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rules we have for the operation of our ships but the advisory committee has made some suggestions which if followed, will prove to be a benefit to all. In all cases where an anchor is lost mark the spot as near as pos- sible and give immediate notice to the officers of the association. The com- mittee has decided to see what can be done to encourage the use of the whistle in fog, passing ships and noti- fication of danger. If we are in doubt say so. Men aboard the ship should remain in their position at all times when on watcn. "The inter-insurance plan was adop- ted for the purpose of making navi- gation safer and it can be put into effect by the co-operation Of the ves- sel owners and masters and the as- sistance of the underwriters. Re- move the unnecessary losses and if we can reduce the insurance rate from 5 per cent. to 4 per cent. we can save a million dollars of expense. <A re- duction to 3% per cent. which is as low arate aS we can expect, to eet, would mean a saving of $1,500,000. That: is sour"aim. ©That 1s<all there is to the inter-insurance plan and we hope and believe that through the effects of the owners and masters it will be brought about." A number of vessel. owners attend- ed the meeting, including H. Coulby, A. W. Hawgood, Capt. John Mitchell and Howard Shaw. PACIFIC COAST NOTES. Office of the Marine REVIEW, 302 Pioneer Bldg., Seattle, Wash., Feb. 27. The Pacific Coast Steamship Co. has commenced fitting out its Alaska fleet in preparation for the coming season. | During the winter the vessels have been laying up in the South Seattle and at Eagle 'Harbor. The steamer City of Seattle is being fitted out for the Skagway run by The Moran Co. Her engines have been taken out and thoroughly overhauled, the piping has been refitted, and all necessary minor repairs required by the machinery have been made. The vessel will be ready for service about Mar. 15. The freight steamer Tampico has also. been thoroughly overhauled during the past month,' particular attention being paid to her boilers. Bids have been received for the repair of the Pacific Coast Steamship Co.'s steamer AI-Ki, but the contract. for the work has not yet been let. The repairs' will cost about $15,000. : The steamships Yucatan, Victoria and Santa Clara of the Alaska Steamship Co's fleet are now undergoing their annual overhauling at Seattle ship yards. 'The Dolphin has not yet been over- is a total loss. rescued. The report of the wreck was Duwamish river at. . TAce Marine REvIEw hauled but tenders for: the work will be received shortly. The steamship Hurnboldt will sail from Seattle for Skagway Mar. 6. For sey- eral years the Humboldt has been oper- ating on the southeastern Alaska route as an independent liner under an agree- ment with the Pacific. Coast Steamship Co. This agreement terminated Jan. 1. The announcement of the Mar. 6 sailing indicates that the owners of the Hum- boldt will continue to operate the steam- er on the old run in competition with the liners of the Pacific Coast and. Al-. aska Steamship companies. Some ho competition is expected. The tug Blanche owned by the Crosby Towboat Co., ran aground and capsized near the plant of the Seattle Lumber Co., Seattle, Feb. 22. She lay on the beach all day but was finally raised and towed away for repairs. The damage to the vessel is not serious. The Standard Oil Co's. tank steamer Con. E. L. Drake, bound from Point Richmond to Seattle, lost two blades from her propeller while off Cape Blanco. The vessel is proceeding and will be repaired' on reaching Puget Sound. The. sailing schooner Lottie was wrecked recently in Baranoff harbor, near Unga, during a severe storm and Four of her crew were brought to San Francisco by _ the schooner John D. Spreckels. Extensive repairs ,to the U. S. Cruiser Milwaukee which have been in progress at the navy yard, Puget Sound, for six months are nearing completion. Besides having a new fire control sys- tem installed the vessel has undergone a very thorough overhauling. It is stated that the Milwaukee will leave for a cruise to Honolulu March 15 and that she will return to Portland, Ore., in 'June to be present at the annual Rose Carnival. A movement has been started to have the state of Washington appropriate $100,000 for. the improvement ex' the - upper Columbia river between Brew- ster, Bridgeport and Kettle Falls, Wash. The movement is fathered by Capt. Fred McDremott, of Kettle Falls, a well known river pilot. A bill covering the appropriation has been Representatives Hall and Bolinger and the measure is now before the appro- The prospect for priations committee. The legisla- its passage is favorable. introduced by 45 ture of 1907 appropriated $125,000 for the improvement of the upper Columbia and Snake rivers in Washington and the money has been expended by the United States army engineers in con- junction with the federal government appropriation. All of the money was ex- pended below Wenatchee. It is now proposed to extend operations further up the Columbia. These improvements would make possible the operation of quite a fleet of light river steamers on portions of the river now not navigable. Local steamboat inspectors, Bion B. Whitney and Robert A. Turner have suspended the master's certificate of Capt. F. E. Wyman of the steamer Va- shonian for- 15 days. The decision is the result of an invesugation of a col- lision between the Vashonian and the Defiance at the wharf at Vashon Island two weeks ago. The Vashonian backed into the Defiance and whiie the damage was small and no one was injured, the accident was evidently due to careless- ness. Capt. J. C. McDowell of the De- _ fiance was exonerated by tne inspectors. Rivalry for business between the De- fiance and the Vashonian is very keen. The bill which has been introduced at the present session of the Washing- ton state legislature, providing for the establishment of port districts and in- corporated port commissions by the tide- water cities of the state will not be withdrawn from the legislature but will | be allowed to lay over until the next session, when it will be taken up. D. McKenzie, general agent for the Pacific Coast Steamship Co., has re- signed, effective March 1, to go into other business. Mr. McKenzie will be succeeded by E. C. Ward of San Fran- cisco. Both Mr. Ward and Mr..McKen- zie are widely and favorably known in Pacific coast shipping circles. The bulk freighter Eugene J. Buffing- ton will be launched at noon on Sat- urday next, at the Lorain yard of the American Ship Building Co. 'This freighter is being built for the Pitts- burg Steamship Co. and is a duplicate of the Alva C. Dinkey, launched a few weeks ago. The steamer is named in honor of the president of the Illinois Steel Co. and will be . christened by Mrs. Buffington. -- ere The steel drill boat building at. the yard of the Empire Ship Building Co, for the Empire Engineering Corporation af Buffalo, : was "launched on. Tuesday afternoon. .-- 4