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Construction Is Started on San Francisco Bridge President Roosevelt on July 9 from Washington, by tapping a tele- graph key started work on the great San Francisco-Oakland bay bridge— 814%, miles long. As he did so, the President said: “TI deem it a real honor to initiate the construction of the greatest bridge ever built and the largest con- struction job undertaken in the -United States this year, the San Francisco-Oakland bay bridge. “Financed jointly by the Recon- struction Finance Corp. and the state ot California at a cost estimated at $70,000,000, this great span will serve countless millions during the years to come. “Bven now it is serving a useful purpose as it brings additional em- ployment to thousands of men who are getting the materials ready and to 6000 or 7000 men who will work directly on the job of construction. “This huge undertaking which is te be followed by many others through the medium of the public works program, symbolizes the up- turn that has come in our industrial life. “T am glad to have a part in this historic ceremony.”’ Former President Hoover partici- pated in the opening ceremony at San Francisco by placing a golden spade into the ground on Yerba Buena island in San Francisco bay. He said: “This marks the physical begin- ning of the greatest bridge yet erect- ed by the human race. But it is more than a bridge. It marks the con- summation of that unity of effort for co-operation on the part of the citi- zens, the municipalities, the state and the federal government which is the genius of our countrymen.” Accidents to Vessels In the July 1 bulletin of the bu reau of navigation and steamboat in spection appears the following account of accidents to vessels under the juris- diction of this service: At about 8:15 p.m., May 28, 1938, while the freight steamer J. B. SrTeT- SON was proceeding from San Fran- cisco to Long Beach, Calif., and the steamer CHEHALIS was on a voyage to San Francisco, the vessels collided ai about 5 miles east of Point Arguello, doing considerable damage to the CHEHALIS. The case is being investi- gated. While proceeding from Portage Ship cana! to Fort William, Ont., May 27 at 6:30 p.m., the steamer Grorce M. Cox stranded on Rock of Ages, reef, Lake Superior. Passengers and crew, totaling 121 persons, were taken from the vessel in the lifeboats and landed at Rock of Ages lighthouse. No lives 28 were lost, but the vessel is a total loss, the value being estimated at $125,000. Charges were preferred against the master, first officer, and pilot. The local inspectors at Marquette, Mich., found these officers guilty of reckless navigation and inattention to duties, and their licenses were revoked. While on a voyage from Philadel- phia to New York, May 29, the tug TRENTON sprang a leak, and the crew was unable to control the water. It grew so high that the fires were put out, and the vessel was beached head- on. The crew went ashore in the life- boat and landed safely. The case was investigated by the local inspector in Philadelphia, but as there was no evi- dence of any negligence on the part of any licensed officers, the case was dis- missed. Ships in Collision The liner Ciry OF BALTIMORE, Out- ward bound from Baltimore with 50 passengers aboard, on July 12 collid- ed with the Standard Shipping Co. tanker BEACON in Chesapeake bay off Gibson island. No one was reported injured. The collision occurred in clear bright weather and was reported to have been due to a defective steering gear, causing the rudder to jam. Both vessels were damaged. Dry dock examination of the City OF BAL- TIMORE showed a rupture of the shell below the waterline, 8 feet in length. There was also a _ 60-foot opening above the waterline. The bow of the tanker BEACON was also damaged. Both vessels went into dry dock at Baltimore for repairs. French Mail Contracts New York headquarters of the French line announce that the French chamber of deputies and the senate have voted long term mail contracts for the French line, the remuneration for which will vary between 50,000,000 and 150,000,000 franes per year ac- cording to the extent of the services rendered. This definite settlemnt of the ques- tion of mail contracts guarantees the operation of the line’s services with the present regularity of sailings and maintenance of standards. It is in ef- fect a vote of confidence in the present management of the French line, head- ed by Marcel Olivier, now chairman of the board of the company, and Henry Cangardel, the line’s managing di- rector. The Bakelite Corp., Bound Brook, N. J., has prepared a little booklet intended as an answer to the ques- tion «“*what. is. Bakelite?’ This pamphlet sketches briefly the origin manufacture and applications of many types of Bakelite products. It is nontechnical in scope. MARINE REvIEw—August, 1933 Request Bids for Cargo Ship for Swayne & Hoyt Word from the Pacific coast indi- eates that bids are to be opened by Swayne & Hoyt, San Francisco, Aug. 81 for the construction of a 7500- ton deadweight passenger and cargo steamer. This vessel is to be used in the service of the Gulf-Pacific Mail line. Delivery will be made about Sept. 1, 1934. In addition to general cargo serv- ice, the vessel is to be fitted with special refrigeration space for perish- able cargo. Accommodations are also to be installed for twelve pas- sengers. A speed of 13 knots is con- iemplated and the power required will be about 4000, probably in re- duction geared turbines with single screw. Reconditioning has already been car- ried out on two vessels, the POornr BRAVA and Point ANCHA, stepping up their speed from 9 to 13% knots. Cargo handling facilities on these vessels were also modernized. Hoboken Terminal Leased The shipping board at a meeting July 11 authorized the Merchant Fleet Corp. to accept the offer of Max Thaten to lease the government terminal property at Hoboken, N. J., in accordance with his revised bid providing for 50 per cent of the gross revenue and not less than $90,000 per annum for the first year and $100,000 for each suct¢eeding year during the term of the lease which is 5 years. The lessee may use the property for loading and discharging passen- gers and cargo and assembling out- ward and inward cargo in accordance with the usual commercial practices. The lessee may not unduly compete for general storage with privately owned and operated warehouses in Hoboken and vicinity, and all stor- age of the terminal property shall be subject to regulations and restric- tions of the lessor. The shipping board reserves the right to terminate the lease in the event of a national emergency. United States department of com- merce reports that an increase in sub- sidies for the Italian merchant marine during the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1933, has been authorized by the Italian government. This would bring the entire subsidy for the coming year to a total of 331,246,000 lire which is an increase of 8,469,000 lire from the preceding year. Of the total amount of the subsidy shipowners will receive 260,- 035,000 lire which is an increase of 8,600,000 lire as compared with last year.