tained at a cost of 30 cents for the Light List and 20 cents each for the Buoy Lists.

Bridge regulations.-Regulations for lighting bridges over navigable waters, also for lights on sheer booms, piers, dams, and similar obstructions to navigation are prescribed by the Department of Commerce. A copy of these regulations will be sent free of charge to any shipmaster, pilot, or bridge owner on application to the Division of Publications, Department of Commerce, Washington, D. C. The lighthouse inspectors have immediate authority over lighting of structures in their respective districts and are charged with the enforcement of the regulations.

Regulations for the operation of drawbridges, and for the navigation of certain sections of the inland waterways, are prescribed by the Secretary of War for many places; extracts from the regulations are given in some cases under the description of the waters affected. Regulations for passing dredges are prescribed by the Secretary of War for many channels and are given under the descriptions of the channels. Lighthouse tenders, when working on buoys in channels or other frequented waters, may display a red flag (international signal-code letter B) and a black ball at the fore, as a warning to other vessels to slow down in passing.

Supplies.-Coal, gasoline, fresh water, and some supplies can be obtained at Key West, Tampa, Apalachicola, St. Andrew, Pensacola, Mobile, Pascagoula, Gulfport, New Orleans, Morgan City, Sabine Pass, Galveston, Brazosport (limited), and Port Aransas; fuel oil is also obtainable at most of these places.

Repairs.-Mobile, New Orleans, and Galveston are the principal places at which extensive repairs to the hulls and machinery of large vessels can be made. Small vessels and motor boats can be hauled out and minor repairs to machinery can be made at many other places as mentioned under the descriptions of the different ports.

Largest dry docks and marine railways

PILOTS AND PILOTAGE

Pilots cruise off the entrances of the principal ports, while at some of the ports of less importance they keep a lookout for vessels making the pilot signals outside the bar. Pilotage is compulsory for certain vessels entering from sea, but is not compulsory for the interior waters except the Mississippi River as far as New Orleans. Pilots for the inside routes may be found at the larger cities and towns; in general, the charge for piloting in interior waters is by special agreement with the pilot.

Pilotage rates for the States of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana are given under the headings of the various ports of those States. The following are extracts from the State statutes of Florida and Texas relating to pilotage:

Florida: The board of pilot commissioners of each port may fix the rates of pilotage which shall be paid by any vessel entering their port; but in no case shall they fix the rates greater than the rates now provided by law, as follows: All steamers or vessels entering any port or leaving the same shall be subject to pay to any licensed pilot performing duty on board, or to the pilot who shall first speak to such steamer or vessel, the following rates of pilotage: For steamers or vessels drawing six feet, or less than the same, $2 per foot; for steamers or vessels drawing from six to ten feet, $3 per foot; for steamers or vessels drawing from ten to fourteen feet, $4 per foot; for steamers or vessels drawing from fourteen to twenty feet, $5 per foot; for steamers or vessels drawing over twenty feet, $6 per foot. These rates shall apply to all steamers or vessels, whether owned wholly by citizens of this State or not: Provided, That all steamers or vessels carrying the regular United States mails shall pay half pilotage only: Provided further, That all steamers or vessels drawing less than six feet of water, and having a coastwise license, shall be exempt from paying whole or half pilotage, unless they employ a pilot.

Texas: The rate of pilotage on any class of vessels shall not in any port of this State exceed $4 for each foot of water which the vessel at the time of piloting draws, and whenever a vessel, except of classes below excepted, shall decline the service of a pilot offered outside the bar, and shall enter the port without the aid of one, she shall be liable to the first pilot whose services she so declined for the payment of half pilotage; and any vessel which after being brought in by a pilot shall go out without employing one shall be liable to the payment of half pilotage to the pilot who brought her in, or if she has come in without the aid of a pilot, though offered outside, she shall in so going out be liable for the payment of half pilotage to the pilot who has first offered his services before she came in; but if she has come in without the aid of a pilot, or the offer of it outside, she shall in case of going out without a pilot not be liable to half pilotage. At any port where vessels shall receive or discharge their cargoes at an anchorage outside the bar, such vessel shall be liable for pilotage at the above rate to such anchorage, but shall not be liable for or compelled to pay pilotage from such anchorage to the open sea; and if any vessel bound from the open sea to such anchorage while under way shall decline the services of a pilot, and shall afterwards receive or discharge any portion of her cargo at such anchorage on the lighters or otherwise, she shall be liable for the payment of half pilotage at the above rates to such anchorage to the first pilot whose services shall have been tendered to and declined by her, but not liable for any pilotage from such anchorage to the open sea; and when a pilot takes charge of a vessel twenty miles outside of the bar and brings her to it, he shall be entitled to one-fourth pilotage for such offshore service, in addition to what he is entitled to recover for bringing her in; but if such offshore service be declined, no portion of such compensation shall be recovered.

The following classes of vessels shall be free from any charge for pilotage. unless for actual service, to wit: All vessels of 20 tons and under; all vessels of whatsoever burthen, owned in the State of Texas and registered and licensed in the district of Texas, when arriving from or departing to any port in the State of Texas; all vessels of 75 tons and under, owned and licensed for the coasting trade in any part of the United States, when arriving from

or departing to any port in the State of Texas; all vessels of 75 tons and under, owned in the State of Texas and licensed for the coasting trade in the district of Texas, when arriving from or departing to any port in the United States.

Towboats are stationed at Tampa, Carrabelle, Apalachicola, Millville, Pensacola, Mobile, Pascagoula, Gulfport, New Orleans, Morgan City (Atchafalaya River), Sabine Pass, and Galveston.

Harbor masters are appointed for the principal ports, and they have charge of the anchorage and berthing of vessels in their respective harbors. Harbors and anchorage regulations are given under the descriptions of the ports. The laws prohibit the dumping of ashes or other materials in the channels.

Navigation laws of the United States are published by the Bureau of Navigation, Department of Commerce, at intervals of four years, the present edition being that of 1923. A supplement is issued after every session of Congress. The volume and supplements can be obtained from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C., price $1 for the volume and 5 cents each for the supplements.

Rules of the road.-International and inland "Rules to prevent collisions of vessels," lines within which the inland rules apply, and "Regulation of motor boats" are published by the Bureau of Navigation, Department of Commerce, and are included in the appendix to this volume.

Pilot rules for certain inland waters of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and of the coast of the Gulf of Mexico are published by the Steamboat Inspection Service in Form 804.

Pilot rules for the rivers whose waters flow into the Gulf of Mexico and their tributaries (Pilot rules for western rivers) are published in form 806.

Copies of these pamphlets are furnished by the officers of the Steamboat Inspection Service, and can also be had from the Division of Publications, Department of Commerce, Washington, D. C.

QUARANTINE

Quarantine for all ports within the limits of this volume is enforced in accordance with the requirements of the United States Public Health Service. At ports in the State of Texas some local requirements also have to be complied with. Quarantine regulations will be found at the stations of the service and at American consulates, and will be furnished to vessels upon application, either by officers of the service or by the bureau at Washington, D. C. Every vessel should be provided with the quarantine regulations. Port sanitary statements are issued by the United States Public Health Service and may be obtained at the stations of the service or from collectors of customs in all ports of the United States.

On account of the menace, every summer, of yellow fever to the ports on the southern coast of the United States because of the prevalence of this disease in Mexico, Central America, and South America, during the season April 1 to November 1, special restrictions are enforced. Since during the present season (1925) no authenticated cases of yellow fever have been reported from any of the Latin American countries, the special measures against the introduction of yellow

fever during the close quarantine season have been modified. However, special vigilance is exercised because of the possibility that there may be latent foci of this disease which may become manifest at any time, making it necessary to enforce close quarantine.

The Public Health Service provides special arrangements for facilitating commerce, especially as this applies to the transportation of fruit between Mexican ports and Gulf ports. These special measures comprise the detailing in the offices of the American consuls at the various Mexican ports of medical officers, who assist steamship companies in complying with any quarantine measures in the port of departure which will tend to aid the quick dispatch of vessels. upon their arrival at southern United States ports. On this account. it is recommended that the masters of vessels, upon arrival at any of the Mexican Gulf ports, communicate at once with the American consul in order to ascertain whether any special precautions are required.

The following are the national quarantine stations within the limits covered by this volume:

Key West, Fla.

Bocagrande, Fla.; telegraphic address Bocagrande, post office address South
Bocagrande, Fla.

Tampa Bay, Fla.; telegraphic and post office address Tampa, Fla.
Cedar Keys, Fla.; post-office address Bronson, Fla.

St. George Sound, Fla.; post office and telegraphic address Carrabelle, Fla.

St. Andrew, Fla.; post office and telegraphic address Panama City, Fla.

St. Joseph, Fla.; post office and telegraphic address Port St. Joe, Fla.
Pensacola, Fla.

Mobile, Ala.

Pascagoula, Miss.

Ship Island, Miss.; post office and telegraphic address Gulfport, Miss.
New Orleans, La.; post office and telegraphic address Quarantine, La.
Galveston, Tex.

Lake Sabine District, Tex.; post-office address Port Arthur, Tex.

Port Aransas, Tex.; post office and telegraphic address Aransas Pass, Tex. Freeport, Tex.

Medical relief.-Information with respect to medical relief furnished seamen will be found in the Regulations of the United States Public Health Service, which can be consulted at all marine hospitals and other relief stations. These stations are located at nearly all the more important Gulf ports. The following is a list of such ports and the relief stations operated by that service:

1

Marine Hospital No. 10, Key West, Fla. (Front and Emma Streets).
Tampa, Fla. (212 Citizen's Bank Building).

Apalachicola, Fla. (Deputy Collector of Customs).

Pensacola, Fla. (311 Blount Building).

Mobile, Ala., Marine Hospital No. 13 (St. Anthony and Bayou Streets).
Gulfport, Miss. (21 Durham Building).

New Orleans, La., Marine Hospital No. 14 (Tchoupitoulas and Henry Clay
Streets).

Port Arthur, Tex. (Federal Building).

Galveston, Tex. (302 Customhouse).
Houston, Tex. (511 Kress Building).

WEATHER

Fog. From November to April, inclusive, fog may occasionally be encountered near the coast at any point between San Carlos Bay and the Rio Grande. It is most dense in the vicinity of the harbor entrances, and the prominent points, such as Cape San Blas.

Usually southerly winds bring it in, and northerly winds clear it. away. See also the meteorological tables in the Appendix.

The following table shows the number of hours per month that the fog signals were operated at the stated light stations on the Gulf coast of the United States during 1924:

Light station Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Total

Northers. From November to April, northers blow from northwest and north with considerable violence; their duration is from one to four days, the latter being exceptional. They occur more frequently, and are more strongly marked, along the coast of Texas than eastward; but their general characteristics are alike all over the Gulf of Mexico.

The indications of an approaching norther are invariably a slightly falling barometer, generally not more than 0.20 inch, and lowering temperature; it begins with a violent squall, during which the temperature may drop 20° in 10 minutes. After the first squall the wind gradually increases to a fresh gale, but does not reach its maximum velocity until after the barometer has begun to rise, and it will generally blow with full force for at least 24 hours. Sometimes the temperature drops to as low as 18° F. Some northers are dry-that is, unattended by precipitation-others are attended by: cold rain, that may turn into sleet or snow.

Northers along the Gulf coast are not dangerous for large vessels, but small vessels are sometimes blown offshore. They affect, however, the depth of water in the harbors and on the bars by blowing the water offshore, in some cases lowering the water by as much as 4 feet. This should be borne in mind by vessels attempting to enter the harbors on the Gulf coast, during or soon after a norther. Currents in narrow channels and in the Gulf are also greatly affected by northers.

Southeast gales are dangerous to shipping along the Gulf coast of the United States, westward of Apalachee Bay. They may occur at any time of the year, but are most dangerous in winter and early spring. During a heavy southeaster, the bars at the entrances to the