Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-01-04
LOADLINE ADJUSTED
British Board of Trade Adopts
New Rules.
The Northern Ports win their Fight
Against Southern Ports Reduce
ton in Frecboard-AIi North A,-
Inntlc Ports Equn,ized.

The New York Commercial, a strong
advocate of the contention in the inter-
ests of Northern ports in the fight
against Southern ports on the load line
question, has the following to say:
AT last. the British Board of Trade
has taken action on the question of the
North Atlantic winter load line. The
board has adopted the recommends
tons of the Special Load Line Com
mittee and announce that the new rules
prepared by that committee are now in
force. a cable message, signed by the
secretary of the board, containing this
Information. was received yesterday af-
ternoon by Charles 2. Sumner, chair
man of the New York. Boston and
Philadelphia commercial bodies, who
took up the fight for the abolition of
the load line discrimination which has
resulted in n big victory for the three
ports mentioned. The chairman of the
Jeune. and he had associa ted with him
some of the ableSt marine men of Eng
land. The committee was appointed
some six months ago and heard much
testimony for and against the petition
considered.
Philadelphia and Boston was imme-
diately recognized, and after a few
hearings only. the method of the rene
dy was discussed. The advocates for
change OF the rules pointed out to the
committee the injustice OF permitting
steamship to load deeper at Balti-
more, Norfolk. Newport News or any
of the other Southern ports, than they
could a.t this port. 1t was shown that
under the old load line rules, one of the
c 30
to Baltimore and load $1,000 more of
cargo than she could here. This was II
discrimination that was working injury
to New York and neiGhboring ports. 1t
| has now been practically abolished,
much to the rejoicing of the steamship
and shipping men whose interests are
| at this port. The winter load line rules
were enforced from October 1st to
April LIST. and during that period, many
| British vessels went south to load, be-
cause OF The advantage gained by be-
| ing permitted to cross the Atlantic
with frcebOardS more submerged when
| they cleared from Chesapeake ports,
than when they left the more north
ern waters. The committee recommend
ed the abolition Of this discrimination,
| saying:
| We think that vessels, whether they
trade to and from ports north of 1880
north latitute, or to or from ports APP
preached by the entrance to Chesa-
peake bay, pursue practically the same
course across those portions of the At
lantic where sea risk is the greatest,
and practically encounter the same
dangers. We are of the opinion. there
| fore, that the same regulations as to
load line should be applied to vessels
on both these routes. and to draw
distinction between them operates pre-
| iudicially and unfairly against the
ports with regard to which the severer
rule is applied. We recommend that the
same rule should be applied to all We s.
sells trading to and from United States
ports north of Cape Hatteras.
THE COMMUNICATION ADOPTED
a proposition was presented to the
| committee to abolish the load line rules
Tor winter in the North Atlantic alto
gether but the committee believed that
| the dangers of the waters called for
special restrictions. Therefore, they
adopted these recommendations:
That the additional freeboard for the
| North Atlantic in winter should be re-
| duced to a uniform increase of two
| inches for vessels UP to and inclusive Of
$50 feet in length. and should be dis
pensed with in AL vessels above that
length.
With regard to sailing ships, the con-
dltions of which are different in so
many respects from those OF steam
ships, we advise that n uniform addi-
ton OF three inches to the ordinary
winter freeboard would satisfy the rea-
sonable requirements for North At
lantic winter voyages.
We have further given effect to n de-
sire which we unanimously entertain to
provide for steam vessels being allowed
sufficient fuel for consumption before
entering the Atlantic in winter by suit
ably modifying the rules.
We have considered also the special
case of vessels of what is known as the
"turret type" We think that these yes
sells, from their special construction,
are entitled TO somewhat larger al
lowance than they have hitherto been
receiving.
The notifications affect only four of
the rules, the first extending the de-
, finition Of n turret to 81 breadth not ex-
T oecdmS six-tenths the greatest breadth
, of the vessel, the next Increasing the