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26 MARINE REVIEW AND MARINE RECORD. ip MAJ. SYMONS GOES TO THE WHITE HOUSE. And now Maj. Thomas W. Symons, one of the most com- petent of the army engineers on the chain of lakes, and proba- bly the greatest living authority on the subject of waterways (real and proposed) from the lakes to the Atlantic seaboard, is to go to the white house to occupy a largely social position in place of Col. Theodore A. Bingham, transferred to Buffalo. Col. Bingham has been since March, 1897, the superintendent of public buildings and grounds and military aide to the president, in which position he has charge of all entertainments at the white house. He has been, in fact, the president's master of ceremo- nies, and all the household expenses chargeable to the govern- ment have been disbursed by him. 'Things have not been alto- 'gether to Col. Bingham's liking since President Roosevelt has occupied the white house. His difficulties began when a civilian architect was employed to enlarge the white house, thereby creating a condition which every army officer and every civilian will thoroughly appreciate. Col. Bingham, with other officials, ridiculed the official structure and it was apparent to the densest intellect that Col. Bingham did not approve of Architect Mc- Kim's ideas. Col. Bingham, as disbursing officer, had to officially indorse a great many things which he did not approve of at all 'and some months ago he requested to be relieved. The president, however, persuaded him to remain. Matters then went-on plac- 'idly enough to all outward seeming until Col. Bingham pre- sented his estimate to congress of white house expenses for the 'coming fiscal year. In the past from $25,000 to $30,000 has been 'sufficient, which includes all cost' of living save eatables and drinkables. 'President Roosevelt' has surpassed all other presi- dents'as an entertainer, but it has been a matter of pride with him 'that: he has used his official salary for that purpose. The presi- 'dent 'was therefore greatly surprised. when Col. Bingham asked 'eongress for an appropriation of $60,000 for white house ex- penses, saying that the big increase was due to the lavish enter- 'taining of the president. Usually this appropriation has been secured by Col. Bingham merely telephoning the amount to. Mr. Joe Cannon, the chairman of the appropriations committee; but this amount was so excessive that Cannon asked Col. Bingham to put it in writing. Col. Bingham thereupon wrote the follow- ing letter which caused all the mischief: "The former estimate for labor and incidentals connected with the winter entertain- ments at the white house must have a considerable increase, be- cause the president is doing. a large amount of entertaining. Also, owing to the abolition of the conservarcory and green- house, flowers have from time to time to be purchased for the winter entertainments which cannot now be furnished by pro- pagating gardens." This letter was especially offensive to President Roosevelt, in that it spread the impression that he was entertaining at the government's expense and it did no good for Col. Bingham to explain that increased entertainments meant increased linen, in- creased laundry work, and that hardwood floors, instead of car- peted floors, meant a corps of servants to keep them polished. The post of superintendent of buildings is a desirable one and is much coveted by engineers. Maj. Symons is undoubtedly the personal selection of the president. He is a man of charm- ing personality and has been hitherto associated with the presi- dent in public work. President Roosevelt doubtless desires him at the white house; but nevertheless a very thorough and pains- taking engineer is removed from important construction work where he properly belongs. : DEATH OF WILEY M. EGAN. ° Wiley M. Egan, one of the most widely known shippers and vessel owners and quite prominently identified with Chicago : commercial life, died last Thursday at his home in Chicago. Mr. Egan had been a resident of Chicago. since 1835 and achieved great success as a business man. He was president of the board of trade in 1867 and 1863. 'During that time he took an active interest in politics and was elected to the legislature in 1871. He was born sat Ballston, N. Y.,-Aug. 1, 1827, and was married to Miss Mary P. Helm, Noy. 28, 1848. Shortly after reach- ing Chicago he became a sailor and sailed before the mast from 1842 to 1853. Gradually he advanced until he became master of a vessel and later the owner of several. Among the vessels which he owned were the William Egan, Plankinton, Armour and Fitzgerald. In 1857 he went into the business of commercial insurance in addition to his marine business. He is survived by a widow and three children. Wiley M. Egan. Joseph Croze, ship builder of Houghton, Mich., has been unusually busy since the close of navigation. He recently made repairs on the tug J. C. Morse that necessitated: hauling her out. i She was relaunched in good condition: He is now engaged in making repairs on the tug Grayling. [Feb. 19, AROUND THE GREAT LAKES, An act has just passed congress to authorize the construc- tion of a life-saving station at Lorain, O. Capt. H. W. Hart, senior member and manager of the Hart Steamboat Line, Green bay, died last week of heart disease. He was fifty-seven years old. Capt. A. W. Stalker of Toledo will sail the steel steamer W. W. Brown this season. Last year he was master of one of the steamers of the Bradley fleet. A dividend of 1 per cent. has been declared on the common stock of the American Ship Building Co., payable Mar. 2 to common stockholders of record at the close of business Feb, 18: It is understood that Canadian vessels of the lakes are to be included this year in the Inland Lloyd's register. Inspectors are now engaged in going over both Canadian and United Statiess vessels, Capt. H. J« Slyfield, for several years in command of the Detroit & Cleveland steamer City of Mackinac, died from pneu- mionia at Detroit last week. He was one of the most trusted men in the employ of the company. _ The fueling scow Black Diamond is to removed from Cleve- land to Ashtabula in the service of the Pittsburg Coal Co., taking the place of the Youghiogheny which is to undergo alteration and then be put into service at Erie. _. A. dispatch from Milwaukee announces that the steamer Minnie E. Kelton and Marion have been sold by Sidney O. Neff to the salt trust. They have been engaged in the salt trade for some time under charter from the Neffs. The steamer John Duncan has been sold to the Neffs by the Duncan estate. _ The Lake Erie Supply Co. of Conneaut, in which the Messrs. Hausher of Cleveland were interested, has sold its business te the Pittsburg Steamship Co. This means that the Steel Cor- poration officials intend to furnish supplies direct to their vessels at Conneaut, and probably later on at other places, in additiom to the general supply service at the Sault. President William Livingstone, Counsel Harvey D. Goulder and Treasurer George P. McKay of the Lake Carriers' Associa- tion left for Washington this week to secure, if possible, govern- ment maintenance of lights in the lower Detroit river and on the Southeast shoal, Point au Pelee passage, Lake Erie, which are at present maintained out of the funds of the Lake Carriers Association. The Reids, father and sons, well known as wreckers, and who have' of late made their headquarters at Sarnia have organ- ized a Michigan corporation that is to have offices at Port Huron. 'They have capitalized their company at $50,000. The stockholders are James Reid, father, and William Reid and J. T Reid, sons. 'They propose to conduct a general wrecking busi- ness as the Reid Wrecking Co. One of the busiest of the marine shops at the head of the lakes is the Northwestern Machine & Boiler Works at West Su- perior, of which W. Callison is manager. Some fifty or more men from these works are now engaged in vessel repairs. The Northwestern works was started in 1890. Charles A. Tepoor- ten is secretary, J. A. 1 epoorten, treasurer, and E. Callison gen- eral superintendent of the boiler works. Capt. B. B. Inman, one of the best known men connected with the lake trade, died in Milwaukee Monday night of pneu- monia. He had been ill but a very short time. Capt. Inman, who was fifty-four years of age, was assistant superintendent of the Pittsburg Steamship Co. and was at one time one of the largest tug owners on the lakes. He operated a fleet of tugs at Duluth for fifteen years. He started with the tug J. L. Williams and a half dozen years ago he had a fleet of fourteen tugs doing harbor werk at Duluth. The annual meeting of the Great Lakes Towing Co. was held at Jersey City this week. . The following directors were elected: Col. George A. Garretson, W. G. Mather, L. C. Hanna, H. G. Dalton. R. R. Rhodes, C. E. Grover, 'I'. F. Newman of Cleveland; L. M. Bowers of Binghamton, N. Y.; C. Wi Elphicke, Capt. Dennis Sullivan of Chicago; James Ash, Edward Smith of Buf- falo; Capt. James Davidson of Bay City, A. B. Wolvin of Duluth and W. T. Colman Carpenter of Jersey City. The directors will meet in Cleveland next month to elect officers. Mr. Frank W. Gilchrist of Alpena, Mich., has been success- ful in his efforts, as far as the house of representatives is con- cerned, in securing American registry for the steamship Mira, which was wrecked off the coast of Cape Breton. 'The release of this steamer from the rocks has already been described in the Review. The cost of the operation was over $50,000. She is now at Cramps, Philadelphia, being rebuilt at a cost approxi- mating $100,000. Under the navigation laws of the United States a foreign vessel cannot be admitted to American registry unless the cost of her rebuilding comes within a specified percent- age of her value or unless equivalent tonnage is built in the United States. The Mira, formerly the Beaumont, is British- built. The coast ship owners fought her admission to American registry but the lake representatives were unanimous for it and succeeded in carrying the bill by a vote of 143 to 24.