The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-11-08
LIGHTS TO GIVE WARNING AT SEA.
Red and White, Flash and occultIng,
Under Discussion.
Governor MelIette Describes the
Prosperity Of the Dakotas.
Civil Service Changes and other Top
les from Washington.

WASHINGTON, November AT II o'clock
this morning, the International Marine Con-
ference resumed its consideration of the
rules of the road.
Delegate Vernay, of Siam, proposed an
amendment to article 49, relating to signals
of steamers showing course. The amend
ment includes code of long and short blasts
| by whistle or horn. 1t was made an order
| for Monday next
Capt. Shackford, of the United States,
then obtained permission to withdraw the
amendment offered by him to article 8, lights
for steamers. which occasioned so much dis
| steamers shall carry bright white light on
the highest mast abaft the foremast;; In
place of it, Capt. Shackf0rd offered an
| amendment, reciting that steamers in the
| North Atlantic trade be allowed to carry a
bright white light on the after mast, to indi-
cate the direction in which they are moving.
Delegate Bisbee Of China moved to amend,
light.
Consideration of the amendment was post
p0ned until Monday.
Delegate Bisbee then offered an amend
ment to article 5. lights for vessels not under
command, providing that a vessel aground
shall show at night, where they can best he
seen, three red lights, one above the other,
and by day shall fly the international code
This amendment also was postponed until
Monday. An amendment to the same arti-
Gle, by the Norwegian delegates. proposes
that vessel aground shall carry, above her
anchor lights, two red lights. Consideration
was postponed until Monday, by which time
the additional report of the committee on
lights is expected to have been made to the
conference. For the same reason. all amend
ments to article z, relating to lights for small
vessels. went over without discussion.
The conference next took up amendments
to article s, lights for vessels at anchor.
The first was that offered by the delegates
from Great Britain, dividing vessels into
classes, one of $50 feet in length and over,
and one Of less than $50 in length. The
former shall carry two white globular lights,
latter one such light located forward.
Capt. Shackford of the United States had
proposed that the signal should consist of q
white and red light instead of white light
alone, the former below the latter at the
stern, and vice versa forward.
After discussion of the two proposals,
Mr. Goodrich moved that the conference
adopt the principle of Capt. Shackford's
amendment, of a distinctive riding light at
the stern.
The resolution offered by Mr.. Goodrich
was lost, and the amendment offered by the
British delegates was adopted.
After recess an amendment to article II re-
quiring all vessels exceeding 20 tons register
to carry an irregular occulting or a fixed
white light screened, to be visible only over
an arc of IL points for distance of one mile
was adopted. An additional clause, provi-
ding that such stern light be visible on
dark night with clear atmosphere to dis
tance of one mile was accepted.
An entirely new article was proposed by
the British delegates, authorizing vessel at
any time, in addition to the light she is by
regulations required to carry, to show
flare up light or usea detonatiHg signal to
attract attention. Mr.. Hall suggested that
the conference vote on the principle laid
down in the Amendments permitting vessels
to use an extra signal to attract attention,
the exact nj atnYs Ui 1t to ha aesoI mIfled later
The os.fefence agreed to the principle