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THE MARINE RECORD. “I a TELEGRAPHIC SIGNALS ON BOARD SHIP. H. A. Johnson, U. S. consul at Venice, in his consular report to Washington, says: The invention of an electric telegraphic apparatus, to be used on board ship in com- municating orders from the bridge to the engine room or other parts of the vessel, has been brought to my notice during the past few days. The apparatus in question was invented by two electrical machinists employed until re- cently in the royal arsenal here, Messrs. Rodolfo Farinato and Antonio Sartori, and, so far as can be learned, pos- sesses decided advantages over the method at present in use on board merchant vessels and ships of war. I inclose a photograph* of the dial of the indicator, if such it can be called. The superiority of this over other systems of telegraphic signals is the extreme simplicity of its mechanism, the facility with which it can be operated, and the limited cost of introduction and maintenance, as a battery of only twelve Leclanche cells are necessary, which, besides furnishing ample electricity for the sig- nals-proper, is sufficient to work the automatic call bells which form part of the signaling apparatus. The mode of operating this system of signaling is as follows: A circular dial, having a pointer and a movable handle, is placed at a convenient post on the bridge or any other point of the vessel. This dial can be placed either against a bulkhead or partition or upon an upright column. The circumference of the dial is divided into twelve parts. The top and bottom divisions contain the word “arresta” (stop), while the right-hand semicircle contains the words of command for going ahead, as slowly, half speed, full speed, etc., and the left-hand semi- circle similar orders for going astern. Another dial iden- tically the same, is placed in the engine room or any other part of the vessel where orders are to be given from the bridge. When it is desired by the officer in conmmand to send an order, say, to the engine room, he simply turns the handle until it rests upon the word of command de- sired. By this moment, the pointer on the corresponding dial in the engine room is made to indicate the word of command given, and at the same time the automatic call bells commence ringing, both on the bridge and in the engine room, till the engineer moves the handle of his dial until it comes into coincidence with the pointer, at which instant the call bells cease ringing and the pointer of the bridge dial points to the order as having been exe- cuted, in this way making it impossible for any error in understanding the command to occur. The same process is pursued in the execution of any of the words of com- mand on the dial. The inventors of this apparatus claim that they are ac- quainted with the systems of signaling orders at present used on board of the ships of all the principal nations, and that theirs is superior both as regards promptness and security of action. All the internal component parts are covered with silver and platinum and the exnosed parts are nickeled, thus guarantying perfect working and im- permeability. Besides being used to communicate orders from the bridge to the engine room, it can be used between the engine and fire rooms, greatly facilitating thereby the quick transmission of orders. On board of large vessels of war, it can be used with great advantage in communicating from the bridge to the different ammunition magazines, and for this purpose the dial can be placed so as to be visible in the same man- ner as the electric lights for illuminating the magazines. Of course, the apparatus being patented at present only in Italy, it is impossible to have from the inventors other than a simple description of the method of operation. Messrs. Balti & Co., of Venice, have the exclusive privi- lege of manufacturing this article, both for Italy and abroad. I do not know what system is at present used by our naval authorities, but I forward this brief notice to the Department, with the suggestion that their attention be called to the matter, and in case any further infcrmation should be desired, I could take steps to procure it. The apparatus was tried the other day, by way of experi- ment, by /the Italian authorities here on board thc Gover- nolo, and, so far as can be learned, gave most satisfactory results. *Filed in Bureau of Statistics, Department of State. qs ———— TOWING AT SANDUSKY. The Sandusky Tug Association, which was formed at the opening of navigation last season and continued on fair terms throughout the summer, has not eventuated this year and the result is that it is a sort of go as you please in towing rates and service. The rule last year was that a vessel would pay a certain per cent of her registered tonnage for being towed in or out, and each tug to take her turn in towing. Under this arrangement the two tug lines received a fair compensa- tion, but this season towing rates have been cut in two, and in some cases. less. No general system is observed, each tug capturing a tow whenever and wherever she can. ro oo FOG SIGNALS FOR STEAMERS. (Illustrated: ) Among the greatest dangers to mavigation is. collision caused by fog. . This danger arises principally from the fact that, while one ship can hear by signals that another ship is near or approaching, neither vessel can determine in what direction the other is moving. To overcome this difficulty as far as possible, Alfred Christensen, consular agent. Elsinore. calls attention to a system of “fog signals for steamers” consisting of sirens of two different sounds (whistle and horn), by means of which a steamer is constantly enabled to signal the course she is steering. As the principal courses over the Atlantic and also over the North Sea and Baltic are toward the east or west, the inventor says he has taken one sound of a whistle to in- dicate a due easterly course and one sound of a horn to 2 HORNS, 2 WHISTLES, “SNUOH Z ‘SIUSIHME indicate a due westerly course. All other courses to the eastward begin with the sound of whistle followed by sound of horn, and all other courses to the westward begin with sound of horn followed by sound of whistle. For a complete understanding of the system, reference is made to the accompanying chart, which is self-explana- tory. To provide steamers with sirens of two diffe:ent sounds will cost only a trifle, and one cannot help thinking that the system is so plain and simple that, if it should be adopted as an international rule, it would greatly lessen the danger of future collisions and proportionately save life and property. Before presenting the system to the American Government, the inventor has consulted several shipmasters and marine officers, and they all concur in this opinion. : In view of the fact that the new international rules of the road go into effect on July 1, 1897. the inventor brings the system to notice. that it may. be referred to the proper Department for such consideration as it may deserve. a CHARTS RECEIVED. The Hydrographic Office, Bureau of Navigation, Wash- ington, D.C., J. E. Craig, Commander, U.S.N., Hydro- grapher, has just issued an excellent chart on a large scale of the North Channel of Georgian Bay, from Mis- sissauga Straits to Little Current, taken from Canadian surveys, 1885, to 1890. This is a much-called-for delinea- tion, the work on which proves the value of the. Division of Chart Construction, U. S. N. G. W. Littlehales, as- sistant in charge. A more perfect navigational guide it would be difficult to portray or wish for. MARITIME LAW. THE SANDFIELD. AMERICAN SUGAR REFINING CO, VS. THE SANDFIELD, (District Court, S. D: New York. February 27, 1897.) 1. Damage to Cargo—Broken Rivet—Sea Perils. At the close of a stormy voyage on which a steel steam- er was damaged about her decks, had her wheel chains parted, and her propeller shaft fractured by heavy seas, a leak was discovered around a rivet in the after port bilge: Three-sixteenths of an inch of the outer end of the rivet was gone; the end of the remaining part showed evidence of fracture. This bilge had been sounded daily before the heavy weather began, and had been opened and cleaned by the crew before the loading of the cargo. No. water was entering it at such times. Held, upon evidence of similar loss of rivet heads in previous cases, probably from excessive vibration through the racing of the propel- ler in rough weather, that the rivet was fractured by that cause, which was a peril of the sea. 2, Same—Seaworthiness—Inequality in Strength of Rivets. The cylindric part of the broken rivet was somewhat oblique to the plane of the inner head, showing that the holes in the overlapping plates through which it had been driven when hot were not perfectly true. Both heads of the rivet had something of a cant. No other was broken. Held, that although the cant at both ends might diminish its endurance by ‘subjecting it to an unequal strain, yet, not being a weak or improper rivet, mere inequality in the strength of the rivet would not amount to unseaworthi- ness or a violation of a charter provision that the ship shall be “tight, staunch and strong.” 3. Same—Sea Perils—Presumptive Cause. Where it satisfactorily appears that sea perils have bee encountered adequate to cause damage to a seaworthy ship, and there is general proof of seaworthiness, the dam- age is presumptively due to such perils. 4. Same—Injury by Sea Water—Exception of Loss by Perils of the Sea. : Damage to cargo by sea water entering the hold around a loose rivet, which has been fractured by perils of the sea, is a loss by perils of the sea within the exceptions of a charter party and bill of lading. 5. Same—Diligence in Docking for Examination— Harter Act. Acomparatively new steel steamer, built by first-class makers, which had passed its first Lloyd’s survey in Feb- ruary, 1895, when the whole bottom was inspected and the riveting found sound, started on the voyage in ques- ° tion in January, 1896. No accident to the bottom had intervened. Held, that reasonable care of a vessel does not require docking for examination more than once a year, in the absence of some known necessity for it, and that accordingly there was no lack of diligence in the in- spection of the ship. 6. Same—Chartered Ship—Clause “All Conditions as Per Charter Party” in Indorsed Bills of Lading—Effect of Charter Exceptions—Latest Defect. The goods were shinned in a chartered ship by the charterers, and the bills of lading contained the clause, “All conditions as per charter party.” Held, that the re- ceivers of the cargo,’as indorsees of the bill of lading, took the goods subject to the provisions of the charter party; that the ship was entitled to the benefit of an ex- ception of “latent defects in the hull’? contained in the charter party; and that if there was any defect in. the rivet, it was latent, and within the exception. 7. Same—Leaving Sluice Shut—Operation of Harter Act Not Impliedly excluded. | The charter party contained a number of exceptions, including perils of the sea, and a further provision that “nothing herein contained shall exempt the shipowner , from liability to pay for damage to cargo occasioned by improper opening of valves, sluices or ports, or by causes other than those above excepted.” Held (1) that the dam- age was by “a clause above excepted,” in the sense of the clause; (2) that the engineer’s neglect in leaving the sluice shut was not an “improper opening” of it; (3) that this clause did not impliedly exclude the operation of the Harter act or deprive the ship of the benefit of the ex- ceptions therein contained. 8. Same—Harter Ace “Management’—Leaving Sluice Shut. The opening of a sluicegate, designed to open the bilges, was neglected during heavy weather. The accumu- lating water overflowed the bilges and damaged cargo properly stowed in the holds. Held, that the neglect to open the sluices was a fault in the “‘management of the | ship,” within the third section of the Harter act, and that the ship and owners were exempted thereby from liability for the resulting damage. | Libel by the American Sugar-Refining Co. against the steamship Sandfield to recover the sum of $10,000 for damages to a cargo of sugar. SATISFACTORY. Francombe and others, of Detroit, owners of the schooner John A. Francombe, which had such a hard time of it on Adams’ Point shortly after the opening of navigation, have received from the insurance companies | a satisfactory sum to compensate for her damage. The owner will take the boat and repair her for a lump sum. The companies were London concerns represented by Geo. L. McCurdy and other agents. of Chicago.