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S - , ' Continued from page- $., ' At*lho Biiez nito It will not bo completed at much below sixty millions.- At prcsoiit ho has raised six; millions not Including the money required to purcliaso the railroad Thero Is only one point more t» "which wo need advert. At Suez M. do Lesseps has a monopoly of tho truffle, whereas the Foreign '■ AitalrsConimlttco of the American House of EeprcBcntutlvcs has already reportetl In fa¬ vor ol n bill Incorporating li company with n Government gnnranteo to cut a maritime canal through Nicaragua. - There may Jio truffle enough to'pay for making ono canal from, the Atlimtle to tho Paelllc; but what prospect is there of a dividend if there are , .two?—Pall Mall Qazctte. FLOATING STATIONS FOH THE | ATLANTIC. Tho old Joke about not crossing tho At¬ lantic until thero Is a bridge over It always raises a smile. Evon imlgluatlon cannot thrown causeway .over that vast Waste ol waters. It can conceive of a steam¬ er which will make forty knots an Hour,- or the realization of tho aeronaut's dream, a ballon passage of Bcvcnty hours, but all the .discoveries of modern times cannot make it .do ufore. The wonderful Inventions, how¬ ever, which are being made every day do suggest Ideas which, while apparently wild have a substratum of sound sense.. Twenty years ago the telephone was unknown, sear- .cely dreamed of, but now we llnd ourselves surrounded by Inventions which seemingly anihllate time and space and add so much to tho safety iiuil comfort of lllo tTnTt'tiiey lead the mind to consider whether It la not pos¬ sible with 'such' vast improvements to make tho ocean highway a comparatively safe one. The unstable tumultuous sea delles appar¬ ently all elforts to make safe pathways over It. But the lime must come when even that too riiust succumb to the wonderful Ingen¬ uity ol man. It may raise upln its wrath the gales may howl along its surface ami the two elements may unite in an implacable hatred and dptcrmlnntion to destroy the frail vossels which venture forth, but ways 'will bo loiii'd lor these crafts to evade their fujsy. Shall It not be said that signal stations will bo.dotted over the ocean forewarning the navigator of the approaching storm. Who shall laugh at this proposition-? Ho who laughed at the idea of an ocean cable f He who laughed at the telephone between places one thousand miles, apart? He who laugh¬ ed at llie Idea of eevcral different messages being sent from ippusllo directions^ over one telegraph wire at the same moment? A clever frenchman not lu/lg ago sug¬ gested the propriety of tapping the ocean cables at tlill'iueut points, connecting them with vertical boxes could he attached and steamers In dlntrcst near one of these signal boxes could, by means of them, scud to hind uolice ufihelr condition position and wlielh- nsslslanco was needed. It was pronounc¬ ed by many a w ild Idea. But It was dis¬ cussed. It had too much Iu it to be thrown nslde.llghtly and it does Invite atteulion. It docs not seem wholly Impracticable and it suggests llie Idea of signal stations of even greater advaiilagc—those which can warn vessels when anil where to avoid dangers. Incredulity naturally smiles at the propo¬ sition. But let us scb what balls there in fniMho suggestion, lilt were possible lo give lids iiil'oriuailon now would lliere not b a great clainoi until the pioper means were provided? And Is not tho fact thai the inl'oiniailoii is nut given, owing prin¬ cipally Co llie belief that'll Is Impossible lo have any signal stations In inld-ocean? The | *■- . first <|iicnllop which niiggesls iinelf Is what benellt would arise truin such Millions. The storm paths of the North Atlantic ocean, traced by the United Stales Signal service during the past year from inlorinii- Uoii -furiiMicd hy the slilp-maniers and others, has been llie means of Attracting a great deal of attention. Most hioriu centres have a general bearing northwest after lcav- - Jhg-oi^uoaMtsuiulagi'uat number cross the ocean and reach the coasts offturope. This Is the conclusion deduced from the study of Atlantic Btofms. From this It Is argued that means will have to be developed In marine signalling whojeby vessels- al sea can bo warned of coming storms. If such wnrnlngscoiild be conveyed to them, It Is quite ovlUont that the loss of life auJ pro¬ perty would bo wonderfully reduced. Ex- cellont-work Is downing done for maritime interest In pointing tile way for eato naviga¬ tion of tho North AtliuUle, but, there 1b a limit at prosent.to tills work. It seems from all that can be learned from'.persona moat Interested In the study of ocean meteorology that tho day Is not far distant for decisive action by International co-operation and many believe that this can be carried so far as to help those who-may. bo at .son at' tho time when a great st-orm Is on-"lts Eastern path. Tills can only bo accomplished by moans of Hunting signal s nllons. Thfi ad- vantagqof these, In viow.of.wliathasalready been accomplished, must bu admitted. The rjticstlon now Is, IIsw cat) thoy bo obtained and how supplier*! witlrcqmpetont observers aild the most- improved meteorological In¬ struments to note tho weather changes and send the wnr-ulirgs by cable from one coun¬ try to another and from station to station In like manlier as is now done on land. It Is a iplestlon which may woll say. stamps the matter at once as unanswerable. But wore the Idea under consideration some plan might be proposed. With signal stations In uiid-ocean under I'litornniloual direction the great deep will Iu the future be robbed of half its danger's. The meteorological work on the oeonn Is only Iu its infancy. Ills now pointing out the paths of storms ami made from reports furnished by ship-masters. Knowing tho courses three destructive meteors take the duty of the people Is'plain in this matter. The ocean is the highway of the world, in the siftety of which every maritime nation is interested, and any suggestion that will help to Increase that safety should be needed. In¬ numerable reasons may suggest themselves why the proposition faintly, outlined above is only worthy ot ridicule. But bcforc.lt, is condemned it should at least be earnestly considered. If It is to be condemned let Its impracticability be shown, tor its usefulness and advantage will be conceded by those, who will remember that llie travel of the North Atlantic must go on at an increasing ratio! We cannot fancy a bridge across the Atlantic, but we cau Imagine that stormy sen dotted with sentinels who will mark out the paths and warn llie voyager of the direc,tlp_il of the coming storm. water finding Its way into tho stook-hole. The value of this nrrnngctnont Is clearly ovldont from such an accident ns wo now Illustrate. . TORPEDO BOATS IN COLLISION.- Last year the Italian Government made some very exhaustive experiments at Spezia wilh the numerous torpedo boats they then had. Some of these were supplied by Messrs. Yarrow & Company of l'oplar, which, dur¬ ing some maneuvers round one of the large Italian Ironclads, was run into by a similar torpedo boat built by ihesauie linn. The Engineer says, at the time of the collision, which look place liikldc tlie breakwater iu the Gulf of Spezia, the ijvo boats were running al a speed ot nearly fourteen knots, which speed wit* perhaps reduced to-leu kuols al the actual instant of UW collision. The Falco was saved from sinking {airily by tile water-light bulkhead, which happened tube close to w.here she was struck and parity by her pumping machinery. The lore end of llie ram of the other boat not only penetrated the starboard side, but went riglu llirmigb and out beyond tire port sido of the Falco. However, both the boats could steam on, anil reached tho dockyard al Spezia iu Safely. It was naLislactory to find thai llie engines and all the accessorlcsVn board the Falco sustained no dani'ige whatever by the 'shock, which was eiiiiicly conduct! to the head of llie boat. Il is the opinion ot llie Itallarr authorities that, bad the boats been less strongly ami substantially built, one at least must have gone to the bottom. These lirnl-clasn torpedo-boats, which arc 100 feet In length by 12 feci 0 Inches beam, one ot which, il will he remembered, attained llie .remarkable speed ot 22.1 knots when tried In London, have been in commission the greater part of last year, making numerous cruises Iroin Spezia along the coast, and con¬ stantly at exercise. One important feature in these boats Is an arrangement introduced by Messrs. Yarrow & Company by whlcli means, If the s'loke-liolo becomes Hooded with water through the boat's side Doing penetrated or otherwise, the lire would not be extinguished, whlcli on account of the low position of the lire grate In boats of this class, would otherwise almost Immediately result from only a very small quantity' o . HIDDEN DANGER. Since tho work of constructing the now exterior breakwater, off Chicago harbor began it has. beonn. constant source of danger to vcsboIb. ' Lnto nt night or during storms (Just when most needed) tho Mghts linvo gouo out, and ns n consequence vessels and steamers have run on the sunken crlbi, In¬ flicting damage and sustaining 'damage tlicmsolvo*. Sovorul crnft havp narrowly escaped sinking, In which ovent their crews might have perished. • This exterior break¬ water Is somo dlstanco oil'the harbor in tlio lake, aud runs southeast and northivost. It is directly In tho track of the hundreds of craft arriving and departing from Chicago' dally. Even when the lights are In place aud in trim, and a fog prevails, on tho lake, thero Is great danger,'for there Is no fog-bell or fog-horn, as there should be. The Inter Ocoan respectfully calls the attention of tlio Lighthouse Board to this matter In a general way and of the *. owers that be to a most glaring neglect in the immediate present. Navigation on Lake Michigan has been opened for tho. season of IBS'), and largo fleets aro arriving at Slid leaving Chicago ■daily and nightly, iuid" ns yet there is no light at all on this exterior Breakwater. Tho steamer Mackinaw and several sail vessels had narrow escapes before daylight yesterday morning, and the masters request that the matter bo venlllated. Tlio light¬ house bonrtl Iras not yet.assumed control of the lights on this structured but It Is high time that it did. Willi these cribs unlimited and lying a long distance east in the lake, the main lighthouse on the north pier is nothing more nor less than a decoy light, luring vessels to destruction. Seeing the main light and calculating the distance to it, arriving craft come on, only to fetch up (in deep water, and perhaps during a storm) up'on tho cribs of the exterior breakwater. At present Mnjor Bcnyiiard, the Govern-' ment engineer, located here, lias charge of these lights and bo should see to It that they aro placed and lighted and attended lo. But the lighthouse board should assume charge and there should also be a fog signal.—Inter Ocean. . MARINE LAW. Judge Walker delivered the three follow- lugdcclslous in admiralty cases Iu the United States Disl riutjCourt at C levelaud: Paul C, Foj>l ct'al. vs. tug Fannie Tuthill and schooner Wawanosh. The libelants are the owners of tbu schooner Exile whlcli was being towed down the Cuyahoga river on October 17, 1882, about 11 o'clock Iu the morning through the Viaduct draw. The schooner Wnwanonh was lying on the cast side of the river, short distance below tho Viaduct draw, aud at a bend in tlio river. She was fastened to the dock with licr-hc'ad up stream, lapping some twelve or llfteeu feet of the hull.ol the schooner Charlie Crawford (also lying al the saine dock,) her jibbo ... pointing at an angle wilh llie river. As the Tuiliill wilh her tow came through the draw, and at¬ tempted to pass llie Wawanosh,' llie Exile swung around In such a manner that she came iu contact witli llie jibbuuin of the schooner Wawanosh, carrying away her mainmast, and otherwise'Injuring her, for which the libel Is filed. The Wawanosh had her jlbbooui broken and was otherwise injured, lor which a erosn libel Is Hied by lis owners: ' . Held: First,'thai the tug was at'fauli and guilty of carelessness In going at too great speed tbroiih the draw of the Viaduct lo pass the Wawanosh and Iu not using proper 'care to avoid the coll Won, Second, Unit llie Wavjiiuosb was al lault and guilty ill carelessness In placing itself Iu the ilvei with her jlbbooui pointing oulwaid, so imio obstruct/ilie sajjj nitvlgaliou ol the river. Third," that in go dolitg she contributed to her own Injury, for which she is not entitled to recover on the cross libel f fourth tliarthc Exile was not guilty of any carelessness Iu Is management, and did not In any win contribute to the injury complained ot; tll'th, the tug, and schooner Wawanosh, are equally liable to Hit libelant for the Injury to the Exile and a decree Is entered accordingly aud n reference to Earl Bill, Commissioner, to ascertain and report tho dhfnngcs sustained by the schooner Exile, Gouldor & Weh for llbcllnnts; Cbnrlca L, Fish for tug Tuthill and Mix, .Noble & White for schooner Wawanosh.', . -Nicholas Welsh vs. prOficlte'r Mayflower. Tho llbellitnt was -employed on the 'May- Howe/ part of rtio season of' 1881 as a deck-, hand iuid also as fireman, for which services \ .' ho sties. The mastpr, before the libel was Hied, tendered tho llbellaiit $50 claiming a Hint was all that was duo him for his services, which was refused. Tho tender was paid Into court aftoc the libel was filed.' The dis¬ puted services are tlie.slxteeu days' llmo in lilting out the vessel,'the master claiming that the ll.liellnnt was working fur his board and lodging bu the boat, libclllilH claiming one duller per day for the services. Held r First., That tho weight of tho • evidence bIiows that llbeliant was. not to receive'wages, put only .hoard and lodging , for .the seiylce', and tlio wages were to coin, mence when lie was a deckhand, second, that tho tender 'made* was mnro than aclual'ly • due to the llbelhint; third, Unit where tender is made la-fore suit It must be paid Into ' court alter libel Is Hied to prevent recovery of costs. Decree for llbellaiit lor $55 with¬ out costs. Ed S. Meyer for llbellaiit Willey, Sherman & lloyt for respondent. 1 John C. Deveuy vs. tug Fannie Ttitliljl. Libel for damages for sinking scow Kiltie. The scow Kiltie loaded wlih stone was In tow of the tug Tuiliill up llie river to the duckliiist above the Seneca street bridge. On the way, an claimed'by the llbellaiit, llie scow struck the west abutment jf the C. C. C. & I. Railway bridge by the limit and carelessness of the master of the tug. Held, llrst, that llie weight of evidence showed that the Kiltie struck the deck through the carelessness of llie tug; second, that the daiuiges sustained by the Kittle in consequence of the collision eaused her to' sink on the way to her duck, and she I hereby became a total loss, Ucciee lor lihellaul, and referred to Earl Bill, Commissioner, to ascertain and rcpurl damages. Gouldor & Web lor llbellaiit, and Charles L, Fish fur respondent. AHWIRAI.TY-—LIABILITY OIWL'Q FOll QUOUKD- IMi Ol- low. (District Court, E. D. I'cmisijlcania. J'uj/ VJ, 1SS2.) Libel by the owner of tho bark Lena against the lug Alias, lo recover uamages caused by the groundinguf llie hark while iu tow ol tho lug. Il appeared that on November 1, 1881, the lug took the balk iu tow on thu Schuylkill liver and proceeded down the river. In making a turn near the rlvcr the bark grounded. Llhellant alleged that this was caused by the negligence ol Hie lug in running too Hear llie shine. Respond¬ ents claimed that It was caused by the lailiire of llie bark to keep lu the Wake ol the lug: Bullae, I). J. The responilant was bhiiiialile ' > iu running too near the l'eniisvlvania slime, The bark kept iu her wake unill she I.mud herself running aground, ol in imujii-ut danger of II, when she sbeeii'd oil' lowniils deeper wilier; bill was brought up lu the mud before reaching II. The testimony uf Captain Keller, of the Atlas, that the Lena pui-UU her helm, n.....ing to starboard ol bis course, making a shorter turn llian llie lug, and thus approaching nearer llie l'ennsU- vi'inla shore, In eoiili'adleied by all llie wli- uensesacn on liuiiid llie I eiin, and unsup¬ ported by any ev iilcmc in llie cause, ilit weie trin , il is Biisci-pilble ol being pruied be}ond doubt. It luilhei more seems In- . credible that the eaplal'n of llie tug should h.ivom'cii his tow thus sleei lug direcil} Into danger, and should not have warned her ugaiiisl it, although, as he says, she ran on lids course '100 leet lietore grounding. It .is * unnecessary lo enlarge upon the sulij. et. The captain of the A lies was lu fault. His reason fur keeping towards llie shoiewas doubtless, the one assigned in his conveiva- ' lion witli tine Lena's crew, iiuiiieillulely alier the accident—that he expecicd llie wind, which was from tho north-east, and tho ebhulile faJdrlyo IdiiUownrda the other side, Tho libel Is therefore sustained, with costs. During the last twelve yearn the opening of navigation al Alpena occurred lu April as follows: April 17, 1872; Amil 30, 1873 April 19, 1875; Apill 19, 1870; Apill21, 1877; April 5, 1879; April 29,1881.