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bate acl AUGUST 29, Igor. THE MARINE RECORD. 9 SHIPS REGISTER AND CLASSIFICATION SOCIETIES.* (CONCLUDED ) With the advent of the steamship, and the change of building, material from, wood to iron and steel, new rules had to be formulated, adapted to the changed conditions. Each society has its,own code of rules and method of cal- culating scantlings. . They are all, however, based on the principal dimensions of the proposed vessel. For example, we wish.to build a small steamer in Hong-Kong. She is intended to run between here and Macoa or similar voy- ages. B. V. provides rules for seven different classes for ‘wood vessels, and. it would be absurd to put the weight of material required for a.ship intended to round Cape Horn into a vessel desired for local trade. We decide to place her under two degrees P (Small Coasting Trade)... By look- ing into the tables we find the numeral of the proposed vessel, produced by multiplying the length, breadth, and. depth, by a given fraction. The regulations show exactly how the dimensions are to be measured, and this numeral is the fundamental point in designing the ship. We simply multiply it by the figures, given in the tables, and get the size of évery beam, frame and plank; masts, spars, and: rigging, iron or steel, lower masts and yards; anchors and chains or hemp hawsers; size of rudder, number and diam- eter of. pintles; dimensions of windlass; thickness and length of bolts, iron knees, through fastening whether iron or copper, metal sheeting, and so on through every detail of the. vessel. Suppose we build a steamer. to Lloyd’s rules. Say a coaster to run between here and the northern ports. It is not necessary to make that vessel as strong as though she was intended to cross the Atlantic. 90A is ample for the requirements, and by saving weights we get lighter draft which is an important consideration on the China coast. By a somewhat similar system of numerals as that already described, but which vary for different types of vessels, we are enabled to pick out the dimensions of everything required for the proposed steamer, the ship it- self, the number and thickness of water-tight bulkheads and method of stiffening, diameter.of boat davits, size and design of anchor crane, pumping arrangements, ballast tanks, and everything essential.to the vessel. But the classification societies go further. The machinery is an integral portion of the steamship. Therefore it be- came necessary to see that the power which drives the ves- sel should be equally as reliable as the hull that contains it. Lloyd’s appointed surveyors in all the important manu- facturing centres, whose duties consist in seeing materials tested; such as ship plates and bars, chains and anchors; crank shafts, boiler plates and furnaces, and other im- portant parts o/ the motive power. These are all rigidly examined and’ proved during. the process of manufacture, and when bearing the brand and certificate issued, are ac- cepied without demur in any part of the world. The ma- -chinery for testing materials is a very expensive plant, and therefore can only be installed in central manufacturing dis- “cfs. Lloyd’s possess several such installations in Great britain, and have recently established similar testing ap- pliances in the United States; to each one is appointed a ssident surveyor, who is a permanent employe of the so- ciety, and who must see that the requirements exacted are carried out to the letter. A ghip retains her “class” for four years, when she has to undergo a survey, and if found in good condition the class is continued. After another period, No. 2 survey be- mes due, and so on every four years until such time as -e vessel deteriorates by old age, when either the class is ounged or a lower character assigned to her. In case of anding, or other accident, by which a vessel has been in- “ed, special surveys are held, and the vessel must be re- red to her original quality or conditions before she is classed. : It is not within the province of this paper to discuss the “ts of the various societies. The foreign associations re conceived as being necessary to the welfare of the countries which they represent; but as occurred in the “ly days after the formation of Lloyd’s, differences of ~ aion are bound to arise; and some years ago a number »! ssons interested in shipping arrived at the conclusion sloyd’s Rules were not sufficiently elastic to admit the ' yel designs of steamers then coming into vogue to the «From a paper read before the Institution of Engineers and Ship- uilders of Hong-Kong by W. G. Winterburn, managing director, ‘ictoria Foundry, Hong-Kong, full benefits of classification. The result was the formation of the “British Corporation,” in 1890. feats This society spent upwards of two years in preparing rules and tables of scantlings; most exhaustive investiga- tions were made into the laws of naval architecture and marine engineering, and existing rules thoroughly analyzed. No provision is made by this society for the classification of wooden vessels, but for iron and steel it claims to give a more scientific distribution of material used in the construc- tion, massing it at those points of the structure where the greatest strains fall, and providing such a system of con- nection as affords the best proportion of joint to plate. It, like other- societies, is constituted one of the assigning bodies for the administration of freeboards, and its work is fully recognized by the Board of Trade. A large number of fleets register exclusively in this society, among the local ones being the China merchants. The “Plimsoll Mark” must not be confounded with the work of the classification societies. In 1875, Samuel Plim- soll, M. P., got a measure passed whereby every ship over 80 tons, sailing under the British flag, must bear on her sides a distinctive mark, which must not be submerged in salt water when the vessel leaves port. The province of the classification societies is to fix the position of this mark. The design is invariable, and consists of a circle not less than 12 inches in diameter, crossed by a bar 18 inches long, and 1 inch broad. If the ship is painted a dark color, the mark must be white or yellow. If the hull is light then the disc must be painted black. Similarly there are lines show- ing the level of each deck above water. These marks, are not merely painted, but. the perimeters are cut into the plating so that any surveyor in any port can easily find if the position has been altered. eh An addendum to: the above is a series of horizontal lines familiarly known as the “gridiron.” Granting that the disc load-line is the safe limit generally, it would be unfair to the shipowner to compel him.to. keep an unnecessary high freeboard for voyages where in all human probability the sea will be as calm as. an inland lake; and similarly for excessively stormy waters it is unsafe to load:a’ship down ° to the disc. To meet this variation this series of bars: was designed. The highest is marked F.W. (fresh water) ; this allows a ship when’ loading ina river to immerse the disc several inches, as she will rise to her proper level when she gets into the denser water of ‘the ocean. The other marks are I.S. (Indian summer ) ; S. (summer, ordinary voyages) ; W. (winter, ditto); W.N.A. (winter, North Atlantic). This, the lowest mark of all, indicates the tempestuous nature of the route. There is now being brought forward a “light load line,’ which doubtless will become law ere’ long, as it is unquestionably a fact that a ship may be equal- ly as unseaworthy when insufficiently ballasted as when too deeply immersed. : The particular society under whose rules the .ship is classed is indicated by initial letters. on each side of the disc; thus L.R. for Lloyd’s Register; B.V. Bureau Veritas; B.C. British Corporation; and if not under any of them then it becomes B.T. Board of Trade. As the primary object. of classification is to secure in- surance, the higher the class the lower being the premium, it follows that classification societies have done’ more to secure that ships should be seaworthy than any other in- fluence. Acts of Parliament have sometimes been the means of producing floating coffins in the endeavor of owners to design vessels to conform to B.T. requirements and evade tonnage dues as much as possible, but the under- writer wants his vessel and cargo to arrive safély at their destination, and hence pure business achieves resulis better than could ever have been accomplished by philanthropy. ————— ane Ture Army and Navy Journal says Admiral Evans will no doubt be able to show that he was correct in his state- ments as to the circumstances attending his relief from light-house duty during the administration of Mr. Chandler. So direct an impeachment of his accuracy of statement, as is contained in Mr. Chandler’s published letter, coming from so authoritative a source, cannot be allowed to go unanswered, and a court of inquiry—which we believe the Admiral holds to be called for in such cases—will no doubt be asked for. *We have never held in any very high esteem such methods of deciding extra-official controversies, but now that the precedent has been set we presume it must be followed. If charges against an Admiral, made by a dock- yard laborer who knows how to write, require such notice, it would seem that those formally presented to the depart- ment by’ an ex-Senator of the United States and ex-Secre- tory of the Navy, who: still holds a high place under the government, equally necessitate attention. SHIPPING AND MARINE JUDICIAL DECISIONS. (COLLABORATED SPECIALLY FOR THE MARINE RECORD. _ Maritime Lien.—A state legislature has no ‘authority ee maritime liens. The Universe, 108 Fed. Rep. (U. Findings of Master—Where the right to a maritime lien for supplies depends on questions of fact, such as- whether the supplies were ordered by the master and furnished on the credit of the vessel, and the evidence is conflicting, the finding of the master thereon, who heard and — saw the witnesses, will not be disturbed. The John Mc- Dermott, 109 Fed. Rep. (U. S.) go. Contract of Affreightment — Breach — Lien. — Where parties in possession and control of a steamship under a contract with the owners assigned and transferred such charter arid contract to libelant, under which said stéamer . was to proceed to a certain point, and take on a cargo, but the contract was not performed either on the part of the assignor of the contract or of the vessel, no lien exists against said vessel, as the contract of affreightment had not been entered into. The Universe, 108 Fed. Rep. (U. S.) 9€8. Damage—Proximate Cause—Ice.—Where. a canal boat, on which a cargo of produce insured under a policy pro- viding that it did not cover any damage from ice, was sunk by striking a hidden obstruction, and before the boat was raised and repaired the cargo was partially frozen, and, because of the delay caused by the injury, could not complete its voyage before the canal was closed by ice, the proximate cause of the loss was the sinking of the boat, the freezing of the cargo being a mere incident, and the insurer was liable. Devitt vs. Providence Washing- ton Ins. Co., 70 N. Y., Supp. 654. sibscs Towage—Compensation for Voluntary Service—Aimount, —Where a steamer not engaged in the towing business, nor fitted therefor, interrupts her voyage to tow a partially disabled vessel into port, such facts are to be considered in fixing the amount of her compensation for the service, and she is entitled to a larger award than would amount to a reasonable compensation for the same service if performed by a tug engaged in the business. In such case,’ where a steamer valued at $25,000 was delayed in her voyage eight hours, she was held entitled to an award of $350.00. The J.C. Pfluger, 109 Fed. Rep. (U.'S.) 93. ‘ - , Recovery of Libel Paid—An owner of a wharf at which a scow had been unloaded libeled the scow in admiralty for the amount of the wharfage.. The owner of the scow, — without contesting the claim, paid it to the proctor of.the libelant, and then brought his action in the state courts, and recovered it from the libelant. In this action it was found that the plaintiff did not owe the wharfage; but it was not found that the defendant had, as libelant. been: . guilty of fraud or extortion, or that he knew, or ought to have known, that the scow. was not liable. Held, that the money paid in the admiralty suit was paid voluntarily, and not under duress of goods, and that, upon the facts proved, it could not be recovered. Turner vs. Barber, 49 At. Rep. (N. J.) 676. Salvage—Nature of Service—Salvage or Towage.—The German bark Pfluger, after leaving San Francisco on a voyage, met with a sudden squall, which carried away her mainmast and mizzen topmast, fore-topsail and fore royal yard, injuring her decks to such an extent that they leaked. whenever a sea was:shipped. She abandoned her voyage, and made for Santa Barbara, 200 miles distant. After reaching a point in Santa Barbara channel twelve miles from port, about rr o’clock at night, she met a steamer, which, at request of her master, who’ stated that he was not. in peril, but desired to expedite his arrival to communicate with the agents, towed the bark into port, there being a dead calm. Held, that the service was not one of salvage, but of towage only, and to be compensated’ as such, the bark being in’no immediate peril, nor so dis- abled as to justify any reasonable apprehension for her safety if left to her own efforts in making port. The J. C. Pfluger, 109 Fed. Rep. (U. S.) 93. Taking Injured Seaman to Nearest Port—When Required. —Libelant was mate on a schooner which left San Francisco on a cod-fishing cruise in Alaskan waters, all the crew. being. ona lay. When 500 miles from Port Townsend libelant was struck by, the mail boom, without fault on the part of any one, and his leg was broken in two places. There was no- surgeon on board, nor any one competent to treat the in-- jury. Libelant- asked to be taken back to shore, and the wind was favorable, but the master proceeded to Unalaska, 1,750 miles from the place of injury, which he reached in sixteen days, and from that port libelant was sent back to San Francisco, By reason of the delay and the motion of the ship, libelant suffered much additional pain, and his in- jury was rendered permanent. Held, that it was the duty of the master, under the facts shown, to at once proceed to Port Townsend, which was the nearest available port where libelant could have received proper care and treat- ment, and that his failure to do so rendered the owners liable in damages. Whitney et al. vs. Olsen, 108 Fed. Rep. CUS.): 202; *» 5