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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. 8@-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, 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.. STRIKES. ‘There seems to be a better prospect for an amicable settlement of the differences ‘be- tween operators and employees in the coal and iron interests. ‘The lake trafiie had al- ready begun to feel tue effects of these dis- turbances, and we are glad to arnounce a prospect for more settled treightes, These periodical strikes have grown to be one ot the greatest drawbacks to which our Amer- ican business interests are subject. No bus- iness man, no manufacturer, no carrier or capitalist can place any dependence upon the stability of his business, Strikes are in- augurated for the slightest cavses, kept up and sustained with a determination and ob- stinacy worthy of a better cause. , Mecharics and laborers seem to forget that in the long run the capitalists are sure to come out ahead. ‘They seeu to learn lit- tle by experience but trust blindly to a few leaders who manipulate labor unions and so- cieties for the furtherance of their own. sel- fish ends. While labor unions and protect- ive organizations are good in their place and for the furtherance of legitimate objects, at | the same time when the leaders of these so- cicties so manage them as to act the dog in the manger, neither work themselves nor | allow those who are willing to work to do 80, they are working, not only against the interests of themselves, but their fellow em- ployees, and society in general. As a gen- eral rule those workmen who are most for- ward to stir up strikes are those who, no matter how large wages they get never have adollar when the end of the month comes around. Others who are willing and even anxious to work allow themselves to be drawn on by such tnen, and these are the ones who feel the worst effects of all strikes. They dare not work until driven by desper- ation and hunger they break away from their leaders, and sadder if not wiser fiom their experience, go to work at the old wages. ‘That there are exceptions to this, we are well aware. Strikes are sometimes successful, sometimes necessary and right, when kept within their proper sphere. we would not have our readers to understand that we would advocate giving capitalists sheir own wages, not by any means. Sup. ply and demand must regulate and control the price of labor as well as the price of wheat and-corn., Any artificial increase of this price, like speculation in grain or other produce, is sure to bring its reaction. And where, we ask, is this reaction most likely to | fall? Certainly upon those who have the least capital to fall back upon, in this case the workmen themselves, And how shall we prevent this growing evil? Shall we fly to the legislature as is the custom now-a- days with all social problems? Perhaps, in respect to those who maliciously stir up these outrages this might be beneficial, but, aside from. this, it would be worse than use- less. Laws upon the statute book in this country which are enforced in some case of personal spite are too common now. And to increase their number is but to add to the evils already existing. There can be no laws objectionable. ‘The only hope we can see for curing the evils resulting frum these fre- quent strikes lies in the education of our working classes. Not merely an education that will put on the polish of books and so- ciety; but an education that will teach the people to think, reason, reflect, economize and look beyond a mere living for show and pleasure, so called. The great reed of our country isa class of citizens who are capa- ble of looking beyond the limits of their own lives or theirown town. Such men as these seldom need to engage in strikes. Capital needs them and is willing to pay them re- menerative prices for thelr labor. ——— BALLAST. Ballast is an important item in railway construction, It is packed) between the sleepers to give them solidity, and no railway is complete or safe for transit untll it is dressed or finished by ballasting. ‘The rate at which it is procured considerably affects the cost of construction, Gravel, pounded stone, and furnace cinders ore used for this purpose, A ship must have sufticient substance on board to give her a hold of the water to in- sure ber safe sailing with spread canvas. When her cargo and equipments are too light ballast is used to loud her down, ‘The amount required depends on the cargo and the build of the vessel. ‘The skilful mariner not only has to consider the quality but also the distribution of the ballast.’ When a heavy mass is placed in a small compass near the keel it places the center of gravity very low down, in which case the ship bails sluggishly and is said to be “stiff’’ ' If placed too high up the ship becomes “crank” and much sail cannot be carried without danger of upsetting. Lron, stone, gravel, sand,-mud and water are chiefly used for ballast. In ships of im- portance iron is superseding other varieties, but in the collier’ ships of England water ballast is introduced. It is employed in four ways. Bagwater ballast is contained in wa- ter proof bags laid on the floor of the vessel and filled or emptied by means of a pump and hose. Bottom water ballast is confined benenth a false bottom in the vessel. Tank water ballast is contained in two fore and att tanks, which can easily be filled and emptied, and held water ballast is contained ina large receptacle which is used for the cargo when the ship is not in ballast. , Dr, Charles H. Fowler refers to this cus- tom in the followidg racy extract: ‘The gates are up and the sea comes into the dry- dock. Up rises the great ship and chaffers with the waves impatient to, try her strength and fortune. Everything seems. complete. Masts and yards, and spars, and cords and pullies, and sails are according to the patterns seen in the mount of experience. ‘The compass scents the pole, and the chart awaits interrogation, A sturdy crew is on board, and a brave captain stands on deck. The seaward breeze lifts out the loosened sail, and adorns the sky with the flag of freedom. Why does not the goodly craft go forth to. her mighty achievements? I will tell you. ‘The captain is perfecting and ad- justing the ballast. The weight is being packed and distributed. It may be iron, or side pork, or sand, but it is ballast. A man waking ready to embark on some important voyage in life feels the sea as it reaches its loving arms in to embrace him even in dry- dock. His impulses are to float out on the first wave, and set sail for the port. But why hold him back for an hour? I will tell you. L wish, if possible, to pack and dis- tribute his ballast. You may think it iron, or sidepork, or sand, but It is ballast. And ballast is as necessary to men as to ships. ——— INTERNATIONAL FISHERY EXHIBI- TION, This grea} exhibition is now in successful operation, at London, It was inauginated by the Prince ot Wales on behalf of the Queen: ‘The cablegram to the Hamilton ‘Times says: It would be useless in the com- pass of a cable letter to attempt to describe even brietly the contents of the extraordinary exhibiton, which covers twenty-three acres and the official catalogue which consists of nearly six hundred pages. ‘The countries which occupy the largest area next to Great Britain and the colonies are the Unite States, Sweden, Norway, Belgium and the paesed upon this subject but what would be Netherlands. Besides the national courts are gallaries devoted to machinery for elec- tric lighting, a fish market, a fish diningroom and a fish aquarium, In the gardens are ponds stocked with fish-eating birds, and the gigantic skeleton of a whale belonging to the Marquis of Exeter. Among the historical relics are Grace Darling’s boat, and the boat of the Eirain which Mr. Leigh Smith re- treated to Nova Zembla from Franz Joseph- land. In the United States department, which occupies 12,000 feet, and fully bears out the terms of the istructions to the Commis- sioner of Fisheries that it should be a com- plete and systimatic representation of the fisheries of the United States, the most note- worthy features are the life-saving ap- paratus, boat models, machiuery and ap- paratus for.tish culture, and gigantic speci- mens of octopus and squid. Among other popular features of the United States section are a full-sized and, completely equipped whale boat, processes of preparing and curing fish, models of fish, a splendid collec- tion of sponges, corals and fishing imple- ments of all. races, and a fine collection of photographs and .crayons illustrating me- thods of fishing and the fisherman‘s life, two wonderful life-like figures of harpdoners, one in the boat, the other at the end of the bowsprit poising his weapon for a stroke, These form an effective entrance to the court. : . By universal consent, to the Chinese sec- tion must be awarded the palm ot merit for completeness and beauty of decoration, Art and beauty are combined with the fishing industries with most charming: fitness and quaintness. Real Chinamen in natural attire cap the climax of success of the Celestial Empire ia the exhibition. The grounds are exquisitely furnished, and are lighted by electricity. A pavilion has been erected for the use of members of the royal family whenever they visit the show. On Monday the exhibition will be thrown open to the general: public at the entrance fee of ashilling. Itis safe to predict that it will be the feature of the London season ; and, in the words of the Prince of Wales speech, will “instruct the practical fishermen so that they will acquaint themselves with the latest improvementes in their craft in all parts of the world, and. mankind in general how to derive the fullest pessible advantage from the bounty of the waters.” Ata banquet in Fishmonger’s Hall, given in honor of the Imernatioral Fisheries Ex- hibition, the Prince of Wales said the con- tributions of the United States to the exhi- bition were especially deserving of credit. Mr. Lowell, in replying to the toast of “The Foreign Representatives,” thanked the Duke of Edinburgh for the kindness with which he had proposed the toast, and said the kindness which he had met with in Eng- land convinced him that he represented the elder daughter of England rather than a foreign country. CAPACITY FOR SLEEP. Public men, subjected to severe mental stroin by exhausting duties, learn to sleep anywhere and at any time. Napolean once slept for an hour in the middle of a battle, with the roar of artillery about him, Broug- ham slept for twenty-four hours at the close of an exciting week in the court room. A story told of William Pitt, when Prime Minister of England, exhibits this — facil- ity : A mutiny had broken out on aship of war, and the mutineers had imprisoned Admiral Colpoice, and threatned him with death unless their grievances were redressed. It was teared that the example would be- come general, Several members of the Cabinet, led by Lord Windham, went in dismay to Pitt’s house for counsel. He was asleep, but they forced their way to bis chamber and roused him. The great statesman sat up in bed heard their exciting story, and wrote calmly: “If Admiral Colpoice is not given up flre upon the ship from the batteries until she is destroyed.” He then lay down on his pillow, and was snoring before his surprised colleagues had left the room. ‘They could not understand how sleep was possible in such an emerg- ency. ous.’ MARINE DIVERS. In the United States there are only about fifty marine divers. A portion of these are regularly enlisted in the Government naval service. ‘Nhey are connected with the naval stationg and go down chiefly to examine the hulls of vessels, but also to plant torpedoes and other modern implements of war. Living under the water is not dangerous from lack of air, but from a collapse of the diving apparatus. ‘This apparatus is de- scribed by Henry H. Ballard, of New Or- leans, in a recent Cincinnati Enquirer, Diving bellsare not used now. ‘They have gone conspletely out of date. They only. en- abled the workmen to work within the lim- its of the bell; whereas, as the suits are now made, one can go all around and over a wreck. ‘hese suits consist, first, of a cop- per shell, about three-sixteenths of an inch in thickness, made in as nearly a globular. torm as possible. ‘This is provided with dead-eyes, ov glasses, to enable the diver to see, and fits into the shoulder by means of a | The shell has a strong ringsbolt in , yoke. the top and below, which has securely fast- ened to it a rubber suit, including shirt, pants, and stockings. ‘I'he sleeves of the jacket are gathered around. the wrist and tirmly tied, Coarse leather shoes are worn, on the soles of which are fastened huge plates of lead, while a series of pockets in the jacket are arranged also to hold leaden weights. ‘Ihe shoes weigh twenty pounds. Sometimes I carried as much as 128 pounds of lead about me, and when in the water so great is the buoyancy that you do not feel this weight. The air should escape as soon as it: is pumped into the shell, though some divers shut it off, and if the,suit becomes full then they shoot to the top like asbot from a cannon, and are in danger of striking the barge -and crack- ing the shell, in which case death would en- sue at once. 1 saw an Englishman who had formerly. beén connected with the .British navy try this to his peril. I-noticed him coming up one day a few feet from the barge, andshis body shot up three teet out of the water. Isaid, ‘My friend, that’s danger- He. made some insolent reply, and wanted to know what I knew about diving, J answered that I knew that some day he would come up once too often in that kind of a manner, and walked off. It was not ten days before my foolish 1emark proved true, for he came up against the barge and split his skull, and sank to rise no more. ‘The only scare I ever had with a fish was when I first went down off the South Amer- ican coast. [had a great big crowbar in ny hand, which, perhaps, fell about a foot or eighteen inches below my feet. Just beneath me lay a huge cuttle-fish fast asleep. Of course I did not see him, and the crowbar went clear through him. ‘he cuttle-fish has a peenliar mode ot attack. He discharges a black humor, which makes the water look like ink. The first thing [knew it was so black all around me I could not see my hand before ny face. I could not imagine what had broken loose, and I signaled to pull me up. The natives all laughed, and told me it was only a cuttle-fish. Not long after the cuttle-fish was worked ashore, and there was my crowbar gone clear through him. . A GOOD BOAT, There is now plying between Pittsburgh and Charleston, on the Kanawha river, the steamer W. N. Chancellor, Captain KE. P. Chancellor, commanding, the fastest boat for her power on Western rivers. She is 176 feet long and 33 feet beam, with cylinders 12% inches in diameter and four feet stroke, supplied with steam from two boilers 40 inches in diameter, 22 feet long with tive nine inch fives. She makes eight miles an hour against the Ohio current under lawful steam. When in the Cincinnati and Pitts- burg trade she made weekly trips attending to all business and answering all calls. Her wheel is 1314 feet in diameter, with 26 feet buckets, 22 inches wide, there being 13 arms toa flange. She handles quickly and easily, and in her present trade only consumes $30 and $40 worth of fuel per week, She is a neat, pretty and commodious passenger steamer and is making many friends in her new trade. Captain KE. P. Chancellor, her owner and opp nander, and Mr. Ira B. Huntington, fef slerk, are two worthy gentlemen, popular everywhere with the ublic, as are also her minor officers. She eaves Pittsburg ‘Tuesdays and Charleston Mondays.— Marine Journal. eighteen or’