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THE MARINE RECORD > $he$lannp§ecor&; Publl»li«d Kvory Tlmmdny »t 14* Superior (street, (I.cuilor llullellnir.] n l L POMEEOY, Editor ant Projrietor. TKII1MS of subnciutti&ni .....M.W .....l.qo Ond year, postaito paid. ......... Sli months, iiostnso pain *........"•....... Inmrlilili In advance. SuDscriptlems will bo continued until ordered atop- ped by • written order, or nt the publication office- The JIA ItlNE IlfcCOItl/ can bo found (or sals by the foliowIiik "owe dealers , CLEVELAND, 011IO-0 FJtowman, cornor ofPoarl ■ltd Dntrolt, street* CHICAGO, ILL .-JosouU Only, No. 0 Weil Itandolph street. BUl'1-AI.O, N Y—C Itohmor, Mlcblgan street Bwlng Ilndjo. UULVril, MINN -C I'. Johnson, 117 WestSupt- rior street, HARM A, ONTVfi. M. McM«ster4 Co. htCANAUA, MI0II,-W111Ibiu Oodley. MANISTEE, MICIL-J i: SomerTllle. Articles, lettcnt omt e|uerTea on all subject* ore solici¬ ted ADVEUTISING ItAtEfl. Ten cents per line, nonpareil moasuroraent, or J1.20 per Inch, each insertion, lour weeks H 00, with • liberal discount ou orders amounting- to S40 00 or over All chocks and drafts should be drawn to the order of A A Poraoro). 0i I nlcred at the Tost Oflic. class mall matter at Cleveland as sccond- OI.EVLLAND, OUIO, TIIUItSUAY, SEPrEUHCR 18 THE CLEVELAND BREAKWATER. I In- most conspicuous ovei sight In the breukHiiter mattei, its deduced both lium the recent meetings nt the vessel ow tiers mid engineers to decide upon n festslble locution lor an extension and In tho conjunction of that now completed, has been the luck nl te-,| icnieh nnd experiment concerning lake cur¬ rent* and the structure's possible ellect up on them. Now thu|fflo luive the brcakwatet, however, there Is no longer reason lo Ignore the mutter. TW there exists it stronger shore current in lite lake than was ever suspected, muBt be admitted. That the piesent struc¬ ture, by obstructing has Intensified this cur¬ rent outside and almost dissipated it Inside, except In caso of storm, are also plainly ob¬ servable facts.. We are of opinion that sur re.nts In Urge bodies ol water aro very little untleistood. Science bus done much toward Inijuii lug Into the secrets of those of the air, but comparatively nothing concerning those of the water. The great ocean currents, at least a largo number ol them, are known to cxiBt, but their causes are yet a mystery. We should not look Incredulously upon the currents In the lake merely because they happen to be slrange or new to us. The Cleveland harbor lies,in nn indeifture£j||o^ jutting points of ihuid east and .west of it making it almost a bay. It would not be preposterous to suppose that the Shoie cur¬ rent in this peculiarly shaped shallow bay is more rapid than Ihe emrcnt In the lake. Neither would It bo unreasonable to look up on this condition of things as a provision ol nature for puryfylng thcshullow water up¬ on the shores. One"tiling, therefore, is now by no iiieaiis'conjeettire, that there Is a strong current outside tile present breakwater and comparatively none, or n backset, inside? it state of things which should nut be allowed KMXist. We agree with the plans recom¬ mended for the extension and believe they an- wise, but the extension can have no inllu uikc toward mitigating the abuiuevll. To remove lk() arm on the west end of the bteak- watei, that rnusstriUglit outfiom the shotc, entirely, Up to the first bend, leaving only the lakearm running parallel with iheshore, I would mitigate the whole evil at once It should not be connected with ll|c shore at all, ft should not approach the shoie nearer than one thousand teet. 'Jhe current would then •weep entirely around the shore, as before; quite unobstructed by the parallel arm o| the breakwater, and with uiuul force on both sides of It. No eonaldt-iablo sea ever ,• comes direc'.ly Irony the west at this part of the liarljur, sheltered as it is to a great ex- tout by the bluflsonly a shot t distance to the westward, From fieaa talsed by northwest¬ ers, or by winds even a trifle north of west, the parallel lako arm furnishes entire pro¬ tection. 'Two great Interests demand Hint \s*--------—--------------- tuo ciirront bo.-lot through the westct.dof the brpakwater, the maritime nnd thoolty.( Vessel men are aware Hint during tlto prev¬ alence of a northeaster nn'w llio currents running In different directions outside and' Inside of the breakwater, lender It exceed¬ ingly InmiidoiiB for them'to make the huf"- bor. and are unanimous in tlio request for A change. The city cannot afford to have a body of stagnant water, such as la now Inoloscd by the breakwater. To open'up the west end and let the current gently though mo¬ mentous, flow between tho land and iho lake iirn>7 would equalize the current on both sides and make tho water pure nnd healthy. If that shore arm Is lelt connected with tho land, as now, the extension proposed will not change tho current. ■ ■ , THE FIXE TUO QUESTION. It Is encouraging to note the energy dis¬ played by all Interested In placing an Iron lire tug on the river lor .Ihe better p'rntectlon of propeity In that region, and we trust that tlto council will nt once place in legal existence a bom d of waterworks trustees, in order that this much needed Im¬ provement can be eonsumn arcd at lin early, day. The following communications from some of the interested parlies were present¬ ed to.the council on Monday evening: Tj> the Uonotable City Council: At a recent meeting of the Cleveland board of fire underwriters the following preamble ami tesolutlons were passed, viz.: Wui.kkab, The recent extensive conflagi n- tiou on the Hats has clearly demonstrated lo every clti/en of Cleveland what many had long felt—the Imperative mcesslty fnt bet¬ ter fire protection In that most dangerous pint of the city—a part endiingerjiig, In case ol a heavy wind,evciy other part; therefore, Iieaohed, That the board respectfully peti¬ tion thi^city Count II to take Immediate ac- tlon.-tooklng to the speedy placing of a prop¬ erly equipped Iron lire tug in the river, and at least tout fire steameis in the most ex¬ posed parts of the'city, two of them on the flats. Remind, That without Mich additional Ore protection we believe that It will he hi) possible to much longer piotect by Insur¬ ance ihe many and most impottaut Indus- tiles located 111 that highly ilangi-ions dis¬ trict. JaMKB W. Lfk, President. A. J. Turn nuKLL, hecrctuiy. To the Honorahje City Council: We, the officers and nienibcis of the Cleve¬ land lioaid of Lumber Dealers, would re¬ spectfully petition youi honoiable body lo give the btsilnessiiHetestson the Hats better Hie protection, by placing on the river an lion tire tug, and place at least one tirst-class engine on the flats. We think after the ex petlenecof the present week out petition will recelvo your hearty, approval. Thomas II. Caiioon, 1'resldotit, and others. To the Honorable City Council: We, the nndeisigned pinperty holdets along the rlvenind flats, would respectfully petition your hotiniable budy to furnish ad¬ ditional tit a piotect Ion, consisting of an iron tug suitably equipped for' lighting Are, and such additional engines, with hook and lad¬ der, nnd other necessary apparatus, as will furnish better protection. Whitk Si-winq Machine Company and twenty-three others. Tho communications were all teferrcd to the commlltee on lire and water and tumid of lire commissioners. * On the resolution of ^fr. Ilrlnsmade, re¬ questing the toinmiltee ou lire and water to Inquire into the possibility of purchasing a tire boat lot use on the river, the committee reported as follows: "The committee on lire and water deem the addition ol a lire boat as a gieat'u>klilion to our lire depart¬ ment, and won nwucommend Ihe puichasc ol one. The cost of the boat fully equipped would be about 1(20,000, nlttl would cost about $8,500 per year to run the same," . • On the 'cominlinicallon of the Hoard of Tiadc, submitting resolutions calling lor more the pronation, Ihu same ciiniiultlee re- potted as follows- "'Ihe committee on lire and watet deem Itiieeessarj that the lire dc jiartment should be lniicascd, and would reiomn^eud Ihu following as, in oiu judg¬ ment, ueccssaiy to put tho depaitment In goud shape, vl/ Four lien engines, one rlvei engine, one covered wagon and iieeessu- Jry mon to man the above apparatus; also the raplacthgol old apparatus In the department by new. Tho above additions, upon careful estimates, would cost |1W,000 " Subsequently Mr. King Introduced-an or¬ dinance to appropriate $150,000 I'tnm tho sinking fund of 1882 to Jic placed to the credit of the IIru department fund to procure a lire boat, to establish lour new companies, and to replace old and wuiu out appaiutus We trust that the dllletent political lac- tlons in tho council will not so far forget the duty they owe to tho citizens of Cleveland as to devolve this important matter on the captlce and delay that usually 'attends I ac¬ tional lights. Proper protection against lire Is a matter that should command the united notion Of tho entire counolrjiml It would be wisdom on tho part of the mayor If ho would forego tho appointment of ',(iu obnoxious man to tho vacant position tfn the board of waterworks trustees, In order lluit the wishes of the cltfrcns may bo speedily attained. COLOR BLINDNESS. Editor of Ihe Marine Iticord: ■ Tho fact that a gieat number of vessol masters aro deprived ol command on account of their Inability; to distinguish colors, nnd that all who have sbtjdncd positions as mas¬ ters cannot readily distinguish tho color of the lights they see on. nn approaching ship, lends me lo advocate the abolition of the re¬ quirement regarding color altogether, and In place thereof make tlio manner of distin¬ guishing tho starboard or port side of {ho vessel depeiifrupoiT the number of lights on the. respective side's,, This, to my mind,, .seems very slmplo and complete. For In¬ stance, place two white lights, one above tlio other, on tho port side, and arrange three, lights hi tie same manner on the starboard side of the ship, and as the numbei ol the lights could be reudlly'distinguished, every sailing master would be able to tell tlie po¬ sition of n sl|lp thnt was bearing down upon him, keeping in mind the necessity of so placing them that they would be known as the porl and starboard lights. This question can not receive too much Investigation at the hands ut examining boaids a>'d other nftlcfis throughout ihe country, and I tiust there will soon be a change made In the mode ol testing this re¬ quirement ofcolot knowledge In the pilot. Anothei evidence that the sy&lem of color lights dops untamed the leqiiltements for safe navigation Is the insufficient tests that pilots undergo at the hands of the master, as detailed by a eeafai Ing man to the Wheel¬ ing Star recently,am! who cites his own cast¬ as an example. One of' the tests which Is generally lollowed was thnt ol assorting bundles of cloth by coloj, and while he could distinguish the dlllei'ent shinies and lolors of the cloth with gteat accuacy.when at sea It was utteily Impossible lor him lo distinguish the colot of the llghls exhibited on vessels, the ghire of the llghls destipylng Ills sense oTTJoloi. It Is therefore evident that whMe he could successfully puss ihe tests of the examining board w Idle nn shore, It would be utterly impossible for Dim to tell color while at sea, and tho recent sink¬ ing of the United States steamer Tallapoosa evidences the fact that he is no exception, as three ofllieis of Ihe watch at ihe time ol the col llsioji disputed regarding the color ol the light they saw ou the colliding schooner and were, lhcrefore,(4iunble to place their vessel out ol danger. It is true tiiat red and green lights have held theii position on ship board a long time and have given compara¬ tive satisfaction, but as long as there exists a chance of fatality attending their contin¬ ued use they should bo made to give place to ;i system that can not possibly bo objected to on that ground. I*. E. Konoi'ha mot by that steamer, the Konoilu having been out In tlio same galo ol Novem¬ ber 4th, had boon driven away north of tho Boaver Islands whore she found n har¬ bor, made repairs to her sails nnd continued her voyage. This probably nceotfntg for the difference of opinion spoken ol'by our correspondent. It Is Impossible to lenrn who was raastor of the Io\va as she' sccin,cd'to pass out of sight and memory nt the same time, but 'Captain Thoiniis McClannlng sailed her bo-' fore tlie J. V. Ayer came out, when ho was appointed master of the Dew vessel, as ho .was considered a through seaman and a worjhy man for promotion. The J. V. Ayor was considered one of the finest schooners afloat at thnt time and was valued at $18,000, and carried an insuriinooof $12,000. Both vessels wore owned by Hale <& Ayor ol Kenosha and B. S. Shoppard, a ship broker' at Chicago was manager. All hands on both vessels lost their lives at the time the disaster occurred, Including Cirptnln Thomas Mc¬ Clannlng and the following seamen, ;tvho shipped at Buffalo on the Ayer September 30th, to Chicago and back: Charles Anderson James Donley, Richard Berry, Thomas Book, Patrick Troy and Peter Konneuy TliH.names of the mutes nnd cook cannot be learned.' Captain McClaiiiilng's desk, con¬ taining the ship's puper-i and a pnrtmonnle containing about f(l7 were picked up|fotir miles above St. Joseph, Michigan, by J. G, Smith, nnd part of wreckage was washed ashore near the same place which gives countenance to the repmt that she had bei n in Collision. The only article re. covered belonging to the Iowa was tho pro. visjon chest.—Ed.] SCHOONERS J. V. AVKIt AND IOWA. Etlitui of lite Mm int Jleconl. Atsin Am la, September 8. In ordei to satlsty some difference of opinion, have the kindness to Inform us through the Rkookd, lit regard the date of the building and loss of the bark J. V. Ayer and schooner Iowa, built by Peck & Masters of Cleveland, who sailed one o| both on their last trip nod any details In regard to theiu. St llSCItIllh.lt. [The schooner lowa'and J \ . Aj er, were built by Peck & Maslets at ( levelaud, tlie tormei In 1851 and the latter In 18B5.. The J. V. Ay el was launched In July from RhodcB' dock near tho loot ol Lake street and was lost on theda\ of the presidential election, Novembei I, 1850, on Lake Michi¬ gan, ollht. Joseph. As the schooner Iowa disappeared at the same time the Impression obtained that they hud coino in collision nnd both sunk, ns neither was ever heard of after that date. They cleared fioni Chldugoon the saine cay, the 3d of November, the J. V. Ayer Irnvlng n Largo of wluat, 17,000 bushels, toiislgued to Win. Knot & Co. of Bufyilo; the) recoids do not show the catgo ol the schooner Iowa. Reports wereclrc lated that on the 2»th of Novl'inhci the Iowa had Been spoken by the steamer Vol est Queen (n tho St. Clair liver, In tow of one of the Luke Navigation Co.'h tugs, but which proved to be 111 advised, us It transpired that It was'tho TmctCanndlans have at last opened their eyes tu the fact that they must either deppen and improve the St. Lawrence water route or sue theii northwest trade take lis natural course by way of Dtiltith lo Bnflalo and New York, It Is said Ihat appiojirliitlonslo provide for deiponing the canal lo fourteen feet will be asked foi at the next session of parliament. 'I UK following lines tiom Puck will be highly appreciated by the sailor man: When a steamer meets anothor, (.oiuinR thro'the foH, Which should turn out figr theothur"— Coming- thro' the fog Ihlsmiesllon Is quite hard to wrestle, Until wo read the log-, Which doars from blame the lucky vessel 'I lint hsS come thro' the fog' -MARINE EARTHQUAK.E. The brig Charles Dennis, fwtn Maine, re ports she experienced a marine earthquake off the coast ol Virginia, August 15th. The appearance of the sky Denoted a hurricane iinjl the brig was pm under short sail. ITho wind voered to every point of [he compass and then lulled. Suddenly tho roar of the" sea, deeper than the loudest thunder, was heard. It boiled like a pol, lieajiihg up great seas that tossed the brig like an egg shell. The earthquake must have had its centre some four />r live hundred mites east of llatreras. s > [ Continued frotn 1st Pajre) htUH. The new roonue cutter Perry,,'recently constttieled hy the l.inon Drydock Com¬ pany ol Butlnld, has been oidered In com¬ mission by the Treasury Department, ami will cruise on Luke Erie, with heiidquarteis at Erie, Pa Her dimensions ate 1ft fectovei all, 25 feet bean,, with 0 ftCt dL-ptlt-amldshlps, The new vessel Is cousliucted ol lion. Hei ofllccrs aie as follows explain, 1). B. Hodg¬ son, first lieutenant, A. f). Lllllefleld, second lieutenant, A. P. K. Harkness; thli.d lieutenant, James L. h\{\\ chief engineer, J. E Jcflrlcs; 11 rut assistant englneci, E. 0 Schwartz; pilot, Jumt*lt 1\ Brown. The Perry Is considered oireof Ihe finest vessels In the revenue marine service. She must not be confounded with the revenue cutler of the same name, wlifch formerly cruised along the hikes. The latter vessel was sold by ihe government to private parties at Buf¬ falo, was rebuilt fm Ylio "excursion business and was mimed the t'errlwlnkle, , ponr mmoM, Love*, acholleld have been awarded the contract to build a steel boiler for tho binge Tempest. It will weigh 21 tons, They have just finished one for Marine City pin ||i«» which weighs 18 tons. bl.JOSIl'H. / James Fly nn, a .member of the/5t. Joseph lift saving crew, lias been appointed keeper of the llle station at North Mamtou Island-