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MARINE REVIEW. VoL. XX. CHANGE OF JURISDICTION. THE AUTHORITY OF NAVY DEPARTMENT BUREAUS IN MATTERS RELATIVE TO VESSEL CONSTRUOTION IS AGAIN THE SUBJEOT OF REVISION. The protest of Rear Admiral Philip Hichborn, chief of the bureau of construction and repair, navy department, against the abolishment of getteral avy order No. 428, has evidently cartied considerable weight with Secretary Long, es special order No. 84, just issued as a substitute for the general order, will show. Order No. 428 was issued by Secre- taty Herbert and gave to the chief tiaval constructor almost complete authority and responsiblity in the designing of vessels. The friction be- tween department bureaus, which lately drove the secretary to the point of casting about for some method that would lead to the entire abolition of the bureau system, or at least a consolidation of several of the bu- reaus, resulted in this order being looked upon as one of the points of special dissatisfaction, and a majority of the members of the board of construction recommended its annulment. Rear Admiral Hichborn filed a minority report, in which he made a vigorous protest against any such proceeding, and now Secretary Long has promulgated the new order. While it increases somewhat the authority of other chiefs of bu- reauis, so far as concerns their work on designs of ships, it reaffirms practically all of order No. 423. As other members of the board claim, however, to be well satisfied with the changes made, it is hoped that a reasonable degree of peace and harmony will prevail for some time to come. The new order makes four changes. The first occurs in the first paragraph, in which responsibility for the designs of vessels is taken from the bureau of construction and repair, leaving with that bureau the problems of structural strength and stability. The next change, which is in the fifth paragraph, limits the report of the chief constructor on any objections to certain changes "'to matters under the cognizance" of his bureau. A similar change is made in paragraph six, where it is provided that proposed changes concerning more than one bureau shall be made the subject of propositions "forwarded to the department through each of the bureaus concerned."' The new order is in full as follows: S. O. 84, Navy Department. Washington, D. 'C., July 24, 1899. G. O. 428, dated Oct. 9, 1894, is amended so as to read as follows: 1, In addition to its duties as prescribed by the navy regulations, the bureau of construction and repair is charged with the responsibility for the structural strength and stability of all ships built for the navy. 2. During the preparation of the designs of a new vessel each bu- reau shall prepare a detailed statement of all objects under its cognizance which it is proposed to install during the construction and fitting out complete for sea, of the vessel. Fully itemized estimates of weights and Positions of centers of gravity of all objects will be included in this detailed statement. A copy of the above will be furnished the bureau of construction and repair before the final plans are submitted to the secre- tary of the navy for his approval. Within three months after the com- missioning of a new vessel a detailed statement, itemized as the above, shall be furnished the bureau of construction and repair, in which actual weights and revised estimates of positions of centers of gravity, where necessary, shall be given. a : Changes in ships from the original designs, in the ~ positions, dimensions or weights of framing, hull plating, spaces, openings, or hull fittings, of machinery, armor and armament, articles of outfit or equip- ment, or in weight of stores to be caried, shall not be made unless ap- Proved by the department, nor shall work be commenced on a design till the space allotted for each purpose is shown on it; provided that propo- sitions to make any of the aforesaid changes not involving a cost of more than $500, which may be agreed upon in writing by all the bureaus Concerned, need not be submitted to the department. _.4. Chiefs of bureaus charged with designing, manufacturing or fur- nishing machinery, armor or armament, articles of outfit or equipment, or stores for vessels, who may deem it advisable to make changes in Positions, dimensions or weights of said machinery, armor or armament, articles of outfit or equipment, or stores, shall submit to the department through the bureau of construction and repair a statement in writing of the proposed changes and the estimated increased or decreased weight and cost thereof, and the reasons therefor. The chief constructor shall carefully consider all such proposed changes and forward them to the department with a written statement regarding their effect upon the plans, structural strength, stability and efficiency of the vessels, including in such statement an estimate of the Increased or decreased cost, if any, to the bureau of construction and Pair, to the result therefrom. He shall also state whether or not he nds any objections to such changes, so far as relates to matters under the cognizance of said bureau, and if so, what they are. In like manner, whenever the chief of the bureau of construction and repair may deem it advisable to make changes in the construction, Position or dimensions of the hull or fittings, or in space or arrangement of space, affecting the work of another bureau, he shall submit to the department, through that bureau, a statement in writing of the proposed changes and the estimated increased or decreased cost thereof and the reasons therefor. The chief of the bureau concerned shall carefully con- sider such proposed changes and forward them to the department with a Written statement sho wing whether or not he finds any objections to such changes, so far as relates to matters under the cognizance of said bureau, and if so, what they are. In case such proposed changes concern more than one bureau, the chief constructor shall cause the proposition to be Payne Bidg.,by the Marine Review Pewee, CLEVELAND, O., AUGUST 3. 1849 Intered at Cleveland Postoffice N as second class matter, Oo. 5 forwarded to the department through each of the bureaus concerned; the chief of each of these shall make his statement upon it, as aforesaid, the last chief to whom it is referred forwarding it to the department. 7. It is not intended by this order to subordinate any one bureau to another, nor in any manner to relieve chiefs of buréaus of their respon- sibility in designing, manufacturing and furnishing to ships such machin- ery, ordnance, equipments and stores as pertain to their respective bu--- reaus, and they will continue as heretofore to issue the necessary instruc- tions for the carrying out of all work authorized by the department per- taining to matters coming under their cognizance, respectively. The United States navy regulations are hereby amended so as to conform to the requirements of this order. TRIP OF THE MAE THROUGH THE ST. LAWRENCE. Kingston, Ont., August 1.--The recent trip through the rapids of the steel steamer Mae, the largest vessel ever transferred from the great lakes to the Atlantic coast, via the St. Lawrence, has proven the most inter- esting event of the present season of navigation in this locality. The Mae was built by the Craig Ship Building Co. of Toledo, O., for the Porto Rico trade and is 250 feet keel, 42 feet beam and 24 feet depth. She has triple expansion engines of 19, 30 and 52 inches diameter of cyliniders and 40 inches stroke; two Scotch boilers, 12 by 12%4 feet, allowed 175 pounds steam pressure. As this vessel was too large to pass through the St. Lawrence canals she had to attempt the feat of running the rapids. After discharging a cargo of grain in Kingston, she proceeded under her own steam to Ogdensburg, arriving there on Sunday, July 16. From there she was taken in tow of the steamer Chieftain of the Calvin Wreck- ing Co., and proceeded as far as Coteau Landing, arriving there on Mon- day. Something having gone wrong with the Mae's steam steering apparatus, it was given a thorough overhaul and the defective part re- paired, and on Tuesday the steamer, drawing 7 feet 9 inches of water, started on her perilous journey down 'the Coteau Rapids in tow of the Chieftain. She swept past the Coteau railway bridge without mishap. Upon taking her first plunge in the Coteau rapids, however, her steam steering gear again gave out, leaving her to the mercy of the waves, but the plucky commander of the Chieftain, realizing the danger, at once swung his steamer around in the current. He brought the Mae head to current and her anchors were thrown just below the big shoal known as "La bature de franc coeur," where she fetched up all safe in the eddy formed by this shoal. The steering gear was once more put in repair, and on Thursday the anchors were raised and another start made. Ar- riving opposite the great swells known as "La chute aux bouleaux" (the largest in the whole chain of rapids), the vessel took a sheer northwards, straight for the 'big shoal where the Standard Oil Co.'s barge stranded a year ago, but the Chieftain 'crowded on full steam and pulled her clear of it. The next place where trouble was expected is called "La bature a Lachinette,' but the steamer, as if to atone for her previous short- comings, made this winding descent as beautifully as any of the mail steamers could have done. Split rock, Grecian's shoals and Cascades were then successively passed in safety, and without further adventure the largest and deepest draught steamship ever attempted through the rapids glided safely into the still waters of Lake St. Louis. 'Mr. John Craig, the builder of the Mae, was on board and expressed himself as being highly pleased with the trip. HARBOR IMPROVEMENTS AT TWO HARBORS AND MARQUETTE A bulletin from the United States hydrographic office gives the fol- lowing information regarding harbor works at Presque Isle, near Mar- quette, and at Two Harbors, Minn., both of which are points of ore ship- ment on Lake Superior: The breakwater at the west side, Two Harbors, Minn., is built to the length of 750 feet, 150 feet to be added and finished in the year 1900. The breakwater at the east side of the harbor is built to the length of 750 feet. The proposed extension of 250 feet in the same direction has been aban- doned and in its stead an extension at an angle of 45 degrees southward 300 feet in length is proposed, making the entire length of this (eastern) breakwater 1,050 feet. This is also to be finished in the year 1900. The least walter on both sides of all the ore docks in Agate Bay, Two Hiarbors. is 20 feet. There is 18 feet on both sides of the merchandise dock, and the same depth on the southwest side of the coal dock. The breakwater off Presque Isle point, Miarquette bay, in course of construction for the protection of the ore docks in that locality, is at present 500 feet long and is to be extended 500 feet in the same direction lakeward, the work to be finished in the year 1900. .The depth of water on 'both sides of the ore dock of the Lake Superior & Ishpeming Ry. at Presque Isle is 20 feet, with 18 feet at the merchandise dock. The trial of pneumatic tools, for the introduction of which on the Clyde the Chicago Pneuntatic Tool Co. some time ago sent several repre- sentatives abroad, proved entirely successful, according to reports in the British engineering iournals. The Syren and Shipping says: "The rivetting work was better done than by\hand and more work can be turned out in the same time, although an equal number of hands is re- quired. Whether the system will catch on with us remains to be seen. The cost of fitting out a big yard with the system would not be expen- sive, but then there is no person more pig-headedly Tory than the aver- age British manufacturer; and besides, there is the British workman to consider. Will he demand that any saving secured by the introduction of the new system shall go into his own pocket Weare rather amused to find one report of the trials dwelling upon the noise the new apparatus makes."