National Republican., 1883-07-20
s1eNA1 NuMnnns AND LErrEns.
Treasury Circular OF Special Interest TO
Owners OF Merchant Vessels.

Owners OF mcrCiAnnt Vessels.
The Treasury department has issued cir
cular to customs officers in regard TO the as
signment of official numbers and signal letters
to merchant vessels of the United States,
based upon section ll77 of the Revised
Statutes The circular requires that all docu-
mented vessels must be provided with official
numbers. N.
In addition to the official numbers signal
letters will be assigned to all seagoing vessels
Of 100 tons OF over. Signal letters will
also be assigned to other documcnted
vessels of less than one hundred tons, where
special application is made through q col
lector of customs. The signal letters need no {
be carved OF marked on the main beam.
The name, tonnage, official number, and
signal letters of vessel must, however, APP
pear in all documents issued to her.
Appli, alton for numbers and letters must
bo made to the collector or chief customs olii-
Ger of the fort where the vessel may be,who
will forward such application to the chief Of
the bureau Of statistics. outs
The official number awarded to q vessel
must be marked on her main bohm, at the
expense of her owner or master, in Arabic
numerals, ut least three inches in height.
If the main beam is of wood IL must be
carved or branded in figures not less than
three-cighths nor more than one-half inch in
depth. If the main beam is of iron or other
metal, it must, If the beam is black, be
marked in white oil paint, and in black oil
paint if the beam is Of any other color.
The main beam Of vessels plying upon the
western seas is considered to be the beam
under the after side of the starboard forward
hatch; and of other vessels it is considered to
be the beam under the forward side Of the
main hatch
Whenever application is made for the is
suance of marine documents to new vessel,
an application for an official number must be
made at the same time, or prior thereto Be-
| fore delivering such documents the collector
| or principal customs officer must have evil
dence that the number has been properly
marked upon the main beam of the vessel,
and he must also, as soon as may be practical
| bic, certify to the chief of the bureau of sta
| tistics that il is so marked.
Whenever application is made for re-
| newa of marine papers for vessel which has
| already been documcnted, but not numbered
| or which if numbered is not properly marked
the customs officers will require that the Off
cial number shall be marked thereon before
the delivery of the new documents. The GER
| tiicate of an inspector or other customs OIL
| Ger shall, at points whore an inspector or
| other officer Of the customs is located be re-
quirod by the collector as evidence that tho
official number has been properly marked
| unOn the vessels main beam but in cases
where it would be very inconvenient or ex-
| pensive for an officer of the customs to make
| the examinations necessary for rendering
| such certificate, the affidavit of the owner or
master that his vessel has been properly
marked shall be taken as evidence in lieu of
such certificate; but as soon as the vessel
shall have arrived ut place within the ves-
| sePs home district whore the inspection GER
tifcate of a customs officer can be procured,
such certificate must be required by the col.
| lectOr of the district.