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MARINE REVIEW. : ' TT Freight Steamer Kearsarge. Another steel freight steamer constructed by the Chicago Ship Building Company has made a record among the largest boats on the lakes. 'The steamer Kearsarge, owned by the Interlake Company of Cleveland, will very probably prove the largest package freight carrier on the lakes, if she is placed at any time this season in that trade, for which provisions were made in her design. On her first trip she carried from Escanaba to Cleveland a cargo of 3,718 gross or 4,164 net tons of ore, which is next to the largest cargo ever taken through the rivers. Last season the steamer S. S. Curry, owned by the Hawgood and Avery Transit Company of Cleve- land, carried 3,852 gross or 4,314 net tons from Escanaba to Fairport. Se a cee ae The Kearsarge's big cargo was unloaded at the Nypano dock on Monday in twelve hours, with the use of six hoists of the Brown Hoisting and Conveying Company's manufacture. The Kearsarge is in every way a representative lake vessel. She is given the highest class in the Standard Register of New York. Her triple expansion engines and Scotch boilers, both about the largest of the types in lake vessels, were constructed by the Cleveland Ship Building Com- pany. She will be managed in the office of Pickands, Mather & Co. of Cleveland in connection with the boats of the Minnesota Steamship Com- pany and the Huron Barge Company. _ The engraving of the boat appear- ing herewith was made from arough sketch prepared by Howard F. Sprague. A Story from Mr. J. F. Holloway. Mr. J. F. Holloway, one of the leading members of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and who was at the head of the old Cuyahoga, Works, Cieveland, has a very interesting article on "The Early Steamboats of the Lakes" in the July number of the Engineering Maga- zine. Among a few interesting reminiscences contained in the article is the following: "The theory of the steam engine and the apparent complications con- nected with its use were to many of the passengers so hopeless a problem that they gave up its solution at the very start, while others, more per- sistent, spent many of their leisure hours between ports in seeking to solve its mysteries. Among the latter was a well-dressed, thoughtful looking man, who at one time was a passenger on a somewhat famous boat in its day, in which the propelling power consisted of a row of re- turn-flue boilers down in the hold, and a single horizontal steam engine in plain view of the main deck, directly connected to the cranks on each paddle wheel shaft. With so much in plain sight, it would seem that little or no explanation would be required by any observer, but with a belief no doubt that there were other necessary and hidden mechanisms, this would-be scientist spent many hours of several days in watching the operation of the machinery and in tracing out the sequence of its motion. Standing near the steam cylinder he would watch with interest the alter- nating movement of the piston rod with its attached cross head, and the long, iron-strapped, wooden connecting rod reaching forward to the pad- dle-wheel shaft, noting with care how its swinging end seemingly turned the cranks to which it was attached. He would then turn back to the ~- steam cylinder, apparently to trace out some unseen or overlooked appli- ance believed to be essential for the work tobe done. Finally after sey- eral days of silent contemplation, and with an unsatisfied expression on his face, he ventured to approach the person in charge, and the following conversation was had: ""'T beg pardon, sir, but I believe you are the engineer of this boat,' said the passenger, to which the somewhat grimy man with an oil can in his hands briefly replied, 'I am.' ""Well, sir,' said the well-dressed stranger, 'I am very much interested in mechanics, and have given the study of the steam engine much thought and am quite familiar with the generation of steam and its application to machinery generally, but there are some things connected with the appli- cation of steam to the propelling of boats that I can not quite understand, and I will be greatly obliged to youif you will kindly give me the re- quired information.' ""All right,' said the engineer, as he reached forward to dope a suspi- ciously dry looking spot on the main slides, 'fire away. What is it? ""Well,' said the stranger, timidly, 'there are your boilers, pointing to the two smoke pipes which on either side of the boat passed up be- tween decks, 'I understand all about them, and here is your cylinder, and that is all clear to me, but what Ican not quite make out is where does the steam strike the paddle wheels" "This was a stunner for the knight of the starting-bar, who no doubt had never passed a civil service examination, but, after scratching his head with his unemployed hand, he replied: 'Well, the fact is, stranger, I have only been on this boat a short time, and I'm -- if I know.'" Around the Lakes. Capt. Byron Hawkins, who died at Oswego e few days ago, was well known along the lakes. His last command was the schooner Typo. A wooden steamer 239 feet over all, 35 feet beam and 12% feet hold, will be built by the Jenks Ship Building Company. It is said that she is intended for the trade between Lake Erie and the copper region of Lake Superior. Mr. Adolph U. Sheldon, naval architect with the Globe company, Cleveland, and Miss Theodore Hull Ricks were married in Cleveland Tuesday. Mr. and Mrs. Sheldon will sail for Europe this week on the Fuerst Bismarck. Thompson & Lynn's new tug Charles l,. Boynton, recently launched at Port Huron, will be fitted out with complete wrecking appliances. She is 95 feet long, 20 feet beam and 11 feet hold, and has engines 17 and 36 by 30 inches, which were built by S. F. Hodge & Co. of Detroit. John E. Allen of Detroit has invented a hand steering geat which is said to be superior to steam or electrical gears. Merits of the machine are claimed to be sufficient to warrant the Detroit and Cleveland Steam Navi- gation Company in fitting one of its boats with it during the coming win- ter for experimental purposes. In raising the dredge Gen. Meade, which was sunk just below the St. Clair canal several days ago, Capt. Hingston, one of the owners of the boat, secured from Detroit the services of Grummond's wrecker Young America, a submarine diver andea set of hydraulic jacks. A Wells light will be used for night work on the wreck. Mr, Frank Owen, superintendent of the Ogdensburg Transit Com-. pany, has notified the Lake Carriers' Association that buoys in the St. Lawrence river, vicinity of Cross-over light, have been changed this sea- son, and masters complain that as located at present they are misleading. The executive committee instructed Treasurer McKay to communicate with Commander Green of Buffalo on the subject. Capt. James Davidson is fast accumulating another fleet of big wooden boats, to be sold if an opportunity for earning better freights is ever again presented. He launched from his West Bay City yard afew days agoa steamer that nieasures 257 feet over all, 37 feet beam and 14 feet deep in the shoalest place. Theengines are triple expansion, 16, 25 and 42 inches in diameter by 34 inches stroke. The boilers are 12 feet 3 inches by 12 feet, fitted with the Howden system of forced draft. The United States circuit court of appeals has affirmed the decision of Judge Swan of the United States district court of Detroit in the case of the owners of the barge Wahnapitae against the steamer John M. Nicol. The barge, a large unwieldy craft built for carrying saw logs, went to pieces off the Cleveland breakwater, after she had been dropped by the steamer in astorm. Owners of the barge claimed that the steamer ought to have held onto her, but the defense claimed that the tow was unman- ageable, and that the Nicol for her own safety was compelled to cast off the tow line. Furnaces of the new Johnson Company at Lorain will be located near the river, so as to receive iron ore and other supplies direct from vessel. They will cover an area of 500 by 1,500 feet. The steel mills will cover an area of 1,300 by 2,400 feet. Between them will be the main switch from the railroad, two miles of which has already been built and operated by the company's own locomotive. The line is now used for hauling ma- terials for the buildings from the railroad. Several miles of branch switches have also been laid out, diverging in all directions. The main power will be furnished by a 2,000 horse power engine, an order having been placed for it some time ago. The company now has 500 men at work and is adding over 100 a week to its force.