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ai MARINE REVIEW. . ¥ To Regulate the Propeller in a Seaway. Lake engineers who have often been compelled to stand watch with hands on the throttle in order to prevent some of the big steel boats from inj uring themselves by the propeller be- ing thrown out of water while running light in a heavy seaway, will be interested in the following from the Manufacturers' Gazette: Damage to steamship machinery is often due to the rapid revolution of the engine when the propeller screw is thrown out of water by the pitching of the vessel. So well is this fact recog- nized by the engineers of the large trans-atlantic passenger ships, that, during the prevalence of heavy storms, one man is stationed constantly in the engine room to cut off the steam to the engines at each plunge of the vessel, throwing the stern out of water. In order that the slowing of the machinery may be done in an automatic manner, an English inventor has devised an arrangement in which sea water operates the controlling mechanism. 'The contact making device consists of a tube in the stern of the vessel,connected with the sea,and having a floater acting upon an electric coil. When the water about the stern of the vessel is at a low level, and the screw is uncovered, the water in the tube floats out and the floater falls and the electric circuit is completed. The current acts upon a distributing valve of a governor, admitting steam to one side of the piston and partially shutting the throttle valve, thereby throwing the top and bottom of the low pressure cylinder into communication and equilibrium. When the water rises in the tube, and the propeller becomes immersed, this electric contact is broken and the controlling valves put back to their normal position."' The Light-House Bill. . Now that the river and harbor bill is secure, the attention of vessel owners should be directed to obtaining necessary appro- priations for lights, fog signals, etc. 'The omnibus measure pre- pared in Cleveland last spring passed the House several days ago, through the efforts of Senator Brice and other members from lake states, and with a favorable report from the commerce committee of the House is awaiting the day when that commit- tee will have a special hearing upon several measures reported recently. Congressmen Taylor, Houk, Brickner and others who are very much interested in this bill are, however, finding their work in connection with it very difficult. Judge Holman's efforts to get appropriation bills, such as the civil sundry act, through the house before bills authorizing such improvements as these aids to navigation on the lakes are passed, may act asa barrier against incorporating the necessary appropriations in the civil sundry act. The civil sundry bill can, however, be fol- lowed to the Senate,and efforts of this kind will not, it is hoped, be overlooked by those who have the bill in charge. Against Free Ships. At Wednesday's meeting of the Cleveland board of trade Hon. George H. Ely introduced a paper protesting against the passage of the free ships bill, recently reported favorably to the lower house of Congress from the committee on merchant marine and fisheries. Although there is little danger of the passage of this bill in the Senate or its approval by the president, it was thought best to show disapproval of the action of the house com- mittee. On the other hand, there is a general good feeling among the advocates of protection to American shipping on account of the passage in both houses of the bill granting American registry to the big steamers City of Paris and City of New York of the Inman line. The steamboat company agrees to build in this country two boats of tonnage equal to the big liners in return for this privilege. Senater Frye said while the bill was under discussion that one of the new boats, intended to surpass the Cunard liners now building on the Clyde, would be of 12,000 tons and would have a speed of 23 knots. He said further that another line of these great ships would be built for the trade between New York and Antwerp. Grain at Chicago and Duluth. Stocks of grain at Chicago and Duluth on Monday, May 9, were as follows: Chicago. Duluth. Wheat, bu. Corn, bu. All wheat, bu. Uiniegs tO cO hese anette Svea: eon keee cae 7,665,109 1,623,224 9,980,000 Decrease last week...........ssssc00e0 282,230 192,418 2,974,000 Excess over same time last year...5,177,729 OSS r8 0) 7 = Memcsceseutces In addition to the above there is 936,247 bushels of oats, 315,742 bushels of rye and 17,356 bushels of barley in store in Chicago. First Contribution for Lights. secretary Keep of the Lake Carriers' Association announces that the Insurance Company of North America, George L,. Mc- Curdy manager, is the first to respond to the circular asking the insurance companies to aid in the maintenance of necessary pri- vate lights. Mr. McCurdy has sent to Mr. Keep his check for $150, which is the amount of the contribution asked from his company. A Boat of Many Compartments. F. H. Briggs of Cleveland, a young man who has had some experience in the coal shipping business, has prepared a model of a boat with compartments or pockets, so arranged at to weigh themselves and unload into a system of endless conveying machinery, which runs along the bottom of the hold and reaches the surface through spouts at the forward end of the vessel. It is the inventor's idea that grain or other freight should be load- ed into the pockets instead of the hold of the vessel, the pockets being built upon scales and provided with openings at the bot-- tom, through which theconveying machinery is reached. He thinks the pockets might be applied to vessels already in service, and is of the opinion that the advantage in weighing and dis- charging cargo in this way will overcome the loss through extra weight carried in the vessel, diminished cargo space and in- creased cost. Wrecks and Heavy Losses. Two vessels, the tug Saginaw and small schooner Vernie M. Blake, are to be recorded among total losses of the season. The Blake, a trading schooner of light value, went ashore at Mcnroe, Lake Erie, Saturday and was broken up. The tug was burned at Winsor with a valuable wrecking outfit. A Hardship on Owners of Small Steam Craft. Epiror MARINE Review ;--I notice in late editions of your valuable paper some discussion regarding the law requiring steamers (meaning anything propelled by steam, whether 5 tons or 5,000 tons) to carry a stern light raised 15 feet above the forward light, and I know of local inspectors on the lakes who, probably on account of a punching up from their supervising inspector or the supervising inspector general, have ordered staffs to be erected in compli- ance with this law, saying the best way to do away with a law, which in cases of small boats is a hardship, is to enforce it. It is the opinion of all the owners of all small harbor tugs, (say of less than 50 tons gross or 25 tons net), whom the writer has talked with, that this law is a hardship, and they desire to do something to do away with or modify it, so that the tonnage shall be specified and it will not include small tugs and pleasure launches without cabins or spars, or even with small cabins and no spars. The headlights now on small tugs, ete., are on top of the pilot house, at least 7 feet from the deck; 15 feet more makes 22 feet from the deck, and it would require a pretty heavy stick to hold a lantern at such a distance above the deck. The light would be broken off continually by the seas or jar of the tug jerking on a tow-line, as anyone with a practical experience can testify. It has been suggested that the head light be hungat the bow and then a pole would not have to be hung so high. But if hung over the bow the spray would soon douse it, and if hung high enough up to keep away from the seas, pray what can the man at the wheel see? The writer was in Boston this winter and visited Lawley's yard and sey- eral other yardsin South Boston and City Point, and saw scores of steam yachts that did not have the pole referred to, although Gen. Dumont says the law has been strictly adhered to on the coast and will not hu:t the owners of small tugs on the great lakes. The writer is a lake captain, as well as man- ager of four or five small steam craft, which would suffer great disadvantage through the enforcement of this law. I also have a boat that might comply with the law. Local inspectors laugh at the absurdity of the law as applied to small vessels, but the owners of such vessels must suffer the annoyance attend- ing its enforcement just the same. The Review should continue opposition to this law and demand its repeal in the interest of vessel owners of small craft A SUBSCRIBER. in all paris of the lakes. Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., May 3, 1892.