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MARINE REVIEW. 9 War Vessels on the Lakes. Although much of the telegraph matter relative to the main- tenance of war vessels on the great lakes now being sent out from Washington and printed with extensive comment all over the country, is sensational in the extreme, it is evident that the agreement between the governments of the United States and Great Britain limiting the naval force of each on the lakes will be the subject of discussion in congress, with the probable result of modifying that agreement. It is not probable, however, that the agreement will be terminated, so as to prompt, on the part of either government, such an expensive undertaking as the con- struction and maintenance of a large fleet of vessels of war. In preventing this expense in the past, the treaty has proved a most wise measure, and the sensational portion of the present agita- tion of questions involved, which is based mainly on an effort in the treasury department to secure appropriations for two revenue cutters for the lakes, will not have the effect of terminating the entire agreement. Lieut. George L. Corden's reports relative to the three Canadian vessels built at Owen Sound, Ont., were made for the purpose of influencing legislation favorable to the building of two revenue cutters recommended by the treasury de- partment, and must be so considered. Still, the reports on the manner in which the stipulations have been evaded by the Cana- dian government and the counter claims of evasion by the United States, show conclusively that the agreement no longer - effects the purpose designed, and the United States can, without any show of hostility, seek a modification of the treaty suited to the changed conditions. The revenue cutters for which appropria- tions are asked from congress are needed, and the agreement can be so changed as to admit of their construction, but the great aim in the modified agreement should be to give to the well- equipped ship yards of the lakes the right to construct vessels of war for deep water service. As showing how the treaty stipula- tions have been evaded, we print the following review of the subject from an article in a recent issue of the Cleveland Plain Dealer by Mr. J. H. A. Bone, who is very well informed on such matters: '"As was pointed out in these columns some time ago, the compact of 1817 is not technically a treaty, but an exchange of letters between the British minister and the acting secretary of state at that time. The promise was given on either side that 'the naval force' to be maintained 'upon the American lakes' according to the British letter, or 'upon the lakes of the United States and Great Britain' as the American letter had it, should thereafter be confined on each part to one vessel on Lake On- tario, two on the upper lakes, and one on Lake Champlain, the maximum tonnage and armament of each vessel being roo tons and one eighteen-pound cannoh. The agreement was terminable on six months' notice by either side. "Who first violated the agreemeut is a disputed question.. An act of congress passed Sept. 9, 1841, provided for the con- struction and armament of such armed steamers or other vessels for defense on the northwestern lakes as the president may think most proper, and under authority of this act the Michigan was built at Pittsburg and carried in pieces to Lake Erie. In 1844 she was launched on the lake. Both the tonnage and armament being in excess of the stipulations in the agreement of 1817, the British minister, Mr. Pakenham, made protest under date of July 23, 1844. Six weeks later Secretary Calhoun replied in a con- ciliatory tone, calling attention to reports received from na- val officers of the United States that the British had then upon the lakes two formidable war vessels, the Mohawk and the Cherokee. Nothing came of this corrsspondence and no further action was taken until April 8, 1857, when Lord Napier informed Secretary Cass that the British government had been advised that an American armed vessel lay in the Detroit river, from which it made frequent incursions into the lakes, and that the vessel was of greater dimensions and armament than permitted by the agreement of 1857. Fifteen months later Lord Napier made another complaint of reported violation of the agreement by the construction of six armed revenue cutters for United States service on the lakes. No reply was made to this com- munication, the government holding that revenue cutters under treasury control do not belong to the 'naval force' contemplated by the agreement. "With the breaking out of the civil war and the consequent strained relations between the United States and Canada the old difiicuty was revived. In the latter part of 1861 Lord Napier once more complained of the Michigan, but was reassured by a note from Secretary Seward. In the spring of 1864 the British minister called upon Secretary Seward for explanations concern- ing the proposed construction of revenue cutters for United States service on the lakes. The explanations were satisfactory and the matter was dropped. 'Ihe threatened confederate demon- strations from Canada upon the northern border led congress in 1864 to consider the necessity of abrogating the agreement of 1817, a step which Lord Lyons said the British government would view 'with great regret and no little alarm.' Notwith- standing this, Secretary Seward, under date of Oct. 24, 1864, notified the British government that it was apparent that Canada was being used as a basis for hostile operations against the United States and that, under the provision of the agreement of 1817 to that end, at the expiration of six months the United States would be at liberty to increase the naval armament upon the lakes. Nearly two months after the expiration of the six months Secretary Seward withdrew the notice of abrogation and by the consent of the two governments the agreement of 1817 was considered as still in effect." In General. Commander W. M. Folger, chief of the navy bureau of ord- nance, will, on account of poor health, cease to be an officer of the navy on Jan. 2 next. President Harrison, in accepting Com« mander Folger's resignation, gave to him a letter reviewing his service in a most creditable manner. One of the largest steel plates ever manufactured in this country has been rolled at the Pottstown iron company's works. It is 150 feetin length, twenty inches in width, and seven-six- teenths of an inch thick. It will be exhibited at the world's fair, and it will require three large cars to transport it. The board of inspection of the United States navy has found why the engines of the Ranger have never worked properly. They were 1% inches higher than they should be, a mistake © having been made in designing the bed plate. The Alert, a - sister ship, has never developed the power expected and it is thought that her bed plate is also too high. It is surprising - that the engines worked at all. It is rumored that the Prince of Wales will visit the world's fair and that he will come in the royal yacht Osborne, which is of 1,500 tons and 3,300 horse power. 'The yacht will probably be escorted by a small squadron of British war vessels. If the Osborne can come and get through the Canadian canals and the Prince will give notice of his coming, the captains and engineers of some of our fast steel lake steamers might try a brush with the royal yacht. The Maryland Steel Company, Sparrows Point, Md., pro- poses to construct shallow dry docks for the purpose of building vessels in them. Instead of launching them they would merely let the water into the dock and float them out. This would do away with strains caused by accidents in launching, and.a per- . manent shed could be built over the dock to protect the men working on the boat in bad weather. It must be borne in mind, however, that the first cost of the dock as well as the expense of maintenance are important items. The postmaster general has specified the following design for the flags to be flown from all steamers carrying United States mail: 'he pennant will be red, witha nine-inch blue border, 20 © feet long, 8% feet at the head and 5 feet at the tail. Inthe up- © per left hand corner of the red field is an eagle in blue with arrows and olive branch in its talons, a red and white shield of stars and stripes covering the breast. 'United States Mail" is in white on the red field. The F. & P. M. and the Booth Pack- ing Company's fleet are about all the steamers that carry mail on the lakes. The boilers of the Chicago, U. S. N., have brick furnaces; that is to say, they are return tubular boilers, set over furnaces, built up of iron and lined with fire bricks. This system was viewed with disfavor by English engineers and a prominent en- gineering paper of London declared them to be wholly imprac- ticable, and said that the ship ought not to be allowed to go to sea. The Chicago has seen seven years service in waters all over the globe, and the furnaces are all right yet. The bottom plates of the boilers are somewhat corroded and will be removed, but nothing has been done or needs to be done to the furnaces. -- The Engineer, New York.