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THE UNITED STATES. has been presented to the ‘Treasury Department in regard to the steamships City of New York aud City of Paris, the owners of which are eparing to have them documented as American vessel, in accordance with the provisions of a special act of Con- gress, granting them the privilege under certain condi- tions. The steamship company is anxious to retain the present complement of officers of those vessels, most, of whom, however, are of foreign nationality, and in order to bring them within the law requiring vessels of the United States to be officered exclusively by citizens of the United States, the companies took steps to secure their speedy naturalization. This, however, is a very slow process. ‘The officers in question have already taken out their first papers, but have to serve out the full probe- tionary period before they become full fledged citizens. Leaving out the question of their financial ability to re- main idle during that period, the company itself is un- willing to sacrifice them for untried men of American cititenship. Accordingly as a test case, application was made to the Treasury Department for the retention of Capt. Watkins as master of the City of Paris during his probational period of naturalization. The Commissioner of Navigation, to whom the matter was referred, has re- plied that the law is obligatory as to the citizenship of masters of United States vessels, and that such citizen- ship in the case of an alien is not established until he shall have fulfilled al: the requirements of the naturaliz- ation laws. Unless this decision is reversed, the steam- ship company will have to secure a new set of officers for the two steamships, or else delay the documenting of the vessels under United States laws until the present offi- cers can legally serve. —____— +--+ THE BUREAU VERITAS. Phe fact haying been announced in the columns of the last issue of the Rucorp that Bureau Veritas intended to appoint agents aud surveyors to classify the tonnage ofthe Great Lakes. ‘The following system and personnel of this international classification society taken from the “Nautical Magazine,” will be of interest to lake vessel- owners, masters and brokers: The Society of Bureau Veritas was estsblished on July Ist., 1828. lt isthus older than the existing society of Lioyd’s Register, which was formed in 1834, but not really older than the institution which had been previ- onsly carried on by other societies. Veritas had its home in the first instance in the city of Antwerp, and was started under the patronage and with the assistance of King William I. of the Netherlands, who advanced twenty thousand florins to its promoters, re-payable in twenty-five years. Such, however, was the success of the society that the loan was repaid in ten years. In consequence of the long stay of Veritas in Paris it is often spoken of by shipmasters as French Veritas or even as French Lloyd’s. At one time there was a maritime reg- ister at Bordeaux, but at present there is no distinctly French society apart from Veritas. About the year 1855 it was the case that nearly all the French mercantile marine were classed in Veritas, and ship-owners began to express dissatisfaction with an in- spection to which they submitted voluntarily as compared with the official inspection which was compulsory, a commission of inquiry was appointed by the government, and the conclusion arrived at was, that Veritas did its duty, and that it was not ad- visable for the government to interfere with its opera- ator. One peculiarity of Veritas rules is, that to meet the case of iron of superior quality being frequently used in shipbuilding, they have established a systemof tests for this material similar to steel tests. and have a separate table of scantings for ships built of it. Steel is required to have an ultimate tensile strength of 27 to 82 tons per square inch of section. Common iron is assumed to have a minimum strength of twenty tons with the fibre, and superior iron is supposed to have a strength of 22 tons per square inch with the fibre. In the case of superior iron being used, the meta! has to be as rigorously and systematically tested as is required in the case of steel. Bureau Veritas isin its constitution a private society. Its administration is in the hands or a Board of Directors in Paris, eight in number. It has a technical staff at its offices in Paris, of whom the chief is Mons L. Piaud, an engineer and naval architect, trained in L’Ecole Polytechnique, Paris. Alterations in the rules, which are necessary from time to time, are discussed by a technical committee of the chief surveyors. This com- mittee consists of twenty-six members, who are widely scattered, and hence it meets at somewhat long intervals. In the early part of its career most of the surveyors of Bureau Veritas were retired shipmasters; but at the pres- ent day its staff is recruited from technical engineers and shipbuilders. Figures, given in the number of Lloyd’s Kegister just issued, enable us to compare in some way the magnitude of the operations of the two chief societies for the MUST BE CITIZENS OF teresting question THE MARINE RECORD. registry of shipping. Lloyd's classes are held by 3,007 sailing vessels and 5,257 steamers, t of 8,264 vessels. Veritas classes are held by 5,020 sailing vessels and 1,252 steamers, giving a grand total of 6,272. It must, however, be remembered, that. these figures are those of the numbers of vessels merely, and that the average tonnage of vessels would much exceed those classed by Veritas. Further, a much larger proportion of the vessels classed by Veritas are wood than of those which hold Lloyd’s class. At present, 4,819 iron vessels and 2,649 steel vessels are classed in Lloyd’s whereas, 1,001 iron vessels and 559 steel vessels are classed in Veritas. The Bureau Veritas were first in publishing a list of the shipping of the world, classed and unclassed. Lloyd’s commenced a Universal Register in 1887, but as long ago as 1870 Veritas started with an annual publication. This work is now issued in two volumes; the first contains the names of allsea going sailing vessels over 50 tons register, the second contains all sea-going steamers of over 100 tons register. Bureau Veritas also publishes monthly lists of maritime casualties throughout the world. a BUFFALO HARBOR IMPROVEMENTS. A circular addressed to ‘All parties interested in naviga- tion and in the construction of the outer harbor of Buffalo,” has been issued by Maj. Ruffner of the United States Engi- neer’s office at that port, and reads as follows: ‘‘Theadopted project for the work on the outer harbor of Buffalo contem- plates an extension of the main breakwater of 800 feet more to the present structure. ‘hen the sand-catch pier isto be ex- tended to 16 feet of water, and an arm 2,800 feet long, will be built so as to lap the south end of the breakwater, leaving an opening 150 feet wide for an exit. The funds now available can build, next year, all of this work except 350 feet of the breakwater and 800 feet of the shore arm near that structure. When this is done the outer harbor would be practically secure for piers and wharves, “Jt has been suggested that this proj ct should be modified and the main breakwater extended to the south, finally reach- ing Stony Point, by struc:ures which would aggregate 15,350 feet in length south. of the breakwater, or 10,500 feet more than-at present contemplated. The work would largely in- crease the proposed harbor room aud would be, of course, very expensive and consume a long period in construction. If any change is to be made in the project, now is the time to make it. “An expression of your views is requested at your earliest conyenience,”’ a Puans have been prepared fora fine steel bark of about 1,400 tons, to be built in Boston, Mass, The iron sailing ships built in the United States are few and far between; the Tillie Starbuck, T. F. Oakes and the Clarence S. Bement, are about the only iron ships ever built in the States, and the new de- parture may mark anera in the building of iron and steel sailing vessels for general cargo purposes. Tue steamer P. P. Pratt, on her last trip. up, was struck by lightning on Lake Erie, losing her mizen mast and rigging. ao 25 THE CLAUSE “GENERAL AVERAGE, PAYABLE ACCORDING TO YORK-ANTWERP RULES OF 1890” IN BILLS OF LADING. RULE I.—JETTISON OF DECK CARGO, No jettison of deck cargo shall be made good as general average, Every structure not built in with the frame of the vessel shall be considered to be a part of the deck of the vessel. RULE U,—DAMAGE BY JETTISON AND SACRIFICE FOR THE COMMON SAFETY. ¥ Damege done toa ship and cargo, or either of them, by or in consequence of a sacrifice made for the common safety, and by water, which goes down a ship’s hatches opened, or other opening made for the purpose of making a jettison for the common safety, shall be made guod as general average, RULE III.—EXTINGUISHING FIRE ON SHIPBOARD, Damage done to a ship and cargo, or either of them, by water or otherwise, including damage by beaching or scuttling a burning ship, in extinguishing a fire on board the ship, shall be made good as general average; except that no compensa- tion shall be made for damage to such portions of the ship and all cargo, or to such separate packages of cargo, as have been on fire. RULE IV.—CUTTING AWAY WRECK. Loss or damage caused by cutting away the wreck or re- mains of spars, or of other things which have previously been curried away by sea~peril, shall not be made good as general average. RULE V.—VOLUNTARY STRANDING. When a ship is intentionally run on shore, and the cireum- stances are such that if that course were not adopted, she would inevitably sink, or drive on shore or on rocks, no loss or damage caused to the ship, cargo and freight, or any of them by such intentional running on shore, shall be made good as general average. But in all other cases where a ship is inten- tionally run on shore for the common safety, the consequent loss or damage shall be allowed as general average. RULE VI.—CARRYI? G PRESS OF SAIL.—DAMAGE TO OR LOSS OF SAILS. Damage to or joss of sails and spars, or either of them caused by torcing a ship off the ground, or by driving her higher up the ground, for the common safety shall be made good as general average; but where a ship is afloat, no loas or damage caused to the ship, cargo, and freight, or any of them giving a grand “total classed by Lloyd’s’ by carrying a press of sail, shall be made guod as erage. : e RULE VI.—DAMAGP TO ENGINES IN REFLO, Damage caused to machinery and boilers of ms h astore and in a position of peril, in endeavor shall be allowed in general average, when shown to hay from an actual intention to float the ship for the comm atthe risk of such damages — jas ie 3 RULE ¥II.—EXPENSES LIGHTENING A SHIP WHEN ‘AND CONSEQUENT: DAMAGE. When a ship is ashtre and, in order to float her ea) ker coals, and ship’s stores, or any of them are di the extra cost of dightening, lighter hire, agd reshipp incurred), and theloss or damage sustained thereby, admitted as general average, agers RULE IX—CARGO ‘SHIP'S MATERIALS, AND STORES 3 FOR FUEL. a Cargo, ship’s materials, and stores or any of them, n arily- burnt for fuel for the common safety ata time shall be admitted as general average, when, and only ample supply of-fuel had-been- provided, but the quantity of coals that.would have been consumed, ealeuls at the price current a ship’s last port of departure date of her Feaving, shall be changed to. the ship-owner credited to the general average. = RULE X.—EXPENSES AT PORT OF REFUGE, ETC, (a).—When a ship shall have entered a port or place of ref. uge, or shall have returned to her port or place of loading in — consequence of accident, sacrifice or other extraordinary cin cumstances, which render that necessary for the common safety the expenses of entering such port or place shall be admitted ~ as general average; and when she shall have sailed thence with her original cargo, or a part of it, the corresponding expenses of leaving such port or place, consequent upon such entry or return shall likewise be admitted as general average. (b).—THE dost of discharging cargo from a ship, whether af port or place of loading, call or refuge, shall be admitted : general average, when the discharge was necessary for the common safety or to enable dumage to the ship, caused by sac- rifice or accident during the voyage, to be repaired, ifthe re | pairs were necessary for the safe prosecution of the voyage, *(c).—Whenever:the cost cf discharging cargo from a ship is admissable as general average, the cost of reloading and storing such cargo on board the said ship; together with-all stor: charges on such cargo, shall likewise be so admitted. Butwhen the ship is condemned or does not proceed on~her original voyage, no storage expenses incurred after the date of the sbip’s condemnation or of the abandonment of the voyage shall be admitted as general average. (d),—IE a ship under average be in a portor place at which it is practicable to repair her so as to enable her to carry onthe whole cargo, and if, in order to save expenses, either she is towed thence to some other port or place of repair, or to her destination, or the cargo or a portion of it is transhipped to another ship, or otherwise forwarded, then the extra cost of such towage, transhipment and forwarding, or any of them up to the amount of extravexpense saved, shall be payable by the several parties to the adventure in proportion to the extra- ordinary expense saved. RULE XIL— WAGES AND MAINTENANCE OF CREW IN PORT OF REFUGE, ETC. When a ship shall have entered or been detained in any port or piace under the circumstances, or for the purpose of the repairs, mentioned rule X., the wages payable to the mas- ter, officers and crew, together with the'cost of maintenance of the same, during the extra period of detention in such port or place until the ship shall or should have been made ready to proceed upon her voyxge, shall be admitted as general average. But when the ship is condemned or does not proceed on her original voyage, the wages and ma‘ntenance of tke master, officers and crew, incurred after the date of the ship’s con- demnation, or of the abandonment of the voyage, shall not be admitted as general average. ‘ RULE XII.—DAMAGE ‘TO CARGO IN DISCHARGING, ETC, Damage done to, or loss of cargo necessarily caused in the act of discharging, storing, reloading and stowing shall be made good as general average, when, and only when the cost of those measures respectively isadmitted as_ general average. RULE XIII.—DEDUCTIONS FROM COST OF REPAIRS. In adjusting claims for genera] average, repairs to be allowed in general average shall be subject to the following deductions in respect of ‘new for old, ” viz:— 4 In the case of iron or steel ships ister, to the date of accident:— uP To 1 YEAR OLD. (A)—AIl repairs to be allowed in fall, © except painting or coating of bottom, from which one-third is to be deducted. : BETWEEN 1 AND 3 YEARS. (B).—One-third to be dedycted _ off repairs to and renewal of woodwork of hull, masts and spare, furniture, upholstery, crockery, metal and glaseware, also sails, rigging, ropes, and hawsers, (other than wire aad chain), awnings, covers and painting, one-sixth to be de- ducted off wire rigging, wire ropes and wire hawsers, chain cables and chains, donkey engines, steam winches and con- _ nections, other repairs in full, 3 BETWEEN 3 AND 6 YEARS. (C)—Deductions as above under clause B., except that one-sixth be deducted off iron work of masts and spars and machinery (inclusive of boilers” and their mountings). . BETWEEN 6 AND 10 YEARS. (D)—Deductions as above under clause U., except that one-third be deducted off iron work of masts and spars, repairs to and renewal of all machin- __ ery (inclusive of boilers and their mountings), and all hawsers, aa ropes, and rigging. 2 siping Teal bd ETWEEN 10 AND 15 YEARS. (E).—One-third to bede- ducted off all repairs and renewals, except iron work of bull and cementing and chain cables, from which one-sixth to be deducted. Anchors to be allowed in full. Over 15 years. (F.)-—-One-third to be deducted off all r pairs and renewals. Anchors to be allowed in full. One- sixth to be deducted off chain cables. ine GENERALLY (G.)—The deductions (except as to provisio' and stores. Machinery and boilers) to be regulated by t val age of the ship, and not the age of the partieular part of he f to which they apply. No painting bottom to be allowed ifthe bottom has not been painted within six months previousto — the date of accident, No deduction to be made in respect 0 “i old material which is repaired without being replaced by. : and provisions and stores‘which had not been in use. In case of wooden or composite ships:— sea from date of original reg-