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20 the progress of the steamer. You can- not run her at full speed against the northeastern gales, around Cape Cod, Por iu you do, she -breaks her. rivets, and comes back to you for repairs, you have got to slow the steamer down, and that throws the schedule out of gear; it is like a double track railroad which has reached its maxi- mum, one express train out of schedule throws the whole line out of gear, and one steamer like that throws the docks all out of arrangement, and everything is thrown askew. That is just the problem that is coming on these steamers. It is that single fea- ture that probably has not been taken into account that will cause the fail- ure of this great attempt to move the mines through one process straight to the gas jets or the gas engines in our big cities in the east. F. L. DuBosque: It is presumption perhaps, for a man who must ex- press himself in such humble words as I may command, to rise to speak after the eloquence we = have just heard, but there are a few pertinent questions which should be asked, in- _asmuch as the remarks which have just preceded will go into our rec- ords. [| ask, first, if the gentleman has a son, has he sent him to college to be educated, or is he bringing him up in the hard and fast way in which he was brought up? Secondly, does the gentleman recognize that nine- tenths of the coal transported along our coast is being transported by steam? Thirdly, has he ever been in Norfolk and seen his sailing ships anchored in the stream, while vessels propelled by steam or towed are at the docks and having their bunkers filled? little more practical and should enter upon our records. *"W.F. Palmer: I ask the courtesy of the floor, to make a brief reply to the remarks just made. Our ships are under the common law of carriers. We are joined together in what is known as the Atlantic Carriers' Asso- ciation and we get absolute turn in loading and unloading. The penalty for violation is all written in the charter. We have met the president of the Norfolk & Western Railroad Co., here in the city, at his own re- quest, and the asked us not to bring suit. I brought a suit--it was fought out in the United States courts--in the celebrated Chesapeake & Ohio srailroad case, in which the doctrine was laid down from the bench that no transportation company could give any preference to any ship engaged in transportation. The theory on Such questions as these are a. TARE MaARINE REVIEW which a steamer would get in ahead of one of my ships, would be ridicu- lous, and I should appeal to the courts immediately. That is part of the case on record, naturally, the steamers do not like this, to have a little sailing vessel to take their place, and have the steamer wait until their sailing vessel is docked. It is cheaper fon them to put in the steamer and pay for any delay which might be occasioned to the sailing vessel. But so far as law. of gravitation, or any- thing else, is concerned, which will allow a steamer to go in ahead of a sailing vessel, without paying for it, that idea violates every word of the comomn law which has. existed for over three hundred years. F 1, DeBbosaue:: 1 am glad: the gentleman recognizes that what I said are facts. The President: I hope to see the day not far distant when I will be out of this chair, and be more or less free to. express the opinion I have upon the subjects in which I am in- terested. <1 try hard to -carry an even keel here, but it is very difficult at times, particularly now. With re- gard to the transportation of coal on the Atlantic coast, I believe that the methods that are followed are as in- adequate as the Constitution. I be- lieve that the wooden schooner is a weight around the neck of the indus- tries of New England today. But I want to stggest to the gentleman whose industry and whose capacity for his business I admire, as many others do, if he would think of under- taking today to manage the traffic of the great lakes with his wide fore and aft schooner? EARLY HISTORY OF MONITORS. W. I. Power's paper entitled "Some Early History Regarding the Double- Turreted Monitors Miantonomoh and Class," was then read by the secre- tary. COMMUNICATED DISCUSSION. W. A. Dobson, Esq., naval archi- tect at Cramps: "Having been asso- ciated with Mr. Powell for a number of years in the preparation of the designs for 'the earlier vessels of the new navy, it gives me pleasure to bear witness to the .deep interest he manifested in all matters pertaining to the construction of war vessels, and to the self sacrifice that this interest often imposed upon him. In fact this work before us was entirely a labor of love and was dione in Mr. Powell's own time. In these days of planimeters and integrators, the amount of work involved in such a set of calculations is comparatively small, but at the time Hook, Governor's this work was done the task was indeed a formidable one, involving the use of wedges of emersion and im- mersion, with the careful adjustment of their centers, etc. Anyone that has waded through an experience of this sort can appreciate the work and headaches involved, others can thank God for Dr. Amsler. As a very young man I had worked upon the plans of the Miantonomoh at the ship yard of John Roach. Mr. Powell being aware of the fact took occasion to show me, while calling upon him at his home in Washing- ton, in the winter of 1880, the work he had done and the result as plotted, a part of which lies before you. Insofar as I -am aware this was the first set of complete stability cal- culations made in this. country for other than experimental work. If my memory serves me aright Irving Bab- cock made some similar investiga- tions concerning the stability of a merchant vessel, at a somewhat later date.. : It is very gratifying that Mr. Pow- ell has felt impelled to put upon rec- iord in the annals of our society this history of careful investigation which goes very far to refute the careless statements often made that the ships. of the old navy were the result of the Jack plane and rule of thumb. Adjournment was then taken for one year. PROPELLED BY GASOLINE ENGINE. On the last day of November. an oil carrier, built by the Union Iron Works of San Francisco for the Stand- ard Oil ©o,, was launched: at 'the Potrero, Bay of San Francisco. Miss Bishopburger christened the vessel Contra Costa. The vessel cost about $100,000 and is the largest craft afloat that is propelled by gasoline engines. She has twin screws, two gasoline en- gines of 300 H. P. and a speed of 11 knots per hour. The dynamo, the windlass, winch and pump engines are all of the explosive motor type. The Contra Costa will be used for carry- ing oil round San Francisco Bay and as far south as Half Moon Bay. If necessary, she can be used for coast- ing. She is fitted to accommodate a crew of 14 men. The C, F. Harms Co., 140 Broad street, New York, have just issued a calendar which is quite valuable to navigators as' it indicates high water at Sandy Island and Hell Gate. Incidentally their lightering and towage business is advertised.