The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-12-22
MARINE INTELLIGENCE.
STEAMSHIP NORTHTOWN SAILS
SOUTH TO FINISH LOADING.

COiu Weather heeDs ftouBtduOuts
From Working, and Consequently
Little VIII he Doing in the Har-
Dor TO-day-Matters of Interest 10
shippers and Mariners.
In the loading of the steamship
Northtown, which sailed with a part
cargo of yellow pine lumber yester-
day for Fernandina, the tables were
turned upon the stevedores at that
port. There is an old saying that it's
best to take zone bite at cherry"
and this is generally what stevedores
do when a vessel is turned over to
them to load. They pick the best
room, that which will enable to load
most lumber in the least time. And
when the other fellow gets the vessel
to finish the cargo he takes what he
can find. The last time the North
town loaded first at Fernandina, then
here; now she loads here, then there.
Stevedore William Butler is getting
thoroughly acquainted with the COM
pany's boats, and expects to load them
better and in less time later on.
Capt Lacey, of the schooner Van
lSdl DldChy dillOilB the 5cd Cdpldll1S
who would probably be the last of a
group picked out for a seaman. While
he is among the best commanders or
sailing craft that visit the port hav-
ing few mishaps, and going through
many trying experiences successfully,
he is also a farmer. When in Balti-
more Capt. Lacey does not remain
about his vessel, but goes down on
the farm" where he looks after the
he oh,
as regularly between this and North
ern ports as the liners do.
Cold weather affects work along the
river front greatly. RoustaboIas re-
fuse to work when it's cold, which ac-
counts for the fact that several steam
ers which might be loading to-day will
not be able to do so. One stevedore
reported to a steamship office last
night that he was unable to induce the
pegroes to work on account of the
cold. They can stand any amount OF
rain or heat, but draw the line on cold
weather.
One of the most important instru-
ments on modern vessels is the So
called loud-talking telephones. Elk
periments have recently been made
with it in the German navy, and have
ments are now being placed on most
of the large seagoing ships. The spe-
cial value of this telephone lies in the
fact that a captain standing on the
bridge can easily hear any words that
may be spoken to him from the in
terror of the vessel, even though a vi
olent storm may be raging at the time,
and can in turn transmit without
straining his voice his own orders to
nffinQrc nj in rf nf fha
sol.
Bad accidents have occurred through
a misunderstanding of orders given at
a critical moment, due to the fact that
the words are not distinctly heard,
and 1t is only reasonable to. assume
that casualties of this kind can be
avoided in the future through the use
of this loud-talking telephone.
The keepers of the lighthouse of
Gironde, France. have addressed a pc
tition to the Chamber of Deputies in
which they request an increase of pay
and a pension after twenty-five years
of service. Inasmuch as these en-
ployes receive but $145 year. and 5000
a year after they have been in service
for a period of twenty-one years, their
request is modest enough and might
very we'll be granted. France does
good deal for her shipping and might
do a little better by her lighthouse
keepers, who are very important aid
to shipping .-Marine Journal
French steamers now make the trip
from Marseilles to Sydney in 81 days.
A century ago it took seven months.
Schooner Horace G.. Morse, from
Perth Amboy to Jacksonville, loaded
with coal put in here yesterday with
foremost head gone.