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10 : MARINE REVIEW. Marine REVIEW. DEVOTED TO THE LAKE MARINE AND KINDRED WIN RLS LS: os Mv ee ge oa eet aE PROPRIETORS: 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 toms 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. Steam VESSelo.tcsnssctetearss oe iocasceneaceaent 1,592 756,751-53 Sailing Vessels....cc.0c.sccveees cosetaccereseesenas 1,243 325,131.06 (Gamtesh eres secahe drodnasacopen suncnon -oodosodconese be 703 72 Ae BAG SOS rseos sens sisssuneissiecodetatene «ta acci cess enssx 62 20,472.37 POA res eayetn sea canets ee tueed raster 3,600 1,154,870.38 Tonnage built on the lakes during the past five years, according to the reports of the United States commissioner of navigation, is as follows : No. of boats. Net Tonnage, TSO ene tates pees coe seeedee econ e tsremtes act 152 56,488.32 TOS Seer ease nee nesta eiaeee noaamonidem net 222 IOI, 102.87 MOQ ees ciect Seles tence teetem- Meapeeieemeas 225 107,080.30 11181010 aanecparn nah onsbn ac ocmeneiehe xcigooccentcnice 218 108,515.00 MOMS eee es dee eeemmane cts en sean eee cn 204 I11,856.45 SROtaleN ences ncchiscse sc coieees dae I,021 485,042.94 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. Entered at Cleveland Post Office as Second-class Mail Matter. OFFICERS of the revenue cutter service want appropriations from the present congress for two new vessels for the lakes, and this explains the present agitation regarding the Canadian reve- nue cutters constructed at Owen Sound. Only one of these Canadian vesse!s remains on the lakes. 'The treasury depart- ment is fully justified in asking that the old revenue cutter Andy Johnson on Lake Michigan be replaced by a new boat, and that a new vessel be built also to take the place of the Bibb, recently condemned on Lake Ontario, but no good can come from the ef- fort to create a scare about Great Britain ruling the lakes, which has been attended by a great deal of nonsense. Modify the treaty of 1817, so that lake ship builders can secure some portion of the naval work due them on account of their enterprise, but let it end with that. Ir was expected that the bill providing fer a readjustment of salaries in the steamboat inspection service would come up in the house before the holiday adjournment, but the slim attend- ance of members has caused delay with a large amouut of im- portant legislation. When this billis taken from the calendar, however, it should be passed without further consideration for the opposition from the inspectors whose salaries will be re- duced. The men who do most work in this service, as in any other, should be recognized. 'This blll has been recommended by the secretary of the treasury and by the supervising inspector general, and it does not speak well for the service that local and supervising officers should appear in open and active opposition to their superiors in a matter of this kind. It is another case in which the bad effects of politics in this service are shown. Ir the Duluth chamber of commerce decides, as a result of its present inquiry, to calla waterways convention in Washing- ton, all commercial bodies on the lakes should immediately join in the movement, in order that the meeting may not be a failure. "There has been some question about the advisability of holding a convention at this time, but a full representation should be secured by all means if the call is made. The annual meeting of the Lake Carriers' Association will take place in Detroit, Jan. 12, and the date of the Washington meeting should be fixed so as not to conflict with the Detroit gathering. Report has it that the government contemplates sending the new practice cruiser Bancroft to the world's fair in Chicago - in the spring. 'The Bancroft is only 187 feet long and 32 feet wide, drawing about 11% feet of water, and could be taken through the Welland canal. It would certainly be a good move to replace the old battleship Michigan by the Bancroft on the lakes. Congressional Matters. Notwithstanding objections from Congressman Holman and a few other members of the lower house who know little of the - importance of lake commerce, the omnibus bill authorizing the establishment of light-houses, fog signals, etc. is in a fair way to be passed. Passage of the bill was recommended to the house by the committee of the whole on Wednesday, but action was delayed, on account of a quorum not being present. The bill as recommended to the house carries all of the important aids to navigation sought in the last session by lake vessel owners. The items removed from the old biil were mainly lights and light ships for the Detroit river and for the shoals at the entrance to Green Bay, which were provided for in the closing days of the last session, and which will be in operation next season. It is more than probable that the present congress will in- struct the secretary of war to investigate the raft towing ques- tion on the lakes. In accordance with a request from the vessel owners, Senator McMillan introduced in the senate on Tuesday a resolution authorizing the secretary of war to appoint a board of three officers of the engineer corps of the army to look into this subject, and report to congress what restrictions, if any, should be placed upon the size and manner of constructing and towing rafts upon the waters mentioned. 'The plan of the ves- sel owners is to go before congress fortified with a report from the war department when the time comes for the passage of a ~ law governing the movements of rafts. Secretary Keep, Capt. Geo. P. McKay and others, who have followed up, with letters to several members of congress, the recommendation that $50,000 be appropriated for survey work and for the correction of lake charts, seems to have good reason for expecting success in their efforts. Gen. Casey, chief of engineers, Gen. Poe, who made the recommendation, are heartily in favor of this measure, and at a meeting, a few days ago, of a sub-committee of the committee on commerce, Representative Chipman was assisted in explaining the urgent need of this ap- propriation by Capt. Turtle of the engineer corps. The com- merce committee will very probably cause this item to be in- serted in the sundry civil appropriation bill. _ At the last meeting of the finance committee, Lake Carriers', it was proposed to have a banquet in connection with the annual meeting in Detroit on Jan. 12. 'The matter was not given serious consideration, although it has since developed that a great many members of the association are of the opinion that a.social - affair of this kind in connection with the annual gatherings ~would increase the attendance and would tend to promote good feeling. Congressman Curtis seems to be a very energetic worker in behalf of his constituency. 'In the house, a few days ago, he succeeded in bringing about the passage of a separate bill for the establishment of a fog signal at Tibbett's point, foot of Lake Ontario, New York, at a cost not to exceed $4,300. _ Georgia pine does not seem to answer well for use as deck- ing on fresh water. The deck of the steamer W. H. Wolf, which came out in 1887, is already used up through decay and it is said that some of her Georgia pine deck beams are also badly decayed. The Wolf is now at the Milwaukee Dry Dock Company's south yard for a new deck and deck beams where needed. Northern pine deck plank will be utilized.--Milwaukee Wisconsin.