The San Francisco call., 1898-06-07
SAFEGUARDS FOR
 YUKON PASSENGERS
LOCAL BOARD OF INSPECTORS
 GIVE WARNING.
River Steamers May Be Towed to the Gold Districts as Barges or Car
 ried as Freight Only.

Considerable stir was caused in the Gus tom-house yesterday because of a report that the steamer Samoa, which was about to clear for St. Michael, had been selling tickets for sixty passengers, whereas she was entitled to take only thirty-five It was stated also that she was to take the river steamer Clara in tow and that this also was an infringement of the Federal regulations
 Collector Jackson heard of the reports. and addressed a letter of inquiry to the United States Local Inspectors of Steam Vessels. and received the following note in reply:
 Sir: For your information we will state that a large number of steamers have applied to this Yukon River and other inland waters of Alaska. To these river or bay craft we have waters of the bay of San Francisco and tribu- taries only. Such steamers, therefore, are not empowered by their inspection certificates to proceed under steam to their destination.
 We understand that some of these craft were taken in sections others upon the decks Of sail to be lowed in the wake of regular ocean steamers.
 craft should be lowed as barges. Very re- spectfully, O. F. BOLLES,
 JOHN K. BULGER,
 United States Local Inspectors. Collector Jackson at once gave orders that the stories as to vessels bound for Alaska taking on more passengers than were allowed by law should be investi- gated, and the practice stopped if such should be the case. He called the atten- tion of masters of vessels in that trade to the following section Of the Revised Statutes of the United States:
 Section 44s5-It shall not be lawful to take on board of any steamer greater number of passengers than is stated in the certificate or provision the master or owner shall be liable to any person suing for the same, to forfeit the amount of passage money and ten dollars for each passenger beyond the number allowed. It was found that the report as to the Samoa taking on more passengers than were allowed by law was not true, ana Deputy Collector Farley, by request C, or Clerk Jerome, prepared the following in- structions to Colonel T. H. Craig, en- trance and clearance clerk:
 The following rules regarding the clearance @ accordance with the Collectors instructions
 River steamers inspected at San Francisco to navigate the waters of San Francisco Bay and tributaries thereof cannot be cleared for Alaska
 If intended to take them to Alaska they must be lowed by some steamer which has been in- epected to navigate the Pacific Ocean between San Francisco and ports fin Alaska.
 tow Is cleared, an additional copy of the clear ance of the towing steamer will be taken by the master and should by him be placed on board the steamer being lowed to show in case the lowed steamer breaks away from the towing steamer through stress of weather or other un- irI avoidsble cause, that she is not attempting to navigate the high seas in violation of law. If barge without steam or sail power is be- ing towed. a notation of the facts must be made on the clearance of the towing steamer; and if the barge is laden with cargo a list of said cargo must appear on the manifest of the towing steamer under proper heading.
 If a steamer is towing sailing vessel, both must be required to obtain regular clearances If the inspection of steamers does not author ize her to navigate the waters of the Pacific ocean including the waters of Alaska, clear ance will be refused until the certificate of in- spection is amended by the local Inspectors of Tiulls and Boilers. N. s. FARLEY.
 Deputy Collector of Customs.
 John K. Bulger of the Board of Local Inspectors of Steam Vessels, said that the