live trunk turdle, which was at first thought to be a vessel bottom up. ‘The schooner within twenty-five feet of the those on board liad ample estimate its by a comparison with the length of the schooner. The turtle Was at least 40 feet long, 30. feet wide, and 30 feet from. the apex ot the back to the bottom flippers longitude passed monster, and opportunity to dimensions of the under shell. The were.20 feet long. It was not deemed ad- Visable to attempt its capture, A MONSTER CODFISH, A codfish weighing 100 pounds, was tured near cap- Portland, Me. a few days since, pby a boat) fisherman with a hand line or trawl. The fish was 5 feot 5 inches long, g length of its head, from to extremity of gill flap, inches, ‘The girth of head This is said to be the largest for along time, tip of nose Measured 17 Was 32. inches, cod captured