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H4 THE MARINE RECORD. 3= t$ieMariM<§ecord. EolnjM ieoonllqg to tho lawi ot the, United Stttoa »Uh» Port Office it Cleveland nn Becoml-flnis matter, Fatilishod wcculy ol No. 2 South Water street, eioTcHHid, Otilo. 'A.A. POMEROY. Editor and ProDrietor. TKItMH OF SUIISCKIl'TlONl Ono year, postagojinid,..-...........................K-JJ Six months, postugo paid...................................'•<" Invariably In advance. Tho JlfARINK nncOHD can be ^found (or salo nt tho following placet: ■»• No. 2 South Water atreet, Cleveland. Jostph Gray, No. 28( South Water atreot, Chicago. C. Kohmor, Mlolllgan-Btroot, Ullflalo, Now York. D. McMaatora * Co , Sarnta, Ontario Wm. Galley, Dicanalia, Mluhlgan. J. r.. Somervllle, Maulstoo, Michigan. Articles, lcttcra and queries on all aubjecta aro »ollc|- ted. JWTho Ldltor assumes no responsibility lor- the opinions of correspondents. To insure notice, contributors roust give name and address, and write on one sldo of the papor only. miancii office ntrKet, 313 SOUTH WATEIt CHICAGO. . AIJVKBTISING BATES. Ton cents per lino, nonpareil measurement, or.$1.20 per Inch, each insertion, lour wooka W.00| with a liberal discount on orders amounting to 840.00 or over. It is siild Hint it eosts $200 to loud nnd uu- lo)id one of tbe Detroit and Milwaukee boats at Grand Haven. Tiik United States llsh commissioners de¬ posited I2,UTO,000 young whitellsh In I^nke Michigan, .....tr tlie moutli of therlvor at Manistee, last week. Mkssiis. Wiikvler & Ckank'b yard at Bay Ctty bus tbe uninviting nppenrnnce wblcli Indlciites aetive shipbuilding business. They ' are pushing alotrg two new boats with ad¬ mirable rapidity. An administrator ha9 been appointed for tlie estate of Captain John McKay, and his wlfo has bought his Interest In tho boats Sam Fllleld, Agate and Bob Inglis. The Agate will be re-mitred niter Captain Mc¬ Kay's son, John McKay, Jr., as soon as tho neccBsniy consent ol the secretary of the treasury can be obtained. A suit has been brought in Detroit by Captain McKay, of West Bay City, against Captain Melsel, of Detroit, to recover the value of the barge William Treat, which parted her tow "llc9 In n Bn'e °" '-"'i0 Hu¬ ron last season. It Is claimed that Captain Mcisel, who was master of tbe tug J. P. Clnik at the time, and who had charge nf the tow, did ,not take any steps to recover the barge nfteTshe broke adrift. Ki'.i'RKSKNrATiVE Foiian, probably think¬ ing there are not sulllclent burdens on American' shipping and shipbuilding, does not hesitate to introduce a bill In'C'ongiuss, the text of which we gave'lust week, Impos¬ ing an additional number <>t petty means ol retarding the growth and prosperity of the Interest. Tbe bill has not eveiithc merit ol being original and will not gain much gloiy lor tlje'aiithor. Vcssol owners should take vigorous and Immediate steps to defeat it. Canada's railroad projects, when they are directed jLigitlnst the llciix of trade and' traflle toward tho middle belt of the United States are quite Impractical. Tho Hudson Bay railroad Is a pet scheme of the Miin- Itobans, and Its frequent introduction Into the Dominion Parliament shows that there Is a horjcful splrntnear'er t|)0 goat of govern- m«M. To build the road from Winnipeg to Fort Churchill, u distance of '700 miles, would cost a matter of $22,000,000, which would necessitate a government subsidy. That would lead to a buy navigable only be¬ tween Juno 15 and September IS, and which is Invaded by icebergs at nil seasons of the year, and the gain would only be to give an advantage ot eighty miles over the New York route to Liverpool. It it made a stioug point that the difference between Chicago and Now York might be saved to the trans¬ porter, but this would .'apply to piodtira-s Who would find a market In Chicago, SHIRS FOR THE SEA—SCARCITY OF -. LAiKE CARRIERS. From various reports It Is quite evident Unit ionic of the shipbuilders,uro not going to wait vetyr long for tho bounty measure now pending In Congress. The Indus¬ try has taken n sudden impetus for some reason quite unexplained. The Philadelphia papers say that at tho four upper yards In that city nearly twenty-seven hundred mon aro employed and all U bustle and activity. Among the vessels being built are four Iron steamships an Iron Balling ship, a threo- mastcd Iron schooner, an Iron steam collier, and an Iron steam float 100 feet long, 00 feet wide ntid'O feet deep, to bo covered In and adapted lis a refrigerator'and designed to carry dressed beef to ships In New York barborf^In all this the.ro is un encouraging consumption of Iron. With the use of this material shipbuilding becomes n wheel with¬ in a wheel to set the water curriers into doubly Increased activity, enlivening the ore trado nnd tho furnaces at tho same time. And ln-thls connection comes ibe news of the Inauguration of a new era In shipbuild¬ ing on the banks of the • Kennebec. Two prominent firms of Bath, Me,, have united with somo capitalists of that city In forming a joint stock company, with a cnpltal of |50,- 000, with the intention ot carrying on the business ot shipbuilding there on a larger scale than ever before. They already have contracts to build to tho amoupt of more than f 300,000 and they expect to be able to secure sufficient capital for the equipment of an Iron shipyard. These evidences of re¬ vival are exceedingly gratifying. On the other hand a review of the facts In tho case de not warrant any rose-colored statements concerning the prospeilty of this Industry the present winter In Cleveland. It is probable that shipbuilders do not wish to cherish any such delusion. The ship¬ building trado Is like nil others, as it is reg¬ ulated by the law of supply nnd demand, and the smaller amount of tonnage there Is afloat the more profit there will be for that remaining., On the other hand there Is a large class of people concerned In this indus¬ try, Including tlie shipbuilders,- shippers, vessel and tug owners, brokers, pallors-, lur- nlsheis nnd others, making up a small army, who are dependent upon a goodly nuuioer of vessels for a livelihood, that Will be disposed to take a more gloomy view of the appaicnt quiescent, state of shipbuilding. The busi¬ ness-like way to look at the matter is to Iti quire who are to be the losers. Tho labor that Is likely to be affected by a multitude of ships, particularly of sailors, has of )tit;e years become so much demoralized that It would be better for those following it 11 they should engage In something else. Steam Is 1'o.st numbering the iln\s of the fresh water sailors. They do not entt;r into the present calculation. .In looking over the ground In this city we find one now steambarge In course of construction nt Qunyle'sshipyard for Captain Thomas Wilson nnd n consort which will probably be ready to go with her; also nil iron steamship, being built by the Globe Shlpbtilkllng Company for Cleveland parties, and a huge barge at Mr. Rndcllffe's yard lor Wallace Brothers, Gnwn and others, besides several smaller vessels. Tbe first named will be rendy for work by tho opening of navigation, the otheis to be finished later In the season. There Is much old work being clone In the way of repairs, and several sailing craft are,being trans¬ formed Into steamers, which evidences nn Inclination against investing largely in now ships. Tho present activity at the ship¬ yards on eld work Is due to the unusunl vio¬ lence of the storms on the lakes during the last days of navigation of the season just ejosed, a great number of vessels sustaining more or less damage, which rendered luinie- dluto repairs necessary. Considering the large quantity of grain, ore, coal and mer¬ chandise to be moved the coming season, nnd the nppurent scarcity of ships, rates will probably rule firmer nnd higher than for somo years. its mombori on various points pertaining to the mutter. Ono of Hio members of tfio com¬ mittee, Mr. Howett,- of New York, Is said to have been aetivelv»ongngod for many years in mining, manufacturing, Importing and In other branches of tile Industry, and might be credited with a pretty thorough knowl¬ edge of tho subject.. Jle asked some very pertinent quostions due day last week of John Whnrton, of tho Bessemer Steel Asso¬ ciation,-of Philadelphia, ono of thorn being whether he could not ranko cheaper steel If .ho had* free Iron ore. Wharton rolled In the affirmative,- and admitted finally, that after a thorough examination of the ores of this country, ho wmt iiow. Importing ores from Cuba fdr making Bteel. Mr". Ely, of Cleveland, took Issue with Mr. Whnrton,and himself came under cross-examination by Mr. Hcwott- In him Mr. Howett found i\ different customer.- He evidently endeav¬ ored to mako Mr. Ely ndnilt that tho Lnke Superior mines have seen their great-' est prosperity under the low duty on Iron prior to the passage ol the last tariff act, nnd that their development took place side by side with fteo ore. Mr. Ely said that the Xnko Superior mines dovelopcd under the first Impetus* of manufacture. Incident to the time which was quite disconnected with the competition of free ore, and If u depression existed now its cause must be sought for In an opposite stale of Iron manufacture and laws of demand equally foreign to the opera¬ tion of the- tariff law." Mr. Van Dyke, of Milwaukee, vice-president of the Menomi¬ nee Mining Company, also took side against Mr. Wharton's tIcwb" regarding the Intro¬ duction of foreign ore. Messrs. John Roach and Wayne McVengh, of Philadelphia, both made speeches before the ways and means committee. Mr. Koach believed firmly'in the expediency of keeping a henv'y'duty on Imported ore. Ashe speaks from excell¬ ence and a general knowledge of (lie naviga¬ tion Interest his views are certiinly entitled to considerable wolght. Mr. Mac-Vcagh Is of like opinion with Mr. loach. He, however, carried his remarks to still greater lengths, and protested strongly against all tariff leg¬ islation. THE IRON AND STEEL MEN. The iron and steel Interests aro found by the ways and menus committee to be tho hardest things to reconcile with Morrison's till 111" bill. I.iist week we called atfentlon to the factthat the Iron and steel lord6 of tlic country ' were befoie the committee pro¬ testing ngalflst the tnrid" and posting BRILLIANCY OF Tlfti LWHT-IIOUSE BOARD AT ERIE. Congressmon Brulnerd, who arrived In Kilo Irom Washington on tlio23d In, com. mcntlng oh the probable notion of Congress snld lie confidently beHeved It would re¬ establish the Erie land lighthouse. It is also probable that Mr. Brulnerd has thwnrted nnother outrage on Erie, union more fatal to her Interests than the destruction of the land lighthouse, which had guided mariners into tlie bay more than seventy years. Tho stupid officials of the lighthouse board actually Issued nn order to cut down the trees on the peninsula of Preique Isle opposite that city, their reason for such a re¬ markable proceeding being that their foliage prevented lake captains on the north shore of the peninsula from seeing the luubor lights. Having committed one piece of folly, they would remedy It by the perpetration of a blunder still more Inexcusable1. The land beacon, standing about one hundred and sixty feet above the water level, could be seen front any parfof Lake Erie, but of course the low lights In the channel piers cannot be sighted north of tho peninsula on account ot the htujvy growth of timber. With tho land light burning It Is not necessary, as they nrc Intended only togulde vessels through the channel. Instead of acceding to tho forcibly oxpicssod wishes of every Erie citizen and hike navigator, and restoring tho dismantled beacon, the light¬ house board ordered the removal of the trees, In order that tlie Insignificant lights now re¬ maining might.be dlsccrnable across tho Peninsula. These trees were planted for the. protection of the Ponlmula against the In¬ roads of the waves, nnd their growth hag always been a matter of local pride. Tho government has expended hundreds of thousands of dollars In preserving tlie Peninsula, without which Erie would cease to be n harbor, and yet these gentlemen of tho lighthouse board, who certainly did not know tho value of these trees as a landmark to navigators on a dark night would, with a stroke of tho pen, updo all that has been done at the cost of so much money and so many years of labor. It Is evident to every¬ body but Imbecllos and members of tho lighthouse board that their removal would boTollov7Bd-by-tJ»e->con)pIote washing away jp/the peninsula, a\they nlone bind the narrow strip of land, congressman Uridnord presented the cbnsequenco of tho proposed outrage to tho board, and convinced even that body' of stlffnecked noodles ol the Irreparable damage they wero about to Inflict on Erie, tho Indlgnnnt remonstrance of hit constituents materially assisting. The order has bien rescinded. PATENT ENGINE. ' ) Editor of the Marine Record. Since the days of Watt the improvements of tho steam engine liavo been tho constant study of engineers, and scientists as well, and -strange to say, most of the signal Im¬ provements hare not been tho result of the study of engineers. The early history of the' steam engine Informs us that 'the principal Improvements were made by an architect, a physician, a chemist, etc., and the Improvements to which I shall call the attention of your renders, (and which, by tlie way, I will venture to say, aro equal to the Improvements made hy applying the com¬ pound cylinder,) are not the result of the study of an engineer but the result of the active brnlnof n Cleveland uinventor. Tho Impossibility of attaining a pressure on the piston.of a steam engine when In operation equal to that in the boiler "has long been known. It Is well known -that for a number ot ycars'eflorts have been made to attain a pressure upon tlie piston equal to that on tlie boiler without success but I can say there is an engine so constructed with (wo steam- chests pluoed on opposite sides ot the cyl¬ inder, and furnished with a double valve motion, the valves being of the slide valve variety, and set so that both open for tho admission of steam ut the sunie time. The result ol nn experiment Wdo February 23 shows tho pressure on the piston to bo four pounds per gqunre Inch above the boiler pressure. The steam pipes were so nrralngcd that either side could be sliut'offand the'engine be allowed to run with only one valve In operation. The annexed diagram No, 1. was taken when but ono side was In operation with a boiler pressure of 05 pounds, and shows ail Initial pressure of 04 pounds and an average of/58}£ pounds, which Is very good. NO. ONE. The next trial produced onrd No. 2, which was tnken with a boiler pressure of 6» pounds to the square inch and both' valves in operation and shows an Initial pressure of 75|(J pounds to tho square Inch on the piston and an averngo pressure through the stroko ol 4 pounds above the boiler pressure or a gain of 5t74 pounds over diagram No. ]. with no. two. no difference In bnck pressure. The speed of tho engine was taken at the time the diagrams were by Taylor's patent speed Indicator, nnd wns found to Inerenso forty revolutions per minute whon both valves were irf opera¬ tion compared with the speed Indicated when only one vnlve wns In operation, making n difference of two horse power. Whore steam is worked expansively,as In marine engines, the economy to be derived by this Improve¬ ment can readily be seen. By attaining a - pressure on the piston above that In the boiler the steam enn be cut oft earlier In the stroke or worked expansively a greater portion of tlie stroko of tho piston thereby gnlnlng n lnrgo percentage of power ovor the marine onglno now commonly in use. Tho design of this engine recommends It for mnrlno service. The wrltor would cnll the attention of steamboat owners and marine engineers to the fact thnt the ad vantages to be gained by this engine, aro first, tlie same power can ho obtained with an engine of less alzo\ tlie same power can bo obtained with