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Major A. D. Ardery, district engi- neer at Huntington gave _interest- ing Ohio river lock and dam operat- ing costs. In 1926, he said, the ton- nages handled on the Ohio river in that district cost the federal govern- ment 2/10 cent per ton mile, or 13 cents a ton for every ton carried on the Ohio. On the Great Kanawha river system it cost the government 29/100 cent per ton mile, or 13.7 cents a ton for every ton carried; on the Little Kanawha river, 27/100 cent a ton mile, or 12.7 cents a ton; and on the Big Sandy, 10.4 cents a ton mile, or 87% cents a ton for every ton carried, this high cost being due to the shifting sandy bottom of that river which necessitated constant work upon it. Maj. Gen. Edgar Jadwin, chief of Whos Who IESEL electric drive is of vital Dp interest to you if you are at all interested in water trans- ‘portation. The reasons for its cre- ation and subsequent rapid growth have been repeated so often that it seems that a brief summation is a'l that is necessary. 1. It uses the economies of the diesel engine; 2, it provides the most flexible power plant. Under the above is found the op- portunity to divide the power plant into a suitable number of units to provide greatest economy under vary- ing conditions and at the same time increase reliability. The ability to connect an electric motor to the propeller shaft and se- cure any predetermined range of speeds, forward or reverse, instantly is of great value. With the control of the motor placed in the pilot house the system is adapted for very severe maneuvering conditions. The above are claims which can have little merit without substantial proof. It is therefore only proper to enumerate those who have made a study and been convinced to the point of installing such equipment: 1, many yacht owners; 2, Atlantic Refin- ing Co.; 3, New York Central rail- road; 4, Long Island railroad; 5, Penn- sylvania railroad; 6, United States En- gineers Corp.; 7, Panama canal; 8, Construction Materials Co.; 9, Stand- ard Oil Co. of Calif.; 10, Standard The author, W. A. Thorpe, is a member of the staff of the Marine Department of the General Electric Co. This article was pre- pared at the request of the Editor. 74 engineers of the war department, quoted government statistics showing the growth of Mississippi valley traf- fic, in 1889 being 28,000,000 tons whereas in 1926 it had increased to 57,000,000 tons. Once it included be- side coal, sand and gravel, also gen- eral freight; but now in addition moves vast tonnages of iron and steel, petroleum and other bulk freight via the river at great saving in trans- portation costs. He declared there is nothing speculative about these savings, they being as certain as an- nual returns on trunk line railroads. Such savings on the Monongahela river alone in a few years’ operation have returned to shippers. savings aggregating millions more than the sums the government has_ invested in locks and dams. He declared that the problem still remaining after the completion of the river work, is to work out with lateral railroads, bus and truck lines along the banks of the river, reciprocity of interests in conveying as feeders to the river the freight that originates back 75 to 100 miles inland. Election of officers of the Ohio Val- ley Improvement association resulted as follows: President, Capt. Oscar F. Barrett; secretary, W. C. Culkins; treasurer George Puchta; executive committee, Edwin C. Gibbs, chairman, W. C. Cul- kins, George F. Dieterle, Maurice J. Freiberg, R. P. Gillham, A. K. Nip- pert, Julian A. Pollak, George Puchta, and James A. Reilly, all of Cincin- nati, and James T. Hatfield, Coving- ton, Kentucky. in Diesel Electric Drive By W. A. Thorpe Oil Co. of N. J.; 11, Southern Pacific railroad; 12, Wilmington Transporta- tion Co.; 18, Golden Gate Ferry Co.; 14, General Petroleum Co.; 15, Mid- dlesex Transportation Co.; 16, United States coast guard service; 17, Al- lantic Transit Co.; 18, United States Steel Products Co. The above is only a partial list; but it is at once apparent that the list of owners represent a large and sub- stantial group of soundly managed companies with most competent engi- neering staffs. The diversification of service is such that diesel electric drive is in daily and successful operation in all parts of the world. Just review the services of some of these ships and where you will find them: The Atlantic Refining Co., tankers, around Philadelphia or in Europe or Africa; the coast guard cutter prob- ably in Alaskan waters; the Standard Oil Co. of California, tankers, around California, up at Alaskan ports, west coast ports and around the Hawaiian islands; the Wilmington Transporta- tion Co. tugs at Los Angeles; the Panama canal tug boats in the Zone; the Port of Houston fireboat at Hous- ton, Texas; the Golden Gate Ferry Co. and Southern Pacific and North- western Pacific railroad ferry boats in San Francisco harbor; the Standard Oil of N. J. tanker plying down the Atlantic seaboard; the United States Engineers Corp., dredges and tow- boats found on the coast and along the Mississippi and its tributaries; the United States Steel Products Co. vessel MARINE REVIEW—November, 1927 plying the Great Lakes, canals and St. Lawrence; the Construction Ma- terials Co., dredge bringing material into ports of the Great Lakes for building purposes; the many tugs of the New York Central, Pennsylvania and Long Island railroads are busy with tows of barges or running light in New York harbor; the many yacats. with this type of drive may be found any place in the world. With such a list of owners, so many classes of service and in so many localities, diesel electric drive has proven its merit and will con- tinue to grow. For this growth the General Elec- tric Co. has furnished a large num- ber of units and is now manufac- turing others. Drydock for Oakland The General Engineering & Dry Dock Co., Alameda, Calif., is prepar- ing to start construction of a: new floating drydock to accommodate ships of 15,000 tonnage. Plans and speci-. fications are completed according to. Geo. Armes, president of the com- pany. On Oct. 2, the new turbo-electric, self-unloading steamer, CARL D. BRAD- LEY of the Bradley Transportation Co.. sailed from Calcite, Mich. for Buf- fington, Ind. with a cargo of 15,724 tons of stone which establishes a record. The L. E. Block on Aug. 28 loaded 15,622 tons of stone at: Calcite for Indiana Harbor.