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10 MARINE REVIEW. | — Suggestions From Some Masters. Since the Cleveland Vessel Owners’ Association a short time ago published a list of aids to navigation that will be requested of Congress during the winter, some of the vessel masters have, according to the request made of them, submitted suggestions re- garding lights, fog signals, etc., and their practical knowledge of what is needed will serve to assist the vessel owners who are seeking these improvements. Capt. J. D. Peterson of the steamer J. C. Lockwood says: “I would suggest that the light at Whitefish point, Lake Superior, be changed from a fixed light to a red and white flash. White- fish is a very important light and one should be able to distin- guish it from any other light the moment it is seen. Many of our modern steamers now have electric masthead lights and in meeting these steamers near Whitefish it is sometimes hard to distinguish one from the other. And again in snow squalls, or any hazy weather it is very important that the master should be able to distinguish the light the moment he sees it. As it is now it is sometimes hard to do this. <A light on Vermillion point would also be of much benefit to masters.” “T hope every one of the lights and fog signals asked for will be secured,” says Capt. William E. Clarke of Buffalo ‘‘but would like to recommend a change if it be in order. In the list.a light on the north end of North Manitou island is recommended but I think the light should be on the southeast end of the island, as fully 99 per cent. of the tonnage going from the Straits to the head of Lake Michigan use the south passage. I think you will find that this will meet with the approval of masters of boats who have gone that way. In coming from the Straits, if the weather is not perfectly clear, (and there has been few clear days this summer) it is very difficult to tell when we are just right, and South Manitou light can not always be seen far enough.” Capt. James Parsons of the steamer Hebard calls attention to the fact that the purchase of the Portage lake canals by the government will soon result in a large increase in traffic through these canals, and Traverse island near the eastern entrance to these waterways should have a light and fog signal. - Capt. William Nicholson of the steamer Boscobel writes of the urgent need of a life-saving station at Death’s Door, entrance to Green bay. He favors Plum island as a location for the sta- tion. : : These suggestions have all been acknowledged with thanks to the masters making them for interest shown in the general improvement of aids to navigation. They will all receive the consideration due them. Charles H. Cramp’s Opinion of the Whalebacks. Charles H. Cramp said a few days ago to a Philadelphia Re- cord reporter: ‘I feel very much impressed with the ideas that have been developed in the type of vessel called the whaleback, though they are not original. From the reports she has done well so far. We would be able to build a vessel of similar type, and, taking her carrying capacity into consideration, I think we could build it cheaper. Not having seen the Wetmore I prefer not to express an opinion at this time as to the comparative cost of construction and operation as between vessels of that type and other freight steamers. ‘The whaleback is best adapted for freight carrying purposes, because of the facilities for the seas to break over it. I have always contended that the upper deck should be clear and unincumbered by houses or cabins, thereby permit- ting the waves to pass over unobstructed and without doing any damage to the vessel. That peculiar construction will admit of a vessel being loaded to a deeper draught, and the question of freeboard is not of much moment.’ Speaking of the possible improvement to vessels of the whaleback type, Mr. Cramp says: “In view of the possibility of an accident to the engine, I would furnish the vessel with twin screws, and build her considerably larger. With but a single screw, an accident depriving the ves- sel of its use would leave it at the mercy of the seas.” Saginaw’s Trade in Canadian Logs. here is some question as to whether Canada has or has not been benefited by that portion of the McKinley bill which re- duced the tariff on Canadian lumber imported into the United States in return for a repeal of the Canadian export duty but it: is certain that the effect of the clause referred to in the bill has been to build up, even during the present season, an immense businessin Canadian logs on Lake Huron. During the rafting sea- son now at an end there was rafted from Canada to the United States side of the lakes 80,000,000 feet of logs, as against 30,000,- ooo feet during the previous year when Canada demanded:an ex- port duty. The great bulk of these logs was rafted by the Michi- gan Log Towing Company, a cor oration owning large tug boats and made up of stockholders controlling the Saginaw Lumber: and Salt Company and the Emery Lumber Company. : The lat-: ter companies own together about 140,000 acres of stumpage in’ Canada’s Georgian bay district and have big saw mill interests at Saginaw on the American side, where they manufacture close to 50,0c0,000 feet of lumber annually. Hon. R. A. Loveland of Saginaw is a leading manager in the affairs of both of these com- They expect to cut about 60,000 feet of logs in the panies. Georgian bay district during the coming winter. Some Canadian owners of saw mills, who believe that they would find more active employment for their mills if no logs were rafted across the lakes, are clamoring for a reimposition of the export duty, but it is not probable that the Doniinion gov- ernment will again change matters. The Canadian lumber in- dustry has not been very active this year, and a reimposition cf the log duty would at once add the $1 a thousand duty on 600,- 000,000 feet or more of manufactured lumber which Canada an- nually markets in the United States ’ Proposed Systematic Arrangement of Lights. | A more systematic arrangement of the lights of the light- house establishment is now under consideration by the light-house board at Washington. The plan under consideration, which has been submitted by Capt. F. A. Mahan, engineer secretary of the » board, proposes that in order that there may be no doubt as to’ whether a light is that of a lighthouse, all fixed lights be elimi- nated from the system and none but flashing lights be admitted - Further, in order to distinguish offshore from inshore lights, it. is proposed to eliminate all red elements from the offshore lights: and to make at least one red element a distinguishing teature of of the inshore light. The board has also decided to recommend to Congress through the secretary of the treasury that the candle power for white masthead lights for merchant vessels shall be thirty candle power, and for the green and red side lights of merchant vessels of forty candle power, so that the white light shall be clearly visible a distance of 5 nautical miles, and the colored 2 miles. It is de- sired in this way to establish uniform minimum power of running Hehe for merchant vessels, which has not been the case hereto- - ore. Sinus Collision Between Sailing Vessels. A recent decision from Judge Benedict of New York deals with a collision that occurrsd on the high seas, on a clear morn- Fs ing, between the ship Rolph and the bark Boyd. The Rolph, bound from Havre to Sandy Hook, was sailing at least two points free, with the wind on her starboard side, ‘The Boyd, bound out of New York, had the wind on her port side. Her contention was that she was sailing close-hauled. ‘The Rolph’s witnesses testified that the Boyd also was sailing free. The Boyd did not alter her course. ‘The Rolph put her helm up after collision was inevitable, but was struck on her starboard side. The court held on the evidence that the Boyd, as well as the Rolph, was sailing free, and hence under the collision rules, the | Boyd was bound to avoid the Rolph, which had the wind on h starboard side, and was liable for her failure to do so mene’ LS . 5 x The Marine REvrew and the M ENGINEER, Lond ig one year for $4. 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