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10 DEVOTED TO NAVIGATION, COMMERCE, ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE, ESTABLISHED 1878. PusLisHED Every THURSDAY BY eM ERINE RECORD PUBLISHING CO. Incorporated. peat yal tik codan ois anager: C BE i ce wh dads Sgt, aes ea Gitor Capt. JoHN SWAINSON......----0+ ++ +++ CLEVELAND, CHICAGO. Vestern Reserve Building. Royal Insurance Building. Be ene ee a eee ie SUBSCRIPTION. One copy, one vear, postage paid......... One copy, one year, to foreign countries........-. Sis Invariably in advance. ADVERTISING. ie Rates given on application: j All communications shou.- fa sgdressed to the Cleveland office, ' THE MARINE RECORD PUBLISHING CO. Western Reserve Building, Cleveland, O. Entered at Cleveland Postof.ice as second-class 1..ail matter. ‘No attention is paid to anonymous communications, but the wishes of contributors as to the use of their names will be scrupulously regarded. "CLEVELAND, O., JUNE 19, 1902. 1g Tar recular passenger traffic, including the tourist and excursion. service, may now be considered as opened for the season. ‘The outlook is a very gratifying one to the shareholders in steamboat lines, as a good paying season seems to be already assured. ; On ‘THE inquiry held at Duluth regarding the sinking of two. steamers, the local inspectors of steamboats found that no passing signals were exchanged between the Had- ley; and Wilson, although they were approaching each other nearly head on. The movement of the Hadley in starboarding her wheel when too near to avoid a collision. was, the inspectors found, not authorized by any rule. The fault of the Wilson was in continuing at full speed after the Hadley had turned towards her. It was also found that no alarm signals were used by either ship. La G8 i i al ; Tur Prestpent has signed the River and Harbor Ap- propriation Bill. It is an important measure for all lake harbors, and now that it has become a law, interest will immediately become active as to the American composi- tion of the International Commission which it authorizes for consideration of the project of maintaining lake levels. It seems certain that the members of the Canadian Com- mission will not seriously object to the wastage going on through the Chicago drainage canal when so many simi- lar. tapping projects are on nee on their side of the ee Retest Soe Tain "TonNAcE of British and foreign sailing and steam vessels, including their repeated voyages, that entered and cleared at ports in the United Kingdom, with cargoes and in ballast, from and to foreign countries and British pos- sessions, including protectorates, in the year 1900 aggre- gated “98,523,603 tons. In this total no results are given for. the trading of British vessels between two ports both “of which are in foreign countries, or between two ports both of which are in British possessions, and Mr. Nor- Lt man ah secretary of the Pavetyee! Steamship Own- As in many oye particulars, it appears that the British are also away. behind the race in statisti- cal i information in spite of, or is it on account of, the innumerable blue books issued by that government. vessel should swing to. starboard, THE MARINE RECORD. PORT AND STARBOARD — RIGHT AND. LEFT. The question is again brought before the attention of the British mercantile marine, and to that extent to the atterttidn) of other maritimenations, regarding the advis- ability of springs the*hélm orders from “port” and “star- board” to “right” and “left.” : The contention is one of, long standing, instances of addption in national and mercantile navies, but it has not ‘prevailed, ¢ or in fact obtained any foothold in the United States or the United Kingdom up to the present, but, there is sufficient evidence at hand to war- rant the belief that the change ’of terms may possibly ob- tain in the near future. The first intimation of such a change being thought de- sirable was through the publication of a pamphlet about a quarter of a century ago, since which time arguments pro and con, and reasons as plenty as blackberries, have advanced. on both sides of the controversy. In the of the German war ship Grosser Kurfurst, with six at her wheel, three interpreted the fatal order which nearly 3co souls to a watery grave, in one way and three the other. On fully learning the circumstances the German Emperor authorized the words rechts (to the right) and links (to the left) to be used in all the ships of his increasing navy, but pie it should be considered that the German ruler is a “war Emperor” with a mili- tary predilection, and where naval customs, practices, or phraseology would be likely to clash, the rules of the former would doubtless in all: cases be made mandatory. The first step having: thus been taken in the German navy, it was found in order for France, Italy, Austria, Portugal and Sweden to adopt similar phraseology in their navies, also to some extent in their mercantile ma- rine, and notably so in the most important lines of passen- ger carrying steamers, but unanimity does not exist in the practice of any one nae where a departure has been taken from the old terms of port and starboard. Passing over for the moment the continued controversies in Brit- ish journals devcted to maritime affairs, we find the sub- ject being dealt with several years ago among the nations of the north of Europe, and as a general statement, Den- mark, Norway, Sweden and other countries, were in favor of the proposed change of revision of orders, and so as to make the vessel’s head swing in accordance with. the given command, that is, the order port would mean that the vessel’s head Should swing to port and not to star- board as the majority of tonnage now demands.. In par- enthesis, we may add, that the prevailing custom supposes the word “avoid” to precede the order port or starboard, as for instance, avoid port, or avoid starboard, and in so understanding an order the vessel’s head moves in con- sonance therewith. In the reference to the countries of the north of Europe the question appears to have rested principally, not on the change of words, but in the direc- tion indicated by the order, and so that port would mean direct the vessel's head to port, and starboard, that the that is, her head, not and in some been case men sent her stern. ; A The order being given to port the helm, the wheel and the vessel’s head now moves ‘to starboard, and vice- versa when the wheelsman is told to starboard, which, to the landsman, seems a contradiction in terms, but for that matter, many cther nautical customs and rules are equally as enigmatical to the uninitiated, at the same time, cas- ualties arising through mistaken helm orders are very rare, and remarkably exceptional, hence, the fear that any alteration or tampering with helm orders might lead to and invite all sorts of casualties, especially while in the transition stage or period necessary for the universal adoption of either change. It can readily be under- stocd why the change from port and starboard to right and left did not meet with general approval when the commerce of the world was chiefly carried on under square canyas, and no one even now seems to desire any change from the prevailing custom, otherwise than as helm orders are concerned. The left hand side of the ship locking forward will still be the port side, and the right the starboard side, so may also the funnel or smoke- _stack shrouds be named, the position ‘of life-boats as well as all other phraseology denoting the right or left side of a hull, the tackle, apparel and furniture, outfit, equipment, ete. It is not argued, required or counselled that military terms and ordinary shore parlance should supersede well- advised and barnacle-backed nautical phraseology only as JUNE I9, 1902, the. seemingly paradoxical case of helm orders. _ lookout may still report a light “about four points on the port or starboard bow” and be mentally consigned to limbo if he doesn't blow it out, or a vessel in the same position and be similarly requested to shove her off, nor need -he talk about the Jow side of the fence when the lee bul warks are meant, at the same time, always remembering. that he must be looking forward when told that any+ thing is to the right or left of him, when, or if such terms, are to generally prevail. Hh SRO The change from. sail to steam, the unusually short. time now required to make helmsmen, the shore terms. of. right: and left being known. by even the most illiterate from boyhood, all argues in favor of telling a steersman to alter or move the helm to the left or right instead off. port or starboard and should be adopted forthwith. To accomplish this result it is only necessary for each steam- ship company to issue an order to the captains, officers" and pilots, in their. service, te at once discontinue the use of the “port” and “starboard” helm orders, and sub- stitute for them “right” and “left” the custom would soon become universal and by that time the Board of Supervis-. ing Inspectors of Steamboats might waken up to the sense. of fitness of the change and legalize the common sense: terms by the enactment of another revised statute. 9» a oO oo ry WHISTLE SIGNALS. While awaiting the action and decision of the focal in-- spector of hulls at Toledo in the Frolic- Woods collision case, which occurred on May 7, the Wilson-Hadley collisiori, which took place off Duluth harbor a month later, or on June 7, has been heard and decided by Mr. John Monaghan, local inspector of hulls _ : at that port and both masters found at fault, one licensé’ being cancelled and the other suspended for sixty days. In this decision, as in all-others, it appears’to be a mat- ter of form to attach the boiler inspector’s signature to all judgments, perhaps to allow the verdict to assume a ponderosity of authority or official weight, but in reality and practice, just as a nleasant fiction or make- believe, “for, but few of the local inspectors .of boilers would even | involving loss of life, countenance the assumption that they are, or ever were, . practical and judicial experts in the “Rules of the Road.” The cause of the Duluth casualty, involving the loss of nine lives and practically two large steamers with their cargoes, is no longer sub judice and therefore comments or expressions of opinions are quite in order. On a perusal of the findings of the Duluth ifiepeetOr the reader will no doubt be surprised at the frequent use — of the weight given to whistle signals, for the case of both vessels hinged sclely upon whistle signals, or the lack of such, and in the future, it should be known and read of all men in charge of lake vessels that the whistle ~ : is the main guy, the halliards, so to speak, of the “Sailing | ‘ and to which the helm action is but : ArT and Steering Rules,” a secondary motion or motive. Article 20 of the “Rules: to Prevent Collisions” “Where, by any of these rules, one of two véssels is to Staten ae keep out of the way, the other shall keep her course and = speed.” to have strictly observed up to the point of imminent col- lision, and, then being in extremis, she ported, and this” too, in accordance with Rule 27, which, as we have pre- viously stated is the qualifying rule, modifving or an- nulling all others and which reads as follows: This rule the steamer Thomas Wilson appears x ue “In obey- ing and construing these rules due regard shall be had os to all dangers of navigation and collision and to‘any — special circumstances which may render a departure from the rules necessary in order to avoid immediate danger.” — Therefore, the Wilson, throwing all rules overboard and departing from such, including whistle signaling, ported, a proceeding which the hull inspector admits as being, the only way to avoid a collision, a very singular admission. — seeing that it immediately brought about the collision. The inspector further states that the Hadley. in changing her course was “not authorized by any rule.” is a rather negative whole body. of. the rules show that the giving way vessel must keep clear, it matters not what she does under’ ordi- nary circumstances, such as prevailed in this case, she — She may.go slow, stop, reverse, © must simply keep clear. This again BPA: way. of. stating the case when the | describe a circle,.or be handled in any manner as. long: as ” she keeps clear of cthers having the right of way.: The “Steering and Sailing Rules” apply equally to sacl a