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Mar. 3, 1915.

All officers licensed under the provisions of this title R. S., 4448, [R. S. 4399-4500] shall assist the inspectors in their examination of any vessel to which such licensed officers belong and shall point out all defects and imperfections known to them in the hull, equipments, boilers, or machinery of such vessel, and shall also make known to the inspectors at the earliest opportunity all accidents or occurrences producing serious injury to the vessel, her equipments, boilers, or machinery, and in default thereof the license of any such officer so neglecting or refusing shall be suspended or revoked.

No inspector or supervising inspector receiving information from a licensed officer who is employed on any vessel as to defects in such vessel, or her equipments, boilers, or machinery, or that any provision of this title is being violated, shall impart the name of such licensed officer, or the source of his information, to any person other than his superiors in the Steamboat-Inspection Service. Any inspector or supervising inspector violating this provision shall be subject to dismissal from the service.

Sec. 5.

If any licensed officer shall, to the hindrance of com- R. S., 4449. merce, wrongfully or unreasonably refuse to perform his Mar. 3, 1905. official duties after having signed articles or while em- Mar. 3, 1915. ployed on any vessel as authorized by the terms of his certificate of license, or if any pilot or engineer shall refuse to admit into the pilot house or engine room any person whom the master or owner of the vessel may desire to place there for the purpose of learning the profession, his license shall be revoked or suspended upon the same proceedings as are provided in other cases of revocation or suspension of such license.

The local boards of inspectors shall investigate all acts R. S., 4450. of incompetency or misconduct committed by any licensed officer while acting under the authority of his license, and shall have power to summon before them any witnesses within their respective districts, and compel their attendance by a similar process as in the United States district courts; and they may administer all necessary oaths to any witnesses thus summoned before them; and after reasonable notice in writing, given to the alleged delinquent, of the time and place of such investigation, such witnesses shall be examined, under oath, touching the performance of his duties by any such licensed officer; and if the board shall be satisfied that such licensed officer is incompetent, or has been guilty of misbehavior, negligence, or unskillfulness, or has endangered life, or willfully violated any provision of this Title [R. S., 43994500], they shall immediately suspend or revoke his license.

150. Liability for damage.

Whenever damage is sustained by any passenger, or his R. S., 4493. baggage, from explosion, fire, collision, or other cause, the master and the owner of such vessel, or either of them,

R. S., 4496.

R. S., 4497.

R. S., 4499.

Mar. 3, 1905.
Sec. 4.

R. S., 4500.

and the vessel shall be liable to each and every person so injured, to the full amount of damage, if it happens through any neglect, or failure to comply with the provisions of this Title [R. S., 4399-4500], or through known defects, or imperfections of the steam apparatus or of the hull; and any person sustaining loss, or injury through the carelessness, negligence, or willful misconduct of any master, mate, engineer, or pilot, or his neglect or refusal to obey the laws governing the navigation of such steamers, may sue such master, mate, engineer, or pilot, and recover damages for any such injury caused by any such master, mate, engineer, or pilot.

151. Enforcement and penalty.

All collectors, or other chief officers of the customs and all inspectors within the several districts, shall enforce the provisions of this Title [R. S. 4399-4500] against all steamers arriving and departing.

Every collector, or other chief officer of the customs, or inspector, who negligently, or intentionally omits any duty under the preceding section, shall be liable to removal from office, and to a penalty of one hundred dollars for each offense, to be sued for in an action of debt.

If any vessel propelled in whole or in part by steam be navigated without complying with the terms of this title [R. S., 4399-4500], the owner shall be liable to the United States in a penalty of five hundred dollars for each. offense, one-half for the use of the informer, for which sum the vessel so navigated shall be liable, and may be seized and proceeded against by way of libel in any district court of the United States having jurisdiction of the offense. Persons or corporations chartering or engaging or contracting for the use of vessels subject to this title, under such terms and conditions that they have full and exclusive control of the management and operation of such vessels, shall be subject to the same penalties for violations of the provisions of this title [R. S., 4399-4500] as are now imposed upon owners of vessels thereunder, and in such cases the owners shall not be liable to such penalties for such violations by such charterers or contractors.

The penalty for the violation of any provisions of this Title [R. S., 4399-4500], not otherwise specially provided for, shall be a fine of five hundred dollars, recoverable one-half for the use of the informer.

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Dec. 19, 1908.

It shall not be lawful for the master of any vessel Aug. 2, 1882. whereon steerage passengers have been taken at any port or place in a foreign country or dominion (ports and places in foreign territory contiguous to the United States excepted) to bring such vessel and passengers to or take from any port or place in the United States unless the compartments, spaces, and accommodations hereinafter mentioned have been provided, allotted, maintained, and used for and by such passengers during the entire voyage, unobstructed by cargo, stores, or goods. The master of a vessel coming to a port or place in the United States in violation of any of the provisions of this section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor; and if the number of steerage passengers carried or brought in the vessel, or in any compartment, space, poop, or deck house thereof, is greater than the number allowed to be carried or brought therein, respectively, as hereinafter prescribed, the said master shall be fined fifty dollars for each and every such passenger in excess of the proper number, and may also be imprisoned not exceeding six months.

In computing the number of passengers carried or brought in any vessel, children under one year of age shall not be included, and two children between one and eight years of age shall be counted as one passenger; and any person brought in such vessel who shall have been, during the voyage, taken from any other vessel wrecked or in distress on the high seas, or have been picked up at sea from any boat, raft, or otherwise, shall not be included in such computation.

Second. The expression "steerage passenger" means all passengers except cabin passengers, and persons shall not

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be deemed cabin passengers unless the space allotted to their exclusive use is in the proportion of at least thirtysix clear superficial feet to each passenger.

Third. The expression "lowest passenger deck " means the deck next below the water line; and the expression "passenger deck" includes every deck or portion of a deck which is above the lowest passenger deck, and is appropriated for passengers.

Fourth. A vessel shall not carry passengers, whether cabin or steerage passengers, on more than one deck below the water line.

Fifth. The height between that part of any deck on which steerage passengers are carried and the deck immediately above it shall not be less than six feet.

Sixth. No steerage passengers shall be carried on the lowest passenger deck unless it is efficiently lighted by side scuttles and otherwise to the satisfaction of the inspector.

Seventh. No greater number of steerage passengers shall be carried on the lowest passenger deck than in the proportion of one steerage passenger to every twenty-one clear superficial feet allotted to their use. If, however, the height between the lowest passenger deck and the deck immediately above it is less than seven feet, and the apertures, exclusive of side scuttles, through which light and air are admitted are less in size than in the proportion of three square feet to every one hundred superficial feet of that deck, no greater number of steerage passengers shall be carried on that deck than in the proportion of one steerage passenger to every thirty clear superficial feet thereof, subject to the allowance for measurement of public rooms, lavatories, and bath rooms, if any, provided for by paragraph ten.

Eighth. No greater number of steerage passengers may be carried on a passenger deck than in the proportion of one steerage passenger to every eighteen clear superficial feet of deck allotted to their use, subject to the allowance for measurement of public rooms, lavatories, and bath rooms, if any, provided for by paragraph ten. If, however, the height between any passenger deck and the deck immediately above it be less than seven feet, no greater number of steerage passengers may be carried on that deck than in the proportion of one steerage passenger to every twenty-one clear superficial feet thereof, subject to the allowance for measurement of public rooms, lavatories, and bath rooms, if any, provided for by paragraph ten.

Ninth. A vessel, whatever be the superficial space of the passenger decks and of the lowest passenger deck, shall not carry a greater number of steerage passengers on the whole than in the proportion of one steerage passenger to every five superficial feet of air or promenade space provided on a deck so open as not to be included in

the tonnage and approved by the inspector, and this space shall not be counted or included in the area available for any other passengers, or in other areas for steerage passengers prescribed by this section.

Tenth. In the measurement of the passenger decks and of the lowest passenger deck, the space occupied by that part of the personal baggage of the steerage passengers which the inspector permits to be carried there shall be included, and also, on whatever deck located, commodious and suitable dining rooms, lounging rooms, smoking rooms, lavatories, toilet rooms, and bath rooms: Provided, That

(a) The space in any place appropriated to the use of steerage passengers in which they sleep shall not be less than eighteen superficial feet in the case of the lowest passenger deck and fifteen superficial feet in the case of a passenger deck.

(b) Each space so included in the measurement must be clearly marked to the satisfaction of the inspector as being exclusively appropriated for the use of the steerage passengers.

Eleventh. Each separate compartment in which steerage passengers are berthed shall be conspicuously marked, showing the total area of such compartments.

Aug. 2, 1882.

In every such steamship or other vessel there shall be a se 2. sufficient number of berths for the proper accommodation as hereinafter provided, of all such passengers. There shall not be on any deck nor in any compartment or space occupied by such passengers more than two tiers of berths. The berths shall be properly constructed, and be separated from each other by partitions, as berths ordinarily are separated, and each berth shall be at least two feet in width and six feet in length; and the interval between the floor or lowest part of the lower tier of berths and the deck beneath them shall not be less than six inches, nor the interval between each tier of berths, and the interval between the uppermost tier and the deck above it, less than two feet six inches; and each berth shall be occupied by not more than one passenger over eight years of age; but double berths of twice the above-mentioned width may be provided, each double berth to be occupied by no more and by none other than two women, or by one woman and two children under the age of eight years, or by husband and wife, or by a man and two of his own children under the age of eight years, or by two men personally acquainted with each other. All the male passengers upwards of fourteen years of age who do not occupy berths with their wives shall be berthed in the fore part of the vessel, in a compartment divided off from the space or spaces appropriated to the other passengers by a substantial and well-secured bulkhead; and unmarried female passengers shall be berthed in a compartment separated

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