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. Ghe Marine Record. Pablishea Every Thursday at 144 Supertar Street, (Leader Building.) A. A. POMEROY, Editor and Proprietor. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION: One year, postage paid.... Six months, postage paid Invariably in advance. The MARINE RECORD can be found for sale at the following places: G F Bowman, corner of Pearl and Datroit sts., Cleve- land, Ohio. Joscph Gray, No, 284 South Water street, Chicago. C, Rohmer, Michigan street Swing Bridge, Butfalo, New York. C. F.. Johnson, 117 West Superior street, Duluth Minn. D. MeMasters & Co., Sarnia, Ontario Wm. Godley, Escanaba, Michigan. J. E. Somerville, Manistee, Michigan. Articles, letters and queries on all subjects are solici- ted. ADVERTISING RATES. Ten cents per line, nonpareil measurement, or $1.20 per inch, each insertion; tour weeks $4.00; with a liberal discount on orders amounting to $40.00 or over. Entered at the Post Office at Cleveland as second- class mail matter. ——_ THE INSURANCE QUESTION. There has been much indignation among veszel owners in regard to the discriminat- ing policy of lake underwriters during the past few weeks, caused by the organization of agents ip an effort to make good the losses sustained by them during the season ot 1883, but which was largely due to their own recklessness and wild manner of com- THE MARINE RECORD. engaged in the lumber trade between Maine and the West Indies. A large portion of the cargoes of these vessels was necessarily carried on deck, for which the orthodox companies asked extra premium, ‘The own- ers, thinking the discrimination too great, formed a mutual association, paying their risks and realized the benefits above noted, After conducting the business for five years, insuring all the interests involved, this com- pany divided a surplus fund of over $100,- 000, leaving a reserve in the treasury of $15,- 000. Some of the eastern companies of to- day are off-shoots of these mutual agsocia- tions. ‘This evidence, showing that theee mutual companies became very strong, prompts us to say that lake insurance inter- ests can be carried on the same policy with like good results, and it is to be hoped that vessel owners will examine the subject and take the necessary measures to adopt them in ease the unjust discrimination which has been outlined by underwriters is carried out. _A NEW OCEAN ROUTE. King Leopold, of Belgium, has been busy- ing himself recently in studying the availa- ble features of a new ocean route between America and Europe. It leads direct from New York to abotit the fortieth parallel and slong that to the Portuguese coast with the European entry at Lisbon or Cadiz. The) Poituguese and Spanish governments are reported to be strongly in tavor of it and there are many reasons why they should be. The reasons given by the Belgian engineers and navigators seem to be good. ‘They claim the new route is warmer, comparatively free from storms and entirely so from icebergs. It is much further south, as a glance along the line of the fortieth parallel from New peting with each other, all taking what would be considered poor risks in ordinary business, at low rates. The question now under discussion is whether 1t would be ad- visable for vessel owners to pool their own interests and insure their own ships. ‘This would be no novel measure, as an associa tion of this nature was in existence. as far back as 1840, and which was prompted by much the same causes as obtain to-day. The first mutual organization of this kind was formed by the whaling interests of the east, which were very large at that time in the ports of Nantucket, New Bedford, New London, Newport, Sagg Harbor, and in Hudsen, on the North river. The vessels engaged in this trade being generally of a low class, the premiums exacted by the in- surance companies were large. ‘The capital invested, the ships being usually fitted out for athree year cruise, was also enormous for the risks involved. In order to escape payment of the discriminating rates levied by exacting insurance companies, the own- ers of whaling vessels resolved to form an association for thelr own protection, which they did, under the name of the Marine As- sociation, each member of the organization paying a certain premium based on the class of his vessel, that being determined by an executive committee elected by the inter. ested parties. After the losses of each year had been paid there remained a surplus of cash, which reverted to the members in the shape of a dividend, made possible by the York to Cadiz on the Spanish coast readily shows. A good many nice questions are involved in the establishment of a new route and there will doubtless be plenty of time for discussion before this one is adopted. OVER-INSURANCE IN ENGLAND. A somewhat singular and not altogether pleasing phase of human nature is held up to view by the opposition of British ship owners to Mr. Chamberlain’s bill, recently before the British Parliament. It provides that no evm in excess of the actual cost of a vessel shall be recoverable. by insurance. In consequence of the many ways that the idea has been presented to the mind of the British public, there exists in that country apretty general opinion that there are vessel owners unprincipled enough, especially when drivenjto it by adverse fortunes, to take advant age of the liberty allowed them in overi-neuring their ships, to lay deliberate plans for the destruc tion of their own pro- perty. Indeed, to draw a milder illustration, for the sake of putting humanity in general in the best possible light, a ship owner can get a heavy insurance on an unseaworthy vessel and then salve his conscience with the flattering unction that she is merely taking her chances with the elements in sailing under the most ordinary conditions, and that when she sinks he is in no way to blame. We all Know that this is simply a subterfuge to escape the law. That owners have done these things is a matter of fact that the association had no expensive offices to maintain; neither did it have an army of employes ‘This being a mutual association, each member Jnid) by, as it were, his own insurance money, and a case of evading the responsibility of loss never occurred, In 1842, 43 and’ 44 there were engaged in trade between Boston, Philadelphia and Bal- more three lines of packets. The eastern insurance companies at that time looked up- on the passage between those cities as ex- tra hazardous on account of the ice in the rivers and bays during severe winters, and exacted an extra large insurance rate, to which the owners finally objected, and formed an association similar to the fore- going, pooling their interests, insuring their own vessels and saving money. It was said atthe time that insurance companies exact- eda premium of 9 per cent, per annum, and the association insured their own craft ata cost of but 61g toY percent. A few years later another association was formed, in 1845-6, in the State of Maine, which was al- so brought about by the causes specified above, and consisted of owners of a class of | vessels known as low deck vessels, wholly ! current history. ‘That they will do them hereafter, if unrestrained stands to reason. Cases sare” being constantly brought into court where men have defied the law and burned their houses, and insurers feel morally certain that but a sinall percentage of these crimes are brought to light. On the other hand evan ordinary precautions to have his vessel sunk or cast away in unex- pected latitudes might forever shield an owner from connivance in one of the most horrible of crims. A bill, the object of which is to make over-insurance illegal, seems to usa very mild corrective but the English ship owners are not of this mind. They will listen to nocompromise but demand the withdrawal of Mr, Chamberlain’s measure entirely. When it comes toa vote he will doubtless find that his is not a popular meas- ure and public opinion is against him, THE HENNEPIN CANAL, If the committee on river and harbor ap- propriations keeps on in the way it has been going since it-took up the engineer’s esti- mates for continuing work in progress, the Hennepin canal project will this session come out at the little end of the horn, It ing through the trames and ceiling. | ore, grain or rolling freight. has not been specially selected, nor does if seem that there is any great animosity against the scheme; it merely shows the fate of all new projects, and it will have for company in its circumscribed exit all of the other canal projects of the eession. ‘The committee is giving only two-thirds of the amount asked for by the United States en- gineer to works already under way. It has been mercilessly taunted by public opinion, and having set out to expend but ten million of dollars for river and harbor work, the committee will doubtless stick to its attitude against the canals, and all the more ten- aciously because it has exceeded its limit now by half a million dollars or more. Tue steamer Oregon, a. description of which we gave some time siace, is the ovean grayhqund now. On her third trip she made the fastest time on record, passing be- tween Qveenscown and New York, 2,861 miles in six days, ten hours and ten minutes, an average of 18.5¥ miles per hour. Cap- tain Price, who sails the Oregon, command- ed the Ansonia in 1879, when that steam- ship made her famous westward:trip in sev en days and four hours, the quickest: pas- sage ever made upto that time. Is there not some headway in the captain as well as in the ship? THE KASOTA. On Saturday afternoon, the 19th instant, the steamship Kasota, Captain ‘Thomas Wil- son, Owners, was. successfully launched at the shipyard of Quavle’s Sons, Cleveland, in the presence of a multitude of people, with flying colors, without a hitch. In addition. to extra strong frames, she is iron strapped diagonally and has two iron arches on each side, one of which is let into the frames on the outside and the other into the ceiling and strongly bolted together by bolts runn- She has two freight gangways on each side which admirably adapt , her for carrying iron She is 260 feet in length over all, 245 feet keel, 38 feet beam, and 2114 depth of hold with six hatches and is supplied with three masts three main kelsons 16 inches square, two 14 Inch riders, six strakes on the bottom 13 inches square, with bilge strakes 10, 9,8 and 7 inches and finished with a 6inch strake. The freight hold is divided into two compartments. The engine, the patents of which were made expressly tor it, was built at the Globe [ron Works, and every detail isin exact proportion, and is we do not hesitate to say, one of the best engines on the lakes or else- where. It is a compound, with cylinders 28 and 50 inches by 42 inch stroke, with steam reverse gear, opposite centers, and balanced; it has universal coupling on the main shaft with steel wearing journals. The slides, cross heads and crank pins, piston rods and valve stems are of Siemans. Martin steel; poppet valve with cast steel links, and double cranks, of forged iron, diametrical to each other. The hoisting engine on the main deck, also designed and built by the Globe works, with cy:inders 8x8 operates cargoes and assist In making sail in heavy weather and also drives an eight Inch bilge pump. Her pilge and cold water pump is attached to and driven by the main engine. ‘The propeller wheel is eleven feet in diameter and fourteen feet pitch, The ovoiler, which is of Otis steel, is 8}6 feet in diameter and 16 feet long, with 288 flues and allowed to carry 100 pounds of steam. ‘There are iron main deck beams and iron pan under the boiler and fire hold with Beach’s bot air casing over and around the boiler. Messrs. Upson, Walton & Com- pany furnish the outfit, which includes the Providence patent windlass, No. 6, and the Felthousen & Russell signal lamps; she will also use the celebrated Katzenstein packing and will have a patent log invented by Mr. Jarroll of Union City, Pa., for determining ships distance, at the same time recording the leeway. The above details evidence the fact that Captain Wilson, with his usual wise policy, has determined, in the fit-out of this grand steamer, to have the most approved ma- chinery and appliances. Messrs. Quayle’s Sons have in the construction of the Kasota added to their already enviable reputation as shipbuilders, The cost is estimated at $125,000 and she is calculated to carry about 2000 tona. LITERARY NOTES. The ArLantic Monrary for May con- tinues with undiminished interest the serial | stories, ‘A Roman Singer,’? by Mr. Craw. ford, and ‘In War ‘Vime,’? by S$. Weir Mitchell. Richard Grant White contributes the first of two articles entitled ‘The Anatomizing of William Shakespeare,” a very acute and interesting study of the facts of Shakespeare’s life and writings, dissipat- ing some of the idolatrous illusions which some extreme Shakespeare worshippers have created. Henry James continues his French studies of travel. Prof. E. P. Evans has an article which, although its tide “Linguistic Paleontology”? would seem to indicate that it 1s for scholors only, will be found of deep interest to all intelligent readers. Dr. Geo. E. Ellis contributes a very interesting paper ov Gov. ‘Thomes Hutchinson, who was in ‘vuthority in the Colony of Massachusetts Bay just before the Revolution. Henry C. Lodge writes of William H. Seward, and Miss Harriet W. Preston has an admirable easay on “Matthew Arnold a Poet.” The short story of the number is by E. Ww, Bellamy, and is entitled ‘*At Bent’s Hotel.” A:ticles of public national interest are, “lhe Silver Danger,” by J. Lawrence Laughlin; and ©The Progress of Nationalism,” by Ed- ward Stanwood. ‘The poems of the number are by I. B. Aldrich, H. H.. and Edith M. Thomas. Several important books are re- viewed, and the Contributors’ Club complete a thoroughly interesting and attractive num- ber of this sterling magazine. Houghton, Mifflin.& Co., of Boston. A few coarse freight chasters have re- cently been made which indicate that the coming season of navigation is to be better than the past one in this branch of business. The schooner Morwood take ties from Mani- toulin Islands to Cl icago at ten cents each. This is one to two cents better than was paid: last yerr, and is probably higher than the next vessel will receive.. The schooner N, C. West takes a cargo of telegraph poles’ from Port Huron to Monroe at 16 cents. each for poles twenty-five feet in length. Mor- gan & Rice have contracted to take 20,000 of these twenty-five-toot poles'from Port Hu- ron to Monroe at the same price. Schooner Dauntless tulaes coal from Toledo to ‘Sarnia at fifty cents per ton.—Detrott Free Press. [Concluded from Ist page.) and ship carpenters, Elston road and Bradley street, are building two very handsome pleasure yachts. One for Andrew Robertson ‘with standing keel, length over all 36 feet, bean 19 feet, depth of hold 41% ‘feet. The other for Captain Anderson with center board length over all 40 feet, beam 13 feet, hold 4 feet. Larsen Brothers, during the winter re- built the schooner Winnie. Wing tor Captain Peter Peterson and the schooner Kand for Captain Mullin. They have a number of new boats 14 to 16 feet long for sale, Charters—To Buffalo—Steamers R. A. Packer, rye, at 244c; steamer Lycoming, wheat, 3!gc. ‘To Erie—Steamer Lehigh. wheat, on through rate, capacity 78,000 bushels wheat, 47,000 bushels rye. Freights quiet at 2!gc corn and 234 on wheat to Buf- falo. A rule has been adopted by the Chicago tug owners to the effect that all wind-bound vessels towing down the river will be charged one bill if towed. out by the same line, but if another line is employed for that purpose it will be charged for. R. Chester, 284 South Water street the celebrated fog horn and signal lamp manu- facturer, has his stere and work shops full of vessel men, from early morn until late at night, who are getting supplied with new lamps and kitchen outfits and repairs to old ones and the work done can be depended upon. The schooner Morning Star was suppied last week with one of the Chester fog horns. Masters recorded at the Custom House on the 21st: R. H. Brewer, tug Annie L. Smith; James B, Lowe, steamship Hiawatha; Thomas Elliott, schooner William Jones; D. P. Craine, schooner Pewaukee; George W- Hale, schooner York State; S. Bentson, senooner Gracie M. Filer. Inquiries have been made as to where the wheat cargoes of the steamship Packer, Whitney, and Ballentine are insured, but all to no avail. Some of the agents thought that perhaps these cargoes had not been placed at all Mr. Baker, the shipper, was asked in regard to the matter who said that the cargoes are placed and that the rate of insurance Is 50 cents. ‘The cargo tariff to Buffalo is 75 cents for a steam craft and $1 for a small eraft, and an additional rate for B1 sail craft.