Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1864-08-13
OFFICIAL.
IAWS OF THE UIITED STATES,
Passed at tie FrsH Sessions Of Me Thirty.
Eighth Co.sress.

EAws OF THE UHITED STATES.
Passed at tie F;rsH Sess;os ef Ae Thirty
Eighth Co.syess.
PUBLIC-NO. g..
An ACT to regulate the admeasurement of
tonnage Of ships and vessels Of the United
States.
BE it enacted by the Senate and House
of Lspresextatices Of tie Uaited States
Of An.erica IN Congress assembled. That
every ship or vessel built within the United
States. or that may be owned by citizen or
citizens thereof, on or after the first day Of
January, eighteen hundred snd sixty five,
shall be measured and registered in the man
ner hereinafter provided; also every ship or
vessel that is now owned by . citizen or
citizens of the United States shall be
rcmcasurcd and reregistered upon her arrival
after said day at port Of entry in the United
States, and prior to her departure tberefrom,
in the same manner as hereinafter described {:
Ptouded. That any ship or vessel built
within the United States after the passage Of
this act may be measured and registered in
the manner herein provided.
Sec 9. And be 1t further enacted, That
the register of every vessel shall express her
length and breadth, together with her depth,
and the hight under the third or spar deck,
which shall be ascertained in the following
manner: The tonnage deck, in vessels having
three or more decks to the hull, shall be the
second deck from below; in all other cases
the upper deck Of the hull is to be the tom
mage deck. The length from the forepart of
the outer planking, on the side Of the stem,
to the aftcrpart Of the main stern-post Of
screw steamers, and to the afterpart of the
ruddcr post of all other vessels measured on
the top of the tonnage deck. shall be ac-
counted the vessels length. The breadth Of
the broadest part OIL the outside Of the vessel
shall be- accounted tho vessels breadth OF
beam. A measure from the under side Of ton
mage deck plank, nmidships. to the ceiling Of
the hold (avcroge thickness) shall be ac-
counted the depth of hold. If the vessel has
third deck, then the hight from the top Of
the tonnagc-deck plank to the under side Of
the uppcr-deck plank shall be accounted as
the hight under the spar deck. All measure
ment to be taken in feet and fractions of feet /;
and all fractions of feet shall be expressed in
decimals
SEC. 8. And beH .farther enacted, That
the register tonnage If vessel shall be her
entire intcrna! cubical capacity in tons Of ono
hundred cubic feet each. to bs ascertained as
follows: Measure the length Of the vessel
in straight lire along the upper side Of the
tonnage deck, from the inside Of the inner
plank, (avcrage 'hicknes,) at the side Of the
stem to the inside Of the plank on the stern
timbers, (average thickness.) deducting from
this length what is due to the rake of the
stearn-imbcr in the thickness of the deck,
and also what is due to the rake Of the stern.
timbc, in one third of the round Of the beam !;
divide the length so taken into the number Of
equal parts required by the following table,
according to the class in such table to which
the vessel belongs:
TABLE OF CLASSES.
Class 1.-Vcsscls of which the tonnage
length according to the above measurement
is fifty feet or under, inio six equal parts.
Glass 2.-Vesscls of which the tonnage
length according to the above measurement is
above fifty feet, and not exceeding ono hum
dred feet long, into eight equal parts.
Glass 3.-Vessels of which the tonnage
length according to the above measurement
is above one hundred feet long. and not ex-
cceding one hundred and fifty feet long, into
ten equal parts.
Glass 4. 4.-Vessrls of which the tonnage
length according to the above measurement
is above one hundred and fifty feet, and not
exceeding two hundred feet long. twelve
equal parts.
Class 5.-Vessels of which the tonnage
length according to the above measurement is
above two hundred feet, and not exceeding
two hundred and fifty feet long. into fourteen
equal parts.
Glass 6.-Vcssels of which the tonnage
length according to the above measurement
is above two hundred and fifty feet long, into
sixteen equal parts.
Then, the hold being sufficiently cleared to
admit Of the required depths and breadths
being properly taken, find the traverse area
of such vessels at each point Of division Of the
length as follows:
Measure the depth at each point Of divis.
ion from point at distance Of one.third OF
tho round Of the beam below such deck. or. in
case of a break, below q line stretched in
continuation thereof, to the upper side OF the
floor timber. at the inside of the timber strakc.
after deduciing the average thickness Of the
ceiling, which is between the bilg planks and
lumber strake: then. il the depth at the
midshp division otthe length do not exceed
sixteen feet. divide each depth into four equal
parts; then measure the inside horizontal
breadth, al each OF the three points a divis
ion, and also at the upper and lover points OF
the depth, extending each measurement to the
average thickness Of IL at part Of the ceiling
which is b-tween the points Of measure
ment number these breadths from above,
numbering the upper breadth one. and 90 on
down tc the lowest breadth ); multiply the
second and fourth BY four. and the third by
,xo. add these nroducts toRrthef. and 10 the