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342 shall have’ installed in lieu thereof an efficient overhead water sprinkling sys- tem. This paragraph shall not apply to steamers upon which the sides of the freight space are not inclosed, but upon such steamers the surface of wooden bulkheads and partitions and the over- head deck in such freight space shall be protected as above required, or there shall be installed in lieu thereof an efficient overhead water sprinkling sys- tem. “The crew and passenger accommoda- tions located below the main deck on steamers regularly engaged in the pas- senger traffic shall have installed therein an efficient ovérhead water sprinkling system. The water sprinkling system above referred to shall be reliable and efficient and so located that the volume of discharge shall’ be sufficient to entirely cover or blanket the freight in case of fire, or to entirely and fully sprinkle the compartment in which the passengers or crew may be accommodated below deck, and be installed in such manner as to be easily and quickly accessible of operation and shall be ready for service at all times when freight or passengers are on board.” Fire Alarms on Ships The board of supervising inspectors has also adopted a rule, requiring that all steamers under its jurisdiction pro- vided with staterooms or other sleeping quarters for passengers, where the ves- sels are more than 150 feet in length, and construction is contracted for after June 30, 1916, shall be equipped with an efficient fire alarm system or indicator which will automatically register, at some central point or station where it can be most quickly observed by the officers or crew of the steamer, the presence or indication of fire in the staterooms or various other compartments of the steamer not accessible to the observation of the officers or crew. Hatches Must Be Covered Beginning Sept. 1, all vessels were required to have their hatches cov- ered before leaving port. It is figured that this work on the Great Lakes will take about three hours and will cause considerable delay to the lake fleet during the balance of the season. The dock men at some of the upper lake ports, it is understood, will assist in the work. The rule regarding the covering of hatch covers was amend- ed last March to read as follows: “Tt shall be the duty of the master of any vessel under the jurisdiction | of the steamboat inspection § service, and which is carrying cargo, to assure himself before leaving port, that all of the cargo hatches of his vessel are properly covered and the covers se- THE MARINE REVIEW cured: The covers of all exposed cargo hatches shall be made water- tight by fitting to pliable gaskets, or by being thoroughly covered with hatch cloths or tarpaulins firmly se- cured by iron or steel bars extending from side to side or end to end of: hatchway, which bars shall be fast- ened by toggles or wedges of hard wood or by efficient screw fastenings. Wooden hatch bars of sufficient size or strength already installed and main- tained in good condition may be ac- cepted in lieu of the iron or steel bars above referred to: Provided, That steamers having 6 feet or more of freeboard, measured vertically from the water’s edge at the lowest point of shear to the top of deck at the ship’s side, will not be required to use the hatch cloths or tarpaulins be- tween March 31 and Aug. 31. This exemption, however, does not relieve the master of any responsibility for the security and protection of his hatches during the interval of exemp- tion, and in case of indications of bad weather or other threatening condi- tions, he shall not leave port until Conference on Loa has asked about 40 of the leading American ship builders, presidents and general managers of principal American steamship companies, and naval architects to meet at his office Sept. 27, for an exchange of views on the sub- ject of loadlines and bulkheads and on other phases of the construction of steamers on the ocean and the Great Lakes as related to those two sub- jects. In a notice sent out by the depart- ment of commerce it is stated that the United States is almost alone among maritime nations in having no regu- lations governing loadline. Our fleet of ocean cargo carriers is growing so rapidly that this subject cannot longer be postponed—indeed already during the European war American. ships have been saved from embarrassment eee of commerce Redfield and delays to commerce for lack of loadline regulations only by resort to temporary expedients. The subject of bulkhead and hull construction was carefully considered at the London International Confer- ence on Safety of Life at Sea and the American delegates had an important part in framing the chapters of the international convention on that sub- ject. The United States has as yet taken no steps to give effect to these portions of the international conven- tion. The subject is difficult and our future as a ship building and maritime October, 1916 the hatches are properly covered, se- cured and protected. Failure by the master of any vessel to observe this regulation shall be sufficient cause for suspension of his license on a charge of inattention to his duty.” New Coast Pilot The United States coast and geodetic survey, department of commerce, has is- sued a new edition of the United States Coast Pilot, Section C, which covers the coast from Sandy Hook to Cape Henry, including Delaware and Chesapeake bays. This volume, which replaces Coast Pilots V and VI, has been changed to octavo size and rewritten largely from new data. Its scope has been considerably extended, especially by the introduction of infor- mation of value for the use of small craft. Some new features are presented, including tables of courses and distances, a table of dry docks and marine railways and a table showing the average number of hours per month that fog signals are operated. No effort has been spared te make this volume a useful aid to navi- gation. lines right begin- ‘ Among nation is involved in a ning along proper lines. those asked to the meeting are: Alfred Gilbert Smith, president, New York & Cuba Mail Steamship ‘Ship Co., Pier 13, East ives oe York. . S. Franklin (receiver), International Mercantile Marine Co., 9 Broadway, New York. George J. Baldwin, president, Pacific Mail Steam Ship Co., Room 110, 55 Wall street, New York. Andrew W. Preston, president, United Fruit Co., 131 State street, Boston. H. H. Raymond, president, Clyde & Mallory Lines, Pier 36, North River, New York. J. Jenkins, president, Merchants & Min- ers Steam Ship Co., Light and German streets, Baltimore. apt. C. W. Jungen, manager, Southern Pacific Steam Ship Co., Pier 49, North River, New York. . H. Pleasants, president, Ocean Steam Ship Co., Pier 35, North River, New York. Joseph P. Grace, Wm. Grace & Co, Hanover square, New York. Pluymert, ‘technical adviser, Standard Transportation Co., 26 Broadway, New York. George F. Dearborn, president, American- Hawaiian Steam Ship o., 8 Bridge street, New York. Edgar F. Luckenbach, Luckenbach Steam Shin Co., 8 Bridge street, New York. _ William Livingston, president, Lake Car- riers’ Association, Detroit. Homer Ferguson, president, Newport none amg & Dry Dock Co., Newport ews, a. Samuel M. Knox, president, New York Ship- building Co., Camden, Powell, president, ‘Fore River Ship- building Corporation, Quincy, Mass. . Farr, president, American Shipbuild- ing ‘Co, foot of West Fifty-fourth street, W., Cleveland. Antonio C. Fostite, president, Great Lakes Seattle Construc- Engineering Works, Detroit. J. V.. Paterson, president, tion & Dry Dock Co., Seattle, Wash. McGregor, president, Union Iron Works, San Francisco. Frederick Wood, president, Maryland Steel Co., Sparrows Point, H alker, president and general man- ager, Old Dominion Steam Ship Co., Pier 25, North River, New York. Henry S. Grove, president, Wm. Cramp & Sons Ship & Engine Building .Co., Philadelphia. Franklin D. Mooney, president, American