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MARINE REVIEW. | 7 the secretary of the treasury, under date of Feb. 10, says of this feature of the bill :. : "To make our statement as plain and as simple as possible, we will give a few examples showing just what the reduction in working steam pressure in our marine boilers would be under the provisions of the bill." $ To determine the pressure allowable under the bill for any boiler having a cylindrical shell, multiply the working steam pressure allowed by our present law, for such boilers having the longitudinal seam in the shell double-riveted, by .70, the product will give the working steam pressure allowable under the bill. If the longitudinal seams in such boiler are single-rivited, multiply the working steam pressure allowed by our present law by .672, the product will give the working pressure - allowable under the bill. For example, a boiler having a cylindrical shell with double-riveted longitudinal seams, allowed under our present law a working-pressure of 100 pounds per square inch, would be allowed 70 pounds under the bill ; and such a boiler built so as to be allowed under our present law I50 pound per square inch as a working pressure,would be allowed but 105 pounds per square inch under the bill. If the shell in sucha boiler contains single-riveted longitudinal seams, and so constructed as to be allowed 100 pounds per square inch as a working pressure under the law, it would, under the bill, be allowed but 67.2 pounds per square inch ; if such a boiler was constructed so as to be allowed 150 pounds per square inch as a working pressure under the law, it would be allowed but 100.8 pounds under the bill." Sections 37 to 41, inclusive, provide for the inspection of iron and steel plates to be used in the construction of marine boilers. That is not necessary. Practice has demonstrated the law and rules now in force for _ the inspection of plates and bracing to be all that is necessary. Section 87 requires a spring safety valve, the springs of which are pro- tected from escaping steam. No such valves are now in use on the lakes and they are not necessary. The valves now in use have answered the pur- poses, and it would involve great expense to change them. Section 87 _ also requires that the valve chambers must be bolted to the shell of the boiler. This would be impracticable on boilers having large domes, and objectionable in all cases,as there would be a tendency to blow water with the steam. Section 147 requires chief engineers to be at least thirty years of age and to have served at least three or five years at sea, according to size of engine. We do not regard the age of thirty years as material if he has reached the age of majority, nor can we say in what respect experience at sea Should be required in a man who proposes to run an engine on the lakes and thoroughly knows how to do it. 'Sections 148 to 167, inclusive, provide for the examination and classi- fication of engineers. That is not necessary on the lakes, as the engineers that have been raised on the lakes and passed the present standard of ex- amination are capable of performing all the duties that are required of -- them. Section 98 provides for a fine of $100, again to be divided, one-half to the informer. Speaking in regard to this and the other sections of similar ~ import, we desire to call attention to the fact that the movement of our vessels is confined to a period of seven or eight months of the year. Dur- _ ing the remainder of the year the vessels, representing an investment of many millions of dollars, lie idle. These and other causes have brought about a system for the rapid handling of cargoes. A temptation is held out to men to complain of vessels for some breach of the details of this law, so timing their complaint that the vessel would be seized, at a time when to take the ordinary measures of defense would result in the detention of the vessel perhaps over night, or from Saturday evening until Monday. A modern lake vessel, representing an investment of over $200,000, would frequently incur a loss much greater than $50 or $100 by - delaying until she should be discharged upon bond. The danger would be that a system of petty blackmail might be established. We do not believe that the government ought to again bring into vogue the perni- cious moiety system. Section 179 provides for a system of lights and signals inconsistent with the requirements of lake navigation. For instance, it would be impractica- ble to carry a light on the stem in the cases of a majority of our lake In a heavy head-sea the sprays. and solid seas would go over steamers. 3 In spring and it to such an extent that it could not be kept lighted. fall it would become coated with ice to such an extent as to become use- less in even a moderate sea. Again, the only available place for the after light of the range would be above and near the pilot house. The light shining on the forward deck and bulwarks would have the effect to blind the helmsman in the pilot house, and the officer on the bridge as well as the lookout. We say this advisedly because the present masthead light often carried 4o to 50 feet above the deck frequently becomes an an- noyance in this regard. The provision that side lights should never be carried forward of the foremast would frequently put'those lights aft of the bridge and pilot house, where their effect and usefulness would be in some instances impaired. Besides it would require some fixture along - the side of the ship, which would have to be removed in port, and being movable would be liable to derangement. The present practice is to carry the side lights at the bridge where the vessel reaches her full beam, and they are entirely clear of anything forward of that, and independent of the location of the foremast, which varies considerably in different vessels ac- cording to the taste of the owner and the arrangement of the deck plan | of the vessel. ; Relating to fog signals, we are of the opinion that any such change as recommended in Article VII, page 87, would be to complicate, and hence confuse, thus enhancing the danger rather than tending towards greater safety. Inconvenience and danger arise now from the fact that the single blast has a double office to perform as a fog signal and a passing signal, and we emphatically object to legislation which would give the two blast signal also such a double office, and any attempt at giving a signiflcation to a series of whistle blasts according to their length must lead to uncer- tainty because of the different notions which men may have as to what constitutes along or a short signal and the difficulty of blowing them with nice discrimination in moments of excitement and peril. We also regard the provision as to life and yawl boats for freight steamers unreasonable as to the number of boats and the places to be car- | ried. The present provisions of the law are ample in that respect and no change is necessary. . Your committee finds other objections to the bill as printed, but th _saine being of the character of those already indicated, we do not specify them particularly, and we recommend that the Cleveland Vessel Owners' Association protest and use all its influence against the passage of the bill under consideration. A. Milwaukee View of Grain Freights. Special Correspondence to the MARINE REVIEW. a MILWAUKEE, Wis., March 3--Not a grain charter for spring delivery at Buffalo or any other lower lake point has been made here since the close of navigation. But this is not to be wondered at when the light stocks in store are considered. For instance "regular" elevators on Monday re- ported, that their bins contained 342,284 bushels of wheat of all grades, 248,571 bushels of barley, 85,571bushels of rye and 14,681 bushels of oats. There are besides in private elevators 500,000 bushels more, chiefly barleye This is a sorry showing for a city that only a few years ago was noted the country over as the great primary wheat market of the west. Many of the large vessels wintering here are on the market at Chicago for grain cargoes with slim chances of being placed, as the capacity of unchartered vessels wintering there is still placed at between 4,000,000 and 5,000,000 bushels. It is the impression here that engagements at 2% and 234 cents on wheat will soon be reported from the big city because of the pressure to secure engagements. In a general way there is very little of interest going on in local ma-: rine circles just now. Owners of large carriers are hopefully playing a watching game, and profess to see nothing discouraging in their.immed- iate surroundings. In General. Plans for consolidating Toledo tug lines have failen through. Several actions at law are still pending asa result of the grain blockade in Buffalo last fall. Some of the demurrage claims were settled, but it is probable that half a dozen or more cases held for Cleveland parties by Harvey D. Goulder, proctor in ad- miralty, will be tried jointly. ees : Following are dimensions of commerce destroyers No. 12 and 13 to be built for the U. S. navy: Length on load, line 412 feet ;beam 58.18 feet; draft, 22.54 feet; displacement, 7,350 tons; coal supply at normal displacement, 750 tons; sustained speed, 21 knots; maximum speed, 22 knots; indicated horse power, 21,- 000. In deciding the case of the treasury department against the Vanderbilt yacht Conqueror the United States district court says in substance: "A foreign built ship to be used for commer- cial purposes can not be imported by an American, nor receive the protection of an American register. A foreign built ship to be used for pleasure purposes may be brought in by an American and is allowed to fly and receive the protection of the American flag, without any payment of duty on the part of the owner. In answering the question, "What will become of the Sagi- naw valley when the great -white pine manufacturer shall have gone where the woodbine twineth?," E. D. Cowles says in an article recently printed in the Northwestern Lumberman that the pine has been a long time in disappearing and that there is yet vast forests of hardwood available for utility. Advantageous water and rail facilities are building up he holds a large and varied manufacturing business that is more than equal to the loss in white pine.