Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-10-18

THE CONFERENCE UNDER WAY.
The Maritime Congress Getting Fairly
Down to Business.
suByKcrs pfscussEp AT THE SESSION ropAY--THr
RULES OF THE Road" AT sEA-puFERESr
srsTENs OF ARAsuRENExr-xorABLR MEN AT
THE coNTxRKxcK
At the international maritime conference
Yesterday after TEE SrARs report closed Mr..
HAL proposed an amendment 10 section A Of
article intended TO make provision for modern
men-of-var that do not carry foremasta II
was resolved that the chair appoint Q commit
tee on lights and . committee on sound signals
Article 4, providing for lights on towing steam
ers, was read 1t stipulates that such steamers,
when towing another vessel, shall, in addition
to their side lights, carry two bright white
lights, one over the other, not less than three
| feet apart Mr.. Hall moved that the distance
| between these white lights shall be not less
| than six feet This motion was approved by
! the delegates from Germany and Denmark.
but without o vote the conference adjourned.
ropAY's SESSION.
The conference met at 10 O'Clock this morn
ing and resumed the consideration of the rules
Of the road" Article s, which was under dis
cussion yesterday, was again taken up. and the
delegates began to offer amendments. Mr..
Hall of Great Britain proposed one to sub-sec-
ton A to the effect that the lights carried at
night by the vessels enumerated in that clause
be placed feet apart instead of g. and that
! they carry two black balls by day instead of
three. This started the ball rolling, and the
propositions poured in thereafter at rapid
LESS FoRMALrTY TO-DAY.
The farmality of dress, which was yesterday
less than on Wednesday, was this morning
still more diminished Instead Of the long
coats the members wore cutaways and short
Jackets They sat less stiffiy in their chairs
and chatted between speeches somewhat more
freely. There were not as many delegates
present, some Of those who yesterday occupied
seats around the wall being absent large
chart showing the main steamship routes across
the Atlantic had been placed on the wall.
THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL DELEGATES
to the conference were reported by the secre-
tary: Austro-Hungary, Lieut. s. de la Cerda
! heretofore credited to Germany; Chill, Rear
Admiral viel aud Lieut. Richardo Baugency,
Chilian navy.
MOTIONS CARRIED.
Mr.. Hall suggested that 100 copies each Of
| suggestions OF changes to the .ruIes of the
road" be printed for the use Of delegates. This
was adopted.
Mr.. Goodrich remarked that yesterday he
asked that the rules Of the road" as adopted
by England, with the changes made by the
United States, be printed. This, he said
| needed to be done with great care, and he
therefore moved that committee of three be
appointed to take charge of the work and that
the scope of his motion be enlarged to include
changes made by all countries from those in
force in the United States. This was adopted.
Mr.. Goodrich also submitted q resolution to
the effect that all proposed changes be made
known by handing to the secretary, in writing
or in print, the entire article to be amended.
with the parts to be omitted crossed out and
the parts to be inserted in italics. This was
agree to after an interpreter had translated it
| in French. He did it with some freedom Of
style, using explanatory idioms that aided the
general understanding.
''UNDER WAY"
Capt. Selveson made some remarks in fairly
good English to the effect that the phrase
under way" used in article 6, is difficult to I'M
derstand in foreign languages and suggested
that a general definition or term be given for
the elimination of all doubt.
Delegate Goodrich thought this good plan
and threw out the idea that the new regulations
be prefaced by defnatory article. He quoted
the American law on the subject of the mean
4
! his Information by few words about the En-
| glish law. The latter, he said, is brief and to
the point defining ship under way to be
one not actually moored by her anchors or
| other lines. The moment she begins to raise
her anchor she is under way" This view
met with general approval around the board
although one of the Teutonic delegates thought
that the words should be held to mean under
headway," but this was not favored.
RULES OF THE ROAD
The president announced the committee of
three to take in hand the work of preparing
for printing the "Rules of the Road'sas they
now stand, together with differences between
those of the various nations, as follows: DR..
Sieve-King Of Germany, Mr.. Frederick William
Vernly, Siam, and Mr.. Tsunkahara, Japan.
Capt. Shackford moved to strike out article
from the rules and Capt Malmberg of Sweden
gave the proposition his second. This article
Is intended to permit small vessels in bad
weather to take their side lights on board and
show them only on approach Of a vessel.
Delegate Hall opposed the change, saying
that the article only applied in had weather
and was to apply only to vessels SO small that it
would be difficult to keep the lights alive
Capt. Shackford thought that vessels so
| small that they could not show lights in bad
weather should be kept inside and not allowed
to endanger the safety Of others, depending on
the sleeplessness Of q man or q boy to exhibit q
light at the proper time.
Mr.. Hall said in reply to q question, il small
vessels were not frequently run down because
Of not showing lights, that if they were it was
their own fanlt, resulting from carelessness.
They were liable at law for damages in such an
event
That, retorted Capt Shackford, was Just
what he wanted to avoid, the possibility of
carelessness.
RIDING LIGHrs.
Mr.. Hall moved to amend article 8, which
provides for the carrying of riding lights"
by anchored vessels 30 as to limit the regula-
ton for two lights to ships over 100 feet in
length and for one light to ships less than that
length.
Capt Shackford wanted to know how a YES
sci 600 feet long anchored with two lights could
be distinguished from two short vessels with
one light each.
This situation, replied Mr.. Hall, was one that
demanded the exercise of only little beyond
ordinary prudence, and he thought that if
collision should result from an effort to cut in
between two such lights under the idea that
they we're on different vessels the master of the
moving vessel would be held guilty of gross
negligence.
This reply brought forth an approving smile
from the board.
DIFFERENT STANDARDS OF MEASUREMENT.
Mr. Theo verbruggh Of Belgium brought
forth AN interesting point in a composite