effect: That in such cases the consul or consuls concerned shall not have the right of withholding his or their consent to the destruction of a wreck, or parts thereof, if it is shown that the wreck constitutes a danger to passing vessels, and if there is no apparent possibility that it will be removed within a reasonable time by the owners or by the insurance companies interested.

"As to derelicts in coast waters there seems to be little doubt but that private enterprise, in order to secure salvage, will prove sufficient to remove any of them. For this reason it would seem to be unnecessary that any proposition should be made which would interfere with the established custom.

"There was, in the opinion of the committee, some doubt regarding the meaning of the word 'responsibility' used in this heading. They consider, however, that no government would acknowledge any responsibility for the waters under discussion which had not been made the subject of some formal agreement entered into after negotiations by the usual diplomatic methods."

The PRESIDENT. The subject before the Conference is, "Wrecks and Derelicts on Coast Waters," which is now open to discussion. The Chair will entertain any proposition upon this division. The Chair hears no proposition. The Secretary will proceed to read the next division. The next division of the programme is as follows:

"4. SEARCHING FOR DOUBTFUL DANGERS WITH A VIEW OF REMOVING THEM FROM THE CHART.

"The greater part of these dangers have been entered on the charts from the report of single ships, and under the assumption that it is often better to do so rather than have the mariner entirely unwarned; though such reports may have appeared from the very first of doubtful accuracy. In order to make sure that these dangers do not exist, it has been conclusively shown by experience that it is not sufficient to sail across the alleged position, but that it is necessary, at the same time, to take extensive soundings to prove beyond a doubt that nowhere in the vicinity of the alleged danger anything but deep water is found, and that it is, therefore, justifiable to remove the danger from the chart. This has become the acknowledged custom of the different hydrographic offices. "In order, therefore, to make such searches effectual, ships employed for this purpose should be fitted out with deep-sea sounding apparatus. Ordinary war vessels are not usually supplied with such means, but only surveying vessels or vessels fitted out for scientific exploration. Such vessels will, as a matter of course, receive from their respective governments instructions to search for dangers of this kind whenever they find them located in a position near which their special mission will take them. What is, however, most wanted at present, are accurate surveys on coasts newly opened to trade and commercial enterprise in order to detect dangers whose existence is entirely unsuspected. The number of these that are yearly discovered (90 last year), many by the expensive process of losing a ship on them, proves incontestably how imperfect the surveys of the world are.

"To divert ships engaged in such surveying work to scour the ocean in order to verify doubtful reports under international engagements would be to practically stop the production of improved surveys. Under these circumstances the committee can not recommend any action in the matter.

"If masters of vessels, when seeing indications of shallow water, would act in accordance with the resolution we have placed before the Conference, on page 3, instead of passing on their course without any examination, or even taking a cast of the lead, the number of these dangers reported as doubtful would be greatly lessened."

The PRESIDENT. The subject before the Conference for discussion is, "Searching for doubtful dangers with a view of removing them from the chart." The Chair is ready to hear any suggestion or motion upon this subject. The Chair hears none. The Secretary will proceed to read the resolutions regarding General Division 10, submitted for the consideration of the Conference.

Captain MENSING (Germany). Mr. President, these resolutions are the same as have been given already in the text, and perhaps it will not be necessary to read them again.

The PRESIDENT. Does the delegate from Germany move that they be taken as a whole?

Captain MENSING (Germany). Yes, sir.

The PRESIDENT. The delegate from Germany moves that the resolutions Nos. 1 to 7, inclusive, be taken as a whole for the consideration of the Conference.

"RESOLUTIONS REGARDING GENERAL DIVISION 10, SUBMITTED FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THE CONFERENCE.

"1. That it is advisable to make it the duty of any of the officers or of the crew of a wreck or derelict to report, as soon as possible after landing, to the nearest harbor authority, if necessary through their consul, as follows:

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(a) Name of the vessel abandoned.

"(b) Her distinguishing number.

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"(e) Name of her home port, port from which she sailed, and place of destination.

"(d) General description of vessel and her rig.

"(e) Place where abandoned (latitude and longitude as near as pos sible).

(f) Weather and current experienced before leaving the vessel, and, in case she was a derelict, the direction in which she would most likely drift.

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"(g) Whether or not it is intended to take any steps toward her re

covery.

"2. That a similar report should be made to the same authorities, by the master of any vessel sighting a wreck or derelict, and a suitable entry made in the ship's log.

"3. That such reports should be published in 'Notices to Mariners,' the daily press, and, if necessary, by giving telegraphic information to the ports which it most concerns.

"4. That it is advisable to make it the duty of every commander or master of a vessel to report the fact that an iceberg or dangerous field ice has been sighted, or a shoal, reef, or other obstruction has been discovered, to the harbor authorities or the hydrographic office of that country to which the port next reached belongs, giving a full descrip tion of the obstruction, and all facts that may lead to the determination

of its position; for instance, the time elapsed since the last reliable astronomical observation, and the rate of the chronometer. If the obstruction be a shcal or reef, the depth of water actually obtained by sounding on it should be given. Also when land is in sight the position of any off-lying shoal or reef should be determined by compass bearings of fixed objects in view; the error of the compass being stated, with information as to how and when that error was observed. Angles should also be taken between such objects, and a drawing of the coast and the position of the observer be added.

"5. That whenever practicable it shall be the duty of the crew before abandoning a vessel (a) to hoist some distinctive signal, as B C F, ‘abandoned by the crew,' or C R T G, 'derelict,' or a ball, shape, or other similar mark, where it can best be seen, and where it should not be mistaken for any other authorized signal; (b) to let go the sheets and halliards of such sails as are not furled.

"6. That the different maritime powers interested in the navigation of that portion of the North Atlantic Ocean bordering the American coast and situated westward of a line drawn from the Bermuda Islands to Cape Race, Newfoundland, be invited to come to an agreement respecting the removal of derelicts in these waters under due official supervision.

7. That in countries which, by treaty, have acknowledged the exterritoriality of subjects of other powers and their property, the consul or consuls concerned shall be instructed not to withhold his or their consent to the destruction of a wreck or parts thereof, if it is shown that the wreck constitutes a danger to passing vessels, and if there is no apparent possibility that it will be removed within a reasonable time by the owners or the insurance companies interested."

Mr. CARTER (Hawaii). Mr. President, I move the adoption of the report and resolutions.

The question was put to the Conference upon the motion of the delegate from Hawaii, and it was carried.

The PRESIDENT. The next order of business is the report on General Division 11. The Secretary will please read it in divisions.

The report of Committee No. 3 on General Division 11 is as follows:

"GENERAL DIVISION 11.-Notice of dangers to navigation.

"NOTICE OF CHANGES IN LIGHTS, BUOYS, AND OTHER DAY AND NIGHT

MARKS.

"(a) A uniform method of taking bearings, of designating them (whether true or magnetic), or of reporting them.

"(b) A uniform method of reporting, indicating, and exchanging information by the several maritime nations-to include the form of notices to mariners.

"(e) A uniform method of distributing this information.

"All notices of changes in lights, beacons, buoys, and other day and night marks, require not only to be brought to the notice of the public of that country in whose waters these changes have taken place, but also to all other maritime nations, so that the authorities may be enabled to impart information for the benefit of their own seafaring population.

"This is usually done by publications to which the generic title of 'Notices to Mariners' has been applied. They are either issued when ever occasion demands it, or at regular intervals, with an extra edition when necessary.

"They may be further divided into (a) those published by the department of naval affairs of the different countries, or under its direction, by the hydrographer; (b) those published by the authorities, central, provincial, colonial, or local, in charge of the light-houses, beacons, and buoys.

"The publications mentioned under (a) are intended for the use of the mariner only, and the committee do not consider it advisable to insist on any change regarding form or arrangement of 'Notices to Mariners.'

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"What has been said regarding the publications mentioned under (a) is true as well regarding those mentioned under (b). These Notices to Mariners' are mainly intended for internal and local use in each country, and supply information not to mariners only, but to local officials, such as light-house keepers, inspectors of buoys, and others; and, considering that they are published for different objects, and to be used by men of very different classes and occupations, the committee do not consider it feasible to insist upon uniformity in matters of detail."

The PRESIDENT. The first division of the report is before the Conference for consideration. The Chair will hear any proposition with regard thereto. The Chair hears none. The Secretary will please read the next division.

The next division of the report is as follows:

"(a) A UNIFORM METHOD OF TAKING BEARINGS, OF DESIGNATING THEM (WHETHER TRUE 'OR MAGNETIC), AND OF REPORTING THEM.

"Taking bearings.-In all countries, as far as we know, except Italy and Norway, the custom prevails that all bearings in Notices to Mariners,' and in light lists,' in order to locate a danger or to determine the limits of a light-sector, are given from seaward, that is, from the danger indicated towards the fixed objects by which its position is determined, or from the outer limit of visibility of a light towards the light-house.

"This mode of taking bearings has the advantage that it is in agreement with the mode in which they are used by the mariner, and the committee recommend that the resolution in this behalf appended to their report be adopted by the Conference with a view to this custom being made universal.

"Designating bearings, whether true or magnetic.-The adoption of a uniform method of designating bearings, whether true or magnetic, offers the advantage that bearings given in the publications of any country can be transferred verbatim to similar publications issued in any other country without the necessity for any alteration or calculation. This is of importance in preparing publications the value of which depends in no small degree on the possibility of issuing them immediately after any changes have been made which require to be notified to mariners.

"All the evidence, however, which has been laid before your committee tends unmistakably to the conclusion that it would be inexpedient for any country suddenly to adopt a new system of designating

bearings in the place of one which has been sanctioned by the custom of many years and has become an essential part of the system of navigation generally adopted and taught in the nautical schools of the various countries.

"It has also to be borne in mind that such a change concerns not only experts and scientific men who can easily understand and adapt a new system to their requirements, but, in the vast majority of cases, it would affect seamen whose knowledge of matters regarding navigation is inseparably connected with the methods with which they have been familiar all their lives and to whom any change of the kind indicated would be confusing and dangerous.

"For these reasons the.committee do not propose the adoption of a uniform method of designating bearings by giving them either true or magnetic.

"Uniformity might have been attained in another way, i. e., by giving bearings both true and magnetic. It was shown, however, that the advantages of such a plan would be more than counterbalanced by a large increase in the bulk of the text, and by the possibility of errors amongst seafaring men unaccustomed to any but a single system and who might mistake one set of bearings for another when read in a hurry.

"Having regard to these difficulties, the committee do not propose to advise any action in this matter in the direction of uniformity beyond recommending that in all Notices to Mariners' and 'Light Lists' intended for exchange with other nations, whenever true or magnetic bearings are given, the variation shall be inserted.

"Bearings to be given in degrees or in points and fractions thereof.—It seems that in the majority of maritime nations the custom prevails that all bearings are given in degrees. This has the advantage that if the variation, which is always expressed in degrees, has to be applied in order that the bearings be entered on a chart, or when the variation has to be corrected for time elapsed since the date when it was determined, the result is more accurate than if the bearings were expressed in points.

"On the other hand it has to be borne in mind that the Notices to Mariners' and 'Light Lists' which are most universally used retain the custom of giving bearings in points and fractions thereof.

"After a full discussion of this large and intricate question the Committee decided to adopt the following resolution :

"That the bearings for cuts of different colored sectors of lights, or of bearings of lights defining a narrow channel, should be expressed in degrees where practicable.

"Counting the degrees.-The custom adopted universally in geodesy is that of counting the degrees from the north to the right (or with the sun), beginning with 0 to 360°. In one country the steering compasses are also so marked and directions with reference to the course of the vessel are so expressed. This method offers certain advantages, but it is contrary to the custom of the large majority of mariners, and on this account the committee propose that the number of degrees used in designating bearings should be counted from north and south to east and west, beginning with 0 and ending with 90 degrees.

"North and south are universally designated by the letters N and S. But east is in some countries designated by the letter O, and west in others also by the same letter-O. In order to make these designations uniform the committee propose that all countries adopt, for use in the publications under consideration, the letter E to desiguate east and