The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-15
RULES OF THE ROAD AT SEA.
May Be Formally Promulgated and
Put in Operation Next Year.
From the Baltimore Sun.

rom the 6altlmOre sun.
The code of sound signals for ships au-
thorized by congress at its last session has
at length, after long discussion-s!nce the
marine conference of 1SS9-been approved
| by the British board of trade and may now
be expected to receive the approval of
France, Germany. the Netherlands and
other commercial nations. By next July,
it is thought, the new rules will probably
he in operation. The sound signals have
| been opposed by various American and
British shipping interests on the ground
that they are confusing and will do more
harm than good. In the marine conference
at Washington, in 1889, it is complained.
| every country, without regard to it's ton
mage, had an equal voice in deciding what
| should be the rules of the road at sea.
Great Britain, for example, with $685. 361
| tons of steam-shipping, had but one vote
along with France which had but $50, S75
tons, or Norway which had but 1867, $50 tons,
| or Portugal with but g. 769 tons. Expert
ence and skill in the management of ships.
1t was held should be deemed to be roug ly
proportional to tonnage. AT any rate votes
should have been according to tonnage,
With such distribution of votes, the ship
owning companies of England would have
NNASeAbS0 the pIOpOSeu SOunQ signals at the
outset. Some of them have fought vigor-
ously the adoption of the signals by the
British board of trade, and have caused
much delay. They WILL it is said, continue
to fight the new signals in parliament.
This fact brings their final adoption some
what into doubt, since it is not impossi-
BILE that parliament may be influenced to
overrule the board of trade.
The rules respecting sound signals, as
approved by congress at it's last session
and favored by the British board of trade.
are five in number, as follows:
Section l, Article 15.-All signals pre-
scribed by this article for vessels under
way shall be given.
l. BY steam vessels" on the whistle or
siren
BY sailing vessels and vessels towed"
on the fog-horn.
The words prolonged blast" used in
this article shall mean blast of from
four to six seconds duration.
steam vessel shall be provided with
an efficient whistle or siren. sounded nv
steam, or by some substitute for st1am
so placed that the sound may not be in
tercepted by an obstruction and with an
efficient fog horn, to he sounded bv me-
chan cal means, and also with an efficient
bell. Qn all cases where the rules require
bel to be used drum may be substi-
tuted on Turkish vessels or a gong
where such articles are used on small
sea-go.ng vessels) A sailing vessel of
twenty tons gross tonnage or upward
shall be provided with a similar fog horn
or bell.
In fog, mist, falling snow or heavy rain
storms, whether by day or night. the
signals described in this article shall be
used, as follows, viz:
(a) A steam vessel having way upon
her shall sound, at intervals of not more
than two minutes a prolonged blast.
CD A steam vessel under way hut
stopped, and having no way upon her
shall sound at intervals Of not more than
two minutes two prolonged blasts. with
an interval Of about one second between
them.
(c) A sailing vessel under way shall
sound, at intervals Of not more than ono
minute, when on the starboard tack. one
blast; when on the port tack two blasts
in succession and when with the wind
abaft the beam, three blasts In success
sion.
(d) A vessel when at anchor shall. al
intervals Of not more than one minute,