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

1901.] summa: mae . A NN POSITION OF SECOND-CLASS PILOTS. MATES HOLDING PAPERS ENDORSED “MAY TAKE CHARGE OF A WATCH AS ASSISTANT TO CAPTAIN ON STEAMERS OF ANY TONNAGE” ARE PRACTICALLY ON AN EQUAL FOOTING WITH MATES WHO HAVE FIRST CLASS LICENSES. Some of the local officials of the steamboat inspection service on the great lakes have for a long time past been issuing second-class pilots’ licenses endorsed ‘“‘empowered to take charge of a watch as assistant to a first-class pilot.” Men holding such licenses have on some vessels been given charge of the deck just as though they were first-class pilots, while on most of the large steamers the second mates as well as first mates are required to hold first-class papers. General Dumont of the steamboat inspection service holds that the second-class pilot possessing a license as endorsed above is empowered to take charge of a watch. One of the managers of a large fleet of lake steamers asked Capt. Geo. P. McKay of Cleveland for his opinion on the subject. Capt. McKay prepared a written opinion and then sent a copy of the letter to Gen. Dumont, chief of the steamboat inspection service. The letter is as follows: “T have before me the letter you submit from one of your steamboat captains, and which brings up the question of liability involved in en- trusting at any time the navigation of a ship of more than 100 tons burden on the great lakes to a second-class pilot.. The captain to whom you re- fer tells you that the young man whom he would like to employ as a mate is, he thinks, thoroughly competent to act as pilot; that after seven years’ experience he applied to the local inspectors at Grand Haven for first-class pilots’ papers; they gave him a second-class license and made the stipulation ‘may take charge of a watch on passenger, freight and towing steamer of any tonnage.’ Your captain says this was done for the “reason that ‘it has long since: been the rule of the Grand Haven office not to make the first isstwe of :papers‘a first-class license, but to wait ‘until ‘the applicant has served a’'season under second+class license.’ You: wish ‘to-know' whether -your ship -would be’ sufficiently officered if’the déck “were left 'in ‘chargé at any'tinie ‘to a man“holding sucha‘ seconidclass li- censé'as' that referred to above; would the ship be legally officered, ‘even though this man was regarded ‘as’ assistant to the captain and ‘left: on - watch-only when the’ ship was in open'lake? '= 9 6. on Jo) a. ' “Whatever I may say to you on this’ score will be’ simply my per- sonal opinion, but I'am pleased to have attention directed to the subject, as I understand that on many lake vessels men holding only second-class papers are permitted to take charge of a watch just as a first-class pilot would do, and that some of the local inspectors sanction this, while others hold strictly to the rule that the deck must always be in charge of a first- class pilot. We should have a clear ruling, one that could be plainly understood, on this score, and it would seem that there should be only one opinion’ among officials of the steamboat inspection service in the matter. “T. find that section 6 of rule 5, general rules of the United States Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steam Vessels, says: ‘The naviga- tion of every steamer above 100 tons burden shall be under the control of a first-class pilot, and every such pilot shall be limited in his license to the particular service for which he is adapted.’ Then we have section 7 of the same rule 5 as follows: ‘Second-class pilots may be allowed to take charge of steamers not exceeding 100 tons burden and may be authorized by the license granted to act in charge of a watch as assistant to a first- class pilot on passenger, freight and towing steamers of all tonnage. On the northwestern lakes and connecting waters any person holding a second-class pilot license may come before any local board for exam- ination for first-class pilot license after having served one year as wheels- man, watchman, or assistant to a first-class pilot on freight, towing or passenger steamers, such service to have been within two years. preced- ing the application of raise of grade.’ “In view ofthe last sentence in the foregoing section, I do not see why any applicant capable of passing the examination for first-class pilot’s papers should be prevented from securing same under such a custom as that which is said to prevail in the Grand Haven office. If he applied for a first-class pilot’s license he should have been granted it if competent. But the uncertain point to which your inquiry relates is in the interpretation of that part of. rule 5, section 7, which refers to the holder of a second-class license acting as assistant to a first-class pilot and its evident conflict with section 6. Does this part of section 7 mean that the man with second-class papers endorsed assistant to a first-class pilot may be left entirely in charge of the deck, as we are informed is often done? : ae “T certainly do not agree with such interpretation of the law, al- though I am reliably informed that it is being interpreted in that way in practice every day and with the knowledge of some of the inspectors. I think that if a collision or other accident should happen where a second mate with second-class papers is left in charge of the deck by a captain with whom he is acting as assistant the ship would be in great danger of being held in fault in the courts. In my opinion, whatever it may be worth, the captain who has as an assistant with him on his watch a mate who has only second-class or assistant papers, whatever they may be called, takes a chance whenever he leaves the deck, no matter for what purpose. Those who construe this law differently say that though the captain may be in the fire hold he is still technically in charge. I do not agree with them. I think he might as well be off the boat. On our steamers I have always, therefore, taken the precaution of insisting that the second mates, as well as the mates, shall have first-class pilots’ papers. General Dumont’s reply to the foregoing letter upholds the issuance of second-class licenses endorsed “empowered to take charge of a watch,” and is as follows: “T am in receipt of your letter of March 25 regarding the interpreta- tion of sections 6 and 7 of rule 5, which you think are conflicting, whereas the first-named-section requires every steamer above 100 tons to be under the charge of a first-class pilot, the latter section provides that. ‘second- class pilots may be allowed to take charge of steamers not exceeding 100:tons burden, and may be authorized by the license granted to act in charge of a watch as assistant to a first-class pilot or passenger, freight and towing steamers of all tonnage.’ yet MARINE REVIEW. 17 “In reply to this you are informed that there is really no conflict between the two sections, the first one covering the cases of steamers of 100 tons and unwards, where only one pilot is employed, usually on steamers running on daylight routes only, whereas on vessels requiring two pilots one of them may be licensed as second-class pilot as indicated in the rule. It is the understanding of this office, however, that such second-class pilots shall have all the qualifications of first-class pilots, so far as a knowledge of the courses, shoals, rocks, lights, etc., is con- cerned, before he can receive a second-class license, under which he must serve a probationary term before getting a first-class one, to de- termine other equally essential qualifications, namely, judgment and dis- cretion, which can only be determined by actual practice as a pilot. It has been the practice on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts ever since the steamboat laws have been in force to license first and second-class pilots on the same vessel, though there is nothing in said practice that would prohibit owners of steam vessels from requiring that both pilots shall carry first-class licenses, as you say is your practice. I do not agree with your opinion, that an accident occurring to a steamer with a second-class pilot in charge would prima facie be ‘held in fault by the courts.’ ” SHIP BUILDING IN THE UNITED STATES. The bureau of navigation, treasury department, has just issued re- ports dealing with the construction of merchant vessels in the United States during the quarter ended March 81 and for the three quarters of the year up to that date. The treasury department year ends June 30 Vessels built in the United States during the nine months ended March 31, 1901, numbered 753 of 246,793 gross tons, indicating for the current fis- cal year a probable total construction, including canal boats and other un- rigged craft, of over 460,000 tons. The increase for the first three quarters of this year over the corresponding period last year has been 50,825 tons, of which 40,912 tons are credited to the great lakes. Steel steam vessels numbered fifty-six of 128,369 tons, compared with fifty-nine of 102,322 tons for the corresponding period last year, the lake ship yards, showing an, increase of 33,500 tons, and’ the Atlantic seaboard a decrease of 13,000 tons. The Atlantic coast decline, however, will be made good by the end of the fiscal year, when several large steamers, re- cently, launched, are, numbered. The principal factors of the new’ ton- “nage are’ thirteen large lake steel steamers, aggregating 59,860 tons, nine- teen large’ wooden schooners of 35,470 tons and five large steel: ocean steamers of 29683 tons, the latter for the Hawaiian trade. Among large lake steamers in the list recently registered are the fol- lowing: Wilkesbarre, 4,153 gross tons; John J. Albright, 4,805; Walter Scranton, 4,803; J. T. Hutchinson, 3,734; Neptune, 3,717; Saturn, 3,717; or eset, 2,157; Northman, 2,157; Northtown, 2,157; Northwestern, ? MASTERS AND ENGINEERS OF LAKE VESSELS. Montreal Trans. Co., Jas. A. Cuttle, Megr., Montreal, Que.: Steamers —Bannockburn, Capt. Alex. Milligan, Engineer R. Taylor; Rosemount, Capt. Jas. W. Mawdesley, Engineer A. Huff; Glengarry, Capt. Geo. Woods, Engineer I. Boyd; D. G. Thompson, Capt. James Murray, En- gineer G, Henderson. Schooners—Dunmore, Capt. John Phillips; Mel- rose, Capt. James Kirkwood; Minnedosa, Capt. R. C. Irwin; Selkirk, Capt. M. Ackerman; Winnipeg, Capt. A. Davy. Kelly Island Lime & Transport Co., Cleveland: Steamers—Albert Y. Gowen, Capt. Chas. Smith, Engineer Chas. C. Smith; Desmond, Capt. Alfred Dixon, Engineer David Conway; Isabella J. Boyce, Capt. G. E. Benham, Engineer Alex McLea; Alvah S. Chishoim, Jr., Capt. D. Hen- derson, Engineer J. Hendrick; Ohio, Capt. D. Davis, Engineer —— Norma, Capt. W. P. Wheeler, Engineer John D. Magnussen. Schooner— Fanny Neil, Capt. W. A. Fetterly. Chesbrough, F. B., Emerson, Mich.: Steamers—Peshtigo, Capt. W. H. Larrabee, Engineer Geo, Gourlee; Kennebec, Capt. C. M: Haight, Engineer ————.__.. Robinson Bros. Lumber Co., N. Tonawanda, N. Y.: Steamer—C. H. Green, Capt. C. E. Little, Engineer Wm. Ormsby. Schooner—Genoa, Capt. D. C. Ryan. Squires, J. W., Marine City, Mich. Steamer—Jim Sheriffs, ‘Capt. Samuel Olson, Engineer Wm. P. Eales. Schooner—Jas. Mowatt, Capt. Eo Pow. Titus; Saginaw Bay ‘Transportation Co., Emily, Capt. L. A. D. Sheldon. Avery, W. A., Detroit: Engineer M. Reck. Cleveland: | Steamer—Rhoda F, Hunt, Engineer J. D. Budd. Schooner—Hattie, Capt. Steamer—M. T. Greene, Capt. P. F. Powrie, CONDITION OF ICE ON THE LAKES. The latest bulletin from the United States the ice situation on the lakes is as follows: “The ice is breaking up over western Lake Superior, while over the east portion the field extends from Marquette to Whitefish point. There has been no material change in the St. Mary’s river, except that the ice field has moved away from the mouth. In Green bay the ice is slowly melting, but the cold nights have stiffened it somewhat. There is no ice reported in Lake Michigan south of Charlevoix, and the ice at the straits has decreased slightly in thickness, while the field to the eastward has increased in size. In Lake Huron most of the ice has moved to the southern end and the field extends from Harbor Beach southward to Port Huron. -The ice bridge is still intact although small pieces are breaking off. The rivers are practically open. Ice was running freely out of Lake St. Clair during the early part of the week. The ice field over western Lake Erie has broken up and the steamer City of Detroit made the first trip to Cleveland April 2, meeting with little resistance from ice. Over the eastern end the ice has increased in quantity, but is breaking up. Conditions are about the same on Lake Ontario. In comparison with the same period last year, the conditions weather bureau regarding -are about the same over eastern Lake Superior and Green bay with con- siderable less ice in Lake Michigan. In Lake Huron there is about the same amount of ice reported in the same. localities, There is less ice in western Lake Erie and about the same in Lake Ontario,”