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MARINE REVIEW. 1 ncn Affairs in Admiralty. The current issue of the Federal Reporter contains in full _ the decision of Judge Severns, of the United States district court at Grand Rapids, Mich., in the case of the Reid Towing and Wrecking Company against the Canadian propeller Atha- basca. Reid constructed at Sault Ste. Marie in July 1888 a raft 1,200 feet long, 250 feet wide, containing 1,500,000 feet of logs included in a. sack boom, consisting of timber fastened together at the ends with chains, and having two or three cables thrown across to prevent spreading. Two tugs were stationed, re- spectively, at the head and rear of the raft to help it along and crowd it over to one side of the channel so as to permit of the passage of vessels. Entering a long, narrow channel in the Sault Ste. Marie river, between Squirrel island and Cunningham’s dock, where the current is about four miles per hour, one of the tugs was sent down stream to warn approaching vessels. Such warning was given the propeller Hiawatha and her tow, but none was given to the Athabasca, a large steel passenger steamer, although her smoke was seen from the tug. As soon as the Athabasca became aware of the approach of the raft, she checked her speed as much as possible without losing her steer- age, and kept as close as prudent to the Canadian shore. At this time the raft was sweeping rapidly down stream, with a tug at either end, striving to pull it to the opposite side of the river. This resulted in carrying over the ends, leaving a large bulge in the middle of the raft, reaching within 60 feet of the Canadian shore. The Athabasca, not having sufficient room left her in which to pass safely, changed her course, and went through the raft, stem on, breaking the boom and scattering its contents, re- sulting in a total loss amounting to $12,000, which the libellant sought to recover. The court held that it was a hazardous undertaking to take a raft of such size, form and structure down the Sault Ste. Marie river, knowing the perils incident to the almost constant passage of vessels, the swiftness of the current, and the occasional narrowness of the stream ; and that it was an added negligence not to take effective means to warn the Athabasca before she reached the narrows, her approach being known ; and that such negligence constituted the cause to which “THE MICHIGAN” ISSUES POLICIES ON HULLS AND CARGOES ON FAVORABLE TERMS. IT IS FOR THE INTEREST OF THE OWNERS OF THE LAKE MARINE TO BUILD UP A HOME COMPANY BY THEIR PATRONAGE. AGENCIES AT PRINCIPAL PORTS. O TRON MANUFACTURERS AND CON- tractors. Office of U. S. Light-House En- gineer, Ninth District, Detroit, Mich., May 19, 1891. Sealed proposals will be received at this office until 4 p.m. of Tuesday, the 16th day of June, 1891, for furnishing the materials and labor of all kinds necessary for the completion and delivery of the metal work tor the Chicago Harbor Light-Station, Illinois. and tor its erec- tion at the site. Plans, specifications, forms of proposal, and other information may be obtain- ed on application to this office. The right is re- served to reject any or all bids. ILLIAM LUDLOW, Liglt-House Engineer, Ju 11 Steam Valves Actuated by Direct MARSH STEAM PUMP, Absolute Actuation and Regulation Without Use of Tappets, Levers or other Mechanical Connections. FOR MARINE AND STATIONARY BOILERS. Smaller Sizes With or Without Hand Pumping Attachment. Exhaust Returned to Boiler. Heats Feed Water Forty to Fifty Degrees, accord- ing to tests made by Prof. M. E. sate ol the University of Michigan, 3oiler Pressure, Has Fewer Wearing Parts than ANY OTHER Steam Pump. For Circulars and Prices, address STRONG. CARLISLE & TURNEY. Cleveland, 0. EET METAL & BRASS wu«KS. Detroit, Mich. DETR OS MATTLE CREEK MACHINERY CO., Manufacturers, Battle Creek, Mich. the collision must be attributed. It was held further that both Canadian and federal courts clearly recognize the right to tow logs in raft on navigable streams, such as the Sault Ste. Marie, but that such right must be exercised with due regard to the rights of others, and the general usages and customs of navigation and commerce on such waters; and that while the libelant, in the exercise of such right of towage, was entitled, for the protection of its raft, to full observance on the part of others of the established principles of navigation, yet the way in which the libelant exercised such right would necessarily effect its claim upon the diligence of others. The negligence of the libel- ant being established as the inducing cause of the collision, the charge of accessory negligence on the part of the respondent must be clearly made out before damages should be divided. None of the grounds suggested as showing contributory negligence on the part of the Athabasca were sufficiently established to warrant the court in dividing the damages. The schooner Jesse Night, passing down Chesapeake bay at night, south by east, met the steamer W. R. McCabe making north-north-west, the red lights of each appearing slightly off the port bow of the other. The steamer turned slightly east, and the schooner, when from 300 to 4oo yards off, also turned in the same direction and collided. Judge Butler, of Pennsylvania, eastern district, held that as the schooner should have assumed, when so close to the steamer, that the latter had accommodated. himself to the situation, and should have held her course, a was in fault. The steamer failed, however, to keep well off from — the schooner, which, when about 300 or 400 yards off, made ah abrupt turn, causing the disappearance of the lights. It did not vat appear from the steamer in which direction the change of course was made. ‘The steamer was accordingly held in fault also fdr not stopping or reversing, even if it was not certain that stopping _ or reversing would have avoided the collision. gee The Empress of India, a late addition to the English navy, is provided with four 25,000 candle. power search lights, each of which is worked by a separate dynamo. , EE EEE A Insurance Company of North America. | INCORPORATED 1794. LAKE MARINE DEPARTMENT, GEO. L. McCURDY, Manager, Chicago, Ills. CHARLES Puart, President. WituiAM A. Pratt, Vice-President. EuGEneE L. Eu.ison, 2d Vice-Pres’t. GREVILLE E, Fryer, Sec’y & Treas. Joun H. Atwoop, Assistant Secretary. Capital, pald up in. cagh.s.¢-s-s-i-d.on ee: $3,000,000 00 BSOOES. oo occ is scot aces cot ce etn ee ee 8,951 518.83 Commercial Union Assurance Company, Limited, OF LONDON. INLAND MARINE DEPARTMENT. DAVID VANCE & CO., General Agents, MILWAUKEE, WIS. Local Agents at all Lake Ports. -INSURES HULLS, CARGOES.* FREIGHT. ROPOSALS FOR CHANNEL EXCAVA- tion. U.S. Engineer Office, Buftalo, N. Y., April 30th, 1891, Sealed proposals, in’ dupli- cate, for excavation of material at the followng points, will be received at tiis office until 2 P.M. on Saturday, the 30th dav of May, 1891, anc opened immediately thereafter in presence of bidders: Oleott Harbor, N. Y., between the piers, Oak Orchard Harbor, N, Y., between the piers, Niagara River, N. Y., near Strawberry island. The attention of bidders is invited to Acts of Congress, «f February 26, 1885, and February 23, 1887, vol. 23, page 332, and vol. 24, page 414, Statutes at Large. Specifications, gen- eral instructions to bidders, blank forms of pro- posal, or necessary information, will be fur- nished on application to this office. The United States reserves the right to reject any or all STANNARD & DILLON, Chicago, III. proposals. AMOS STICKN!Y, Major «f Vn- H. P. TOBEY. Toledo, 0. gineers, U.S. Army, May 28