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236 be reduced as they become more fam- iliar with the installation. The company does not expect to save any money by the change, deriving its main benefit from the cleanliness of the ships and less friction in the fire-room. MARE ISLAND DRY DOCK. The new dry dock at the Mare Island navy yard has been completed and accepted by the government. The cruiser California was the first vessel to enter the new dock. The event THe Marine REVIEW tance than with the rudder and pro- pellers; that the addition of weight gears 1 in, of "drdeght, and that if installed it must be at the sacrifice of an equivalent in coal or ammunition. Looking at the subject in this way, the brake is not likely to be installed on board ships of war. NAVIGATION ON 'THE RED RIVER OF THE NORTH. The steamer Alberta, of the Winnipeg Navigation Co.'s fleet, Winnipeg, Cain; CRUISER CALIFORNIA IN New Dry was celebrated by a salute of cannon and a banquet to the officers of the ship. The dry dock was built by the Aviantic. Gulf & Pacific Co., and the Schofield Construction Co. The dock is 791 ft. long, being 120 ft. wide at top and 76 ft. at bottom. SHIP BRAKE ON THE INDIANA. Regarding the ship brake. which has undergone tests by the navy depart- ment the Army and Navy Journal says: It is not likely the navy depart- ment will adopt the ship-brake, which has been tested on the U. S. S. Ind- iana. This was the device in which President Roosevelt took much _ in- terest and it has been urged upon the naval authorities as a valuable acquisi- tion to vessels of war. While the final official report from the board of in- spection has not been acted upon, it is understood that the department will decide that the advantages of the ap- pliance do not offset the disadvant- ages; that the progress of the vessel can not be impeded with the prompt- ness which has been claimed; that the ship is not turned in any shorter dis- Dock at Marre Istanp "Navy YARD. is about to test the Red River of the North as a means of communication for large river steamers drawing 5 and 6 ft. of water. The Alberta leaves Winni- peg June 4 for Grand Forks, North Dakota, and after a short stay there, will continue to Fargo, if conditions are suitable. This is a 500-mile trip, in addition to the 2,000-mile journey, made by the Same steamer last year down the Sas- katchwan river from Edmonton to Win- nipeg. This necessitated a trip through the Grand Rapids at the mouth of the river, entering Lake Winnipeg. Several passengers and a cargo of freight were brought down and the company desires now to test the feasibility of a water route in the north 2,500 miles or more in length. If the route proves commer- cially practicable, additional stern wheel steamers will be built. A Dominion government survey is to be commenced immediately to ascertain the necessity of improving the water route between Edmonton and Fargo, N. D. Explorers have reported that a 6 to 8-ft. channel can be maintained on this route at comparatively little expense as the river has a deep, broad channel nearly the whole distance. Ten thousand June, 1910 dollars has been appropriated for the survey, which will be made under the direction of L. R. Boligny, one of the sub-chiefs on the Georgian Bay Canal survey. TOW BOATS ON UPPER MISsIs. SIPPI. -The new rivers and harbors appro- priation bill carries with it an item of $500,000 for testing the plan proposed by Ray S. Reid, Wisconsin waterways commissioner, of using small but power- ful tow boats with barges on the upper Mississippi river, such as are used on the Rhine, Elba and other German streams in handling freight. The bill provides that the government shall have constructed two such- tow boats of different modern types so that* a thorough test of this mode of trans- portation may be made. Several barges 'will be handled by a single tug and 'they will probably be towed astern in a string. The barges and tugs. will prob- ably be built of steel. Commissioner Reid made an extensive study of foreign methods of river trans- portation as a representative of Wis- consin, and later went with the National Waterways Commission over the Euro- pean rivers. The tow boat plan has -met with considerable favor from gov- ernment engineers, although Major'Chas. Kellar, .in charge of Mississippi im- provement work between St. Paul and St. Louis, adheres to the present method of employing large stern wheel steamers running without barges. JUBILEE MEETING POST- PONED. The Jubilee meeting of the Institution of Naval Architects, which was to have been held in London on July 5, has been postponed for one year owing to the death of King Edward. About 40 mem- bers of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers had signified their intention of attending this Jubilee meet- ing. The Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. launched the steamer El Sol May 11, one of four it is build- ing for the Southern Pacific Steamship Co. (Morgan Line). The new vessel is 430 ft. long over all and will be propelled by triple-expansion engines of 5,000: H. PP. Miss. Helen Torney, daughter of Assistant Manager Torney of the steamship company, acted as" sponsor for the new vessel. The launching was informal and was the fourth at that yard this year. The Santa Fe Railway has given con- tract to the Union Iron Works for the construction of a ferry boat for service in San Francisco Bay.