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6 THE MARINE RECORD. TREASURY DEPARTMENT RULINGS, Among the new rulings of the Treasury Department are the following, which will be of interest to ull marine people: EXHIBITING MARINE DOCUMENTS, TREASURY DEPARTMENT, WaAsSHINGTON— Sir: A letter addressed by Inspecter B, W. Woodward, of your port, to Special Agent A. M. Barnes, bas been by the latter officer referred to this office for answer, Mr, Wood- ward inquires whether the mate or first offi- cer of a vessel in charge during the tempo- absence of the master is responsible for the exhibition of the vessel’s enroliment and license. You will please advise Mr. Wood- ward that the obligation to exhibir these documents arises under section 4,336, Re- vised Statutes, and is by statute made a per- sonal requirement on the part of the master, and the penalty is incurred by Lim person- ally. ‘Whether the vessel can be holden on account of such delinquincy of the master for a penalty of $100 since the passage of the act of Feb, 8th, 1881 (see decision No. 4,772 of the synopsis for 1881), has not been ju- dicially decided, But at all events the fail- ure of the mate, or first officer to exhibit these papers would not subject the master to the penalty mentioned in section 4,336, Revised Statutes, and, of course, in sucha case would not make the penalty a lien on the vessel. A personal requirement on the master for the delivery of the papers isa condition precedent to accruing of the fines. To the Collector of Customs, Buftalo. CRAFT EXCLUSIVELY ON STATE WATERS. Sir: Ina communication to this depart- ment you inquire whether the waters of the Illinois river, between La Salle and Henry, can be properly regarded:as marine waters, the vessels plying therein being subject to toll from whichever terminus they enter. You are intormed that vessels navigating the waters described,’ and confined exclu- sively to them, would not be required by sections 4,319, 4,320, and 4,371 of the Re- vised Statutes of. the United States to take out enrollments or marine licenses. Waters connected with ‘navigable waters of the United States,” but practically and legally under State jurisdiction, so that vessels nav- igating them can be subjected to toll under State lawe, cannot be considered marine wa- ters for the purposesof enrollment and license described. Your inquiry in regard to the liability of stcamboats to the inspection laws of the United States, when navigating the Illinois and Michigan canal and a certain portion of the Illinois river, will be the sub- ject of further communication, To George H. Locey, Esq,, LaSalle, Ill. SALES’ FOR DEBT DO NOT NATIONALIZE, Sm: Ina communication to this depart- ment of the 6th ingt., you: inquire in what manner a Canadian vessel sold by a United States Marshal under a decree in admivalty for seaman’s wages, and purchased by an American citizen can be nationalized and re- ceive a register of the United States. © - You are informed that no foreign vessel sold under a decree of a United States court ean receive a register unless she be con- demned as prize, or be adjudged forfeited tor a breach of the laws of the United States (See section 4,132 of the revised Statutes.) Sales of toreign vessels under decrees of United States District courts in suits entered by private parties (ia what are known as “instance’’ causes) do. not nationalize such vessels and give them title to registry. . To H. C. Benedict, Esq., Oswego, N. Y. YACHT LICENSES. Inasmuch as the regulation embraced in department circular No. 21, of March 16, 1883, forbidding the isaue of licenses to yachts or pleasure vessels less than five tons, urless under instructions trom the depart- ment, is frequently construed as an absolute prohibition against the issue of yacht licenses to pleasure vessels of the burden described, and as an inspection tee of $25 is thus en- tailed on steam pleasure vessels by virtue of section 4,458,’ Revised Statutes, the depart- ment hereby withdraws the restriction and authorizes the issue of yacht licenses to every yacht or pleasure veesel that, in re- spect of its qualifications for yacht licenses, shall fall within the limits of the act of March 3, 1883, embodied in the above men- tioned circular. To Collectors of Customs. COBBLE-8TONEB—DUTY ON, Sir: The Department is in receipt of your letter, submitting the appeal, (7,525 h) of Mr. R. J. McKeone from your assessinent of duty at the rate of $1 per ton on certain cobblestones, imported by him per schooner Dot on the 9th, ult. The stones in question, it appears, are of irregular shapes and sizes, and in the same condition as when taken from fhe shore of the lake, and they are classified tor duty under the provision in schedule N, act of March 3, 1883 (T.. I., new, 487), for “stones, manufactured or undressed freestone, granite, sandstone, and.all build- ing or monumental stone.’’ As cobble-stones are not specified in said provision of law, and are not building or or- namental stone, the paragraph cited is not applicable to them, and the department fs of opinion that they are properly linble to duty at the rate of 10 per cent advalorem, in. ae- cordance with its decision of the 9th inst. on certain runble limestone, (a copy of which is herewith enclesed.) You are therefore authorized to readjust the entry at that rate, and to torward a certified statement for a re- tund of the excess. Very respectfully, H. F. Frencu, Acting Secretary. To collector of Custome, Chicago. LIENS FOR FREIGHT, 'TReasuRY DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON.— GENTLEMEN: ‘lhis department duly received your letter requesting that you be paid cer- tain freight, for the owners of the steamship Recta, from the proceeds of the sale by the collector of customs at Boston, as unclaimed, of forty-one boxes of green fruit, conveyed in her from Palermo to that port. ‘The aud- itor declined to pay the amount for the rea- son that you “neglected to place a lien upon the fruit for freight at the proper time.” Section 10 of the act approved June 10th, 1880, provides for the retention of imported goods by a collector, if proof to his satisfac- tion shall be produced that the freight there- on has not been paid or secured, and if he shall be duly notified in writing of the ex- istence of a lien tor freight thereon; and ar- ticle 768 of the Regulations of 1874 sets forth the form for such notice. ‘The statute con- templates the acceptance of such notice only before the dellvery of the merchandise to which it relates. ‘Ihe sale of goods as un- claimed is equivalent to their delivery, and the department holds that after such sale no lien affecting them can be filed, and that, in the absence of a notice of a lien given as con- templated Ly the regulations, the net pro- ceeds remaining unclaimed at the expiration of ten days after the sale of the goods must be deposited in the treasury without any de- duction for freight. I am conatraiped, therefore, to deny your application. Very respectfully,. H. F. Frencu, Acting Secretary. SHEP RAILWAY ACROSS THE AMER- ICAN ISTHMUS. About'two weeks ago a correspondent of the Philadelphia Press had an interesting conversation with Captain Eads, the emi- nent engineer, the builder of the St. Louis bridge across the Mississippi and of the jet- ties at the mouth of that river. Captain Eads intimated that he considered all attempts to get Congress to guarantee 6 per cent inter- est on $50,000,000 capital stock of the pro- posed ‘Tehauntepee Ship Railway Company as now uselese, but said that if he lived five years longer the railway will surely be built. He expects to enlist English capital, and thinks the time will come “when Americans will regret that Congress did not accept my (his) proposition.”’ ‘The Isthmus of Tehaun- tepec is 1,200 miles north, on an air line, from the Isthmus of Panama, and the pro- posed route acress it is 160 miles long. Four surveying parties have gone entirely. over the ground. | ‘This was necessary, as by the terms of the concession work was to have been begun prior to May, 1883. ‘Ten years were allowed in which to complete the rail- way, and Captain Eads thinks the work can be completed in four years when once begun, There is verv little grade to overcome—the heaviert being fitty-three feet to the mile, As to the impracticability of lifting a large ship out of the water and carrying itin a car, it is related that vessels of the largest ton- BATILE WITH A MARINE MONSTER. A well-authenticated fact is related by Lieutenant Bayer, of the French navy. M. Sabin Beerthelot also read a paper on it be- fore the Academic des Sciences, Lieutenant Bayer’s ship was between Tenerifle and Ma- deira when she fell in with a gigantic “cal- maany,” not less, according to the account, than fifty feet long, without reckoning its formidable arms covered with suckers, and about twenty feet in circumference at the largest part, the head terminuing in many arms of enormous size, the other extremity terminating in two fleshy lobes or tins of great size, the weight of the whole being estimated at 4,000 pounds, ‘The flesh was soft, glutinous, and of reddish brick color. The commandant wishing, in the interest of science, to secure the monster, actually engaged it in battle. Numerous shots were aimed at it but the balls traversed its flaccid glutinous mass without causing it any vital injury. But after one of these attacks, the waves were observed to be covered with foam and blood, and, singular to relate, a strong odor of musk was inhaled by the lookers on. ‘lhe musket shots not having produced the desired results, harpoons were employed, but they took no hold on the soft, impalpable flesh of the marine monster. When it escaped from the harpoon it dived under the ship and came upon the other side. ‘hey succeeded at lastin getting a harpoon to take and in passing a bow line around the posterior part of the animal. But when they attempted to hoist it out of the water, the rope penetrated deeply into the flesh and separated it into two parts— the head with the arms and tentacles, drop- ping into the sea and making off, whilé the fing and posterior parts were brought on board and found to weigh over forty pounds. OUR SHIPPING INTERESTS. The report of the especial committee on the revival of the shipping interests of the United States, came up Wednesday on *Change under the rules. The matter had been reported on twice—-once by the Board of Directors—both reports being substanti- ally to the same effect. Secretary Langson read the resolution which it contained. E. P. Bacon moved that the resolution be laid upon the table, but his motion did not re- ceive a second. A motion for the adoption of the resolution was then made and seconded and declared carried. After President Eliot had announced the result, Mr. Bacon called for adivigion of the house, but being in- formed that it was too late tor that, and that the only step reinained, if he was not satis- fied, was to appeal trom the decision of the chair, he said that he did not wish to appeal. By. the action which it has taken the Mil- waukee Chamber of Commerce pronounces itself as opposed to the scheme for the revival of the mercantile marine or the United States, which was recommended by the Na- tional Board of Trade at the last session.— Inter Ocean. ENGINEERING AND MECHANICAL. Mr. W. Livingston Fisher, of Bay City, nage, londed, can be taken from the water! Mich., has received a patent on improve- and carried upon railways, ard that it is done frequently at Liverpool, Malta, Bom- bay and other ports. The conditions being the same, the journey can, of course, be pro- longed. In explaining the details of a jour- ney of a ship on Jand, the captain stated that a very simple arrangement of supports un- der the ship enables the weight to be dis- tributed equally upon all of the wheels. The wheels will be sufficient in number to reduce the load upon each to considerably less than that imposed by the driving wheels of some of the locomotives now in use. As the railway will be practically straight, the wheels can be placed much closer together than. in the ordinary railway trains, and ‘as the speed will be limited to ten mz:les per hour smaller wheels can be used. Where it is neceseury to change the direction of the road turn-tables will be used, on which the ship and Jocomotives can be turned to avoid curves. Only two such turn-tables will be needed. The railway will be built to accommodate the largest ships now employed between England and the North Pacific coast. Four tracks are included in the plan, and fora loaded ship of 6,000 tons, the car will be 400 feet long. will weigh 600 tous, and have 140 wheels; 26 inches in diameter, on each rail. Incidentally it was thrown out that propo- sitione have come to Mr. Eads from England to know his terms for building a ship rail- way across the Isthmus of Suez. He says it would cost from $25,000,000 to $30,000,000, while the Suez Canal cost $100,000,000, RATHER HARD ON THE OLD MAN, A young lady residing ina border town remarked, in regard to her father’s snoring, that “the neighbors all set their washtubs out, thinking a thunder shower was coming on.’”?, And sensible people who are afflicted with itching piles, and humors of every name and nature, procure a box of Swayne’s ointment and bring about a speedy cure, Why fret, scratch and sufter for years, when fifty cents’ worth of the above invaluable preparation will make you feel as rich as a Jew and happy as a elam at high water. The graves of those we nave loved and lost distress and console us.—Arsene Ilous- Bayes : ments in automatically acting car couplings employing the ordinary link and pin for con- necting the cars. This improvemert is so very simple, and may be so readily applied to cars already provided with the old style of coupling, that it. recommends itself. Messrs. O. H. P. Cornelius and G. H. Tur- ner, of Turner, Oregon, have invented a dredging device intended to remove deposits of silt and sand in rivers by toreing against them a strong current of water, loosening them and driving them into the force of the natural current. ‘The apparatus is attached to a suitable boat having a cavity in its bot- tom in which isa trunk containing a turbine wheel, and having a hinged discharge pipe that may be movee vertically and latterally to discharge the water at any angle desired. @ An improved balance side valve is patent- ed by Mr. John J. De Lancey, of Bingham- ton, N. Y., the object of which is the bal- ancing the steam pressure and the conduet- ing of the steam that may leak past tbe outer edges of the balance plate; tothe exhaust countersinks and grooves are provided for the admission of oil and steam between the face plate and balance plate, insuring thor- ough lubrication. Mr. Riley Doty, of Leonardsburg, O., has patented an improvement in steam engine valves, by which he claims to allow provis- ion for cutting off the inlet steam at any point of the stroke, and opening the exhaust until the piston in the cylinder has reached the end of the cylinder. The device allows the cut-off at any point of the stroke, and the adjustment of the exhaust at any point independent of the inlet. Mr. Alexander M. Dye, of Minneapolis, Minn., has patented a personal fire escape that may be carried in the valise or trunk, and afford means ot escape from hotel or any other building, by meansof a window. Itis a rope ot manilla, cotton or hemp, furnished with a saddle strap and stirrap, and a grooved attachment through which the rope passes in curves, the passage being governed by the weight of the descending passenger or his or her action of the feet.—Scientijfic American, The king-becoming graces—devotion, pa- tlence, courage, fortitude.— Shakespeare. FAST STEAMERS. The feverish desire to shorten the time of North Atlantic voyages is having a wonder- ful effect in developing the fast serew steam- er. Many persons would claim it as a most gratifying effect and one illustrating the great progressive spirit of the age. But this view must be taken with certain limita. tions. Rapid steaming is very much to be desired and any progress in this direaplon which holds its own and is placed upon a basis which looks only to further permanent improvement cannos but be of universal benefit. But if speed is obtained at the sacrifice of everything else it is neither a benefit, nor can it be permanently main- tained. ‘There is very little gained for navi- gation and commerce if out of thousands and thousands of steamers but two or three can make extraordinary passages. The object to be attained is to secure great speed for the majority of vessels. Now the questions, Are these fast steamers x success? Do they combine with their wonderful speed all the best requirements of a comfortable, sea- worthy and investment paying steamer ? are becoming prominent, ‘These questions, as faras we can gather, have not yet been: satisfactcrily answered. Rival lines, jealovs of each other’s successes, spurred on by p»dlic applause, eager to secure what they consider the best trade, build steamer after steamer with no object in view apparently but to secure one capable of making. faster passages than any yet launched. “Enormous size ana great speed are the chief objects. ‘The steamer possessing these requisites is the Idol of\the public, the pride of her own- ers, The owner of the white elephant in- dulged in pleasant dreams for a short space. Even the Great Eastern, it has been said, gave: pleasure to her possessors for a brief period. : Taking into account the enormous cost of these big fast steamers, the great expense of keeping them in commission, and the absolute necessity of full freight and passen- er lists on the round trip and at fair rates ns order to bring in anything like the amount needed to pay maintenance and interest ex- penses, it is only too obvious that the profit,. if any is sma)l. These favorable conditions are not always found. Full passenger. and freight lists, fair rates ahd steady business. make a combination which shipowners moat earnestly prey tor, but do not always obtain. Two or three of these’ phenomenally fast but most expensive steamers may be run with’ Frofit; for a certain class of wealthy people will patronize them. But will the ocean stegm passenger service be made up of such boats? It has been repeatedly asserted that not one ot the great tast boats pays her ex- penses, that the lines owning these boats maintain them by--the returns from the sinaller and slower, but less expensive boats. If this is true, then rapid steaming is carried too far and is beyond the natural demand. There is another phase of this question which also requires consideration. It is su- perior even to that of expense. , It is that of security, of comfort. If these are sacrificed to the object of speed then speed must be put aside. Safety is the object to be obtained over and above all others. Fast steamers with engines of extraordinary horse-power, hulls with little or no initial stability, with very narrow beam, do not promise much in the way of seaworthiness. Progress in rapid steaming at the expense of safety and comfort is apparent and not real. Good seaboats should always be the first consideration, speed secondary. Ordinary vessels built on this principle willdo more towards making steamers of seventeen anu eighteen, and even twenty knots common, than will fast vessels making twenty-two knots at a sacrifice of of everything which makes a passenger or freight steamera success. Shipbuilders and shipowners in their eagerness to attain greater speed for their steamers should not forget the old motto of, festina lente.—Mari- time Register. THE AMERICAN NAVY. The American Protection will publish a stutement by John Roach relative to the history of the American navy and merchant marine, in response to questions put him by the Senate Committee on Education and Labor. It shows in the detail naval ex- penditures since 1860, and gives a summary of all naval contracts with American ship- builders. Mr. Roach claims his figures are all nearly collected trom official European and American records never published, and that they established responsibility of Eng- land for the falsification of Secretary Seward’s prophecy of the speedy suppression of the rebellion, He gives a list of twenty- three English blockade-runners captured in the early part of the war which were loaded with munitions of war to the value of $6,000,- 000, ‘The navy improvised during the war cost $84,000,000, and the materials and ves- sels were sold for $36 000,000, leaving the net cost of the war navy at about $47,000,000. In eighteen years since the war the United States spent tor new naval vessels only $3,- 000,000, while England spent $156,000,000; France, $88,000,000; Russia $35,000,000; Italy, $32,000,000; Germany. $37,000,000; Turkey, $17,000,000; Brazil, $10,009,000, and Chili, $7,000,000—all for ironelads—in all over $400,000,000 expended by naval and commercial rivals. Mr. Roach gives a list of all the American contracts, and says the new cruisers will be finished promptly and cheaply. “9