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THE MARI NE RECORD. Ghe Marine Record. Published Every Thursduy at 144 Superior Street, [Leader Building.) A. A. POMEROY, Editor and Proprietor, TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION: @ne 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 Dotroit sts., Cleve- land, Ohio, Joseph Gray, No.9 West Randolph street, Chicago. C. Rohmer, Michigan street Swing Bridge, Buffalo, New York. Cc. F. Johnson, 117 West Superior street, Duluth Minn. D. McMasters & Co., Sarnia, Ontario, Ww. 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 al the Post Office: at Cleveland as second- class mail matter. THE SHIPPING BILL. Developments of the past week in Con- gress have shown that. we are no longer in danger of having the free ship or any other free-trade amendment affixed to the shipping bill, in fact there -is not much prospect of our having a shipping bill.in any shape, thanks to the ignorance or unwillingness ot Congress, but the advantage of having none at all over having one with a free ship clause is so great that in the present state ot affairs, bad as it'is, we have escaped a fell calamity. The seeming unwillingness of Congress to do justice to our shipping interest, which presents itself ina more or less emphatic aspect every time a measure is introduced for that purpose, has given cause for much speculation. Our national legislature takes hold of land projects with no hesitation what- ever. Land transportation schemes are en- joyable feasts, railroad interests have only to present their want, be it a land grant, a bond extension, or perchance a subsidy, and Congress recognizes at once the manifold blessings it will bring to the country and regulations are granted. It.is not so with maritime interests. When a shipping bill comes up all are at sea. This appearsin the eyes of Congressmen tu be a sort of scape- goat intereat. It hangs on the interests ot gevernmental protection, encircles the suhere of paternal authority as it were, or fs too far from home, at lea-t a part of the time, to be considered a part of the body politic. It was deemed by the House of Representves of so slight account that it fippantly passed Mr. Dingley’s bill with a free ship amendment tacked on to it that would have placed shipbuilding in this country in a condition to be avoided by all capital, when other important industries are jealously protected. This was a more pernicious measure than Mr. Morrison’s horizontal reduction bill. But what of that ? It affected nothing but the shipping inter- est. Let it swell. We can imagine the stunning effect that a measure to allow roll- ing stock or railroad rails to be imported free of duty would have on Congress. It would have meta worse defeat than the late tariff bill did. Yet the proposition to ad- mit ships to American regietry, free of duty, was of precisely the same nature. We can account for this action only on the theory that the House is wafriendly to the shipping interest. ‘The Senate is more conservative, though we regret to see, but little more sensible. When the shipping bill reached this body it promptly killed the fren trade amendment, and during the discussion voted down two or three others of the same nature, made by its own members, showing that the dogma will gain no foothold the12, So far the shipping interest is safe. Senator Frye, of Maine, who has charge of the ship- ping bill in the Senate, has shown himself a friend to the marine men in all his actions. He pushed the matter with energy and dis- cretion, The House, refusing to concur in the amendment as returned from the Sen ate, n conference committce has been ap- pointed, which raises it out of the power of any one member to control it by interposing objection to its consideration; and it is to be _| hoped that the Dingley shipping bill will finally become a law, with its original pro- visions intact. If the House maists on ite free- ship amendment, there is none. If the House has learned anything from its Morrison bill experience, it may be willing to let the free trade clause yo, PATERNAL CONGRESSMEN. THE report that Senator Hale introduced a bill on the 21st. ult., requiring steamers to be equipped with life boats of a certain patent, and that wherever the words “life boats” are used in the Revised Statutes they must be made to read “Richardson’s patent life boats,” is probably a clever advertiement. We are prepared to credit almost any scheme for imposing upon maritime interests with some degree of existence especially when Its origin is placed in Congress, but this is so preposterous that we can not believe that such a bill has been introduced, not having the Record at hand to verify the report. ‘There is no danger of such a bill ever he- coming a law. Vessel owners have, time out of mind, been the victims of.the cupidity of inventors, who in order to bring their articles into use, invite the attention and by some means secure the influence of members of Congress to play the paternal act, by introducing bills to the effect that navigators, being a stubborn class of men, cannot be brought to see the merit ofan invention until it is forced upon them by act of congress whereby a number of worthless things are foisted upon owners for the aggrandizement of the inventor and manufacturer. If these inventors have con- fidence in the merits of their appliances, why do not they have them adopted by ligitimate meana, proof of their value, and ‘a healthy demand would naturally follow. Vessel owners and masters have learned» by experience, to look upon all marine goods that are made necessary by act of Congress, as of doubtful utility. ‘The Congress of the United States is two august a body to lend its influence to the adoption, by a specific industry or interest, of any patented article or new fangled notion because one member has become interested sufficiently in it to advocate its supposed merits, and who prob- ably does not know what essential advan" tage it would be ifapplied. A congressman who would introduce and advocate a measure of this nature could probably be induced to advocate the use of a “faithful” messenger instead of an anchor if some one with anffi- cient “influence” would bring the beauties of it before his mind. Nevertheless the question would be asked by marine men, ‘‘what is a faithful messenger good for ?”’ ‘THE Hennepin canal people have eucceeded with their scheme beyond the most sanguine expectations, as they are represented in the river and harbor appropriation bill by the sum of £300,000. If the bill becomes a law with that recognition of its duty in the promises the government will stand pledged to build the canal. ‘I'hat will be a sufficient guaranty, after its appropriation in, 1882 of $80,000 tor a survey, that Uncle Sam sees enough in the scheme to warrant his under- taking it. No one can fail to see that this is an immense advantage gained. Whether the canal will be of any use or not is a question which we will not now diecuss. The building of it will make lively times for a while and no one to pay but the govern- ment, In the case in the United States District Court of Edward B. Smith and ‘Townsend Davis, insurance agents, of Buffalo, against the wrecked schooner Jolin T. Johnson, in which the property seized was sold a short time since by the United States Marshal for $4,000. a default and decree pro confesso was entered on the 7th instant in favor of the libelant’s claim of $8,000 for snlvage services, and the proceeds of the sale were ordered distributed upon libelant’s claim, after first deducting the costs of suit and expenses of sale. The amount realized by the libelants was $3,886.92. — ee THosK who purpose to make the’ Great Lakes their travel ground this summer will be attracted by a paper on “The North Shore” of Lake Superior in the next (June) Harper's, iMustrated by Mr. C. Graham, THE SS. ALBERTA. Special Correspondence Marine Record. Derroir May 13. The steamship Alberta, one of three tine steamers built at Glasgow, Svotland, to ply between Owen Sound and lake Superior, in connection with the Canada Pacific Rail- way, called here on Saturday morning and in « brief space of time was thronged with a concourse of visitors such as was never be- fore seen, at the arrival of any steamer. In saying that she is the finest steamship which has touched at this port is by no means overstating facts. ‘lo present to your readers the details of this fine vessel would occupy too much space, besides which it is by no means necessary, but simply to state she is perfection, with all the modern im- provements. She ts 279 feet long, 38 feet 6 inches beam and 16 feet hold. She is built of steel with three decks of the same inater- jal; two masts, also of steel. ‘lhe steel plates ofher hull are one inch in thickness. ‘I'he carrying capacity is 2,000 tons, net tonnage 1175; cylinder 70x85 ; stroke 48 inches, steam pressure 100 pounds; boilers 12 feet 3 inches long and 14 feet diameter, She has fourteen engines, including her compound driving engine. ‘Two of these engines are for steer- ing, two for raising th: anchor. three for fire engines, one electric engine, one revers- ing engine, one turning engine, two hoisting engines and two for driving the boat. She has accommodations tor two hundred first class and-two hundred steerage passengers, and is provided wih an elevetor for removing the ashes trom the hold. Hot and cold water. is to be tound in every department. ‘She js also provided with one hundred and thirty electric lights, which go to all parts of the ship, neither ofl nor match being used on| board save her signal lights. Her masts and smokestack have the same rake as is observ- able in ocean steamships. Her life boats are furnished with compasses and sailing gear. Her cabin arrangements in every depart- ment are unequalled anywhere, and it may be added that she is a steamship in the true sense of the word. On her arrival she was adorned with the flags ofall nations save that of the stars and etripes. ‘This was quickly noted by Captain Thos, D. Allen, of the steamer Ivanhoe, who called the cap- tuin’s attention to the omision and remarked the same to Mr. W. H. Sullivan, a business man near the wharf, who on short notice brought a United States flag and presented it to the steamer, which was hoisted amid the cheers of the crowd. Ags 18 pretty generally known the Alberta is one of three steamers brought over trom Scotland last year, the others being the Algoma and the Athabasca. The former passed up on Thurs- day evening, the latter this (Monday) morn- ing-without calling. The description of the one tallies with the other two precisely. The Alberta is officered as follows: E. Anderson, commander; chief engineer, D. McLesn, with two assistants; purser, J. S. Johnston; steward E. O. Masterson. She cost $250,000, or thereabout. She continued her voyage at noon on the day of her arrival. Strange as it may appear not one of the Detroit papers gave a correct statement of dimensions of the steamship Alberta. ‘Iwo of them were unanimous in giving her length as 170 feet, which is ordinarily that of a medium sized craft. ‘Those presented above are trom the chief officer and can be strictly relied upon. In an interview with a Detroit ‘Times re- porter, a lake captain says that some of the lake vessels are too large. In comparison with ocean vessels they curry more for their draft ot water, as they are made flatter with broader beam, whileocean vessels are made deep to stand the heavy seas. Few ocean coasting vessels are as large as the David Dow, which is 265 teet over all and 28 feet beam. The Dow, however, is unable to carry over two-thirds of her capacity, as the water is too shallow in some parts of the lakes. ‘The most money is made by the big iron steamers, It doesn’t require any more men to handle them than a smaller vessel and the motive power does not cest a8 much in proportion. A vessel carrying only 400 tons cannot clear expenses. In conclusion, he says if vessels on the Inkes are made much larger they will have to be built flat and wide, and as a vessel has to have a cer- tain proportionate depth to its size to be of any strength, they will have to be built of fron or steel and wooden vessels will soon be a thing of the past. Cs apt : One of Chester’s celebrated fog horns was placed on board the schooner Conneaut | this week, . tion of a number of new cratr. [Concluded from Ist page. a believed that not long since she was one of the finest sidewheel steamers that landed at our wharves. ‘l'o what base uses may we not come.” The limestone trade has become quite a traffic of late. Scarce a day passes that not, less than twoor more arrivals take plaice and I am informed the business ig amply re. munerative for medium sized vessels. The barge Tosco, laden with limestone for East Saginaw, sprung aleak yesterday (Mon. day) and will have.to discharge and go into drydock for necessary repairs. The man,who prophesied brisk times and good freights early in the spring is nowhere to be found, otherwise no-com-atum. — «. . ; J.W.H. CHICAGO. Special to the Marine Record . Captain Rounds says it was dry rot and not rats that caused the leak in the Higgie, and Ed. Ayer, the recent purchaser of the schooner, will have all the losses to settle, Captain Rounde, wha made the survey alone, is inspector for the A¢tna Insurance Com- pany. an na ‘The Oceanica is the first craft’ to complete the round trip from Chicago to Buffalo. Tug owners intend to: let their smoke cases go by default. : Mr. Dunhani’s wrecking tug, the keel of whieh was made at Miller Brothers’ ship- yard a short time ago, isin frame. ‘No ex- pense will be spared to make her a staunch, perfect boat. > ; Schufeldt’s new boat, at Miller Brothers’ shipyard is rapidly progressing. ‘The tug Ewing is undergoing repairs to comply with the exactions. The steamer Nunnemacher was inspected and pronounced all right. Jucge Blodgett on Tuesday began the call of his calendar of admiralty cases which have been set tor hearing. ‘The following is a list of the cases: 44, Ander- son vs. propeller Wissahickon; 45, Phoenix Insurance Company vs. propeller Avon; 60, inre W. M. Egan, petition to limit, ete.; 75, Lake Michigan & Lake Superior ‘Transpor- tation Company vs. propeller Lawrence; 77, Brosseau vs. 906 tons ot coal; 110, Taylor vs. Union; 111, Michigan Barge Company vs. propeller City of New York; 120, Singer & Talcoit Stone Company vs tug Albatross; 188, Knudson ys. schooner Mary ; 82, John- son vs. schooner Negaunee; 78; Finn vs. Lehigh valley Coal Company. N The Chicago & Ogdensburg Line has been largely augmented in strength by the addi- Beside the Walter L. Frost and Northerner, which were in the line last year, there are two large steamships which have just been com- pleted at Detroit. ‘I'he propeller Monteagle and tow, schooners Mystic Star and White Star, and the propeller Wilson and tow, schooners Chester B. Jones and-Manitowoc, have also been chartered for the season and will also run in the line. Miller Brothers sold :the schooner J, F. ‘Tracy to Mrs. Henrietta Smith for $800. Captain J. Martel was over here trom Saugatuck last week. ‘Ihe new tug John Gordon, recently built by him for George Gilman, turned out such a great success that he has received orders from some Chicago parties to build two more tugs to be dupli- cates of the Gordon. J. B. Sivertson, the well-known block and pump manufacturer, ot 242 South Water street, accompanied by his wife, started tor Boston on Wednesday, where they will em- bark on the Cunard 8.8. Samaria on Satur- day for England. They intend to visit some of the principal cities in England, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, and hope to return home next October. Mr. Sivert- son’s business will be carried on as usual, during his absence, by his son and his able foreman, N. Hanson. Captain J. 8. Henderson made the quick- est trip on record between Chicago and Ford river with the schooner Ford River, making the round trip, including loading, in three days and twenty-three hours, He made it last year in four days, which was, until now, the fastest time on record. The new freight and passenger steamer A. B. Taylor, built at Saugatuck — last winter by her owner and commander, Cap- tain R. T. Rogers, is making regular tri- weekly trips between Saugatuck and this port. She is a geod strong boat, carries lote