sees the masts of the other in a line, or nearly in a line, with her own, and by night to cases in which each vessel is in such a position as to see both the side lights of the other.

It does not apply by day to cases in which a vessel sees another ahead crossing her own course or by night to cases where the red light of one vessel is opposed to the red light of the other, or where the green light of one vessel is opposed to the green light of the other, or where a red light without a green light or a green light without a red light is seen ahead, or where both green and red lights are seen anywhere but ahead.

RULE III. If, when steam vessels are approaching each other, either vessel fails to understand the course or intention of the other, from any cause, the vessel so in doubt shall immediately signify the same by giving several short and rapid blasts, not less than four, of the steam whistle.

RULE V. Whenever a steam vessel is nearing a short bend or curve in the channel, where, from the height of the banks or other cause, a steam vessel approaching from the opposite direction can not be seen for a distance of half a mile, such steam vessel when she shall have arrived within half a mile of such curve or bend, shall give a signal by one long blast of the steam whistle, which signal shall be answered by a similar blast, given by any approaching steam vessel that may be within hearing. Should such signal be so answered by a steam vessel upon the farther side of such bend, then the usual signals for meeting and passing shall immediately be given and answered; but, if the first alarm signal of such vessel be not answered, she is to consider the channel clear and govern herself accordingly.

When steam vessels are moved from their docks or berths, and other boats are liable to pass from any direction toward them, they shall give the same signal as in the case of vessels meeting at a bend, but immediately after clearing the berths so as to be fully in sight they shall be governed by the steering and sailing rules.

RULE VIII. When steam vessels are running in the same direction, and the vessel which is astern shall desire to pass on the right or starboard hand of the vessel ahead, she shall give one short blast of the steam whistle, as a signal of such desire, and if the vessel ahead answers with one blast, she shall put her helm to port; or if she shall desire to pass on the left or port side of the vessel ahead, she shall give two short blasts of the steam whistle as a signal of such desire, and if the vessel ahead answers with two blasts, shall put her helm to starboard; or if the vessel ahead does not think it safe for the vessel astern to attempt to pass at that point, she shall immediately signify the same by giving several short and rapid blasts of the steam whistle, not less than four, and under no circumstances shall the vessel astern attempt to pass the vessel ahead until such time as they have reached a point where it can be safely done, when said vessel ahead shall signify her willingness by blowing the proper signals. The vessel ahead shall in no case attempt to cross the bow or crowd upon the course of the passing vessel.

RULE IX. The whistle signals provided in the rules under this article, for steam vessels meeting, passing, or overtaking, are never to be used except when steamers are in sight of each other, and the course and position of each can be determined in the daytime by a sight of the vessel itself, or by night by seeing its signal lights. In fog, mist, falling snow or heavy rainstorms, when vessels can not so see each other, fog-signals only must be given.

SUPPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS.

See section 2, enacting clause, scope and penalty, preceding.

TWO STEAM VESSELS CROSSING.

ART. 19. When two steam vessels are crossing, so as to involve risk of collision, the vessel which has the other on her own starboard side shall keep out of the way of the other.

STEAM VESSEL SHALL KEEP OUT OF THE WAY OF SAILING VESSELS.

ART. 20. When a steam vessel and a sailing vessel are proceeding in such directions as to involve risk of collision, the steam vessel shall keep out of the way of the sailing vessel.

COURSE AND SPEED.

ART. 21. Where, by any of these rules, one of the two vessels is to keep out of the way, the other shall keep her course and speed. [See articles twenty-seven and twenty-nine.]

CROSSING AHEAD.

ART. 22. Every vessel which is directed by the rules to keep out of the way of another vessel shall, if the circumstances of the case admit, avoid crossing ahead of the other.

STEAM VESSEL SHALL SLACKEN SPEED OR STOP.

ART. 23. Every steam vessel which is directed by these rules to keep out of the way of another vessel shall, on approaching her, if necessary, slacken her speed or stop or reverse.

OVERTAKING VESSELS.

ART. 24. Notwithstanding anything contained in these rules, every vessel overtaking any other shall keep out of the way of the overtaken vessel.

Every vessel coming up with another vessel from any direction more than two points abaft her beam; that is, in such a position, with reference to the vessel which she is overtaking that at night she would be unable to see either of that vessel's side lights, shall be deemed to be an overtaking vessel; and no subsequent alteration of the bearing between the two vessels shall make the overtaking vessel a crossing vessel within the meaning of these rules, or relieve her of the duty of keeping clear of the overtaken vessel until she is finally past and clear.

As by day the overtaking vessel can not always know with certainty whether she is forward of or abaft this direction from the other vessel she should, if in doubt, assume that she is an overtaking vessel and keep out of the way.

NARROW CHANNELS.

ART. 25. In narrow channels every steam vessel shall, when it is safe and practicable, keep to that side of the fairway or mid-channel which lies on the starboard side of such vessel.

RIGHT OF WAY OF FISHING VESSELS.

ART. 26. Sailing vessels under way shall keep out of the way of sailing vessels or boats fishing with nets, or lines, or trawls. This rule shall not give to any vessel or boat engaged in fishing the right of obstructing a fairway used by vessels other than fishing vessels or boats.

GENERAL PRUDENTIAL RULE.

ART. 27. In obeying and construing these rules, due regard shall be had to all dangers of navigation and collision, and to any special circumstances which may render a departure from the above rules necessary in order to avoid immediate danger.

See article 18.

SOUND SIGNALS FOR PASSING STEAMERS.

ART. 28. When vessels are in sight of one another a steam vessel under way whose engines are going at full speed astern shall indicate that fact by three short blasts on the whistle.

PRECAUTION.

ART. 29. Nothing in these rules shall exonerate any vessel, or the owner or master or crew thereof, from the consequences of any neglect to carry lights or signals or of any neglect to keep a proper lookout, or of the neglect of any precaution which may be required by the ordinary practice of seamen, or by the special circumstances of the case.

LIGHTS ON UNITED STATES NAVAL VESSELS AND REVENUE CUTTERS.

ART. 30. The exhibition of any light on board of a vessel of war of the United States or a revenue cutter may be suspended whenever, in the opinion of the Secretary of the Navy, the commander in chief of a squadron, or the commander of a vessel acting singly, the special character of the service may require it.

DISTRESS SIGNALS.

ART. 31. When a vessel is in distress and requires assistance from other vessels or from the shore, the following shall be the signals to be used or displayed by her, either together or separately, namely:

In the daytime

A continuous sounding with any fog-signal apparatus, or firing a gun.

At night

First. Flames on the vessel, as from a burning tar barrel, oil barrel, and so forth.
Second. A continuous sounding with any fog-signal apparatus, or firing a gun.

REGULATION OF MOTOR BOATS.

AN ACT To amend laws for preventing collisions of vessels and to regulate equipment of certain motor boats on the navigable waters of the United States.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the words "motor boat" where used in this act shall include every vessel propelled by machinery and not more than sixty-five feet in length except tugboats and towboats propelled by steam. The length shall be measured from end to end over the deck, excluding sheer: Provided, That the engine, boiler, or other operating machinery shall

be subject to inspection by the local inspectors of steam vessels, and to their approval of the design thereof, on all said motor boats, which are more than forty feet in length, and which are propelled by machinery driven by steam.

SEC. 2. That motor boats subject to the provisions of this act shall be divided into classes as follows:

Class one. Less than twenty-six feet in length.

Class two. Twenty-six feet or over and less than forty feet in length.

Class three. Forty feet or over and not more than sixty-five feet in length.

SEC.. 3. That every motor boat in all weathers from sunset to sunrise shall carry the following lights, and during such time no other lights which may be mistaken for those prescribed shall be exhibited.

(a) Every motor boat of class one shall carry the following lights:

First. A white light aft to show all around the horizon.

Second. A combined lantern in the fore part of the vessel and lower than the white light aft showing green to starboard and red to port, so fixed as to throw the light from right ahead to two points abaft the beam on their respective sides.

(b) Every motor boat of classes two and three shall carry the following lights:

First. A bright white light in the fore part of the vessel as near the stem as practicable, so constructed as to show an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of twenty points of the compass, so fixed as to throw the light ten points on each side of the vessel, namely, from right ahead to two points abaft the beam on either side. The glass or lens shall be of not less than the following dimensions:

Class two. Nineteen square inches.

Class three. Thirty-one square inches.

Second. A white light aft to show all around the horizon.

Third. On the starboard side a green light so constructed as to show an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of ten points of the compass, so fixed as to throw the light from right ahead to two points abaft the beam on the starboard side. On the port side a red light so constructed as to show an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of ten points of the compass, so fixed as to throw the light from right ahead to two points abaft the beam on the port side. The glasses or lenses in the said side lights shall be of not less than the following dimensions on motor boats of

Class two. Sixteen square inches.

Class three. Twenty-five square inches.

On and after July first, nineteen hundred and eleven, all glasses or lenses prescribed by paragraph (b) of section three shall be fresnel or fluted. The said lights shall be fitted with inboard screens of sufficient height and so set as to prevent these lights from being seen across the bow and shall be of not less than the following dimensions on motor boats of

Class two. Eighteen inches long.

Class three. Twenty-four inches long:

Provided, That motor boats as defined in this act, when propelled by sail and machinery or under sail alone, shall carry the colored lights suitably screened but not the white lights prescribed by this section.

SEC. 4. (a) Every motor boat under the provisions of this act shall be provided with a whistle or other sound-producing mechanical appliance capable of producing a blast of two seconds or more in duration, and in the case of such boats so provided a blast of at least two seconds shall be deemed a prolonged blast within the meaning of the law.

(b) Every motor boat of class two or three shall carry an efficient foghorn.

(c) Every motor boat of class two or three shall be provided with an efficient bell, which shall be not less than eight inches across the mouth, on board of vessels of class three.

SEC. 5. That every motor boat subject to any of the provisions of this act, and also all vessels propelled by machinery other than by steam more than sixty-five feet in length, shall carry either life-preservers, or life belts, or buoyant cushions, or ring buoys or other device, to be prescribed by the Secretary of Commerce and Labor, sufficient to sustain afloat every person on board and so placed as to be readily accessible. All motor boats carrying passengers for hire shall carry one life-preserver of the sort prescribed by the regulations of the board of supervising inspectors for every passenger carried, and no such boat while so carrying passengers for hire shall be operated or navigated except in charge of a person duly licensed for such service by the local board of inspectors. No examination shall be required as the condition of obtaining such a license, and any such license shall be revoked or suspended by the local board of inspectors for misconduct, gross negligence, recklessness in navigation, intemperance, or violation of law on the part of the holder, and if revoked, the person holding such license shall be incapable of obtaining another such license for one year from the date of revocation: Provided, That motor boats shall not be required to carry licensed officers except as required in this act.

SEC. 6. That every motor boat and also every vessel propelled by machinery other than by steam, more than sixty-five feet in length, shall carry ready for immediate use the means of promptly and effectually extinguishing burning gasoline.

SEC. 7. That a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars may be imposed for any violation. of this act. The motor boat shall be liable for the said penalty and may be seized and proceeded against, by way of libel, in the district court of the United States for any district within which such vessel may be found.

SEC. 8. That the Secretary of Commerce and Labor shall make such regulations as may be necessary to secure the proper execution of this act by collectors of customs and other officers of the Government. And the Secretary of the Department of Commerce and Labor, may upon application therefor, remit or mitigate any fine, penalty, or forfeiture relating to motor boats except for failure to observe the provisions of section six of this act.

SEC. 9. That all laws and parts of laws only in so far as they are in conflict herewith are hereby repealed: Provided, That nothing in this act shall be deemed to alter or amend acts of Congress embodying or revising international rules for preventing collisions at sea.

APPENDIX VI.

NAVIGATIONAL AIDS AND THE USE OF CHARTS.

The Coast and Geodetic Survey is charged with the survey of the coasts, harbors, and tidal estuaries of the United States and its insular possessions, and issues the following publications relating to these waters as guides to navigation: Charts, Coast Pilots, Tide Tables, a Catalogue of these publications, and Notice to Mariners, the last named published weekly by the Bureau of Lighthouses and Coast and Geodetic Survey.

CHARTS are corrected from information received to the date of issue, which is stamped in the lower left-hand corner. Subsequent changes relating to changes in aids, recently discovered dangers, wrecks, etc., must be procured from the Notice to Mariners. When the amount and importance of new material warrant it, a new edition of the chart is issued and the old edition called in from the agents and canceled; the date of the edition is given in the title or at the middle of the bottom of the chart.

The charts are various in character, according to the objects which they are designed to subserve. The most important distinctions are the following:

1 1,200,000'

1. Sailing charts, mostly on a scale of approximately which exhibit the approaches to a large extent of coast, give the offshore soundings, and enable the navigator to identify his position as he approaches from the open sea.

1

3. Coast charts, on a scale of by means of which the navigator is enabled to avail himself of the channels for entering the larger bays and harbors.

80,000'

4. Harbor charts, on larger scales, intended to meet the needs of local navigation. COAST PILOTS, relating to the surveyed waters of the United States, Porto Rico, and a part of Alaska, and Sailing Directions of the Philippine Islands, contain full nautical descriptions of the coast, harbors, dangers, and directions for coasting and entering harbors. Similar information relating to parts of Alaska and Hawaii is published in Coast Pilot Notes, for which no charge is made."

Coast Pilots are corrected for important information received to the date of issue, which is stamped on the correction sheets accompanying the volume. From time to time, as the material accumulates, supplements are issued, containing the more important corrections since the publication of the volume. The supplements are printed on one side of the paper only, so that they may be cut and pasted in the appropriate places in the volume. Supplements and other corrections for any volume can be furnished on application, provided the volume itself has not been superseded by a subsequent edition.

TIDE TABLES.-The Coast and Geodetic Survey Tide Tables are issued annually in advance of the year for which they are made, and contain the predicted time and height of the tides for each day in the year at the principal ports of the world, including the United States and its possessions. A table of tidal differences is given by means of which the tides at more than 3,000 intermediate ports may be obtained. Separate reprints from the general Tide Tables are issued for the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States and its dependencies.

AGENCIES for the sale of the Charts, Coast Pilots, and Tide Tables of the Coast and Geodetic Survey are established in many ports of the United States and in some foreign ports. They can also be purchased in the Office of the Coast and Geodetic Survey, Washington, D. C. If ordered by mail, prepayment is obligatory. Remittances should be made by postal money order or express order, payable to the "Assistant in Charge of the Office." Postage stamps, checks, and drafts can not be accepted. The sending of money in an unregistered letter is unsafe. Only catalogue numbers of charts need be mentioned. The catalogue of charts and other publications of the Survey can be obtained free of charge on application at any of the sale agencies or to the Coast and Geodetic Survey Office, Washington, D. C.

OTHER PUBLICATIONS.-Lists of Lights, Buoys, and other Daymarks of the United States, its insular possessions, and the Great Lakes, are published by the Bureau of Lighthouses. Notice to Mariners, relating to the same waters, are published weekly by the Bureau of Lighthouses and Coast and Geodetic Survey. These publications can be obtained free of charge on application to the Division of Publications, Department of Commerce and Labor, Washington, D. C. (153)