The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

THE MARINE RECOKD.I .; MARINE LAW. ma buildino and ownership OV X VM9EL. Fnpmd/or tin Marine Ittcord A contract tor building may be what¬ ever the partle'i chooie to make It. Thus, one who pruposes to own a ship may pro- pom to supply the builder with all requisite materials, the builder to do lor him all tho requfiire labor. The ship would then never bo the builder1*, bitf would trom the be- ginning belainftto him for whom it (a being built. Shlpa lire not. however, olton built In thl» wa} • The builder usually constructs the vessel for one of four purposes: Either fo supply an order, or to execute a contrict, which may be regaidcd assubstantially the same thing, or (o sell It to s>jme periuii who may desire to buy It, or to own It himself. One iniportant question haa arisen about which the cases are not reconcilable. '1 hut Is, when a ship Is built upon n contract, at what time tho ownership pasaes from the builder to the perron tor whom It Is birllt. If a ship be built upon a contract and the price to be paid by Installments, docs each Installment, whon paid, purchase thtvfabrlc as It then exists, parsing the pioperty abso¬ lutely to iho purchaser, subject only to the lien which the builder lifts fbr the purpose of Mulshing the ship' The casoB on this subject were In much conflict. In the earlier' English cases much reference Is made to English statutes and usage as to bulldeis' cortltiuiles anil the grand bill of sale which do irut exist in our own. He consider, how¬ ever, that the law Is now well settled, espe- dally In ihlscounliy, and by recent cases. If It be the Intention of the parties J lint the builder should sell and the purchaser buy the ship before It Is completed, and at differ- em stages of Its progress, and a bargain is made sufficiently expressive of this Inten¬ tion, there is no reason, whatever, in law why this Intention should not be carried out. But no such Intention would be Im¬ plied from the mere fact that payment is to be made by Instalments, whether they are graduated merely on time, or on the slate, or condition, or progress of the vessel. Nor would this implication arise from, or be greatly aided by, the employment by the purchaser of a superintendent. These facts might aid In Identifying the structure, or bus1 titlnlng an action for a breach ol the contract, and they rpjgbt, bear on the amount of the damages, but tqey would not bo Bulllclent to prove an actual sale and transfer-of the prop ertj, by the paymont on an Installment so tjnit after such payment, if the pi operty were lost or destroyed, it would be the loss of the purchaser. At the sumo time ft appears to be decided that payment of installments Im¬ poses upon the builder an obligation to fin¬ ish and deliver under his contract the same identical vessel./flie original bill ot sale by which the bulldei translers the ship to the purchaser, wasfomeily called the grand bill of sale, and whb distinguished from other or subsequent bills ot sale. But this dinctlon is now done away with. The builder should deliver his certificate to the first owner and the owner give It to the collector, as re¬ quired by the statute of reglstiatlon. It is not essential that the contract for the build¬ ing of a ship be rewriting, but if 4t be in writing carp shouldbe used In the draught¬ ing of Bitch contract that It express all the terras and conditions that are agreed upon, as parol evidence will not in general be ad¬ mitted to vary or explain the meaning of a v rltten instrument, unless changes have been made since the drawing of the written instrument, In which cases evidence will bo received to prove the new contract. For¬ merly, builders of ships, as well us those who repaired, equipped or supplied them, were called material men, and this somewhat peculiar pliraao has been In use as a t,ertn of the law merchant for some centuries. Now the phrase la confined In liw, and certainly lii practice, to those who repali, lurnlsh sup¬ plies, or do any work about her necessary for her seaworthlneas.or to oomplete her equip¬ ment. Material jnon have-a lien upon the vessel for repairs made or supplies furnished," and as sdeh are distinguished from a builder who builds and sells a ship, the builder hair¬ ing slraplv a vendor's lien, whlolt will be destroyed by a transfer to an Innocent pur¬ chaser lor value and without notice of tho lien. / Prtudloot In the collision enso of the Dinger. <fc Tulcntt Stone Company ngaliiat tho^tuga Triad and Albntroas. The faots wore Thi September,. 1883, about 8 p. |ti., the tug Triad having In tow the schooner Advance waa proceeding down the fhlcago river be- nveen Lake and Wells stieet brldgea, while the AlbatMSS was going up the river, hav¬ ing in tow two canal boats abreast and ono astern, alj owned bt the Slpger & Taloott 8tone Company. The Albatroas wen' through the south or port draw of Wella stieet bridge and claims she whistled lor the port side while In the drow or near It, and also olalms Mint It was answered by the Triad with two whistles, signifying assent. The collision took place near the font of Franklin street, the Triad striking the starboard eansj boat on ihe starboard bow a glancing blow, doing considerable damage. The court held that the preponderance of proof showed that the Trlnd gave assent to the Albatrosa taking the port side, but still for some reaion kept on that side, causing the collision. A decree was entered the Triad solely at fault, and the case was referred to the commissioner to ascertain the damages. Messrs. Schuyler & Kremer appeared tor the Singer & Talcott Company, Mr. Condon for the Albatross, and IV. L. Mitchell for the Triad, IMPORTANT NOTICES. The lights which mark the course to be blowing flf steam whistles dur¬ ing fogs. TlnvnrnTsays that HII sttam vessels .owing sail or othorcraf tin a tog shall sound her whistle three tlmea at Intervals not ex¬ ceeding dno tnlnuto. Thoy claim (bat this rule places a vast amoont of work on tho shoulders of the officers of vestals whloh could easily be avoided by the substitution of a regulation mockingbird whistle, to bo used only in eases of fog. They have petitioned the Board of Supervising Inspec¬ tors to draft a rule abolishing the ono now In force, and providing for the substitution mocking bird whistles. The latter give forth a peculiar, monotonous sound which Is dls tlngulshnble from all others because it Is the most abominable. It is doubtful If this kind of whistle will be adopted by tho'boanl, because the objections to It are too open and palpablo to be overlooked. In the first plaoo every steam vessel on the lakes would have to be provided with one, because the emergenoy Is liable to arise at any time when steam vessels of all kinds.will have,to pick up and tow disabled eraft In fogs. All vessel owners mav not be willing to provide the|r eraft wttn these nosy appendages.— Inter Octan. < taken by vessels entering the Sault Sti Marie liver fiom Lake Superior, were lighted for-the first lime last Wednesday, the Inllowing is the route for vessels boundd (low n: In coining In from Point Iroquois to Round island theie will appear the two first range lights, one rid and the othor bright, situated southeast of Round Island on the main land of the American side. Run on this range until two similar lights come in range opposite Point mix Pines on the American slile Run on this range until a bright light appears from behind a shade on Polnb]urx~"ff Pines wharf, and then continue ilowrj,r6Blg ory has now been fully tested practically COLLISION CASK. Judge Blodgett recently overruled the the exceptions to the report of Conimlasloiier Pull t until government lightcomea In range. Continue on this range to the canal. In going up keep on the government range to Big Point and llun steer for the light on Point aux Pines wharf. Continue around Point aux Pines lighthouse and then steer one-point west of Round Island until the lights opposite Point mix Pines oonie In range. Continue until the lights southeast of Round Island came in range. Haul up on this range lorPolnt Iroquois. Before the establishing of these rangerit was impossible for vessels or steamers to reach the Saujt Ste. Marie Canal after dark, and all boats arriving at night were forcod to lay to for daylight. 'Ibis caused a serloiiBdoluy, which will now be entirely avoided. Tho beacon at Fair Haven light station, Little Sodus Bay N. Y. Ms been moved to within twenty-seven feet of life outer end of the west pier, and that a pbsbilght has been erected ant) exhibited on the inner end of the same pier. The characteristics of the outer beacon remain unchanged. Also, that the outer beacon at Big Sodus light station, N. Y., has been moved to within twenty feet of the outer end of the west pier. The characteristics of the light remain unchanged, | The structures from which are exhibited the pier-head lights at White river. Mich., Calumet (South Chicago,) III., and Sheboy¬ gan, Wis., have been moved out near to the ends of their piers. Tho local inspectors of steam vessels have begun to distribute a circular among the owners ot passenger steamboats which promises to crcrfte a good deal of discontent, if not actual revolt. The circular Is from the supervising Inspectors, and instructs the masters and uu ners of steam vessels to al¬ low no person In the w heel house but some officer of the vessel or some member of the crew on business while she Is In motion. Particular stresB Is Nld on the sentence which forbids passengers from entering this Important apartment. On all well regulated steamboats this ordor Is unnecessary, because the managers or captalnB have already pro¬ vided for the defect, but a great many ves sela need to have It strictly enforced during the cummer months. A great many collis¬ ions have been caused by persons detracting the attention of the wheelsmen from their duty, and the frames of many a steamboat are now rotting on hidden reefs for the same cause. The greatest trouble, however, has been on the Inland rivers, where disasters from this and other altnllarcausea have been alarmingly frequent. It appears, though, that the-order has met with disfavor andln- dlgnatlnn ut the hands of the"river "skip¬ per's," and they are now preparing to hold an Indignation meeting to have It with¬ drawn. It Is a wise ordor, because It relieves the owners of steam craft from a good deal of painful embarrassment which they might feel If they were compelled to enforce an obnoxious personal order. SAFE SEA UdlNG SHIPS. The time has now come that tho .'world should know whether ships are, a work of solenci! oi not. The recent 'horrible disas¬ ters in connection with the thousands Jhat have gone before afford the most ample evi¬ dence to base doubts upon, of the truth that slilps.118 now builf are from the dictates of science. We havti uu explanations from ex¬ perts who. build our ships of objects to be At¬ tained from their form and construction. In cases sin li as the recent disasters no expei ts ever comment on theiii til rough the publio press, the comments that uro made uro fiom outside pintles uhd are oulv conjectures, opinions anil judgments. At this time what reading matter can come belore the public more interesting than principles which will and do build a perfectly safo sea going ship. The time lias now come, It proper 6teps are taken, to cause this to be dftrie, It is no longer an experiment to be tried, principles to do this irreat work do exist in the known 0,>1>' such tools as are used In an engineering s^c^nlw^g",nn ou7 f^TZ^ 7, „r„ i,„. nn» w,, fnllv t-toi „;„ml,.,.iiu n,,nle(1 tho_White Fish. In that rude oratt Yesselmen, and especially owners and masters, are vigorously fighting the latest rule of the Treasury Department je-1 that | roves that a ship can be built that the forces of the ocean can never destroy, and that no collision can sink. In fact, all the lite essentials and points of economy, com¬ fort, etc., nre at their acme In this theory. Rightly located buoyancy Is the great fund¬ ament. That buoyant'} Is the life of the \ es- sel no man can dispute, rant wronglv located It has been thecSuse of destroying more ves st Is than any other, is also a point that can¬ not be disputed; that a vessel can not have too much buoyancy is another point which no man can dispute, as thoy are all maxims. There Is a common sense in all things and that Is, In being right In all; things which provendt right, are unscientific. This Is the' real solutloiiof the problem Af why there aieso many horrible losses on the ocean, tho form and construction of the vessel are unscientific and no one us jet has made them subsorvlent to science. A vessel's buoyancy, with all of her parts dulypropor- tlcned for strength to receive it, and locat¬ ed as science would dictate, is her only sal¬ vation In bad times, such as heavy miles, befng drl\en on shore, or In collision. When all submit to tho dictates of science, then vessels will be sale, but so long a judgment and opinion rule them we may look for dis¬ asters. Judgment Is largely expended In fancy (looks), solenoe has nothing to do with looks, she deals only In cause and effect. A ship, the State of Florida, sinks In un Instant ot time, by a collision. The question comes up, "What was the causef"' The cause Is evident, her buoyancy whb destroyed. It is u truism that constructors of vossels should know the oroper "boarlngs" (tho bearings are her buoyancy.) It is also true that they should know the proper "balances" to sus¬ tain und hold up, and keep a vessel afloat in any position that sho may be placed In by the motions and forces of the ocean or by collision, this, they claim to know and oall their craft a science (naval aiuhlteoture.) Unfortunately for the world there Is no one to question them. This great fraud Is out of the reach of the law. That It Is a fraud the City of Columbus, the Daniel Stelnuiann and tho now State of Florida speak with trumpet tones These threo vessels were swept out of existence asji candle would bo blown out, In an Instant,aVuntold thousands have, been before. The question now is, Is there no remedy? The answer Is simple and plain, call on bc! ouce to look Into and clear It up, so that the law makers and all educated men can un¬ derstand It, then law will stand at the head and the constructors of vessels, the same as the constructors of boilers, bridges, or any other fabrlo thtt cornea under the dictates of solenoe. Such aln assemblage as a conven¬ tion of scientists to take Into consideration the life essentials, propositions lorniB, staunchness, tnioyaucy, balances, and endur mice necessary to construot a safo ship never has been held. On tho oontrary, the learned professors of our universities confide. In (he constructors, the same as all others. In my long life I have seen but one opinion on tho matter in print. That came from a profes- sor of science, and was at the time of tho loss of the Great Western. An appeal was made through tho public press to tho pro¬ fessors of our schools, and the answer e'amn 'from ono of them and 'Was published, it was that "Noah's Ark (giving the dltnan. slona) was so long, so wide and to deep, and ' that after examining thereat authorities and the most noted experts, he found that ves- sols having In them those dimensions, or the nearest to them proportionately, wero the safest." This is all that solenoe hid to as* on this matter, and all that It haa said. . That this Is n work for solenoe no one. can ' doubt, but that It has not at vet beerradont. ed the horrlblo disasters of the ocean afford the moat ample proof ' Tho works of science are always ante The romedy for this great evil U to <ul| u>'. gether n convention oi scientists With power to oall before them tno most noted experts and constructors and compel them to show how they apply known solenoe (thero Is ho other) to the construction and form cf a ship and all the objoots attained by It, or, In other words, to compel them .to tajce the affirm*, tlve of their assertion, thai naval ardhiteot- nre, as practiced, Is a science; also to allow •• evidence to be taken In the,negative. This Will glvo the truth to the world, and Is tho only nay that It can bo kno'wn.—Jiuph W, Norcroas, (n Aquatic Magazine. '■> THE CRUISE OF lilE .WHITE FISH. "I read the account In the Sun the other day," said a well-knownJNew York yachts iDiiii, "about the proposed trip of Cajftaln Wood, ot Haminontlsport, to be made fii Ida yacht from the head ol Seneca lake to Florida, via numerous rivers and lakes and the At¬ lantic ocean The (lip will be a novel one, butlt Is not tlje first one oTthe kind ever at- tempted. The late President J. Edgar Thompson, of the Pennsylvania railroad company, onee told rtloof a trlp/fflade by his — father. John Thompson, from Lake Erie to Philadelphia, that was rather more of i novelty than the one proposed by Captain Wood. Mr. Thompson was an agent ot the HdlundL and company, which had greatln forests In western Pennsylvania and New York. While In the discharge of his duties in 1793 M r.Thompsnn was at Presque Isle, now the city of Erie, Pa. With one assistant and he started from Preaque Isle for Phila¬ delphia, He sailed down Lake Erie into Niagara river. With the help of six ox teams he had his boat taken overboard around Niagara falls and placed In the river below. 'Entering Lake Ontario, lie sailed to where Oswego is now located. Through a small stream that led to Oneida lake he mude his way to tl at lake. Passing through it, he had his vessel again taken by land, (his time to the Mohawk river. Then he sailed to the Hudson, down the Hudson to the Atlantic, thense to Delaware bay, and up the bay to Philadelphia. The trjp occupied three weeks, and was made without an accident of-any kind. The little \essel was taken from the water at i'hlladelplilii and placed In Inde¬ pendent square, where It remained until It was destroyed by time. That was the first time a vessel ever passed from Lake Erie to New York." SUBMARINE ELECT1 -Reeentlv, some veiy Interesting experi¬ ments in submarine electric irgrrrTnig were conducted on the Clyde, at Greenock, Scot- laud. The Tilly, a vessel built by Messrs. Hiiuiia, Donald & Wilson for the fisheries at Batayla, haa been fitted with machinery to supply current for a 15,000 candle power lamp, whloh It Is Intended to lower Into tile sea for-a depth of ten fathoms or less, as the exigencies of tho drift net Ashing require. The whole of the eleotrlcal apparatus, as well as the gearing for raising and lowering the lamp, liavo been supplied by Messrs. Patter¬ son & Cooper, the current being supplied by one of their No. 4 dynamo machines, coupled directly to a Gwynne high speed vortical engine, and runhlng at 050 revolu¬ tions A minute. The lamp,' which Is Inclosed In a flint glass cylinder 0>£ Inches diameter, is suspended from-a davit over the vessel's side, and the two conductors consist of finely stranded copper cord Inclosed In India rubber, hose. These conductors pass over pulleys on the end of the davit, ana the lamp Is raised or lowered by a winoji fitted to the bottom of tho davit. The trial lasted for four hours, during which tlnlojlie lamp was submerged, and kept a light with the full current of 00 amperes through It.—Scientific American. . ------------■ ■ The Introduction of an amendment to the ordinance regulating the opening and clos¬ ing of bridges In the city council Monday night has occasioned considerable unfavora¬ ble comment In marine circles. Under the present rule a bridge can be swung for ten . minutes to admit the passage of vessels, when It mutt be olosed for an equal peilod to accommodate land travel. The proposed amendment extends the period for keeping a bridge closed to twenty minutes, but the time It may be kopt open Is unchanged. Marino men olalm that the adoption of this amendment will greatly Injure their interests and the entire lake commerce of this port, as during tho average fourteen hours' daylight vessels would be allowed but four hours' river navlgatloriT~A petition ad¬ dressed to the Council remonstrates against tho passage ot the amouduient.—Chicago T> ibvne, June S.