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16 MARINE the treasury in his annual estimates, and some of them will undoubt- edly be appropriated for at this session of congress. Among the lights so recommended and estimated for is a set of three lights at Ballard's reef, Detroit river, which will relieve the association from the large expense which they now run under for private lights at that point. A numberof new lights for which appropria- tions were obtained some time ago, but where delay had occurred in the building of the lights, have now been put in operation. The fog- signal at North Manitou island is perhaps the most important of these, and the new light at that point will be ready when navigation opens in the spring. - In one respect the past year has been a disappointment to the com- mittee on aids to navigation. There are a number of localities on the great lakes where gas buoys would be of great assistance to navigation. These gas buoys are inexpensive and cost little to operate, as they do not need the services of a light-keeper, and do not easily get out of _ repair. While, of course, they do not take the place of a large light- ship, or a coast light, they can be used to mark turning points and small obstructions in channels and in the course of vessels. Among the places where they could be used to great advantage are Gravelly -- island, Poverty passage, Green bay; Lansing shoal, north of Squaw island; the turning point where the can buoy is now located in Mud lake, St. Mary's river, and to mark the dangerous points in the navi- gation of the St. Mary's river above Round island. We have not yet succeded in getting the light-house board to locate buoys at these points, but we are going to make a determined effort to get an appro- priation this winter for gas buoys for use on the great lakes. Con- gressman Burton of Cleveland has the matter in charge, and will have the active support and assistance of the association in his efforts. We believe that the interests asking for thesegas buoys are so lagre and so deserving that congress will not refuse the comparatively small appropriation necessary for the protection of these and other localities in this economical and effective way. INCREASE IN THE AVAILABLE DRAFT OF WATER. 'The past year has seen some important events in the history of lake navigation. The work on the so-called 20-foot channel between Duluth, Chicago and Buffalo has progressed rapidly, and has reached a point where it has added materially to the available draft of water at Lake Superior. The government has also placed some of the most important harbors on the great lakes under the contract system, and very extensive work is to be undertaken at Chicago, Duluth, Cleveland and Buffalo. In the passage between Lake Huron and Lake Erie, however, where much progress has been made in the improvements at the points named in the 20-foot channel project, it has become more than ever apparent that any material increase in the available draft of water between Lake Huron and Lake Erie is not so close at hand as was expected. It will be remembered that the 20-foot channel project names certain localities where work is to be done in deepening the channels. These localities form part of the "adopted project" and the money appropriated for the "20-foot channel" must, as we under- stand it, be expended at these points and not elsewhere. It has be- come very apparent that there are certain points in the Detroit river not mentioned in the "20-foot channel project'? where very extensive work has got to be done before the draft of water through the Detroit river will be very materially increased. We refer, of course, to Bal- Jard's reef, and to the channel abreast Bois Blanc island. Some work has been done to Ballard's reef, but it has not been done under the 20- foot channel appropriation or under the so-called contract system, by virtue of which a contract can be let for the entire work. The work at Ballard's reef, so far as it has gone, has been done under small appro- priations made in the river and harbor bill. Under this system it will certainly be several years before the Ballard's reef channel is properly improved. Meantime the millions which the government has spent in providing deeper water at Round island, at the canal and lock at the Sault, in Hay Lake channel, at Sailors' Encampment, at the foot of Lake Huron, at St. Clair flats, Grosse point, Lime-Kiln crossing and Bar point has given to vessels only a slight addi- tional draft, and can never give them anything further until the chan- nel at Bois Blanc island and Ballard's reef is extensively improved. It is highly important that. this association, representing as it does, one of the great interests for whose benefi large expenditures, with results which are so far very disappointing, consider this situation. We say that the vessel interests representione of the great interests for which the channels were projected, The See EO ee rs t. the government has made these REVIEW. I other interest, and a still greater one, is that of the producer of the west and northwest. Unquestionably the salvation ofa large territory adjacent to the great lakes lies in a continued increase of facilities and a continued decrease in the cost of carrying its products eastward, Some vessel owners have doubts whether deeper channels will assist them, but the whole history of the lake commerce tends to show that the prosperity of those engaged in it is dependent upon the continued crowth of the traffic and that the continued growth of traffic is in tum dependent upon greater facilities. It should be remembered also that the United States government is doing extensive work in the direction of cheaper transportation at other points. It has spent millions on the harbor at Galveston, and the railroads running to that po'nt are reaching out for the traffic which was formerly tributary to the great lakes. The state of New York is now spending nine millions of dollars on improve- ments in the Erie canal, which are designed to assist and co-operate with the deeper channels in the lakes in maintaining the supremacy of the northern route from the west to the seaboard. The members of this association should carefully consider this subject in its broadest as- pects, and determine what action should be taken to expedite the com- pletion of the deep-water channel. If Ballard's reef and the lower Detroit river are to be brought in. harmony with the other points where exten- sive improvements have been made, the work there should be put un- der the contract system and sufficient appropriations made to push it. along as fast as possble. fae The following shows substantially the present condition of the deep- water channel between Lake Erie and Lake Huron: The work at the foot of Lake Huron as far as the entrance.of the St. Clair river is finished. The approach to the St. Clair flats canal, and the work at the canal itself, is finished. The new Grosse point channel at the foot of Lake St. Clair will be finished in June or July, 1897. At present there is an available draft of water at that point of 18 feet. The im- provement at Bar point from the foot of Bois Blanc island, and ex- tending to the Detroit river light, will require the whole of next sea- son for completion, but in the meantime at the present stage of water there is over 18 feet of available draft. At Ballard's reef the available depth (referred to a stage of water which is the mean of the readings of the Lime-Kiln guage, since Nov. 18, or 1.2 feet below the zero of that guage) is in the 300 feet west of and adjacent to the center line of the proposed channel, 16 feet 3 inches. This depth is upon a ledge of rock, the least depth at all other parts of this channel being 16.8 feet. In the 150 feet east of and adjacent to the center line of the proposed channel there is a minimum depth of 16.8 feet. At Lime- Kiln crossing the actual depth is 18.8 feet, and from there to the foot of Bois Blanc island the actual available depth at the stage of water -- above referred to is 16.8 feet in a channel 600 feet wide. From the foot of Bois Blane island the actual available depth is 18 feet, and when the contract in force is completed next season the channel there will be 800 feet wide, with 194 feet of water at the present stage. There is in the hands of Col. Lydecker about $50,000.00 available for work next season at Ballard's reef and at Lime-Kiln crossing' to the foot of Bois Blanc island. Specifications for the work are not yet prepared, as it is desired to make some surveys through the ice, if pos- sible, before preparing them and letting the contract. Col. Lydecker states that he is not now able to predict what increased depth may be obtained at Ballard's reef and below the Lime-Kiln crossing with the funds now available, but he hopes to secure a channel depth of ap- proximately 18 feet at the stage of water referred to above. GRAIN SHOVELLING AT BUFFALO. Tn the spring of 1896, the association renewed its contract with James Kennedy of Buffalo to shovel all grain brought to that port in vessels of the association. Some changes were made in the contract with Mr. Kennedy, but the scale of charges for shovelling remained asin 1895. It will be remembered that in 1893 the shovelling charges at Buffalo were as follows: For grain in the hold of steamers, $4.00 per thousand; for grain ketween decks in steamers, $4.50. per. thousand; for wet or damaged grain $10.00 per thousand; for grain in sailing vessels, $3.50 per thousand. In 1894 the rates for Shovelling grain in the holds of steamers was reduced to $3.75 per thousand, the other rates remaining as before. In 1895 the Lake Carriers' Association first took hold of the matter, and after very careful negotiations carried on for the vessel owners by the present head of the association, a contract was entered into by which the shovelling rate was reduced to $3.50 per thousand on 'all grain, irrespec-