The San Francisco call., 1908-09-13

vided with crews of the sturdiest sail
Ors who understand the work.
One of these vessels, the Andros-
coggin. is now in commission. stationed
at Portland Me- Like the others she
is vessel OF about ]. 100 tons, and will
cruise along the North Atlantic. She
is built of wood in order that she
may be more serviceable in breaking
ice, which often threatens the safety
Of small vessels in the northern waters
Frequently the island of Nantucket off
the coast of Massachusetts. is shut off
from the mainland for long periods in
the winter and hereafter 1t viii be a
part of the Androscoggins work to go
TO the relief OF the people on the
island.
AS fisher for derelicts it is expected
that she will be kept very busy, be-
cause a large number of lumber car
rying vessels meet with grief every
year along the New England coast.
When wrecked these lumber barges
become especially troublesome, because
they do not sink to the bottom like
ships laden with iron or coal but fire.
quently float out into the ocean road
ways and for months or years menac
the safety of larger vessels.
The Seneca, similar to the Andros-
coggin. is completed and is now receiv-
ing her crew in Baltimore. She is an
iron vessel and will take care of the
derelicts that appear In the South At
lantic.
The third destroyer is now being
built and will be stationed at Key West
TO patrol the gulf of Mexico Special
crews have been selected for the big
cutters, and the men are carefully
drilled in the handling of explosives
and in all those things which have to
do with the finding and destroying of
derelicts.
Besides these specially built vessels
the following revenue cutters are sta
toned along the Atlantic coast. ready
at a moments notice to put out after
a derelict when reported within their
district:
The Gresham. stationed at Boston.
goes far north as the eastern ex-
tremity of Maine and south to New
York.
The Mohawk. stationed at New York.
ware breakwater.
The onondago, stationed at Norfolk.
looks after wrecks from the Delaware
breakwater to Cape Hatteras
The Seminole, stationed at Whining
ton, n. c., patrols from Cape Hatteras
to jacksonville, Fla.
The Winona, stationed at Mobile, pa
trolls from New Orleans to Tampa
The Forward. stationed at Key West,
patrols from Jacksonville to Tampa.
The Window, stationed at Galveston,
patrols from New Orleans to the Rio
Grande river.
IKE all fishermen, however, these
hardy sailors who go angling for
-sunken ships must observe certain
government laws and restrictions. They
must not disturb derelict found
within the three mile shore limit That
part of the ocean is the special prop
erty of the United States war DEPART
ment. and the consent of the secretary
OF war must be obtained before reve-
nue. cutter may so much as throw a
: frecracker at a wreck discovered there.
The revenue cutter, service is under
the control OF the United States treasury
department, and, having a sort of cous
inly feeling for each other, there is
rarely any friction. Outside the three
mile limit IL is high seas territory. and
all wrecks found there are common
prey for all sailors who have suncotton
and the nerve to use it
And like all fishermen the dereiict
catcners nave their full. measure OF bad
luck. Often they return from a cruise
empty handed. for in the widesexranse
OF the Atlantic a ships hull In mart
or wholly submerged, is not easy TO
hnd, even though 1t may be wallowine q
but a few yards distant from the vessel
that is hunting for ii.
Reports of derelicts reach the revenue
cutters from various sources some
times when ships captain discovers
particularly bad one directly in the
track of navigation he sends a wireless