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4 Ghe Marine Record. A Journal devoted to Commerce, Navigation and Science, Published Weekly BY ALANSON WILCOX, Editor & Proprietor, aT CLEVELAND, OHIO. Office No. 2, South Water Street: TERMS: $2.00'per Annum. INVARIABLY 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 und queries on all subjects are solici- ted. m@-The 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 RECORD has an Agent in every port on the Lakes and Rivers, avd will consequently circu- late more or less in all of them. Asa medium for advertising it has no superior, as it circulates among a class of people that can be reached in no other way.. THE FUEL OF THE FUTURE.” Our forefathers who sat before the im- menee fire-places within which something less than a cord of wood blazed and crackled, gave ro thought to the proportion of heat which passed up the chimney. ‘The same may be said of our stoves and furnaces of to- day. Weenjoy the warmth that is given out and give very little heed to where the fuel of the future is coming from. But there are those whe are cempelled to economize in everything, and to such, the cost of fuel is a great item, so also isit a great item to our vast manufacturing establishments, and per- haps there is no branch of our industries which is more interested in this problem than the shipping interest. Within the past few years considerable attention has been given to the subject of economy in the consump- tion of fuel. Commissions have been ap- pointed to analyze the smoke and discover the amount of waste going on, in the kitchen stove, in the furnaces of manufacturing es- tablishments, and under the boilers of loco- motives, tugs and steambeats. France, Ger- many, Russia and England have had such commissions appointed by their respective governments. ‘The British commission, es- pecially, was very exhaustive in its re- searches into these matters. The report on mstters pertaining to coal alone consists of twenty-three columns as large as a common family Bible. ‘Those who are accustomed to burning coal will be astonished at some of the revelations which this report brings out. It is a well known fact that were our fur- paces properly constructed and scientific principles applied to the ccnsumption of coal, what not only might we make a great saving in the amount of fuel consumed, but further than that, we might be relieved from clouds of black smoke which constantly overhang our large cities. Smoke is carbon, and carbon is one of the essentia) elements of fire, and a fortune is n store for the man who will invent a successful process for the consumption of this which is now wafted about by the winds of heaven, to fall upon the face of nature and render euerything black and dirty. We quote what seems a very plausible theory by Mr. C. W. Siemens, F. R.S., and inventor of a regenerator for burning coal gas: “Tn the best Cornish engines the parctical results obtained are only one-tenth of the theoretical maximum of which coal is capa- ble. In other words, nine-tenths go to waste. Ir the best constructed’ fly-wheel engines there is a loss of seven-eighthe, the average coal being used, ora production of only one- tenth the power which shculd be realized from the best coal. Aud while the loss is so great under boilers, there is a vastly greater loss in the employment of coal in furnaces— in high temperature furnaces running up to a loss of pineteen-twentleths,’” The testimony of this gentleman remained unquestioned by any other of the distin- guished men examined before the Commis- sion. Indeed, he was generally corroborat- ed, and the fact remains that under boilera ard in furnaces, and toa greater extent in stoves and open grates, aa all these are at present const ucted, it takes from eight to nineteen dollars’ worth of fuel to effect the same results that one dollars worth ought to perform. ‘There is waste for ycu with a vengeance. Mr. Siemens had under consideration stationary boilers, where the waste, for obviour reasone, is not so great as on locomotives and boilers on ocean steam- erg, where the draft is mainly caused by the resistance of the air through which the lo- comotive or vessel passes, and is not always subject to the control of the engineer. ‘Ihe object ot the Commission, as it has been of the eminent men who have experimented in all civilized countries, was to find a way of preventing some of this eno. mous waste. The process of Mr. C. W. Siemens was thoroughly investigated by this commission. This cor.siste, in brief, in reducing coal to gas, and then burning the gas. It was claimed that the best results had been ob- tained under boilers, in reheating and pud- dling furnaces, and in glass works. ‘The process was longer, but it was proved that a uiuch more intense heat could be obtained than from coal or coke, and that fully 83 per cent. of the theoretical heating power of a ton of coal was thus obtained. Henry Bes- semer clalmed for his process for making Steel, a great eaving in fuel, not in obtaining any greater per cent. of the theoretical value from the fuel actually consumed, but that his process required at least half a ton of coke less per ton of steel than did the old modes of manufacture. The great truth elicited by the examination before this Com- mission was that solid fuel gave many times better results by being converted into gas bofore the flame was applied. Now if this be true, and we dovbt not that toa certain extent it is, what an im- mense sum can be saved to our steamboat lines, not only in the cost of the fuel, but in the amount to be carried. And this amount, especially on ocean steamers is a vast item. We commend the3e facts to the attention ct the scientific ard practical men of our own country, and earnestly hope that some prac- tical application. may be made of them, either in this same line or some other. EDITORIAL NOTES. The canning of beef is an importaut and increasing iudustry in the Northwest. Chicago canned beet goes to the ends of the earth. The Duluth exchanges speak of that city ag a promising center for receiving the cattle from the ranches of Montana and after the beef is canned it is well situated to dis- tribute its supplies.to all parts of the coun- try. To stopa ship suddenly a German pro- poses to fasten on the front of the ship an immense cannon charged with some power- ful explosive and ready to be fired by elec- tricity ata moment’s notice. He supposes that the recoit would exactly counterbal- ance the momentum of course, being pro- portioned to the tonnage. What does Amer- ican genius say to this proposition ? The Great National Railway Exposition at Chicago which has occupied the attention of the nation and the world, is now opened. The multiplicity of intricate ond wondertul machinery represents all the different de- partments of the railway service. Such ex- positions must stimulate railroad genius and enterprise. The New York and Brooklyn Bridge is at last opened. Some have denominated it the eighth wonder of the world, President Ar- thur and other notables were present. Some superstitions persons chattered about the opening of the bridge on Queen Victoria’s birthday, showing that the fools are not all dead. Nearly all the vesssels in the harbor were dressed in streamers from truck to bulwark, The first telegraphic message ever sent by one instrument and recorded by another, was over a short line erected in New York, by Professor Morse, in 1837. It reads: “At- tention, the universe? By kingdoms, right wheel!’ This was five years after he had begun work on it, and seven years before the line between Washington and Baltimore was erected, ‘The latter was completed on the first day of the convention in Baltimore, at which Jamee K. Polk was yominated for the Presidency. The first message was: “What hath God wrought?” Signed Fanny Ellsworth, a daughter of one of the men who was pointed out as “being as crazy as old Morse. UNDER ‘THE WATER AT GATE, The work of undermining Flood Rock, which lies in Hell Gate, is near completion. There is little in the trame work that rises above the shaft, and in the houses that are perched upon the rock to suggest the extent of the excavations made below, under water. But there are some outward signs of activity. At intervals a mass of broken stone slides down an inclined plane with a sharp, rattling sound into » scow moored at the side of the rock. A pert little tug boat comes up now and then and drags the scow a few hundred yards down the river, turns around with it mysteriously, and makes back for the rock again, When the work began, about ten years ago, Flood Rock stood several feet above hightide, like the backbone of some huge animal. Some crib-work was built around the outer edge and the space filled in with broken stone taken trom the shaft, making an area of a halfacre or more. ‘This surface is fully occupied by buildings necessary for carrying on mining operations, ‘I'he work- men tor the most part live on Long Island. They wait for the ferry that takes them to Flood Rock in a dingy little hut at the river bank at Astoria, where they smoke their pipes and play at cards, presenting a scene highly suggestive of the interior of a cabin in a mining camp. ; . The visitor in going down to explore the galleries must put on a pair of rubber boots, and a rubber cloak and cap. With such an outfit he presents the appearance of a beach patrolman on a wetday. “It is rather dump below,” said Lieutenant Derby, who isin charge of the work under General Newton, as he led the way to the mouth of the shaft. The descent was made down a wooden stair- way. When the foot of it was reached, a man came out of a black hole and trimmed two torches, ‘The galleries or tunnela are ten feet in width, and run at right angles to each other at a distance of fifteen feet apart, so that pillars of solid rock are left standing fifteen feet square. ‘The galleries are run on different levels according to the depth of Water required for safe navigation at any particular.spot. ‘he longest gallery is 1,- 100 feet in length, and the extent of rocks to be undermined is about nine aGres in area, practically all under water. “This is a long gallery,” said Lieutenant Derby, as he lifted his torch and plunged into a black hole .near the mouth of the shaft. The reporter stumbled along after him over broken fiagments of rock. In some places the floor was nearly level and free of broken rock, and the sides of the gallery twenty-five feet or more in height; in other places where the work was incom- plete the rock that had been blasted down was lying upon the floor to serve the work- men as a scaffold tor reaching the roof with their drills. Here and there water poured in streams from seams in the rock, and dropped from the jagged roof overhead. As the galleries are nearly all under water, one of the greatest difficulties in making the ex- cavations has been to prevent the water trom the river making its way in. At the end of this gallery a miner and his assistant were engaged inrilling a large hole in the rock near the roof with a machine driven by com- pressed air. «The rock is taken out,” said Lieutenant Derby, “to a height of thirty feet, then holes are drilled of three inches in diameter, and varying in length from seven to twelve feet. The final charges will be put into these large holes.”’ “How many drills are employed ?”” “There are twelve in all, and they are kept in use day and night.” “What is done with the water ?”’ “It is drained toa well under the shaft from which it is pumped to the river above at the rate of 1,000 gallons a minute.’’ “What precautions are taken against en- countering large streams of water ?”’ “The men are constantly on the lookout, and as soon as they find that they are near a seam in the rock, they explore for it until they find it. ‘Then, if it is a very large one, it is necessary to take a new direction. Such a large seam was encountered ina certain direction that we were forced to abandon work altogether at that point. It has not been decided yet whether we shall pierce through this, plugging up as well as we can, or work from above on the shaft side of the eam with a steam drilling scow.” HELL “What is the consistency of the rock ex- cavated ?”” F “For the most part, it is hard; but it is so soft in some places that it has been necessary to brace it with heavy pleces of timber. The rock when itis broken down is hauled to the foot of the shaft by mules, and there it is hoisted to the scow and finally unloaded ina depression in the river bed between Flood Rock and Blackwell’s Island. This hole is neariy 200 feet deep.’’ . ‘The mule stables are substantial, being built in solid rock. Several mules were in their stalls munching hay. They looked comfor:able and contented. A little further on the cheerful glow of a fire was encoun- tered. It came from a blacksmith’s forge. Like the mule stables this smithy is built in solid rock. “I must acknowledge that it is rather a retired place down here,” said the grim Vul- can, but I have a cheerful fire and the music of my hammer and anvil. Occasionlly, too I have the diversion ot shoeing the mules. ‘Tey always show so much animation that Irather enjoy it, and take akick with a laugh instead of a growl as I would above ground.” There is another room inthe main gallery, Where the men hang up thelr working clothes to dry. A solitary man was in this‘ place polishing up the glass ot a lantern. There was just enough light to give the clothes that hung on the wall the appearance ot being so many men hung up by the neck, Of the nine acres to be undermined, the excavation of eight is already completed. It is thought that the work will be ready for the final blast about the 1 of October next- ‘The charges will be set off by electricity at the same moment, The fragments of rock will be removed until there is a uniform depth of twenty-six feet at low. tide.—New York Tirbune. STEAM LUMBERING. New Orleans. ‘limes Democrat. The at- tention of lumbermen is constantly being drawn to the advantages that will accrue through the transportation of lumber on steambarges or barges in tow. The days of lumber carrying by sailing craft are fast drawing to a close, and the success that has been reached in the Northwest through steam more surely indicates the advantages, both in points of economy and speed, that follows such introductions. The old custom of logging with trucks is being fast superceded by steam tram roads where the forests are remote from streams, the tormer method being not only slow and unreliable, but more expensive in the end. The pecularities of Southern forests, situated | as they generally are on flat and compar- ativly level ground, leave but few great diffi. culeties to overcome in the construction of tramways, and make their cost less than in any other lumbering section of this country, The expense of building these roads has been calculated to be from $2,500 upwards, of course depending on the material used. The advantages in moving timber by the process and the difference in cost of trans- portation is so disernable that the speedy erection of numerous roads isscertain, and the profitable returns as assured as in. the Northwest. In this State it is said as high as $1 per 1000 feet per mile is paid for truck- ing saw logs, and it fs known that on pro- perly equipped logging roads the cost does not exceed 15 cents per 1000 feet per mile, ou hauls of from five to eight miles. In- dependent of the time and money saved in the transter of timber from the forests on steam roads, there are other advantages gained which in the course of a very short time would make handsome returns on the original investment. ‘Through this system over one-fourth more timber can. be brought to the mills and the poorer grades handled, which heretofore have been left standing as the cost of moving was too great. Another benefit derived through this same source, is the ready connection of forests distant from streams, and the improved value of lands thus connected, making them worth nearly as much as those more favorably situated, The introduction of steam tram roads, the improvements in milling machinery and the adoption of dry kilns ti this. section in a measure show the enterprise and interest being enlisted in this important industry, and clearly indicates the pertectness to which the lumber trade is approaching,