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ey MARINE REVIEW. ~ | ae LOW-WATER REFERENCE PLANES. A NEW STANDARD HAS BEEN ADOPTED, BASED UPON THE LOWEST KNOWN LEVEL, FOR SOUNDINGS ON THE LAKE SURVEY CHARTS-- VERY IMPORTANT INNOVATION. As the narrative below has to do with an important revolution in recording ex- isting depths of water in the navigable channels of the great lakes it might be well to premise it with a brief sketch of the engineer who is projecting it. Maj. W. L. Fisk, now stationed at Detroit, was graduated from the United States Mili- tary academy at West Point in 1877. He was stationed at the United States engineer school at Willet's Point, New York harbor, until 1880. He was assistant to Gen. Quincy A. Gillmore in local charge of river and harbor works in Florida until 1882. The principal works which came under his jurisdiction were the beginning of the jetties at the mouth of St. John's river and at the entrance to Cumberland sound. He was assistant to Col. S. M. Mansfield at Galveston, Tex., until 1884, the chief work being the Gal- veston jetties. During 1885 he acted as secretary of the Missouri river commission at St. Louis. He was assistant professor of civil and military engineering at the United States military acad- emy at West Point until 1887. From that time until 1891 he was stationed a New Orleans in charge of river and harbor works on the coast of Louisiana. He had in charge the construction of the jetties at Sabine Pass, La., and Tex., and also the surveys of South Pass, Mississippi river, upon which depended the payments made to the estate of James B. Eads for maintaining that. channel. He was also engineer of the seventh and eighth lighthouse districts. He went to Duluth in 1892 and assumed charge of river and harbor works on Lake Superior. While there he considerably improved the harbors of Duluth, Two Harbors and Marquette. He was stationed Maj. W. L. Fisk. harbor, until 1895, as instructor in electricity and f submarine mining. He then went to Portland, Ore., where he remained until 1899. He constructed the locks at the Cascades of the Columbia river, the jetty at the mouth of the river and the jetty at Coos bay; also fortifications at the mouth of Columbia river. He: also acted as engineer of the thirteenth lighthouse district comprising Oregon, Washington and Alaska. He was at Portsmouth, N. H., until the end of 1900 in charge of the new defenses of that harbor; and of river and harbor work between Boston and Portland, doing exceed- ingly important work in the construction of a harbor of refuge at Sandy bay, Cape Ann, Mass. 'He has been stationed at Detroit since the beginning of 1901 in charge of the United States lake survey, including the preparation and issue of charts and the investigation of lake levels with which the subjoined article has to do. Maj. W. L. Fisk of Detroit is engaged on one of the most important works in relation to lake commerce in which it is possible to be engaged-- that is to devise a system whereby the master of a vessel might instantly calculate the actual depth of water in the harbors and known shoals of the lakes. At present only the relative depth is known, owing to the lake level basis upon which depths are reckoned. Under the present system there may be less water in a harbor, or in any of the connecting channels of the lake, than is indicated on the charts, owing to fluctuations of the lake level. Under the new system there never will be less water than is recorded, because the new charts are to be based upon the lowest known level for a great series of years. Some time ago Major Fisk took the subject up with the authorities at Washington and received authority to formulate the new system. He is now issuing a new series of charts based upon the new standard low-water reference planes. "The great advantage," said Major Fisk, "of the standard low-water reference planes for soundings on lake survey charts is that in the lakes. themselves there' will' probably: always be a little greater depth of water than indicated by the charts. Therefore, when the navigator is working by them and not cognizant of the prevailing stage of water they cannot lead him into trouble." As shown on the lithographed chart, which is issued as a supplement to this issue of the Revfew, the elevation of these new standard low-water reference planes, expressed in feet above mean sea level at New York, is: For all:charts pertaining.to Lake Superior... ......<...5+5 600 ft. For all charts pertaining to Lake Michigan .............. 578 ft. For all. charts pertaining to. Lake Huron ..:..0...05..00.. 578 ft. For. all.charts pertaining to Lake Erie. :. 2.5.6... sees: 570 ft. For:all: charts pertaining:to Lake Ontario .......5...45.65 243 ft. The standard low-water reference planes for the various river charts will be made consistent with those for the lakes which they connect. The lowest monthly mean stage of water in Lake Superior of which there is official record was 600.19 ft. in March, 1880. It is not at all probable, at least not for many years to come, that during the season of navigation the stage of water in this lake will go below 600 ft. A higher elevation could not well be chosen without danger of the charts at some time indicating more water than actually existed. Six hundred feet has therefore been chosen as representing the safest stage for. all conditions likely to occur. The lowest monthly mean stage of water in Lakes Michigan and Huron was 578.59 ft. in December, 1895, and the elevation of 578 ft. has been adopted for the standard low-water reference plane for these lakes. The lowest monthly mean stage of water in Lake Erie was 570.79 ft. in Novem- ber, 1895, and the elevation of 570 ft. has been adopted for the standard low-water reference plane for this lake. The lowest monthly mean stage of water in Lake Ontario was 243.50 ft. in November, 1895, and the eleva- tion of 243 ft. has been adopted for the standard low-water reference plane for this lake. The soundings on all lake survey charts, issued by the engineer de- partment, will be reduced to this plane as rapidly as the work can be done. Early in the coming summer the charts will be supplemented by a system of automatic gauge indicators for the harbors and rivers of the great lakes. Each gauge will show continuously, in figures large enough to be read with a good glass for a distance of two miles, the additions to be made to the soundings on the corresponding harbor, coast or general survey chart to give the actual depth of water for the stage prevailing at the time. Major Fisk is now engaged upon the design of these indicators, which will all be of a standard pattern. It will thus be seen that the combination of the charts with the auto- matic gauge indicators will furnish vessel masters at all times absolutely at the engineer school, Willet's Point, New York' reliable information as to the depths of water prevailing at any particular harbor or along any particular river. Major Fisk says that he is desirous of working on the most 'cordial terms with those who have interests of any kind bearing upon the charts and will be glad to receive suggestions that will tend to make them more useful, and especially information as to any shoals which may not be on the charts, in order that they may be definitely located and recorded. In this connection it is interesting to note that, according to a table arranged by Maj. Thomas W. Symons, United States engineer corps, the level of Lake Erie at Buffalo has been falling for the last four years. The fall was gradual until 1900, when it became greater than in preceding years. Among other things he has found that the lowest water in the period of navigation occurs in the spring and fall when the harbor is busi- est. The highest water reached during the four years was Nov. 21, 1900, the stage being plus 6.4 ft. and the lowest on Dec. 4, 1898, and March 138, 1901, when minus 4.4 ft. was recorded on both dates, the range of fluctua- tion being 10.8 ft. The following table gives the monthly mean stages of water for the last four years. The figures show the feet and decimals below the established mean lake level: oS : oO u 'G Db o. > ob a : poe a 2 s a s S 3 Ss "9s 2-4 5 < 5 5 < neo CA ee tied ouieiale Ghat ve aie *.. 1.37 1.48 1.10 0.50 0.87 0.33 0.55 0.59 0.97 1.14 1.04 0.98 bs Succi Ca hie amen. 1.10 1.56 1.21 1.45 1.00 0:70 0.66.°1.05. 1,12- 1:81 1.50°1.17 Ses Wdew Gee eh seca 1.55 1.55 1.60 1.02 0.76 0.76 0.70 0.85 1.08 1.41 1.88 1.80 VQOL cs Seer 1.53 2.12 2.84 2.05 1.98 1.48 1.25 1.50 1.41 1.59 1:80 1.75 Average 4 years........ 1.39 1.68 1.56 1.18 1.03 0.82 0.79 1.00 1.14 1.36 1.42 1.380 TO CHECK THE "BOOM" IN IRON AND STEEL. A STATEMENT FROM THE UNITED STATES STEEL CORPORATION SHOWING A BUSINESS SO PROSPEROUS THAT A LEVER MUST. BE PUT UPON PRICES TO WARD OFF THE DANGER OF REACTION. | & b& & S 6 Year, SSH For two or three weeks past it has been generally understood in iron and steel circles that heads of the United States Steel Corporation would take measures to check the "boom" that is again at hand in this industry; that further advances in prices would be discouraged so as to avoid danger of reaction. An official statement on this score, just issued by the big organization, shows a most prosperous condition of business. It is a state- ment preliminary to the general report that will be made to stockholders at the annual meeting Feb. 17, and is signed by President Charles H. Schwab and Mr. Elbert H. Gary, chairman of the Board of Directors. Briefly, the statement is as follows: "The outlook for the year 1902 is very bright. Everything indicates that all of the facilities of each subsidiary company will be taxed to their utmost to supply the demand that is being made. The actual business now booked and of which shipment is being called for faster than it can be supplied amounts to more than half the total combined annual capacity of all the companies. The heavier products, like rails, billets, plates and structural material, are sold up to the productive capacity of the mills until nearly the end of the year. In the more highly finished products the consumption in each case is greater now than at the corresponding period in 1901, which it should be remembered was an abnormally heavy year. The expectation therefore of those closely connected with the manufacture and sale of these highly finished products, is for a time even larger than that of 1901, and up to the limit of production." Discussing prices,*the report said they could have been advanced, but that it was decided tdé°be better policy to refrain from doing so. The reference to prices follows in part: "The demand for products has been so great that prices could easily have been advanced. Indeed, higher prices have been voluntarily offered by customers who were anxious for the immediate execution of orders, but the companies have firmly 'main- tained the position of not advancing prices, believing that the existing prices were sufficient to yield a fair return on capital and maintain the properties in satisfactory physical condition and that the collateral advan- tages to be gained in the long run by refusing to advance prices would be of substantial and: lasting value not only to the companies, but also to the general business interests of the country." , The report asserts that this policy as to prices has not only exerted a reassuring effect upon the trade, but has contributed to the restoration of confidence in the general business situation. Great progress has been made in the general plan to harmonize the work of the many plants, to secure perfect co-operation and to effect economy in manufacture, but the end has not been reached and favorable results may still be accomplished. The departments of ore mining, coal mining, coke manufacture and lake transportation, the report says, have been thoroughly systematized and the managements of manufacturing plants have been brought into closer rela- tionship. Advantage has been taken of the cheapest distribution in the scheme of economies. The report reviews the larger financial operations of the company, including those of its organization, printed the recently published state- ment of earnings for the first nine months of the existence of the company and gives a condensed balance sheet for Nov. 30, 1901. This balance sheet shows that on Nov. 30, 1901, the accounts receivable aggregated $45,269,- 458, the bills receivable $2,821,463 and the cash on hand $55,315,527, a grand total of $103,406,444. In the list of assets in the balance sheet was a credit of inventories amounting to $95,603,997 and a subjoined tabulation showed that it included ores on hand valued at $34,776,053, finished products, $15,- 322,636, manufacturing supplies and miscellaneous stores $12,170,161, and materials, labor and expense locked up in current uncompleted bridge con- tracts $9,268,361. The current liabilities on Nov. 30 were stated at $50,269,630, and the surplus of the corporation and the subsidiary companies was placed at $174;344,229. The cost of the properties owned and operated by the several federated companies was given as $1,437,494,862. "The business of the companies," says the report, "has been put on practically a cash basis. The losses actually incurred through bad debts have been very small and little if anv loss in the collection of accounts and notes receivable is anticipated. About 70 per cent. of the total current monthly accounts due from customers is now being generally collected within thirty days and it is the effort of the several managements to main- tain the business on a strictly cash basis."