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t2 MARINE REVIEW. MaRINE REVIEW. DEVOTED TO THE LAKE MARINE AND KINDRED INTEREST S. JonM Me Oe PROPRIETORS. . M. ; HOMER J. CARR, Associate Editor and Manager Chicago Office, Western Union Building, 110 LaSalle Street. Published every Thursday at No. 516 Perry-Payne Building, Cleveland, O. SUBSCRIPTION--$2.00 per year in advance. Convenient binders sent, post paid, 75 cents. Advertising rates on application. The books of the United States treasury department contain the names of 3,600 vessels, measuring 1,154,870.38 tons in the lake trade. In classification of this fleet the lakes have more steamboats of 1,000 to 2,500 tons than the combined ownership of this class of vessels in all other sections of the country. The number of vessels of 1,000 to 2,500 tons on the lakes on June 30, 1891, was 310 and their aggregate gross tonnage 512,- 787.58; in all other parts of the country the number of this class of ves- sels was, on the same date, 213 and their gross tonnage 319,750.84. The classification of the entire lake fleet is as follows: Class. Number. Tonnage. DUSCAIMAVESSO SH ee ries acecracestscce stoner Nera P,592 756,751.53 DAUM OMCESCISS. f.csecdspedsran' iesaedssetsevonees 1,243 325,131.06 Garialeh Gans ces chess suibeseeusin ote ssteccaense nes 703, 72,515 42 BA OCS ees sie cena oer dame ce noetanwcen ace ac ats 62 20,472.37 Abo taller sk Sen ie es eter ite cect 3,600 1,154,870.38 St. Mary's Falls and Suez canal traffic: Number of boats through St. Mary's Falls canal in 1890, 228 days of navigation, 10,557; tonnage, net registered, 8,454,435. Number of boats through Suez canal during 1890, full year, 3,389; tonnage, net registered, 6,890,014. Number of boats through St. Mary's Falls canal in 1891, 225 days of navigation, 10,191; ton- nage, net registered, 8,400,685. Number of boats through Suez canal dur- ing 1891, full year, 4,207 ; tonnage, net registered, 8,698,777. Eintered at Cleveland Post Office as Second-class Mail Matter. IN THE loss of the late steamer Western Reserve the build- ers and owners of steel vessels on the lakes are confronted with a grave and most important question. 'The builders of the Re- serve, the Cleveland Shipbuilding Company, claim that she was one of the strongest boats that they have ever built, and she was looked upon generally as a model vessel of the steel type. It is also worthy of note that she was the first double strapped vessel on the lakes. With the consent of the builders and for the purpose of comparison with other lake-built vessels, there is presented in another part of this issue a drawing showing a half midship section of the steamer, and also full detail from specifi- cations relative to material entering into her construction. Lloyd's rules, followed by the Cleveland Rolling Mill Company in testing material used in the vessel are also presented, together with opinions from Frank E, Kirby, engineer of the Detroit Dry Dock Company, and W. J. Babcock, general manager of the Chicago Ship Building Company. In giving out very freely. all information of this kind the builders of the Reserve hold that the vessel was in every way constructed after. the custom governing the building of the best steel vessels on the lakes, and they are willing and anxious that the plans and specifica- tions shall receive inspection from experts. Arrangements have, in fact, been made for written opinions from experts relative to the strength of the vessel as compared to other steel steamers on the lakes. ee In the meantime the statement of the only survivor from the lost vessel, Wheelman H. W. Stewart, that the vessel broke in two at the forward hatch while being driven into heavy head seas, with no water in her forward compartments, is generally accepted. It is the opinion, however, of several conservative authorities that the boat came down ona floating log or some-sim- - ilar object. It isa lesson as costly as can well be imagined, but it will not result to the disadvantage of the steel ship building nse dustry, even on the lakes. Already orders have gone. out from the owners of some of the competing lines of steel boats to stop the practice, which had been carried to extremes, of forcing big, high powered vessels into weather of all kinds on the upper lakes, with no cargo and little water ballast for their protection. That a half dozen or more steamers from different yards, con- o the Western Reserve, have shown signs ef breaking in the same way, there is no doubt. In two or three cases it was necessary to strengthen them by putting in new plates, and builders have all along held that the boats were not intended to be subjected to the abuses of being run in light trim through weather of all kinds, by owners and masters who have stopped at nothing, and have been running their boats with a regularity almost equal to that of railway trains. Such is the lesson taken in most quarters from this disaster. It will result in the entire lake marine being benefited by a halt in the break- neck methods under which the business has been conducted of structed similar t late. In ENGLAND attention is being given to the subject of color blindness, and reports of investigations made by the Royal So- ciety committee on color vision are very interesting, in connec- tion with the proposition in this country to extend regulations in this regard to lookouts as well as masters and pilots aboard American vessels. 'The English investigation has shown that nearly 4 per cent. of the males in the civilized countries are de- ficient in acuteness of color perception. Blindness to red is the most common condition; blindness to green comes next in fre- quency, and blindness to blue is rare. A complete series of ex- periments has proved that no other colors can be used instead of red and green as signal lights, chiefly on account of the dimin- ished luminosity and visibility of all the colors which have been proposed asa substitute. Experience has taught all rail- way companies in this country. a lesson similar to that brought out by the English investigation, and great care is exercised on railways regarding the question of color blindness among em- ployes. On the railways there is probably more danger of acci- dents resulting from this cause, but the fact remains that if it is necessary to ascertain the ability of masters and pilots to deter- mine colors, similar regulations should apply at least to lookouts or watchmen aboard vessels, and it is difficult to understand the opposition of the United States board of supervising inspectors of steam vessels on this subject. A STATEMENT in last week's issue showing in detail earn- ings and operating expenses of the steel steamer Manola of the Minnesota Steamship Company's fleet was very much apprecia- ted, and it was unfortunate that a single figure in the dimen- 'sions made the boat's length over all 508 feet 51% inches instead of 308 feet 54% inches. As the length of keel was given as 292 feet 514 inches, however, the error of the printer was readily understood by all who are acquainted with the proportion of length of keel to the over all length in lake steamers. Personal Mention. James A. Dumont, supervisinz inspector general of steam vessels of the United States, is making a tour of inspection among district officers of the lakes. Capt. Chas. Brown, formerly of the steamer Northern King, who has been seriously ill fora year and reported dead at one time, has recovered sufficiently to be out of doors. _ Col. Jared Smith, United States engineer located at Cleve- land, has suggested some changes in the plans for improvement of Ashtabula harbor. The changes will be considered by the finance committee of the association at its next regular meeting. At a recent meeting of the Detroit Dry Dock Company and the Dry Dock Engine Works of Detroit the following officers were elected: Hugh McMillan, president; A. McVittie, vice- president; Frank EK. Kirby, engineer; Gilbert N. McMillan, secretary. A story going the rounds of the press says that President James J. Hill of the Great Northern Railway and Northern Steamship Company, has his life insured for $1,000,000. He recently gave his check for $136,350 in payment of the premium on the policy for that amount and an annuity of $12,500, which will begin ten years hence.