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14 Wonderful Power. It is understood that President Hill of the Great Northern Railway demands for his proposed passenger line between Buf- falo and the head of Lake Superior, boats that will make 20 to 21 miles an hour and carry 1,000 tons of freight in addition to very large passenger accommodations. Such requirements seem almost impracticable on the St. Mary's Falls canal draft of little more than 14 feet. A horse power of 6,000, or more than double that of the modern big steel freight boats on the lakes, would very probably be required in such a_ boat. Admitting that a 14-foot wheel could be used with 19 feet pitch, which would be very coarse, it would be necessary, allowing 12 per cent. for slippage, to turn 103 revolutions per minute in order to get a speed of 20 miles an hour. An Engine Builder's Record. Between October, 1891, and the coming October, S.F. Hodge & Co., Detroit engine builders, will have turned out seven triple and ten compound engines. 'This is believed to be the largest output of any exclusively engine building concern on the lakes. Below will be found particulars of the engines and the names of the boats where placed: One 20, 32 and 54 by 42, Thomas Wilson, American Steel Barge Company. One 20, 32 and 54 by 42, City of Venice, James Davidson, West Bay City. Two 23, 37 and 62 by 42, Washburn and Pillsbury, Ameri- ean Steel Barge Company. -- . One 23 and 46 by 36, City of Charlevoix. One 10 and 20 by 12, yacht, S. Langell, St. Clair, Mich. Two 9%, 14% and 24 by 14, Visitor and Boneta, Detroit Boat Works. : . One 10 and 20 by 12, Deer, I. W.. Kirby, Grand Haven, Mich. oe Three 20 and 4o by 36, car ferry, Craig Ship Building Com- pany, Toledo, O- . Three 20 and 40 by 36, car ferry, Craig Ship Building Com- pany, Toledo, O. One 26, 42 and 70 by 42, world's fair passenger boat, Amer- ican Steel Barge Company. One 12 and 24 by 16, fish tug, T. W. Kirby, Grand Haven, Mich. Auxiliary Machinery of the Mitchell. With the exception of the ballast pump, all the auxiliary machinery on the Samuel Mitchell, illustrated with this issue, was built by the Globe Iron Works Company. The steering gear manufactured by this company is without doubt the best manufactured in the United States. The capstans, windlasses, boiler feed pumps, hoisting engine, etc., all came from the Globe works. The pressure regulator, which is set at 60 pounds, is the Burton patent and gives the best of satisfaction. ~The engines are packed with United States metallic packing. The Fisher electric plant, described in the REVIEW some time ago, is a feature of the boat. A search light on the stern is used in coming down the river at Cleveland, stern first, from the rolling mill dock. The only attention given the Noye dynamo is that of oiling it. 'The injector for boiler feed is of the Kennedy pat- tern, manufactured by the Forest City Brass Works. From Various Sources. Shipments of anthracite coal from Buffalo last week were only 89,552 tons, a decrease of about 10,000 tons. Another Canadian schooner, the Lady Macdonald, which was sunk at Fair Haven in the gale of two weeks ago, has been given up asa total loss. She was owned by Capt. Ewart of Port Hope. No insurance. Charles Groves, assistant superintendent in the ship yard of the Globe Iron Works Company, died at his home in Cleve- land, Wednesday. Mr. Groves had been with the Globe com- pany since the building of the Onoko,the first iron boat launched in Cleveland. Little attention will be given to the sensational story sent around the lakes a few days ago about the owners and master of the schooner H. P. Baldwin trying to sink her when she was abandoned on Take Michigan last fall. The Booth Packing Company is trying to collect a heavy salvage claim for picking the boat up, and this accounts for the testimony at the court hearing in Marquette. MARINE REVIEW. ~ To Locate Obstructions and Correct Charts. In a report just sent on to the war department, Gen. Poe of Detroit discusses in a most complete manner the necessity of corrections in lake charts and takes up the question of new ob- structions of different kinds, to which the attention of vessel owners and masters was especially directed during the period of low water last falland in the spring just. past. -[he report) which will undoubtedly receive strong endorsement irom lake interests generally, is based on the results of surveys made since the opening of navigation in the vicinity of Colchester, Lake Erie, and on the St. Mary's river. These surveys, made with meager appropriations, are, of course, of only minor importance in comparison with the general work of this kind required, if the charts are to be used for navigating the lakes, as Gen. Poe has shown in the conclusions reached after detailing this pre- liminary work. 'The report says: "During the fiscal year several projects have been sub- mitted with a view to rendering the charts of the great lakes of the greatest possible use to navigators. Under date of Sepiaye 1891, was proposed : : "ry. A revision of all existing charts in regard to light-houses, fog signals, buoys, ranges, sailing lines, etc. oe '9. Monthly publication during the season of navigation of bulletins giving all aids to navigation not on-charts, reports of dangers derived from vessels' logs, location of wrecks, water levels, state of harbors, etc. "2. At close of each season of navigation all engineer officers in charge of river and harbor works to send to the officer charged with the proposed duty, charts with the condition of their works platted thereon; also, any other information which may have come to their knowledge,including lights, buoys,range lines, sailing lines, etc., the information thus obtained to be compiled upon the published charts during the winter. ",4. Examinations to be made of newly discovered obstruc- tions of limited areas. 'Under date of October 10, 1891, the following scheme for new charts to complete the set for the American coasts of the lakes was proposed, each chart named to be published on single sheet. "General charts--Lake Superior, canal to Duluth; Lake Michigan, straits to Chicago, the scale in each to be 1,600,000. "Coast charts--Lake Superior, Outer island light-house to Duluth; Marquette to Portage canal; Portage canal to Outer island light-house; Pointe Au Sable to Marquette; White Fish © point to Pointe Au Sable; north shore from Duluth eastward, the scale to be 1:120,000. Lake Huron, Pointe Aux Barques light-house to Thunder Bay island light-house; Thunder Bay island light-house to Detour light-house, the scale to be I:120,000. 'In the above the several charts are arragned in the order of their importance. scheme because more or less field work would have to be com- pleted before new charts of this locality could be published. '"These projects or something of a similar nature will have to be carried out if the charts are to be rendered of the greatest service to navigators. The work already done, particularly in the location of the dangerous shoalsin Lake Erie, has fully demon- strated the necessity which exists for work of thischaracter. 'The Lake marine is of too great importance to the country at large for any effort looking towards its safety to be spared. When the United States government sells charts to navigators, these charts should embody the latest and most accurate information concern- ing the localities to which they refer, and everything should be done to make navigation safe and certain. 'From 1885 up to the opening of navigation in 1892 the lowest water surface of the lakes for the season has been less each year than the year before. 'This condition, however, is only temporary, and evidences now point to an increase in depths. Combined with this lowering in recent years, however, has been the great growth of the lake vessels, both in size and numbers, a growth that must be seen to be appreciated. Since the original surveys were made the maximum draft of vessels has increased from 9% and 12 feet to 16 feet, and when improvements now in progress are completed it will be still further increased to 20 feet. As a consequence the larger and more expensive vessels are constantly discovering dangers previously unknown, and discovering them by the costly process of striking them. All dangers as discovered should at once be surveyed and locat- ed upon the charts in order to prevent the repetition of similar St. Mary's river was not included inthe --