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are the HENDRICK HUDSON, ALEXANDER HAMILTON, RoBeRT FULTON, DE WITT CLINTON and CHAUNCEY M. DEPEW. Described by many experienced trav- elers as the finest river steamers afloat, they are designed exclusively STEAMER in the Canadian A lake and river trade recently ran down a tug, causing the loss of several lives. The court of inquiry severely censured the second mate of the steamer who was on the bridge with the pilot at the time and suspended his ticket for a year, much to the young man’s surprise. The pilot was also censured and his license suspended. The second mate’s evidence indi- cated that he was under a delusion that has wrecked the careers of not a few young ship officers. His view was that the presence of the pilot relieved him of direct responsibility for the safe navigation of the ship, that his duty was merely to see that the orders of the pilot were carried out. And his’ replies to questions showed that he was not paying much attention to the movements of the ship just prior to the accident. It appears not to be as well known as it ought to be that the Canadian pilotage laws differ from those of England. Thus the organ of the Im- perial merchant service guild usually criticizes a Canadian marine court when it declares an English officer jointly culpable with the pilot for accidents in Canadian waters, for under similar circumstances in Brit- ish waters only the pilot might be censured. Pilet Supreme in English Law In English waters where it is com- pulsory for a ship to take a pilot he is regarded as having supreme con- trol over her navigation, superseding the master for the time being. Judicial decisions have declared that the master and crew shall not interfere with the pilot’s control and only remain liable for the proper execution of the pilot’s orders and the efficient working of the ship. The English law starts from the as- sumption that the pilot is a state of- ficial put aboard ship to assure the protection of lives, and not a servant of the shipowner. One consequence of this is that the owner or master are not responsible for damage caused 20 A Pilot's Responsibility By C. McKay for passenger carrying, and do not handle automobiles or other freight. The PETER STUYVESANT is under command of Capt. A. Sickles, for twenty years in the Line, and for- mer captain of the HENDRICK HUDSON. incapacity of the pilot acting in charge of the ship in waters where pilotage is compulsory. In Canada the supreme pilotage by the fault or authority is vested in the mimister of marine, and, in a sense, pilots are servants of the state, in that they are subject to the orders and regulations made by the minister or his agents. But contrary to the Eng- lish practice, Canadian law regards the pilot when in employment as the servant of the shipowner. He goes aboard ship as an advisor to the master, a sort of living chart. The master’s authority in Canadian waters is therefore always supreme. If the pilot’s instructions involve a depart- ure from the practices of safe navi- gation, and result in an _ accident, the master or his watch officer may be found jointly culpable with the pilot, and the shipowner may be held liable for damages. Officers Assume Responsibility This is the code of nearly all countries except, England, and even in English waters the master is bound to interfere if the pilot is intoxicated or manifestly incompetent. And where this code prevails the respon- sibility of the master and his of- ficers never ceases, and the wreck courts are usually ruthless toward aberrations from the principle that eternal vigilance is the price of safety. The Canadian courts show no mercy to an officer who at an inquiry is shown to have been careless, or to have had a doubt in his mind which he did not at once attempt to resolve by bringing it to the attention of the master and _ pilot, calling the master to the bridge if not there. Some masters in Canadian waters, who lack confidence in the watchful- ness of their officers, tell the pilot to address his orders to the watch of- ficers, he being required to repeat them to the man at the wheel. This is supposed to keep the officer’s ‘at- tention keyed-up to the proper pitch. He has to pay constant heed to the MARINE REVIEW—July, 1927 pilot, and should detect any uncer- tainty or uneasiness on the part of: the pilot more quickly than he might otherwise do. Also he will be kept constantly figuring out the _ conse- quences of an order on the movement of the ship, in relation to other ships, buoys, lights, etc. Pilots Importance of Old Origin It is not easy to account for the special importance of pilots in Eng- lish waters, which even the jurists regard as anomolous, unless it be regarded as a reflection or projection of the position of pilots in ancient times. Pilots were licensed officials centuries before masters and mates were required to have certificates of competency or service. As early as the twelfth century there were laws governing the craft and mystery of pilotage or lademen as they were called then. Use of the word pilot in English did not come in _ until the sixteenth century. ° In the early days the captain of a ship was usually a merchant or fighting man, while the lademan or pilot was the navigator, responsible for guiding the ship from port to port. And his responsibilities seem to have been onerous. The laws of Oleron decreed that “Ye mariners, if the lademan has failed in his duty to bring the ship to a success- ful conclusion of her voyage, may take him to the windlass and there cut off his head, and no one shall hold them to account therefor.” ig Bele Huntington 1850-27 Henry Edwards Huntington one of the principal owners of the Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. and chairman of the board of di- rectors died in Philadelphia May 28. He .-was born = in’ Oneonta,’ .N. Y., Feb. 27, 1850. His uncle Collis Potter Huntington was the founder of the famous shipyard at Newport News. Though his life’s work lay principally in connection with the de- velopment of railroad property he was very much interested in the ship yard in which he was so heavily interested. One of the activities in which he dis- played the greatest pride was the system of training apprentices. Mr. Huntington trusted his em- ployes and those whom he placed in authority. He was kind and gracious in his actions. He made decisions quickly and recognized that the cred- itable work of the yard was due to his employes. In his policies for the yard he adhered completely to the precept laid down by his uncle: “We shall build good ships here at a profit if we can—at a loss if we must—but always good ships.”