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34 SAULT STE. MARIE, ONT. Sch. Barlum, John J. Str: Minnie M. Str. King Edward Str. Paliki SHEBOYGAN, WIS. Str. Chipman, Susie Str. Ireland, R. L. Sch. City of Grand Str. Mills, William M. Haven Sch. Nau, Libby Str. Donaldson, J. A. Str. Normania Ste Gill," Alice = M, Sek: Petrel Str. Goulder, Harvey Sch. Rosa. Belle yD: Sch. Simmons, Rouse Str. Grover, Maurice Sch, Stevens, A. H. B. -Str. Taylor, Moses Str. Hemlock : SOREL, QUE. Str. Beaupre Str. Murray Bay. Str. Berthier Str. Prescott Str. Boucherville Str. Quebec Str. Chambly Str. Rapids King Str. Chicoutimi ~ Str. St. Irenee Str. Cornwall Str, Terrebonne Str. Hamilton. Str. Three Rivers Str. Laprairie SOUTH CHICAGO, ILL. Str. Calumet Str. - Saranac Str. Clement, S. M. Str. Smith, Lyman. C. Str. Elba Str. Smith, Monroe C? Str. Fischer, S. N. Str. Stone, George Str. Kennedy, Hugh Str. Sullivan, J. J. Str. Lagonda Str. Waldo, L. C. Str. Mullen, Martin NEW TRANS-PACIFIC LINE. Officials of the Western Pacific railroad recently made efforts to pre- vent a premature announcement of their plans for a trans-Pacific line of steamships, but it is known that such negotiations have been in progress and reliable information indicates that an agreement has been reached where- by the North German Lloyd Steam- ship Co. will maintain a service be- tween San Francisco and the Orient in connection with the Western Pa- cific railroad. What tends to confirm all this is the undisputed fact that more. dock room on the San Francisco. water front has been negotiated for and plans drawn for new piers. When these negotiations were first a mat- ter of rumor it caused some surprise and doubt as it was assumed that if previous statements of a recent agree- ment between Harriman and Gould were true, as precedent of financial assistance given to the latter, it would seem to preclude an _ independent move of such far reaching importance as the establishment of a rival steam- ship service on the Pacific. Taking it for granted: that this is to be done, it is hardly likely that arrangements would be made for that purpose with the International Mercantile Marine, as it has had no connections in China, while the North German Lloyd line has. a line through the Swez' canal and to the Straits settlement, with a well established 'business... __ It appears to be well settled that the North German Lloyd has been making preliminary preparations to place a line of its steamships in op- eration from European: ports to San Francisco on the opening of the Pan- ama canal. With the line from there TARE MARINE REVIEW to the Orient, in conjunction with the Western Pacific freight traffic, the German company would be in a par- ticularly strong position with a com-_ plete service circling the globe. A similar connection is to be made in the north, according to the recent announcement that on the completion of the Grand Trunk to the Pacific coast the Cunard line will establish steamers from the western terminal of the road to China ports. © Another matter, of significance in connection with the Western 'Pacific story, that tends to show the deal to have been made with the North Ger- man Lloyd and not the Hamburg- American, is the fact that last January these two companies entered into an agreement, under which the Hamburg- American Co. withdrew from the pas- senger service to' the far East in conjunction with the Suez service, and both companies agreed to work in unison on all the important lines of their: Service, DIFFICULTIES IN THE NAVY DEPARTMENT. Considerable feeling has lately been engendered between the bureau of con- struction and repair and the naval civil engineering corps of the navy depart- ment as a result of an investigation of the leak in dry dock No. 2 at the New York navy yard. The dock is built on made ground and a bad leak had been giving trouble for several months and had not been located. Civil Engineer Leonard M. Cox, of the naval engineer- ing corps, who is admittedly the highest authority in this country on everything pertaining to docks, had been detailed to examine the dock and had located the leak by means of aniline dyes, sending a long report to Rear Admiral Holly- day, chief of the bureau of yards and docks.* Subsequently a commission of three, consisting of Naval Constructor Stocker. as president, Civil Engineer Gregory, chief of the yards and docks division of the New York navy yard, and Engineer Cox, was detailed to make an investigation. As Engineer Cox had already done this his friends felt that an injustice was being done in asking him to serve in a subordinate capacity on the commission, recog- nized capabilities. An additional ground for. grievance is found in the fact that the report sent to Washington by the commission is in all essentials the same as the earlier one of ._Engineer Cox, although Mr. Stocker appears to get all in view of his the credit for having discovered the leak. The civil engineering corps has no féeling against Mr. Stocker; who, they eign - service. say, was considerate of 'his associates and simply obeyed orders, but the re- sult has been to place the two bureaus in another of those all too common difficulties. This was one of a very few cases - where an officer of the bureau of con- struction and repair, the business of which is to build battleships and cruis- ers, has been detailed to perform work ordinarily executed by the civil engi- neering arm of the service. A HUMILIATING RECORD, BY WALTER J. BALLARD, Twenty-six years ago 559. ships were engaged in the European grain trade of the port of San Francisco, of which 405 were foreign and 154 American; now the number is only 31 -- and all of those 'are foreign ships. For three years not a single American ship has been engaged in the trade, and only one each in the years 1904 and 1905. Here: is the humiliating record: Foreign Year. American Ships Ships. 1SS2ee 1A 405 1BO7 oe 55 Pees T8022 BOs eS 238 107 oy OA et 226 1902)... ee Ona. 208 O03 ea. Be oe gS POOR eos Pere 86 1008 Le a 106 ee are 29 LO0K ee ae So asa GOO 1908. CoO Ae eet ta OE While naturally, California's © in- creased home consumption of grain, owing toher rapidly increasing popula- tion, renders the quantity available for export to Europe very small, yet the fact remains that that -quantity, small as it is, is now carried entirely in for- ships, "because of the short- sightedness of Congress as to oun need of an ocean-going marine. A new. passenger and cargo steamer for the Lamport & Holt Line's South American service was launched at the Dixon ship yard at Middlesbrough, Eng., Dec. 8. She was christened the Vasari and besides being very completely fitted for the carrying of enormous. quantities of general cargo she will have luxurious accommodation for 200 first-class pas- sengers and a large number of inter- mediate and third class passengers. The Vasari will trade in the company's New York, Brazil and Argentine Republic She is'502 ft. long, 59 ft. beam 36. it. 3 in. deep.. Her engires, which were built by Richardson, West- garth & Co., will give the steamer °a speed of 14 knots or and more.