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1901.) MARINE REVIEW. | 21 ea sn " ----m. MORE ORDERS PLACED WITH LAKE SHIP BUILDERS. Orders placed a couple of days ago by Capt. John Mitchell of Cleve- land with the American Ship Building Co. for two steel freight steamers of the 6,000-ton kind bring the aggregate value of new ships now under contract with the big ship building organization up to $9,105,000. These two steamers cannot be delivered until August next, so that the ship building combination is now not only provided with new work for the winter but has about all that the several yards can do throughout the summer of 1902. Capt. Mitchell and his associates have two vessels com- ing out in May, in addition to the two for which orders have just been placed. It is announced that one of the new vessels is for the Etna Steamship Co., a Mitchell corporation already organized, and the second one for Capt. John Mitchell and others. General dimensions of the new vessels are to be the same as the steamer H. C. Frick of the Mitchell but they will not have quite as much power as the Frick. They will be 486 ft. over all, 416 ft. keel, 50 ft. beam and 28 ft. molded depth. They will have triple expansion engines with cylinders 22, 85 and 55 in. diameter and 40 in. stroke. Each steamer will have two Scotch boilers 13 ft. 2 in. diam- eter and 11% ft. long and they will be fitted with Ellis & Eaves induced draft. The boats will be built at the Lorain yard of the American Co. L. J. Petit of Milwaukee, who has extensive salt interests at several Lake Michigan ports, is negotiating with Capt. James Davidson of West Bay City, Mich., for two wooden steamers and it is expected that a con- tract will be closed in a few days. The over all length of the steamers will be 200 ft. or thereabouts, beam 36 or 37 ft. and molded depth about 14 ft. The cost complete is placed by Mr. Petit at about $60,000 each, and they are to be ready for service early next season. Ry Sy RY i ' y ALD Se ( © eS fy A\ Ne r MES ; Qi STA eS VNC A ROMO OF RSS BAe? ASS ORS Oy SO oA d AA Ox uA) ei Lo.% SOLS Ae ASSERT ae OBSTRUCTIONS IN NAVIGABLE CHANNELS. THE QUESTION OF BASCULE OR VERTICALLY-MOVING BRIDGES AS AGAINST THE OLD-TIME CENTER-PIER OBSTRUCTIONS, WHICH HAVE BEEN ABAN- DONED IN LEADING CITIES CF THE COUNTRY, ESPECIALLY ON THE GREAT LAKES, IS BROUGHT HOME TO CONGRESS BY PLANS FOR BRIDGES OVER THE POTOMAC. At the beginning of the twentieth century the most marked and uni- versal development in transportation is the supreme necessity and ever- increasing importance of vessel or water transportation. In nearly all civilized countries railroad construction has been developed to meet the requirements of the present time and early future, which the railroad can supply, but the railroad systems, owing to their inherent limitations, are far from adequate to meet the necessities of all classes of transportation. Vessel transportation is and will necessarily ever continue to be the most economical means of transport, as one 10,000 or 20,000-ton vessel (we will soon have many of the latter) can carry a cargo (with slight cost of maintenance of way on rivers and channels and none whatever upon the oceans) equal to the capacity of ten or twenty of the largest train-loads. The vessel is also the most economical and in many cases the only means of reaching the foreign markets of the world. It is not confined to a limited number of comparatively short routes, as is the case with the rail- road, but has a virtually limitless number of routes at its service, provided without cost by the great oceans of the world. The rivers of the world are becoming of greater importance and value -- each day, as they form the connecting links by which vessels can reach yO ry > ey te YL LGA OY YY Ally ay a 3 oN » SZ, DQ AN ZY KZ ot yA Fig. 1.--Plat showing channel of Potomac river at Washington, D. C., and approximate lines of new highway and adjacent new railroad bridge to replace old "Long" bridge; also approximate line of proposed bridge to Arlington. Buoys show dredged channel. One of the two large side-wheel passenger steamers for the new com- pany that is to operate between Detroit and-Buffalo was launched on Sat- urday last at the Detroit works of the American Ship Building Co., and named Eastern States. These steamers, which are to be 366 ft. over all-- larger than the City of Erie and City of Buffalo, or in fact anything in the way of a side-wheel steamer ever built on the lakes--are to make the run of 256 miles between Detroit and Buffalo in about thirteen hours. They will have immense power in inclined compound engines and will in all respects rank among the best paddle steamers in the world. A general description is reserved until such time as plans of hulls and machinery may be published. Now it is said that Frank E. Kirby of Detroit will design the three passenger and freight steamers which are intended to replace the old wooden steamers of the Anchor line running between Buffalo and Duluth, but the Buffalo officials of the steamship company have as yet made no definite statement as to whether the vessels will be built or not. It is said that the new ships will be somewhat larger than the Northern liners North West and North Land, but will not be high power as a speed of about 15 miles an hour is all that is contemplated. The steamer Frank W. Hart, the second of the steel freighters build- ing for Mr. J. C. Gilchrist and others of Cleveland, will be launched at the Lorain yard of the American Ship Building Co. on Saturday next. Leatham & Smith of Sturgeon Bay, Wis., have purchased from the underwriters the wooden steamer Elfin-Mere, recently damaged by fire, and will rebuild her. : f° "The four Liverpool steamers, Leafield, Theano, Paliki and Monks- haven, which made their appearance in fresh water two years ago, but returned to Europe last fall, will remain on the lakes this winter. These vessels are the property of the Clergue interests at the Sault, the commercial and industrial centers located in the interior of the various countries. These rivers must and will necessarily ever increase their importance and value with the growth of population, and are indispens- able to every nation as great internal connecting public highways. It is therefore essential, not only that these rivers be improved, but that no artificial obstructions be placed in them which will impair, hamper or destroy their usefulness. This is true even though at the present time the existing commerce may not be large, as no one can predict what the demands of the early future will be for commerce or war. When unobstructed the capacity of a river for the transportation of commerce and for service in time of war is stupendous. A river of mod- erate width of channel can economically and safely carry more tonnage than a ten or twenty-track railroad. In most civilized countries the prin- ciple is well recognized that a mavigable river is an extremely valuable public trust property and any impairment, alienation, misuse or mts appropriation of the same is a serious violation of a public trust, even more sertons in tts far-reaching effects than a misuse of public trust Junds. This principle will be recognized and supported by every one in the United States as just, for the United States has been singularly fav- ored by nature with great rivers, which have already rendered important and most invaluable service, not only in time of peace but especially in war time. In many respects the Potomac river is one of the most important of the rivers of the United States. It is the only means of communication by water between the capital and other parts of the United States, as well as other parts of the world, and in time of war it is the most valuable artery for the defense of the capital. Owing to the fostering care of the national government, the Potomac river has already been greatly im- proved for navigation, so that it is now navigable for large ocean vessels as far up as the Aqueduct bridge, which is a fixed structure above George- 2 | :