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AUGUST I0, 1899. THE MARINE RECORD 9 ss sl sss ses ssn TREASURY DECISIONS. INSPECTION CERTIFICATES OF SAIL, VESSELS. Customs officers not required to furnish certified copies of inspection certificates to sail vessels. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, July 29, 1899. Str: Referring to your letter of the 25th instant, in the matter of furnishing three copies of the inspection certifi- cates of sail vessels over 700 tons burden, inspected under the act of Congress approved December 21, 1898, you are informed that the law does not require that such copies of certificates shall be furnished. The only copy of sail ves- sel certificate is that to be furnished by local inspectors to collectors of customs for file in their respective offices, as per department regulations contained in circular 96, July 17, 1899. Respectfully yours, O. L. SPAULDING, Assistant Secretary. Collector of Customs, Portsmouth, N. H. LIGHTS FOR CATBOATS, ETC. Colored lights must be displayed on small catboats, yachts, and sailboats. : ‘TREASURY DEPARTMENT, July 31, 1899. Sir: This department is in receipt of your letter, dated the 28th instant, inquiring what lights should be displayed at night by small catboats, sloop yachts, etc., both under and over 5 tons burden, under the act of June 7, 1897. You are informed that the department finds no law ex- empting from the operation of article 5 of the act vessels such as you mention, with the exception of fishing and pilot boats, and vessels of less than Io gross tons under way during bad weather. The courts would probably hold that the article requires such vessels, with the exceptions mentioned above, when under way in rivers, harbors and inland waters, to carry colored lights, as specified in article 2 of the act. Respectfully yours, O. L. SPAULDING, Assist. Secretary. Collector of Customs, Providence, R. I. STAMP TAX—BILLS OF LADING. Tax imposed on bills of lading covering shipments from a port or place within the United States to any foreign port or place. OFFICE OF COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL, REVENUE, WASHINGTON, D. C., July 27, 1899. Sir: This office is in receipt of a letter under date of July 13, 1899, from J. M. Hannaford, vice president and general manager, Northern Pacific Express Company, St. Paul, Minn., who states that in reading the instructions issued bv the various express companies to their agents he finds they conflict in many instances, and he asks to be informed what denomination of internal revenue stamp is required to be affixed to receipts for shipments forwarded between the various points as shown below, with the under- standing that a receipt of bill of lading is intended to cover a shipment from point of origin to destination : From Chicago to St. Louis. From Chicago to Winnipeg, Manitoba, _ rom Chicago to Victoria, British Columbia, part rail and part steamer. From Chicago to Juneau, Alaska, part rail and part - steamer. From Chicago to Liverpool, England, part rail and part steamer. From Seattle to Victoria, all steamer. From Seattle to Juneau, all steamer. From Seattle to San Francisco, all steamer. From Seattle to Hongkong, all steamer. You will please advise Mr. Hannaford that receipts or bills of lading covering shipments between points within the United States require a I-cent stamp ; receipts or bills of lading covering shipments from the United States into Canada by rail or by any conveyance other than steamboats or other vessels, making a regular business of plying only between ports in the United States and ports in British North America require a Io-cent stamp (see Treasury deci- sion 21255) ; receipts or bills of lading. for any goods, mer- chandise, or effects, to be exported from a port or place in the United States to any foreign port or place require a Io- cent stamp. In illustration of the above, a receipt covering a shipment from Chicago to St. Louis requires a I-cent stamp ; a receipt covering a shipment from Chicago to Winnipeg, Manitoba, ‘requires a 10-cent stamp; a receipt covering a shipment from Chicago to Victoria, British Columbia, part rail and part steamer, requires a Io-cent stamp; a receipt covering a shipment from Chicago to Juneau, Alaska, part rail and part steamer, requires a I-cent stamp ; a receipt covering a shipment from Chicago to Liver- pool, England, requires JIo-cent stamp; a receipt covering a shipment from Seattle to Victoria, British Columbia, all steamer, if issued by a steamer or vesse] mak- ing a regular business of plying only between ports of the United States and ports in British North America, does not require to be stamped, otherwise a 1o-cent stamp is required; a receipt covering a shipment from Seattle to Juneau, Alaska, all steamer, requires a I-cent stamp ; a receipt coy- ering a shipment from Seattle to San Francisco, by water, uires a I-cent stamp ; a receipt covering a shipment from Seattle to Hongkong, all steamer, requires a 1o-cent stamp. ! Respectfully yours, Ropr. WILLIAMS, JR., Acting Commissioner. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, } Mr. FREDERICK VON BAUMBACH, f Collector Internal Revenue, St. Paul, Minn. NOTICE TO MARINERS. LIGHT-HousE INSPECTOR’S OFFICE, TENTH LIGHT-HouSE DISTRICT, Buffalo, N. Y., August 7th, 1899. Notice is hereby given that by order of the Light-House Board, the following changes in the buoyage of Niagara river were made on August 3d, 1899. BUOY DISCONTINUED. IRON WoRKS SHOAL Buoy, 25 foot spar, painted with red and black horizontal stripes. BUOYS ESTABLISHED. DREDGE CHANNEL (Nor?TH) Buoy, 25 foot spar, painted red and numbered 2, placed in 20 feet of water to mark the west side of the lower end of the diedged channel below Tonawanda Island. DREDGED CHANNEL, (SOUTH) Buoy, 25 foot spar, painted red and numbered 4, placed in 17 feet of water to mark the west side of the upper end of the dredged channel below Tonawanda Island. Itis opposite the end of the dock on the north point of Tonawanda Island. TWELVE Foot SHOAL Buoy, 23 foot spar, painted red and numbered 6, placed in 14 feet of water to mark a dangerous spot about 100 yards west of the range line at the head of Niagara river. Horseshoe Reef Light-House bears from it S. by E. &% E., distance about 2,900 feet. FRANKLIN HANDFORD, Commander, U.S. N. Inspector toth L,. H. District. Neen EEE TRAFFIC THROUGH THE ST. MARY’S FALLS CANALS. STATISTICAL REPORT OF LAKE COMMERCE THROUGH CANALS AT SAULT STE. MARIE, MICHIGAN AND ONTARIO, FOR THE MONTH OF JULY, 1899, EAST BOUND. U.S Canadian ITEMS. Canal. Canal. Total. Copper, net tons..... Mrrclate weiss eters 18,621 587 19,208 Grain, bushels.........% Ws ce 2,175,283 192, [00 2,367,383 Building stone, net tons..7......... se ctay hea bnarenae ecu Gay 11,332 Flour, batrels......... ESTES ON 789,039 181,458 979,497 Tron Ore; MEtCOHS Ge ise cee us vines 2,284,633 272,42 2,557,060 Iron, pig, net tons.. ; 4,370 a. 4,370 Lumber, M. ft. B. M 162,490 3,966 166,456 STIVEM OLE; MEU COMSK ss Ha ory iasais Ware tals, |acrats ue ree eel| cane wrraoig Sadeiell maw omAcR A ove orate Wheat, bushels.............. | 5,765,655 1,612,212 7,377,867 Unelassified freight, net tons....... 15,350 8,140 23,496 Passengers, MUMDEL.). ie ees ea 4,271 2,385 6,656 WEST BOUND. Us. Canadian ITEMS. Canal anal Total, Coal (hard); netitons ss. r, rs 122,085 13,115 135,204 Coali(soit) net tons: 2 ties. eyiice vars 425,511 105,300 530,811 PAOUY OATES at na cioe cary are ha vial SMa use eat el nica eae ane Meme see ag Gran Dus eis, AG tein ania ke ne ference an al 5,000 5,000 Manufactured iron, net tons........ 18,474 477 18,951 Gall Danrels To Geet amumyeanel 18,132 7,000 25,132 Unclassified freight, net tons...... 67,856 2,378 70,234 Passengers, number...... .....:... 6,127 1,222 7,349 Eastbound freight: net tons: aire a aa ir ies eae 3,265,786 West Dondiditrershto net tons sia ck ow fiemuc igen e sou eres 759,003 ROR cis pte icine digealains Bib Bee Mat onnesp seine PRG Rcraert as aiere 4,024,789 Total craft through United States canal.................. 2,557 Total eraft through Canadian canal.................00.00 619 Saas 3,17 Total registered tonnage through U. S. canal......... 2,927,047 : Total registered tonnage through Canadian canal.... 465,326 anpararaien sist -1To¥ fo) or oo MARINE PATENTS... 630,104. Apparatus for raising sunken vessels. EH. G. Pettit, Zanesville, O. 630,130. Mechanism for operating bilge pumps. Frederick Stuth, Somers Point, N. J. : 630,245. Oar-lock. Charles Leiding, Duluth, Minn., as- signor of one-half to H. K. Smith, same place. 630,254. Form for hulls of vessels. M. F. Mithoff, New Orleans, La. 630,260. Device for cleaning hulls of ships. Lane, New York, N. Y. 630,261. Barnacle scraper. G. A. McLane, New York, YY. G. A. Mc- NeYs 630,457. Ship-canal. Alexander Hogeland, Louisville, Een Submerged feathering-propeller. KE. F. Gorman and P. F. Yost, Philadelphia, Pa. 630,542. Raising sunken vessels. Marshall Jones, Boston, Mass. 630,593. Dumping-scow. S. F. Clouser, New York, N.Y. 630,769. Fish-screen for artificial waterways. G. D. Bird, Gunnison, Colo. 630,809. Bridge. W. A. Gunn, Lexington, Ky., assignor of one-half to W. EK. Gunn, Covington, Ky. 630,821. Pneumatic propulsion means. Waco, Texas. J. C. Walker, oS I iscomputed that Chicago used 53,000,000,000 gallons of water in the past six months. Nearly one-fourth of this was for domestic purposes, and the balance for diluting the contents of the Chicago river. SHIPPING AND MARINE JUDICIAL DECISIONS. (COLLABORATED ESPECIALLY FOR THE MARINE RECORD.) Lien for Money Advanced.—The statute of Louisiana grants no lien for money advanced to the master or owners of a vessel in the home port, no matter for what purpose. Learned et al. vs. Brown et al., 94 Fed. Rep. (U. S.) 876. Waiver of Lien—Parties who have united in a libel of in- tervention against a vessel do not waiver their right to a lien by withdrawing such libel and filing separate libels. Learned et al. vs. Brown et al., 94 Fed. Rep. (U. S.) 876. , Harter Act.—The provisions of section 2 of the Harter act as to the limiting of liability by bills of lading or shipping documents does not apply to passenger tickets. The Ken- sington, 94 Fed. Rep (U.S.) 885. Passenger Tickets—Provisions Relating to Baggage.—A provision in a passenger ticket relating to a limitation of the carrier’s liability for loss of baggage, plainly printed in the face of the ticket above the signatures of the ship’s agent and the passenger, is a part of the contract. The Kensing- ton, 94 Fed. Rep. (U. S.) 885. Premiums for Insurance—There is no lien ona vessel, either under the general maritime law or under the code of Louisiana, for premiums due on insuracce policies taken for the benefit of the owners, and from which lienholders would receive no benefit in case of loss. Learned et al. vs. Brown et al., 94 Fed. Rep. (U. S.) 876. Damages—Excessiveness—Where both bones of the leg of a seaman were broken through negligence, and after the injury he was grossly neglected by the officers of the ship and after the injury he was grossly neglected by the officer, of the ship, and the injury was permanent and greatly dam- aged him in his earning capacity, damages of $2,000 were not excessive. Lafourche Packet Co. vs.: Henderson, 94 Fed- Rep. (U. S.) 871. , Collision—Suit for Damages—Parties.—A purchaser of a vessel, who had made part payment thereon, and was in lawful possession, under a covenant to keep her in good re- pair and running order, at the time she was injured in a col- lision, although the legal title remained in the vendor, may maintain a suitin admiralty to recover damages for the in- jury. The John B. Dallas, 94 Fed. Rep. (U. S.) 985. State Sunday. Laws—The fact that States on either side of a navigable river have in force statutes prohibiting the doing of certain kinds of work on Sunday} does not relieve the owner of a bridge spanning the river from the duty of open ing the draw on Sunday to admit the passage of vessels en- gaged in commerce on theriver. Boland et al. vs. Combi- nation Bridge Co., 94 Fed. Rep. (U. S.) 888. Admiralty Jurisdiction—Suit for Injury to Pier,—A ‘‘pier,’’ ‘in the ordinary meaning of the word, is a projection of the land, and has to be treated as land for purposes of jurisdic- tion; hence a suit for an injury toa pier by a vessel, where the libel uses the word without any qualifying adjective, is not within the jurisdiction of a court of admiralty. The Haxby, 94 Fed. Rep. (U. S.) 1016. Inconsistent Claims—An intervenerin a suit to enforce liens against a vessel, who claims ownership of a part of the property libeled, and obtains its release on appraisal and bond, cannot, by subsequently setting up aclaim to a lien in his own behalf, become entitled to share in the proceeds of the bond and the remaining property. Hawgood & Avery Transit Co. vs. Dingman et al., 94 Fed. Rep. (U. S.) roz1. Contract of Carriage—Provision Exempting Carrier from Liability.—Where both carrier and passengers are citizens of the United States, and the place of completioa of.the con- tract of carriage is within this country, a stipulation for ex- emption from liability in the contract, authorized by the law of a foreign country, by which the contract is by iis terms to be governed, but which is contrary to the public policy of this country, is not enforceablein its courts. The Kensing- ton, 94 Fed. Rep. (U. S.) 885. Maritime Lien—Suit to Enforce—Effect of Release on Bond.—A release to a claimant under an appraisal and stipu- lation or bond, not made under the limited liability act, of a part of the res seized under a libel in admiralty has the same effect upon the liens upon the part released that a discharge of the entire res undera like appraisal and stipulation or bond would have had upon the liens upon the whole thing, which is to discharge the liens of those who were parties to the proceeding when the release was made, but no others, Hawgood & Avery Transit Co. vs. Dingman et al., 94 Fed. Rep. (U. §S.) torr. Admiralty—Furniture of Vessel.—Where a dealer in mu- sical instruments placed a piano on a steamer as an advertise- ment, under a verbal agreement with the captain under which it could be removed at any time, at the option of either party, such piano remained the property of the dealer, and did not become any part of the furniture of the vessel, so as to pass under a mortgage of the vessel and her apparel and furniture; nor did it pass under a sale of the vessel in admiralty as a part of her property, it having been removed by leave ot court after her seizure, but before the sale. Learned et al. vs. Brown et al., 94 Fed. Rep. (U. S.) 876.