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6 THE MARINE RECORD. FLORIDA SHIP CANAL. General Stone, the chief engineer, fur- nishes the tollowing summary of his report for publication: New York, Aug. 15, 1883.—‘I'o the Hon, J.C. Brown, President: In May last, in ac- cordance wi ha resolution of the Board of Directors, [ began a survey to ascertain whether or not the construction of a tide- water ship canal across the Peninsula of Florida would be practicable, and if so, what would be the cost. [secured the services of A. F. Hill, civilengineer, who went to Flor- ida on the first of last June, with authority to secure engineering assistance and labor there. He was well furnished with instru- mente and all obtainable information, and with the aid of four corps of engineers made in two months a thorough examination of three lines. On the most favorable line his examination was so thorough as to justify me in visiting Florida for a personal exam~- ination, the result of which was I adopted it with certain modifications as furnishing the best route yet proposed. ‘Taking that route as a basis [ have computed that a tide- water ship canal: of sufficient width and depth to allow the passage of two sea-going steamers Of first-class without inconvenience ean. be constructed at a total cost of $46,000,- 000, as follows: Excavations, $36,000,000 ; harbors at termini, $4,500,000; engineering, right of way, and contingencies, $5,500,000. The total length of the canal will be 137} miles, and the highest elevation in crossing the watershed, will be 143 feer, but this deep cut would be only fora short distance. A large amount of excavating may be made by steam dredges. As a whole I am able to, report that the engineering difficulties are decidedly less than expected. In commer- cial advantages I mention the following as the most important; First, a great saving of dlstance between Gulf of Mexico ports and ports of the Atlantic States and Europe; scvond, complete avoidance of the grent danger of navigation through the Florida Straits. ‘The saving of distatice on steam vessels between New York and New Or- leans is 500 miles; New Orleans and Liver- pool, 412 miles; New York and Pensacola, 600:miles. ‘This means chat a steamship sailing 11 miles per hour would gain about 45 hours in the passage from. New York to New Orleans, and the same on the return trip, lees time of steaming through a canal at 6 miles per hour or about 37 hours each way. ‘Taking the present average of a re- ceat trip at 21 days, including four lay days in. each ‘port, the canal would reduce the time of a round trip to 18 days, enabling her to make ‘profits on at least three more round trips per yeur at no inercase in expenses. The gain by avoiding the dangerous passage through the Florida Straits is very great. Official statistics of five recent years show 326 salvage cases. were adjudicated in the United States District Court for the south- erd district of Florida, to a value of more than’ $11,000,000, and careful estimates show the present loss irom wreckage will be about $3 000,000 a year. ‘Though somewhat out of. my province as a engineer, I may suggest not the least im- portant advantage from the proposed canal will come from .the saving »on insurance, which is now much heavier for Gulf. ports than for South Atlantic ports, and in ex- pense, which on a large steamer is trom $500 to $800 per day. Within six weeks I shall be prepared to begin euch details in locating such surveys as will be neceseary before [ ean report to your board the precise line which the canal should follow from the At- lantic to the Gulf, but the above estimates of the cost are more likely to be reduced than increased by closer examination of the route. Cuar.es P, Stone, Chief Engineer. Governor Brown was seen this evening at tie Fitth Avenue Hotel, and in response to an inquiry as to the prospects of the enter- prize, said while not prepared now to dis- close the precise plansof the company, he would say things were rapidly taking prac- tical shape and the outlook was very bright. ‘The enterprise would take rank among the createst of the age of great enterprises, and the initial steps must be taken wiith care and deliberation. The firstistep was to ascertain on conclusive authority whether the canal could be built at a cost which would give a fair prospect of profit to the investors. Gen- eral Stone’s report having settled that, there would be no great difficulty in obtaining means for the pr cution of the enterprise, which will hen orth be pushed with the requisite energy and vigor. : Being asked how soon the work of con- struction would actually begin the Governor said it was proposed to begin as soon as Gen- eral Stone had completed locating the sur- vey and the right of way had been secured, Prominent capitalists are forming a con- struction company which will submit a pro- position to the Board of Directors at at the next meeting, September 17. Should the board accept the proposition the money question will be settled, and the Florida Ship Canal may be numbered among the certainties which capital and engineering skill are providing for modern commerce. In zonelusion Governor Brown expressed tie belief that portions of the work would be under contract within ninety days. —— Capt. Kir] ind,wreeking master at Anupee telegraphed to Milwankee that he had the wrecked propeller Potomac in the harbor making temporary repairs before leaving for that port, where she will be overhauled, (a ae = ; THE SUNNYSIDE, Robert W. Kerr, first mate of the Surny- side, gives the followlng details of her loss: We left Escanaba for Cleveland with 928 tons of ore, Sunday morning, August, 19, in tow of propeller William H. Barnum, the schooners 8. H. Foster and A. J. Dewey also being in the tow. We had thick weath- er all day until about 5 p.m., when it cleared up ubreast ot Poverty Island. Crossing the foot of Lake Michigan, we had the wind about south by west with quite a sea running. It began to look squally about 9:30 p. m., and we took in all our can- vass but the foresail and foretopsail. A very heavy squall, accompanied by binding hail and rain, struck ‘us about 10:30, parting all our tow lines, Inthe height of the squall we discovered the Foster close on the lee bows, heading ip across our bows. ‘The Foster was so close that a collision was unavcidable, soour wheel was put down so as to strike her at as acute an angle as possible. We struck her just abaft the main rigging, which with the mainmast head, was varried away, aleo a number of stanchions. Our bowsprit, jibboom and foreyard were carried away. ‘The. bowsprit in slewing round, opened up her stem, and she com- menced to fill immediately.” The pumps were sounded and the water was found to be over the sounding rod. We made a hole in the forecastle floor and found the water nearly up toit. We were satistied she could not be kept afloat and ‘lowered the boat and put the captain’s wife on. board the Dewey, which was hove too, a short distance to lee- ward, and then returned to the Sunnyside. Going on board we found the water even with the top of the hatches forward.: We hastily secured her books and ‘papers and pulled off a short distance. In less than ten minutes atter we left her, and an hour after the collision, she went down head foremost in thirty or forty tathoms of water. ’ North Fox Island bore about south by east three or four miles distant. We pulled off down the lake and met the barge about twenty minutes afterwards coming back af- ter us. It picked us up and_ hoisted the boat on deck. ‘I'he Barnum picked the Fos- ter up at daylight, but as she was leaking so badly she tooka tug at Cheboygan and towed in there. Captain McGregor, of the Barnum, is a perfect gentleman. He und all on board treated us handsomely. We saved’ nothing but what we had_on. THE LUMBER SUPPLY. “The convention got right-down to busi- nees,’’. said the Hon. George B. Loring, United States Commissioner of Agriculture, when referring tothe annual session of the American Forestry Congress at St. Paul. “We got beyond the discussion of the botan- ical history of trees, and the sentimental view of the question, the beauty of the trees, and 80 forth, and considered the question of the future preservation and increase of our ferests. There was an earnest wish mani- fested by the convention to establish tor- estry experiment stations. According to the census in some of the great pine states all the lumber will be consumed in frem fif- teen tothirty years, according to the pres- ent volume of consumption ; but after all the figures given in the. census are considered there isa vast amount of lumber still re- maining. I don’t think there is any great danger of atimber famine just row if the supply is economically used, but there is no room for waste. If no lumber is wasted, I don’t think a famine in the commodity is to be feared or expected. It should be re- membered that so far the exhaustion of lum- ber relates mainly to the white pine. It may be found, however, that after the great pineries shall be cut over that the outcome is greater than was assumed, and that isolated patches of pine in mixed forests may allay all fear af a future panic in lumber. THE FARMER SAILORS OF CAPECOD. The opening illustrated article in the Sep- tember Century describes Cape Cod, and says of the inhabitants: “A wood-packet runs regularly from Cotuit to Nantucket. It is qu te common for the crews of coasting vessels hauled up in the winter to turn to feiling wood; in this, as in everything else, is seen a iningling of rural and- maritime pursuits. Every mariner knows something of farming, and every farmer Js more or less of asailor. They tell of an action againsta town for injuries from a defect in a high- way, in which the Gistance ot a certain hole in the road from the traveled path was in question. A town officer had fixed the dis- tance by actual measurement, and the only evidence for the plaintiff was that of a man who simply gave his judgement. Nobody could guess how the plaintiff's counsel would get around the evidence of the town officer, But he was undaunted. ‘Geutle- meh of the jury,’ he said, ‘both witnesses are honest; oneot them is mistuken—which is it? You all know how liable we are, in ciphering or in measuring, to make a mis- take of calenlation: my good friend the se- lectman, probably laid down his foot-rule one time more or Jess than he thought, and so he is mistaken; but my witness, gentle- men, did not put his trust on any foot-rule; he knew better, As you all know, he has eut more cordweod than any other man in Barnstable county, and he can measure by his eye infailibly. About his accuracy, therefore, there can be no possible question. The selectman may be wrong; my witness can't be.’ ”? GLOBE IRON WORKS. | General Founders, Machinists, Blacksmiths and Boiler Makers. AND IRON SHIPBUILDERS. OFFICE & WORKS, Cor. ELM & SPRUCE Sts. CLEVELAND, 0 We are prepared to furnish on short notice ‘Stationary or Marine, either High Pressure, Low Pressure, Con- densing or Compound Engines, Horizontal or Vertical, with or without graduating cut off, STATIONARY ENGINE, izontal or vertical, Locomotive Boilers, Cylinder Boilers, Flue Boilers, Smoke Stacks and plate Iron work, BOILERS OF ALL SIZES. TUBULAR FULL TUBE BOILER. ay Prices Furnished on Applicat We keep all sizes of vertical engines in stock, which We are prepared to sell'at respective priees. Station- ary engive includes Governor, Throttle, Cylinder, and Oiler, Oil Cups and Waste Cocks. Marine Engine includes Linkand Reverse Motion, Circular Throttle, Cylinder, Oiler, Oil Cups and Waste Cocks, same as stationary,—no governor or fly wheel. Nos. 7, 8, 9 and 10, have single cranks, with separate journal when used with stationary engines, They are provided with godd brass boxes-in both ends of connecting rod and cross head, with best possi- ble provision made for taking up the wear. The Cyl- inder, Steam Chest’and lower head are cast in one piece and the frame, slides, and journals in one piece, thereby lessening liability of derangement and first cost and insuring a durable machine. The Cylinders are neatly covered with cast iron laging. Slide valve with lar.e ports, Piston filled with good metallic packing. Material and workmanship guaranteed. ‘755 aS EEE ee Ss. Having provided our new boiler works with the most approved tools for riveting by steam, plan. ing the edges, instead of chipping, drilling, punching, shearing and bending by:steam power, we feek warranted in saying we can furnish the best work for the least money in the following kinds of. boilers, which we can build of either Iron or Steel: Return flue Marine Boilers, Tubular Boilers, eithe- hor- VERTICAL BOILERS. For small power, where size and weight are | and Smoke Stacks and Trimming. Ship Chandler’s Lis | | I NI hill Vertical Engines Kept in Stock. ©. MARINE ENGINE, generak TUBULAR 3, BOILERS OF ALL SIZES. { Ul objectionable, we recommend these : styles, which we can furnish, made of C. H. No. 1 Tron or Steel, with or without Cast Iron Base SUBMERGED TUBE. t. Iucludes the Celebrated Chain Sheave Windlass, with Amazeen Beam, Wrought Iron Shaft. Boxes, Iron Winch Heads, and Brakes. a ion. g a The Common Pat- ent Windlass, includ- ing all castings, wel- ding butt shackles.