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---- a MARINE New Sault Lock to be Opened in July. As had been expected, the secretary of war has given approval to the plan of paying an extra sum of $12,000 to the contractors whoare digging approaches to the new lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., in order that the lock may be used about July 31 of this year. This action on the part of the war department will greatly facilitate the passage of vessels to and from Lake Superior, although it is hardly expected that the draft of water permitted will be any greater than it is at present, until the 20-foot channel work at the Encampment and at other points on the Sault river is completed about the opening of navigation next spring. It is quite generally agreed that other Sault river improvements must be taken up in the next congress. First in importance is the wid- ening of Hay lake channel, especially at the dike at the foot of the lake. The channel at this point must be widened or another outlet provided. A Sault correspondent writing of this matter says: "One of the best authorities on the subject is Joseph Ripley, United States engineer, who has been intimately connected with the river im- provements here. Mr. Ripley is heartily in favor of the plan of having a channel through the West Neebish, and allowing the Middle Neebish channel to remain as itis. While the cost of the proposed new channel would be somewhat in excess of the cost of widening the waterway at the Middle Neebish, its advantages over the latter proposition are many. For instance, by having two channels, one could be used for the boats bound up and the other for the boats going down, thus practically wip- ing out the possibility of accidents. From the foot of Hay lake, around the Encampment to Mud lake, is the most dangerous portion of the river to navigate, more accidents having occurred in that section than at any other point on the river. This is due to the fact that there are so many abrupt turnsin the channel. On the other hand, the route through the West Neebish would be comparatively straight and abouta mile shorter as well. It is conceded that the proposed route would be of in- estimable benefit to the marine interests. "When the Hay lake channel was first projected, estimates were pre- pared for the cost of the Middle and West Neebish outlets for a 17-foot channel. 'The first route was selected, for the reason that the estimated cost was $1,000,000 less than the other. Subsequently the plans were changed and a 21-foot channel was made. In accomplishing this a num- ber of shoals had to be removed. These would not have been touched had the original plans for a 17-foot-cut been carried out. The cost of the work actually exceeded that of the estimated cut of 21 feet by way of the West Neebish. In widening the present channel the same disadvantage will be encountered, consequently the cost of the proposed new cut through the West Neebish will bellittle more. A voluminous report on the proposed route, covering the cost of the work and the advantages of the scheme over the widening of the present channel, has been prepared by Engineer Ripley with great care. This report will probably be sub- mitted to the chief of army engineers and an effort made to secure, in the next congress, appropriations for beginning the work." Engines for Light-Draft, High-Speed Ship. Twin-screw engines of a special and somewhat novel design are de- scribed in a late issue of Engineering, London. They were fitted bya Dundee firm to the steamer Puri, a vessel 260 feet long, designed to carry a large cargo on a light draft and at a high rate of speed, nearly 17 knots. The machinery consists of twin sets of triple expansion engines, each having cylinders 21 inches, 33 inches, and 52 inches in diameter, respectively, by 30 inches stroke, supplied with steam by two large double-ended boilers, fitted with forced draught on the closed stokehold system, and having about 8,000 square feet of heating surface, with an al- lowance of 160 pounds steam pressure. While the two sets of engines are entirely independent and complete, the two bedplates and the six cylinders are all combined together, forming one structure, with a "tow of columns placed in the center, between the port and starboard engines, and directly over the center keelson. This dispenses with col- umns in front of the engines, although there are the usual A frames at the back. The engines are 10 feet 3 inches apart from center to center. The principal advantage of this arrangement is that the weight and strains are spread over a much larger and more efficient surface of the ship's bot- tom than is usually the case where the twin engines are entirely independ- ent, with separate columns. Vibration, too, is mizimised, as was proved on trials when the engines were running at 177 revolutions per minute, and indicating over 4,000 horse power. Another feature is that all the working parts face the center line of the vessel. The engineer in charge can thus see and deal with every working part from the starting platform. The high pressure cylinders are in the center between the intermediate and low pressures. This plan is adopted with a view to reducing to a minimum the exposed walls of the cylinders containing the hottest steam. Thus the piston valve of the high pressure cylinder and the slide valve of the intermediate cylinder are close together in one casing. All the working parts of the engine and the whole of the shaft- ing are of Siemens-Martin steel. The crankpins are hollow, and fitted REVIEW. ae with centrifugal lubrication. One bar serves both for go-ahead and go- astern motion. All the handles for operating the machinery, the tele. graphs, pressure guages, drains, etc., are concentrated on the center col- umn between the engines and are easily controlled for both engines by one man. As has been stated, the engines are 10 feet 3 inches apart between centers; propellers are 11 feet 9 inches apart between centers, Each propeller is 10 feet in diameter by 18 feet pitch, and there are three manganese bronze blades to each, and these are bolted to stee] bosses. They work outwards. Notices of Lights, Obstructions, etc. Capt. Geo. P. McKay, treasurer of the Lake Carriers' Association, is informed by Commander Folger, U.S. N., who is in charge of light- house matters in the rivers above Detroit, that the lighting of Grosse point cut is practically completed, so that with the close of the present week vessels can pass through the new 20-foot channel at that point with no more difficulty than they will have late this fall or next spring, when the permanent lights to be established by the light-house service are established. By the Lake Carriers' Association securing the assistance of the light-house board in establishing and maintaining lights at this point, in advance of the permanent light structures being erected, a heavy expense for private lights is avoided. The Canadian department of marine and fisheries gives notice of the establishment on Cabot Head, Lake Huron, of a revolving white light, showing three bright flashes with intervals of twenty seconds between their points of greatest brilliancy, followed by aninterval of forty sec- onds, during the greater part of which the light is obscured. The focal plane is 80 feet above the mean water level, and the light should be visi- ble fourteen miles from all points of approach. A fog alarm signal is located about 200 feet easterly from the light-house giving in thick weather blasts of eight seconds duration, with intermittent pauses of forty seconds. Capt. Thomas Harbottle of the steamer Havana reports that while passing up the Detroit river, a few days ago, he saw one of the barges of the tow of the steamer Buell, which was bound down, carrying an anchor on her tow line. The anchor had been picked up in the river. When about half way between Ballard's reef light-ship and the first stake below the light-ship it was dropped from the tow line. It is now a little to the eastward of the lower range and may prove an obstruction if not re- moved. The engineer officers in charge of river improvements have been informed of its location. A small chart taking in Sailors' Encampment and vicinity has been issued by the hydrographic office with the latest pamphlet containing notices to mariners. As only Mud lake and Little Mud lake are included with the channel at the Encampment, the chart is on a Jarge scale and therefore gives all ranges, depths, etc., very clearly. Around the Lakes. = Col. Jared Smith, United States engineer in the Cleveland district, heard arguments at Ashtabula, Saturday, on the question of removing the bridge at Ashtabula Harbor, which is owned by the county and which is said to be an obstruction to navigation. It is quite probable that the county will be compelled to reconstruct the bridge, so as to have it swing from the side of the river opposite to that on which it is now lecated and so as to provide also a wider draw than the present one. A. A, Heard, general passenger agent of the Northern Steamship Co. has issued its annual itinerary for the season of 1896. 'The work is neatly compiled, and contains a good deal of information which will be interest- ing toall tourists. It is handsomely illustrated with views of sights along the route of the steamers, and also of the Great Northern Railway. A copy will be sent to anyone upon application to A. A. Heard, The Thompson Towing & Wrecking Co. is the incorporate name under which the Thompson tugs at Port Huron will be managed here- after. The capital stock of the new company is $100,000, and C. D. Thompson and C. L. Boynton are the principal stockholders. They have recently added a new tug to the line, and are preparing plans for the con- struction of a new wrecking tug. Five round trips between Cleveland and Marquette with ore in just thirty days is the record, thus far this season, of the Cleveland Rolling Mill Co's steamer J. H. Devereaux, which is managed by Capt. W. C. Richardson. The Devereaux left Cleveland Tuesday on her sixth trip. W.A. Gordon, who was serving as mate of the schooner Emma C. Hutchinson, and who was drowned from that vessel while she was cross- ing Lake Erie afew days ago, was last season in command of the schoone C. C. Barnes. His home was in Toledo. During the week ending at midnight Thursday, the 14th, 581 boats were locked through the United States canal at Sault Ste. Marie. This is' a daily average of eighty-three vessels. 3 Algeria is the name of the third big wooden schooner to be launched from Davidson's yard, West Bay City, this spring.