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20 "THE. Marine. REVIEW DEVOTED TO EVERYTHING AND EVERY INTEREST CONNECTED : OR ASSOCIATED WITH MARINE MATTERS ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH. Published every Thursday by The Penton Publishing Company CLEVELAND. BOSTON NEW YORK DULUTH PHILADELPHIA CHICAGO PITTSBURG CINCINNATI Correspondence on Marine Engineering, Ship Building and Shipping Subjects Solicited. Subscription, $3.00 per annum. To Foreign Countries, $4.50. Babebr bers oan have addresses changed at will. Change of advertising copy must reach this office on Thursday preced- ing date of publication. The Cleveland News Co. will supply the trade with the MARINE REVIEW through the regular channels of the American News Co. European Agents, The International News Company, Breams Building, Chancery Lane, London, E. C. England. Entered at the Post Office: at Cleveland, Ohio, as Second Class Matter. JUNE 28, 1906. SHIP BUILDING ON THE LAKES. During the year 1903 the ship yards of the great lakes had under order sixty-two vessels of which forty- eight were bulk freighters, capable of carrying in a single trip 230,950 gross tons of ore. During 1904 they had under order forty-seven ships of which twenty-two were bulk freighters, having a carrying capacity on a single trip of 214,200 gross tons of ore, thus showing that in that single year the average carrying capacity of ships had nearly doubled. The orders placed with the ship yards during 1905 for 1906 delivery included thirty-nine vessels of wii'ch thirty-four are bulk freighters having a carrying cap- acity in a single trip of 338,000 tons. The present program for 1907 delivery includes fourteen bulk freighters and one passenger boat and more orders are pending. The revolution in ship building on the lakes since the Augustus B. Wolvin was launched in April, 1904, has been astounding. Nearly all the vessels mentioned in the list are giant carriers, meaning by that from 8,500 to 13,000 tons, with the average about 10,000 tons. The fleet of 10,000-ton ships has really become so numerous as to excite no comment. But there are not many ships on the ocean larger than the largest on the lakes. Moreover, the trade in which these ships engage is assured for many years to come. LEVEL OF THE LAKES. -- A meeting of extraordinary importance to vessel owners is now under way at Buffalo. A delegation from Chicago is appearing before the International Waterways Commission for the purpose of obtaining authority to divert 14,000 cu. ft. more of water per - second from Lake Michigan for the purpose of flush- ing its sewage.through the drainage canal. The present quantity, which is diverted for this purpose, is 4,167 cu. ft. per second, but Mr. Isham Randolph, chief engineer of the sanitary district of Chicago, maintains that it is not sufficient. The chief concern of the vessel owners is as to the effect that such di- version would have upon the level of the lakes. Rep- resentation was made that 14,000 cu. ft. more per second would lower Lake Erie 7 in. and the other lakes about 8 in. As the modern carrier carries about 100 tons on an inch of water, 8.in. would mean a loss of 800 tons in carrying power on each trip, or 16,000 tons in an average season. Resolved into dol- lars at 75 cents per ton, it would mean.a loss of $12,000 per vessel in gross receipts. President Wm. Living- stone and Mr. Harvey D. Goulder, counsel, are repre- senting the Lake Carriers' Association at the nieeting. Mr. Francis King of Ottawa, is representing the Do- minion Marine Association. The sessions will prob- ably last for several days. THE SHIPPING BILL. Officers of the Merchant Marine League visited Washington this week to obtain a definite statement from Speaker Cannon concerning the status of the shipping bill. The definite statement was made that the bill could not pass during the present session. Thus one man defeats, for the time being, the express desire of the commercial interests of the country. The campaign waged for the shipping bill by the Mer- chant Marine League has been the most energetic and the most intelligent ever conducted in this country for a bill. The public conscience has been quickened to a greater degree than ever before to the deplorable conditions existing in our over-sea trade and scores upon scores of commercial organizations have pro- tested against it. Barkers, manufacturers and busi- ness men through their boards of trade and other or- ganizations have petitioned congréss to remedy the handicap under which American shipping in the for- eign trade' is now operating. The arguments which have been presented are convincing. Every congress- man is now familiar with them. Moreover there is no doubt but that a majority of the members of the house of representatives would vote for the bill if permitted to exercise their powers. There is hope that the bill will be speedily presented at the next sessiori of the present congress. To this end the Merchant Marine League will now bend its energies.