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MARINE REVIEW. 7 The Proposed General Organization. Most of the Buffalo managers of line boats, as well as all of the Chicago vessel owners, are very favorably impressed with the proposition to form one general association of lake vessel owners, and it is very probable that at the convention to take place in Detroit next week a practicable plan will be brought out for adoption by the Lake Carriers' Association and the local organi- zations in Cleveland, Detroit and Chicago. 'The general idea regarding the new organization, as discussed at the meeting in Cleveland a week ago, is to retain in the cities where local asso- ciations are now in operation the local features of such associa- tions, but assign to the general organization the collection and distribution of tonnage dues for the maintenance of shipping offices, salaries of officers and other expenses incidental to meas- ures before Congress affecting lake interests. The proposition for this general organization was brought about by the action of Messrs. James Corrigan and M. A. Brad- ley of Cleveland in refusing to join the Lake Carriers' Association for another year, unless that body would agree to take up the regulation of wages and the establishment of shipping offices after the plan now proposed. Other vessel owners in Cleveland would undoubtedly follow the example set by Messrs. Bradley and Corrigan, and it is probably well that a move has been made in the matter, as it has resulted in a better understanding be- _ tween Buffalo and Cleveland owners, who have not worked to- gether very harmoniously. In the regulation of wages and the suppression of strikes the Cleveland Vessel Owners' Association has been very successful during the past four or five years, and the feeling among leading members on this account has been strongly in favor of extending the service of shipping offices to Chicago, Buffalo, Escanaba, Ashland and other leading ports. The question of dealing with labor matters is not, however, con- sidered of more importauce than that of securing favorable legis- lation in Washington. Few of the vessel owners understand the extent of labor performed in this line by Mr. C. H Keep, Capt. George P. McKay and a few others who sacrifice their own time for the general welfare, but among those who are informed re- garding the work it is appreciated. The newly organized De- troit association, which has already provided for an assessment to cover the expense of dealing with legislation, may be slow in agreeing upon this side of the question, but if such is the case a mistake will be made. Detroit or Michigan vessel owners, with an assessment of one cent a ton, can accomplish little in Wash- ington, and whatever may be said of the policy of the Lake Car- riers' Association being too conservative, it will be admitted by every vessel owner who is familiar with the work done by Mr. Keep during the past two years that a great mistake will be made ifa continuation of his services is not secured whether present plans for a general organization are carried out or not. He has become thoroughly acquainted with the workings of congressional committees and all ot the detail pertaining to legis- lation in Washington, and his loyalty to Buffalo interests in the Lake Carriers' Association can be and is overlooked in Cleveland, where many owners stand ready to pay even 5 cents a ton in support of the new organization. They argue that in making a charter the question of dispatch often causes them to accept without hesitancy a reduction of 5 cents in the freight rate, while the benefits of the proposed association are much greater than anything that might be obtained in the way of dispatch on a sin- gle trip. ae At a meeting of the Cleveland Vessel Owners' Association on Tuesday, held for the purpose of fixing wages for the open- ing, the subject of the general association was taken up a second time, and the reports from Chicago, Milwaukee and Buffalo, con- curring in the plans so far proposed, were the cause of a great deal of enthusiasm. Mr. H. A. Hawgood was delegated to visit Detroit this week and secure, if possible, a discussion of the sub- ject there in preparation for the general meeting to be held next week. e ty-first anniversary of his birth day. Stage of Water at St. Mary's Falls Canal. Although Supt. Martin Lynch of St. Mary's Falls canal e ported 14 feet 3 inches as the available depth of water in the canal for sixty days or more previous to the rst inst., Harvey's Marine Bureau sends out a circular. reporting only 13 feet 9 inches on that date. Mild weather has prevailed at the Sault for a week past, and April 25 is looked to as an outside date for the opening. At 14 feet or less the available depth of water in the canal will be lower than at the opening last season. Advanced Wages. Ata meeting of the Cleveland Vessel Owners' Association on Tuesday wages for all grades of help were advanced over those of the opening last season in accordance with the following comparative schedule: ON STEAMERS-- Opening, 1892, per month. Opening, 1891, per month. ESE ttlateSacchetccokcecre ccocccenes $60 oo to $70 00 $60 00 to $80 00 SCO Wee Seas aacet dastne sctlaroesas sce 40 00 to 50 co 45 00 to 60 00 COOKS iG Rap stews snitch ances ee 40 00 to 50 00 45 00 to 50 00 TECHS casi cine cree mena chideneecie re I0 00 to I5 0O I5 00 to 20 00 HSA OTI thence ees slvuasacenvesssns cess 25 00 to 30 00 30 00 to 37 50 Wile elise ttecaaaeicaee cities 25 00 to 30 00 30 00 to 37 50 TOGO Ultra ne esate. cee en eect get 20 00 to 25 00 30 00 to 37 50 Wee kena Stercrads ceceace se qomte ese 15 00 I5 00 to 20 00 Oilers;;(when carried).........:.. 25 00 to 30 00 30 00 to 37 50 ' ON CONSORTS AND SAIL-- ERIS Eat A LES sccisciesiseitoasevanencness oa $45 00 to $55 00 $45 00 to $60 00 SeGond so vascidivasewssctiamerer ccs 30 00 to 40 00 37 50 to 45 00 COOhise agicsciodssecjoeeess ctee-see sss 20 00 to 30 00 3000: tO. an 50 SEATIOME anissatce locate ornc yen asicncles 25 00 to 30 00 BO OO) Lor 34750 IBXOKYSqbode cnoosocanoonheipoooede colbcoo0Go50 15 00 15 00 to 20 00 Wages of engineers, which were fixed several weeks ago, are as follows: First grade--Metal steamers having water bottoms and triple expansion engines, chief engineer $115 to $125 per month; second engineer $75 to $80. Second grade--Metal steamers not included in the first class and wooden steamers with triple expansion and compound en- - gines,excepting small boats which may be put in class three, chief ¢100 to $115; second $70 to $75. Third grade--Small boats with high pressure or low pressure © engines or with compound engines not included in the two former grades, chief $80 to $100; second $60 to $70. Firemen engaged in the work of fitting out and laying up vessels will be paid $1.50 per day, the same as in previous sea- sons. In General. At his home in Minneapolis a short time ago, Joseph Fran- cis, the inventor of the Francis metallic life boat and the founder of the American Shipwreck Society of 1842, celebrated the nine- He has been honored by our own government and all of the crowned heads of Europe. The U.S. S. Baltimore's condenser is of English design, | having steam inside the tubes. The space around the tubes was completely filled with mud and when the tubes were taken out to be cleaned at the Mare island navy yard recently it was found that they could be broken across the knee. 'The fracture showed a brassy color on the inside but the remainder of the tube was of dull copper color and having a granulated appearance. Elec- tric currents caused by use of brass condenser shell was the only cause suggested but an investigation is expected to show some- thing more definite. The Cygnet, owned by the Shipman Engine Company, Rochester, N. Y., is said to be the smallest yacht ever lighted by electricity. The vessel is 35 feet over all, and 7 feet beam. A Shipman boiler supplies steam at 160 pounds to the compound engine with cylinders 314 and 61% inches by 5 inches. The dynamo engine is bolted to the cylinder head of the main engine and makes 500 revolutions per minute. It is belted toa % kilo- watt generator capable of supplying ten incandescent lights. A search light can be thrown into the circuit and by means of it the bottom of the lake can beseen in 4o feet ot water.--Hlec- tricity.