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MARINE REVIEW. : wn ---- --_---- syhen the boats were tied up, rather than from light construction. We vs é found 148 cases where the stern logs or pipes, or stern bearings, were Mencive In most of these cases the defect is from decayed wood, caused by leakage, or from insufficient fastenings of the stern pipes in the stern Oi: inspection of pumps, piping and connections thas been espe- cially rigid, and, while we have found very few cases of broken pumps, we have found many cases where the piping and sea 'connections were defective. There are 762 vessels on the lakes in which the sea connec- tions are not fitted with non-return valves, or so that water could not, either by accident or intention, ibe run into the vessel. This is a fault the seriousness of which has been especially illustrated during the past win- ter, when a great number of vessels were loaded with grain in the fall and used for storage during the winter at Chicago. Ina great many of these vessels damaged grain was found in the spring, from the leakage through the sea connections, which, if they had been fitted with non-return valves, would not 'have occurred. "There are 153 vessels in which steam and water pipes passed through the coal bunkers without proper protection, and there are 92 vessels on which the fire apparatus is either out of order or insufficient. "Our survey of the electrical equipments has, as yet, been rather superficial, and 'has really amounted to only the listing of boats having such equipments; 'but we are now starting on a very much more full and rigid inspection iof these equipments. We have found 312 vessels equipped with electrical lighting apparatus. 'A number of these equipments are rather crude and the installation and wiring far from satisfactory, and there have 'been a number of cases of damage to cargoes and vessels, from fire started through defective insulation. "We are, of course, not at liberty to say very much regarding the ratings which have been placed on the different vessels on the lakes, but there are some points in regard to the ratings ion machinery which are of interest, and which we can divulge. It was not our intention to use age as a factor in the rating placed 'on machinery, but to base the rate entirely on the construction of the machinery and its condition of preservation. From a table compiled from the rating placed on the 1,300 iodd vessels, however, the fact is shown that age does cut considerable figure with the condition. The highest classification given to any vessel built previously to our rules compiled for future construction is 100, and' we rate from that down to 80, by points of five. It is interesting to note that the boats on which the machinery is rated as low as 50 were built during the following periods: Three between 1860 and 1870; four between 1870 and 1880; four between 1880 and 1890, and two sinice 1890. The rating of 55 is distributed about the same, although there are four boats built since 1890 rated as low as 55. This low rating, on recently built boats, is accounted for by light and faulty construction, and from the fact of their being very poorly cared for. The highest rating given to any boat built earlier than 1870 is 85, The majority of those [built between 1870 and 1880, rating from 70 to 90, and of those built between 1880 and 1890 ranging from 75 to 95, although there are 62 built during this period rating as high as 100. Most of the boats rating 90, 95 and 100 have been built since 1890. An Il-Advised English Criticism.-- Insurance Matters. Fairplay of London is a marine journal that has been crying out for a long time past against reduced rates of premium on marine insurance. It is a publication that 'circulates quite generally among the principals of the big English companies and among underwriters generally throughout the world. Of late its criticisms regarding low rates accepted for lake business have been especially severe, some of them directed against the McCurdy~Prime syndicate of Chicago, on the theory that they are respon- sible, through urging low rates of insurance, for much of the dissatisfac- tion that exists in England on account of small profits on American business. Mr. Geo. L. McCurdy of Chicago seems to 'have forwarded to Fairplay a 'copy of the "Masters' Manual," recently issued by the Great Lakes Register, and in doing so sent also a copy of a formal letter that accompanied copies of the manual forwarded to lake papers. In this letter it is stated that the manual is distributed free of cost to lake vessel masters, and that the valuable information which it contains stamps it as a meritorious work, worthy of the approval of assurers and assured. Fair- play prints the letter in full with this comment: "Readers of Fairplay will not forget that Mr. McCurdy is the author of the dictum that 'the ship owner, not the underwriter, pays the loss,' and the originator of the new departure in underwriting whereby pre- mums may--in theory--be cut down below paying point and a profit secured by bringing pressure on owners and masters to exercise such joint and several care that casualties shall be reduced below the normal scale. © manual contains valuable advice in this direction, and if it is only Strictly followed by masters they will (weather permitting) run free of disaster--only, in that event, the owners may fail to see any necessity for Paying premiums. Underwriters in general will be interested in watching the working out of 'Mr. McCurdy's ideas in particular, and therefore it is to be hoped that Mr. McCurdy and his combination will persevere in their "xperiment. What with 'registers' and 'manuals' they. may score eae dreamt-of success; though the theorem that there ought to be premiums, but no claims, rather takes aback underwriters at this end of the old world --who do not as yet see how with casualties abolished premiums are to be got. The manual seems to be carefully compiled, and Mr. McCurdy must be credited with having taken great pains to make it a vade mecum .t masters of lake steamers. In my opinion he would have done better in leaving navigation matters alone and 'changing rates of premiums cal- culated to leave a 'living' profit over the current scale of claims." The drift of the foregoing argument regarding insurance on the lakes. +onung as it does from the 'home of the big companies that have ruled in 'e business of late, is significant from the fact that it is based on the theory that the only way to make the business pay is to raise the rates. ust now the Chicago syndicate, which has controlled a very large part of € lake business during the past two years, is confronted with some troubles at home on account of a stand taken in the settlement of losses On wooden vessels that is not agreeable to the owners of these vessels. Heavy losses in lake business on the rates of premium ithat have prevailed during the past few years are also causing some anxiety as to what another season may bring forth. The leading marine companies are certainly very much dissatisfied with 'hull business 'here. Higher rates may be de- manded, and it is possible that there may 'be no so-called Chicago syndi- cate next year. The stronger companies of the syndicate may refuse to continue further in it, if reports that have been circulated regarding losses are to be relied upon. The withdrawal of such companies from the lake business would certainly result to the disadvantage of all vessel owners. 'But whether the syndicate is to continue its power in lake business or not, it is certain that there are no vessel owners in this part of the world who will agree with the kind of criticism that has been directed against the "Masters' Manual" and other work of its kind put forth from Chicago. The underwriter who is content to simply mark up rates to a living profit must fail of receiving that hearty support that should ibe accorded to the underwriter who, drawing from 'his general experiences, admittedly broad- er than the experiences of the individual owner, gives to the lake marine such data and information as will enable it to minimize loss. The dis- semination of information like that contained in the manual 'has met with general approval from masters of lake vessels, and their endorsement is characteristic of the men themselves, hearty and emphatic. \We do not believe it is the duty of the insurance companies to take their experiences of a year, or series of years, and fix their tariff to meet the average expe- rience plus a living profit, but to point out those truths that experience shows, and offer to co-operate with the lake owners to at least prevent those losses (and they are many) that are preventable, thus evincing some- thing infinitely better than blindly marking up tariffs. The lake owners have enough to contend against, and will surely accept and heed intelli- gent suggestions that are honestly placed before them, for they do not want losses, and will co-operate with the underwriters to prevent them. Fairplay's ideas are antique. We might point to the fire companies who are continually giving to the assured ideas that mean, when adopted, a reduction of rates, and yet we fail to find that the fire underwriters are losing anything by improving the risk. To. carry out Fairplay's theory, it might 'be in order to inquire: 'What is the use of Fairplay? Its pub- lishers are, of course, in business for profit, but they must intend its pub- lication to broaden the minds of its readers.. Why not do away with it then, and have its readers depend upon the current gossip of the street? More Shoal Water Around the Apostles, Capt. |H. W. Stone of the Bessemer line steamer Robert Fulton sends the Review particulars of another shoal spot in the Apostle islands neigh- borhood, Lake Superior, that should 'be avoided by masters of deep-laden ships. The big carriers, drawing more than 18 feet in some cases, will continue to find shallow places, and it is to be hoped that reports will be made for the benefit of all concerned. "On the night of Aug. 10, about 11:30 p. m., while bound down. from Duluth," says Capt. Stone, "we dropped into Ashland for our consort. We ran by Sand island light-. house about twenty minutes (not intentionally, however) and then hauled in for Raspberry island light, steering S. E. by S. %4 S., with the light open a quarter of a point on our port bow. I continued on this course until I found from the action of the boat (the bone left 'her nose) that we were in RASPBERRY é «f" Ae Na a tS) ywc ee te te shoal water. The ship was immediately checked. iAbout this time we touched bottom twice, 'but not hard; not enough, as far as we could learn, to cause any perceptible damage to the ship. 'Sand island lighthouse bore W. by S.; Devil's island light-house, N. E. /% N. I found where these bearings intersected with our course that Sand island light-house was 5 miles distant, Devil's island light 7 miles, and Raspberry light 3 miles. The chart shows 6 fathoms of water in this vicinity. You will observe that I was a little to the eastward 'of the course laid down on charts. We were drawing 18 feet 2 inches when leaving Duluth." } In the reprint from the chart printed herewith the cross is located about where Capt. Stone found shoal water. 'Capt. Stone's description of the location is all right, but the drawing is not very satisfactory. Willard's steam yacht agency, 15 N. Canal street, Chicago, has sold the 87-foot steam yacht Adele to Mr. A. J.,Moxham, president of the Lorain Steel Co., Lorain, O. B. B. Inman, the Duluth tugman, last week filed a petition in bank- ruptcy. The assets are given as nothing and the liabilities as $182,000.