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MARINE REVIEW. a Secretary Herbert's Plans. Washington dispatches say that Secretary Herbert will ad- vocate the construction of more ships. He will be conservative in his estimates, but he believes that the United States is still some distance from the point where it can afford to stop the work of ship construction. He has estimated that $11,000,000 will be required to complete the forty-two vessels, built and building, comprising the new navy. As this amount will be dis- tributed over the next three years, he can advocate the addition of a ship or two each year during the present administration without adding materially to the annual appropriation for con- struction. He is on record as advocating a fleet of at least ten battle ships and said a short time ago that his views in that re- spect had not changed. He wants the new Congress to author- ize the construction of at least one battle ship. It is understood also to be his intention to outline a definite policy as to just what the new navy should comprise. Launch of the Minneapolis. The Minneapolis, another big cruiser, was launched from the yard of Wm. Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia, last Saturday. She is a sister ship of the Columbia, being completed at the same yard, but the boilers have been changed somewhat from those in the Columbia, and as originally designed. She is 412 feet long, and 59 feet 2 inches beam, having a displacement of 7,475 tons on 24 feet draught. She must show a speed of 22 knots, and maintain a continuous steaming speed of 21 knots. Exclusive of armament she cost $2,690,000. 'The Bath Iron Works were the lowest bidders, but for several reasons the con- tract was awarded to Cramps. . Another British-Built Turret. A second specimen of the turret-deck type of cargo steamer was launched on July 29 from the yard of Messrs. William Dox- ford & Son, Limited, Sunderland. 'The boat, which has been built for the same owners as the previous one, is named the Turretage, and has some improvements in detail as compared with her forerunner.. Her dimensions are: Length, 311 feet; breadth, 38 feet 2 inches; depth, 24 feet 1 inch; with a load draught of 19 feet, a carrying capacity of 3,650 tons, a gross register of about 2,200 tons, and a net register of about 1,380 tons. The vessel is to be fitted with triple-expansion engines, having cylinders 23, 37 and 60 inches in diameter by 42 inches stroke, working with a steam pressure of 160 pounds. In General. The Lucania, sister ship of the Campania, has been delivered by the builders. She will leave Liverpool for New York early next month. The smoke stacks of the new International steamers build- ing at Philadelphia will be 1oo feet high, higher, with a single exception, than those of any steamer afloat. Among the first bills introduced in the Senate was one (S. _ 152) providing for the construction of a ship canal connecting lakes Union and Washington with Puget sound. It was re- ferred to the committee on commerce. On trial trips in England, W. K. Vanderbilt's yacht Valiant, built by Messrs. Laird Bros. of Birkenhead, attained a speed of 18.1 knots, under forced draft. She is the largest yacht in the world, being 2,400 tons. She has twin-screw engines of 5,000 horse power. Mr. Balsamello of Rome, inventor of a sub-marine boat, claims that he can put grapnels and chains around the British battleship Victoria and raise her from a depth of 80 fathoms of water in the Mediterranean. He says the job can be accomplished for less than $200,000. The famous Hudson River steamboat Mary Powell, recently made the run from New York to West Point, a distance of 50 miles, in 2 hours and 20 minutes. The machinery of this boat was built by Fletcher, Harrison & Co., North River Iron Works. --American Shipbuilder. Navy department experts who have been considering the proposals for constructing a sub-marine boat, will probably visit Chicago to witness maneuvers of the Baker boat. The board has found the Holland boat superior in a number of points, but Mr. Baker hopes to overcome objections to his odd craft by hav- ing the experts see her in action. ; A company in Liverpool, known as the Asbestos Tipped Lamp Wick Company, is making lamp. wicks tipped with asbes- tos, and it is claimed that they are especially adapted to ships' lights. Tests are said to have shown an increase of at least 30 per cent. in the brilliancy of light, whilst one wick will last tor at least thirty days without any trimming whatever. Another big side-wheel steamer for the Fall River line was launched last week at the yard of the Delaware River Iron Ship Building Co. at Chester, Pa. The boat is 426 feet long on water line and 440 over all, or 20 feet longer than the Puritan. Her hull is 52 feet 6 inches wide and her extreme breadth over guards is 93 feet. Her draft will be 12 feet 5 inches and her total dis- placement 4,550 tons. The Cunard officials at Glasgow profess to be highly satis- fied with the trial trip of the Lucania, the sister ship of the ~ Campania. On her preliminary trial she made 25% land miles an hour. It is claimed that defects covered in the construction of the Campania were avoided in the Lucania. Her hull is bet- ter bound together and shows none of the vibration that accom- panies the working of the Campania's engine. At the International Marine Congress in London, a short time ago, M. Plate, chairman of North German Lloyd's, said with regard to the necessity of twin screws, that some of the best shipbuilders in the world were averse to their adoption, but the public demanded them, and, therefore, he had determined for his line that they should beadopted. Duplication of machin- ery gave safety, and was more important from the fact that sails could not now be set. Immediately following the decision of Secretary of the Navy Herbert, in favor of all Harveyized plates for naval con- struction, the Carnegie Steel Company began arranging for the erection of forty Harvey furnaces in addition to the eighteen now in use. Preparations are also advancing tor the erection of an additional armor plate mill, of a size that will handle the very largest plates with ease. It is stated that part of the requisite machinery will be purchased at Whitworth's works in England. Patents of a Marine Nature. Specially reported from the office of the U7. S. commissioner of patents. 500,717--Ship's bell clock, by John 8. Negus, Brooklyn, N. Y.; filed Sept. 17, 1892. Serial number 446,150; issued July 4, 1893. 500,780--Pile planting, by August Simon, Gnadau, Germany; filed March 8, 1898; serial number 464, 629; issued July 4, 1895; patented in Germany July 30, 1891, andin Belgium April 11, 1892. 500,818--Dredging apparatus, by James Price, Jr.,San Fructuoso, Uru- guay; filed Aug. 15, 1891; serial No, 389,105; issued July 2, 1893. 500,855--Boiler, by Barzilla J. Coller, Detroit, Mich.; filed Feb. 1, 1893; serial No. 460,625; issued July 4, 1893. 500,870--Flood gate, by Henry H. Eatherton, Monticello, Ill.; filed April 14, 1893; serial number, 470,274; issued July 4, 1893. 501,020--Dumping scow, by Bernard A. Mullen, Philadelphia, Pa.; as- signor to Adolph Segal and Herman Hoopes, same place, and the Mullen Dredging and Lightering Company of New Jersey; filed June 15, 1892; serial No. 486,878; issued July 4, 1893. 501,122--Dredging machine, by John E. Walsh, New York, N. Y., as- signor to Mary A. Walsh, same place; filed Feb. 3, 1893; issued July 11, 1893, Copies of specifications accompanying these patents can be had at 15 cents each on application to the MARINE Review, 516 Perry-Payne building, Cleve- land, O. Official Numbers and Tonnage. The bureau of navigation, E. C. O'Brien commissioner, assigned official numbers and tonnage to the following lake vessels during three weeks ending August 12: Steam--Thomas Cranage, Port Huron, Mich., 2,219.52 tons gross, 1,855.59 net, No. 145,648; D. I'. Helm, Chicago, IIl., 64.37 tons gross, 32,19 net, No. 157,378; Henry Gust, Milwaukee, Wis., 37.50 tons gross, 18.75 net, No. 96,236; Harry Bloom, Detroit, Mich., 30.86 tons gross, 15.85 net, No. 96,- 241; Bobert Downer, Buffalo, N. Y., 25.35 tons gross, 12.68 net, No. 111,037 ; Sultana, Detroit, Mich., 77.26 tons gross, 54.08 net, No. 116,583; Laura &., Chicago, Ill., 20.06 tons gross, 14.39 net, No. 141,293; U. C. Me., Detroit, Mich., 11.28 tons gross, 5.64 net, No. 25,294 ; Nettie Baker, Buffalo, N. Yee 13.24 tons gross, 7.83 net, No, 54,509; Peerless, Sandusky, O., 76.84 tons gross, 50.12 net, No. 150,637 ; Ralph M. Cooper, Milwaukee, Wis., 27.42 tons gross, 17.92 net, No. 111,038 ; Moselle, Oswego, N. Y., 12.47 tons gross, 6.24 net, No. 92,534. Sail--Avorset, Cleveland, O., 31.48 tons gross, 29.91 - net, No. 107,043 ; Yukon, Port Huron, Mich., 1,602.69 tons gross, 1,522.56, net, No. 27,656 ; Emily Taylor, Milwaukee, Wis., 55.52 tons gross; 52.75 net, No. 136,386 ; Hawthorne, Chicago, Ill., 29.88 tons gross, 28,39 net, No. 96,242 ; Neva, Cleveland, O., 17.20 tons gross, 16.34 net, No. 130,641. Unrigged--Hu- ron, Detroit, Mich., 210.82 tons gross, 200.28 net, No.42,739. aac aar rete