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, progressive. The Marine Record. ALANBON WILDOX, Editor & Proprietor. A Journal devoted to Commerce Navigation and | Science, Published Weekly aT CLEVELAND, OHIO Office No. 2, South Water Street: 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, Twenty cents per line for reading notices, solid minion measurement. Articles, letters and queries on all subjects are soli- cited. n@rThe Editor assumes no responsibility for the opinions of correspondents. To insure notice, contributors must give name and address, and write on one side ‘of the paper only. THE MARINE RECOKD 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 has no superior, as it circulates among & class of people that can be reached in no other way.. CHICAGO BRANCH OFFICE. The various and growing interests of the MARINE RecorD have induced us to open a branch office in Chicago. It will be under, the management of our efficient agent Thomas Williams who has so well re- presented the MaRINE ReEcoRD the past two years. ‘The new office is located at 244 South ‘Water street, room 6, Where Mr. Williams can be seen by our patrons. oo Gioja, a native Amalfi, in the year 1362, THE MARINER’S COMPASS. Among those inventions and discoveries which have been set up as corper stones in the great march of human progress; those inventions which have improved, broadened and extended the civilization of the world; none have been more important than the mariner’s composs.. As we look upon and enjoy the many con- veniences of the present time, such as steamboats, railroads, telegraphs and tele- phones, which are all comparatively recent ‘inventions, we are sometimes led to wonder how people ever got along without then. And again, when we think of our kerosene lamps, gas and electric lights, we are led to exclaim, “How did people see in those which we may well call dark ages?” But to the mariner whose lot it is to travel the trackless deep the greater wonder is, “How did the people of the olden time travel the “mighty deep” with no guide save “the sun by day and the stars by night?” To the influence of trade and commerce, by which men and nations are brought in contact with each other; by which the pro- ducts of the different parts of the world are interchanged and mankind is led to see the necessity of intercourse and exchange of sympathy and friendship, to this influence, perhaps, more than any other human cause, we are indebted for the development of our modern civilization. By means of this de- sire for trade aud intercourse people were, early in the world’s history, led to use the waters of the earth as a highway upon which to travel; but as no tracks could be laid out upon the constantly moving waters, they were obliged to keep within a short distance of the shore. Now, the nature of man is The needs and requirements offevery age seem to produce men capable of meeting those requirements. ‘That which is felt to be needed draws the atteation of persons, and by a concentration of study and experiment upon a given point, that which is needed is produced. ‘Thus we can easily see how in those early times attention was called to the need of something that would act as a guide when the sun and stars were hidden. Prcbably nothing was known of the directive power of the magnet in Europe until the latter part of the twelvth century. It appears, however, that it was known in China and throughout the east at a very remote period. ‘I'he Chinese annals even assign its discovery to a period 2,364 ars B.C. The earliest date at whidh we hear of it being used at sea, was in the year 300 B. GC. According to one account the knowledge of it was brought to Europe by Marco Polo. Others claim that as a nauti- eal instrument it was first used by Flavio But without doubt the compass was in uge before this, Lt is probable that Gioja made some improvement in the method of hang- ingit. Lt is unnecessary to undertake a de- | scription of the compass, as every sailor at least is familiar with it. companion, It is his guide and With it he consults for guid- ance amid sunshine and through storm, It} vever deceives him, faithtal triend, “Tis his ever true and Andas the maguetic needle, | though it may tremble and quiver, always ‘true to its purpose,’ settles to the north, so the tideof human progress;though it may }tremble and quiver, just’ so surely it will | move ever onward, A HOME FOR SAILORS. The Nautical Gazette, speaking of a true home for sailors, uses the following strong language: Inthe matter of the Sailor’s Snug Harbor, recently brought before the courts, the de- cision, just as we supposed, comes out about where every decision arrives when money is arrayed in conflict with poverty. ‘This decis- ion sets the thing at rest, that the inmates of the institution have no rights that the officers of the harbor are bound to respect. ‘The three old men who were expelled, it is reported, are starving on the streets; one of them.we have never seen, One we. never heard of until lately, and the other would not have been dangerous or frightful in the dark toa Presbyterian minister or a corner apple woman, and from all that can be heard of them, they are deserving of pity rather than the treatment they have received. Like Oliver ‘T'wist asking for more, it is a crime that cannot be forgiven, and Parson J. in- sists on the inmates being “’umble.’’? No efforts were made by the high priest, Dix, to reform these poor old octogenarians, and keep them trom blowing up some outhouse of the institution with dynamite. He nad his hands too full of the woman question— ‘twas a question of feebleness, rheumatism and right on one side, and tear of an investi- gation into the affairs of the institution by the holders of the “bar’!”’ on the other. It is well-known that where a sailor is concerned, as long.as money can be had from him his name is John; when the money is gone his name is Jack and he can take a back seat. Even in-the G. A. R. reunions, ete., who ever heard of a sailor holding an office, or oeing called upon for anything but to chip in? : In the case of the “Snug Harbor,” as with the Shipping Commission family, the “D.” Shipping Commission family have absorbed during the year $22,000, or all there was to be had. ‘The so-called Seamen’s Friend fam-, ily have absorbed $79,009, and the Sailor Snug Harbor family have absorbed all they could get. ‘The inmates do not dare now to speak of its aflairs, but from reliable infor- mation from over one hundred of the in- mates—and those not expelled ones—there is not, nor has been in twenty years, an offi- cer of the institution—perhaps with the ex- ception of the late Dr. King, and also the new surgeon, that is really respected by them. All our information concerning the institution has been obtained from reliable and respectable men, and men who can feel for the sorrows and infirmities that oblige a sailor to go tothis institution, and who would gladly see the institution what it pur- ports to be, a home for aged and decrepit American seaman, instead of being. a fraud in name, and rotten generally. We have no interest in the private quarrels and troubles of any one or two of the inmates, but would like to see it ‘what it was intended for, ‘‘a Home for Sailors,” and governed and con- trolled by a humane sailor and a gentleman, eo The old argument that if the “free ship’’ policy prevailed the English ship-owner and ship-builder would foist upon us Ameri- cans all the old hulks and big coal consum- ing steamers is, we see, still strongly urged by many people. It is so utterly absurd it seems incredible that any practical man will give it credit. This argument practically places the American buyer in the ranks of fools. There is no more reason why he should buy a poor or old tashioned steamer than there is that he should) buy poor old fashioned goods of other kinds when he makes his foreign purchases, If the English can succeed in foisting a Jot of old tubs upon the American ship-owners, then the latter deserves little sympathy for his stupidity. JAY GOULD’S NEW YACHT ATA- LAN'TA. | The New York Herald of the 17 thus) speaks of Jay Gould’s new yacht: Mr. Jay Gould’s new steam yacht Atalanta lies on | the ways at Messrs. Cramp’s shipyards, re- ceiving the finishing touches, preparitory to being launched to-morrow at one o’vlock. | ‘The workmen are engaged to-day in plank- ing the decks and greasing the ways. ‘The hull of the vessel has been painted black. ' Great preparations Fave been made for the Hlaunch., The yacht will be christened by Miss E. Gould, and a distinguished party has been invited to be present on the oc- easion, The keel of the yachty*which is of the best hammered iron, 2 inches thick and 8 inches in depth, was laid on the 10 of last December. From knighthead to tatfrail she is 230 feet 3 inches; upon deck her Jenght is 225 feét; on water line, 213 feet 3 inches; extreme beam, 26 feet 4 inches moulded depth amidships, 16 feet; load line draught, 13 feet. ‘The upper deck of the new yacht is flush, and for its whole length is unbroken, save by a narrow house, that extends tor eighty feet of its space amidships, by steam capstan windlass forward, by the necessary companion ways and skylights to give access and light to the quarters below, and by four handsome yenti- lator tops to supply air to the engine and fire rooms. She will have two sets of boat davits on each side. Upon the port side and just torward of the mainmast will be hung a steam launch 32 feet long; abaft her, in fact »well on the quarter, on the same side, is to be hund the dingy or working boat, 18 feet long. On the starboard side, abreas. of the steam launch, is a six-oared cutter, 32 feet long, and abaft her and abreast of the dingy is to be a whale-boat, United States pattern, 38 feet long, which will row five oars, and which Mr. Gould will use for his gig. ‘The sternpost is 4 inches by 8, and the rudder- post is the same in dimension. The frames are all of the best quality of angle iron, and extend in one piece from the keel to the top of the rail. She will be propelled by a com- pound, invented, direct acting, surface con- densing engine, with two cylinders, one of thirty and one of forty inches in diameter, with thirty inches stroke of ‘piston. The engine is fitted with the steam reversing geur patented by the Cramps, by means of which it can be immediately reversed from full speed astern. Besides her engine pro- pelling power the Atalanta will be able to spread as much canvas as the average three- masted schooner. Her standing rigging will consist of the best charcoal wire, and canvas specially made will whiten her masts. The permanent furniture will be composed ‘ot inlaid maple, California laurel, maple, butternut, ceder and other native hard woods. ‘he forward part of the lower decks ig to beamost elegant apartment, uphol- stered elaborately for use as a social hall or smoking room. ‘The steam drum is enclosed within il, and a large space just abaft this is to be used as a kitchen, the galley stovepipe coming up and entering the smokestack, tnus disposing with all the kitchen odors. It will communicate with the lower deck by a companion way, and a passage along the port side will lead tu the steward’s pantry. Abaft this is the engine room, and in the ex treme afterpart of this houes is to be the room for the captain of the yacht, where will be kept the chronometers, charts and nauti- cal instruments. ‘The owner’s room is an apartment 13! feet long, and 91g feet wide. At its forward end a recess 1s built: towards the middle of the ship, 414 feet wide by 7 feet long, and in this is to be placed the bedstead which will be entirely out of sight on entering the room, whose whole extent is thus left clear. ‘This room will be finished entirely in mahogany, and will be furnished with all that art can suggest in the way of beauty and convenience, Opening out of it abatt will be a large toilet and bathroom. There are also accommodations on the vessel for one captain, two mates, four quarter- masters, two boatswains, eighteen seamen, one cheif engineer, two assistant engineers, three oilers, six firemen, three coal passers, one steward, three cooks and six servants— in all, 52 men. 1 ag ge a Gail Hamilton says that a mormon isa husband who harnesses his wives abreast, anda man who has been a widower three times is one who drives them tandem. DANGEROUS SHOALS. There is a large number of dangerous shoals along the Canadian coast which are not down on any chart or marked by any buoys, he attention of the Dominion Government has been called’to these sputs, but as a year or two may elapse before a cor- rect survey of the upper lakes is made, cap- tains trading in that locality should bear them in mind. LAKE HURON AND GEORGIAN BAY. 1. Shoai north of Collingwood harbor, one and a half miles, eighteen teet of water, 2. Shoal north of Hope Island, two miles, twenty feet of water, 3. Shoal northwest of Limestone Islands eight miles, fourteen feet of water. 4. Rock, westerly from Basarld Islands, ten feet of water. 5. Shoal southeast of Cabotv’s Head, eight miles, twenty-four feet of water. 6. Large shoal east of Lonely Island, sev- en feet of water. 7. Shoal northeast from Lonely Island, ten miles. ; . : 8. Middle ground in Smith’s Bay. 9. Shoal in Heywood Bay, four miles north of Manitowaning village, five fieet of water, and others on the west side of same bay. 10. Small shoal northeast of Heywood Is- land. Seven feet of waiter. 11. Shoal north of Clapperton Island Light, twenty feet of water. 12. Shoal northwest from Barrie Island. ° 13. Several large shoals westerly from Bigsby Islands in direct line from Missis- saugua Straits to ‘Thessalon river. 14, Southwest from McKay’s Island (near Bruce Mines) three small detached shoals with seven and eight feet of water. 15. South shore of great Mamloulin Is- land, westof Michael’s Bay, several un- marked shoals. : 16. The shoal midway between Cove Is- land and Yeo Island, marked with eleven feet of water, has not wore than five feet. LAKE SUPERIOR. I. Shoal northwest from upper end of Victoria Island, three teet of water. 2. Shoal north of Lamb Island, five feet of water. 3. Shoal southeast of Vest Island, Nepig- on Bay. 4. ‘T'wo shoals north of Salter Island, Nep- igon Bay, six to seven feet of water. 5. Easterly from Wilson’s Island, a three- foot spot. 6i—-A shoal east southeast from Pays Plats Islands, eastern entrance to Nepigon Bay— a light roll of sea shows it. 7. A shoal north of Slate Islands. 8. Shoals off Quebec Mine, Michiporoton Islands. 9. Southerly from Mamainse Point, a reef solid rock. 10. A shoal north of Parisian Island. A PRECURSER OF CAPTAIN EADS, George W. Cable, in his chapter of Creole history in the Century for June, mentions an early suggester of jetties, as follows: “Oneof the many developments in commerce unforeseen by New Orleans in her days of over-confidence, was the increase in the size of sea-going vessels. It had been steady aud rapid, but was only seen when the larger vessels had begun to shin the bars and mud- lumps of the river’s mouths, In 1852 there were, for weeks, nearly forty ships aground there, suffering detentions of from two davs to eight weeks. It is true, some slack-hand- ed attention had been given to these bars from the earliest times. Even in 1721, M. de Pauger, a French engineer, had reeom- mended a system for scouring them away, by confining the current, not materially dif. ferent from that which proved so snecessful one hundred and fifty years later. ELECTRIC LIGHT. fx A year ago a steamboat owner employing the elec: ric light as an illuminator Was con- sidered enterprizing, and the sight of a boat so illuminated was a novilty. Now many boats on Western rivers are illuminated by the electric light, and the number is increas. ing Gaily. It will not be long before it will be more of a novelty to sce a boat without than with electric lights. [tis likely that in the course of events the same power that now illuminates will also furn power. ish the motor + C