The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

28. West Courses," I am pleased to state. that I have read the article in ques- tion in one of the local papers. After duly considering the same I am of the opinion that the theory advanced has much in its favor, as a general rule of navigation. in foggy and _ ordinary weather, and in my estimation should be adopted and complied with so far as possible. It should not be a. harsh rule calling for a strict construction, but, on the contrary, in the event of extreme gales blowing off shore and other emergencies; the master knowing 'the condition of his ship, should take into consideration everything pertain- ing to the safety of his vessel and be guidéd accordingly. As a general rule for navigating in: foggy and ordinary weather it meets' with my hearty ap- proval, You ask my opinion on the east and west course and, fog article in the MARINE REVIEW. like to criticise my brother mariners but this is something that I take great interest in as it is a very vital subject. At present our pilot rules are very good if enforced. We are not ocean navigators and have not the sea room on the lakes to make two separate courses. If the pilot rules were strict- ly enforced and each boat run at a moderate speed (say eight miles per hour) as they say we must, the danger of collisions would be lessened. At -this speed soundings can be had. I[n- stead it looks as if this committee is increasing the danger and say nothing about speed, but are trying to find some means to be able to run at full speed. Just imagine one fellow on his course from Detour to Presque isle and the wind east. He hears a whistle to the windward and he naturally thinks it is a boat on the same course only a little further out on his fog course. Instead it is a boat from Georgian Bay to Chicago and the Georgian Bay fellow knows that the boat to the leeward has to keep out of his way and you know a collision ~would follow. Now don't think this is the only point that boats cross the main courses, and that I have picked this out for an example. They cross at. the straits, -Dhunder, Bay, Sand - Beach and entering the river. _ There are also several of these points in Lake Superior where the course is crossed. We cannot afford to adopt any ocean fog rules any more than we can navi- gate a vessel on the lakes with a sex- tant. We must take great care and cor- rect our courses with the Peloris or course corrector when the weather is clear and use caution in fog and thick weather, as we are pilots and naviga- Would say I do'not Tae Marine REVIEW tors. The, windward and _ leéward phrases were and are used by schoo- ners, but in the fog they blow a cer- tain number of blasts to signify the way they are heading and if. such a plan was adopted steamers would have to do the same thing or the boat to the leeward couldn't keep out of the way of the other as he wouldn't know how he was heading. We know that the boat to the leeward can hear the whistle of the boat to the windward but that does not give him any know- ledge of the course the windward boat is steering. Another thing, if a master gets his starting point correct he has little difficulty in making the course to the next point, but let him be from "ten to twelve miles off any object and' he will get a. bearing about once in'a" Such navigating does not' dozen times. appeal to me as practical. work out. on 'an ocean liner. some of the owners make a few trips on the lakes in snowy weather and they will be the first to ask the master if he can't get some shelter closer in. It is my opinion that conditions. are This might so different here from the ocean that. 'the rule referred to would not work with safety but mix up things very much. Your letter under date of April 20 in relation to the east and west courses on the lakes is at hand and I have read the article over carefully and I do not think it will in all weather be just the thing to have. Take a ship leaving or bound down the lake from Ashland at Eagle harbor in order to get into the track named it would be necessary to cross the bows of all the up-bound steamers bound for, Duluth or Two Harbors and ft appears to me the dan- ger of collision would be much greater than it is now. This same trouble would apply in many other places. At Presque Isle, Lake Huron, the-trouble would not be as great if all masters would intercept the Detour course coming from the straits some distance above Presque Isle and not run to the old turning point. Further recom- mendation has also been made which the committee of captains would like to have incorporated in the pilot rules for the great lakes.. That is during thick and foggy weather two steamers meeting, the steamer to leeward shall keep out of the way of the steamer to windward. There is a question in my mind about this. Suppose two steamers have a speed of fourteen-miles -per hour and one steering due south and the other is steering due. north and the wind light and due south, say. .eight or ten miles per hour, and in this case they would have, more safe: Just fet + or appear to have, the wind dead ahead, as their speed would be greater than the wind. They might make a serious mistake in judg- ing as to who has the right of way, and the chance for an argument is er would be the result. This is my view of the matter though I do not care to throw any cold water on the rules this auxiliary committee are try- ing to adopt to better. our condition" and' make our lives, ship: and cargo Trusting that I will not in these few remarks cause any influence -one way or the other and let the ma- jority settle the question. Your letter referring to east and -- west courses on the lakes received. I réceived the MARINE REVIEW issue on the 18th inst. at Detroit Thursday on my way up and have read the sugges- tions made by the conference commit- tee of masters relative to the east and west course idea. I cannot agree with them so far as reducing the risk on Superior especially in regard to the boats trading to Ashland and also those coming from the straits. In answer to your letter of April 20, regarding the article in the MARINE REVIEW of east and west courses on the lakes, I have read the article over and I cannot see how all these courses can be adopted, and be of any benefit. Lake Superior. I will first give my opinion on this lake, leaving Duluth as the prevailing winds on this lake are mostly from the 'north, I think that large boats could steer a course that would bring them outside of up- bound boats, but we must hear the fog whistle at Devil's island so as to know our position at this point. Now, if we steer fourteen miles north of Copper harbor and not hear the fog whistle at this point, it would be very difficult to know if we are more than fourteen miles or less from this point. I think it is mecessary to have a good de- patture at Copper harbor in order to find White Fish Point, as there are two kinds of variation on this reach, that is, east and west. The course pro- posed from Chequamegon Point to Copper harbor < I1-- think is unsafe for this reason. They would have Lo. Cross . the. bows. of -- all tip- bound boats at Keweenaw Point, bake. tiuyon. 1. am if-- favor. of the east-bound course proposed for this lake, that is, for boats that are seaworthy enough to venture out in the lake that far. I have in past several times in foggy weather taken an outside course on this lake, in order to try to avoid meeting too many up bound. The course proposed