The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1910-02-25

waters l,62S, Of which only 49, were
| identified. DerelCts do not, as a rule.
! last long once they are abandoned to
| the mercy of the waves. II is said
that the average life of derelict is
one month. although some of them
withstand the beating of the waves
| for long periods and insist ON staying
close to the track of commerce.
II is believed that the day soon will
come when all oCean.going vessels will
! be required to equip themselves with
wireless. The English c. Q. ID. mes
sage that brought relief to the Repub.
| lie, the equally important international
| $. o. S. message that saved the lives
of another crew few days ago have
all had their lesson. Such legislation
finds land counterpart in the require.
ment that all railroad trains shall be
equipped with air brakes and safety
| couplers. On the sea it finds its coun.
terpart in the requirement that each
vessel must be equipped with lifeboats
and lifepreservers. and that there
must be a specified number of fire
drills. The wireless companies are
pointing out to congress the compare.
lively small cost of installation and
operation.
Just now congress is wrestling with
| the problem of the Interference of am
ateurs with wireless messages. The
wireless companies declare that the
amateur operators are largely respon-
! sible for the few difficulties that still
hand, they are met with the counter
assertion that the whole proposition is
in the interest of monopoly. The sci
ence of wireless is so new that many
| discoveries may grow out of expert
! mentation with 1t, and the amateurs
feel that this is a deep-laid design to
cut off the Unborn right of every Amer
| lean TO work his inventive genius to
| the utmost. The courts have not yet
| fully settled the exact status of wire
less telegraphy as applied to maritime
matters, though there are cases pend
| ing which may serve to fully deter
mine its relations.
The advent of wireless has served
| to retire the carrier pigeon from its
| usefulness at sea. The British navy
has held auctions for the sale of it's
| birds which were trained under every
conceivable condition in which they
| would have operated in war time.
A recent incident in the operation of
maritime law has it's amusing side. A
| big wrecking company undertook to
| salve a vessel which had in its cargo
several hundred barrels of wine. The
| operation was partly successful, but
high seas washed overheard many bar
rels of the palatable liquid. The
wrecking company told it's men that
these barrels now were loose on the
high seas and the property of whom
soever took them in. There was a
scramble to yawls and launches, and
the sailors gathered in the floating
casks. Afterward there was litigation
over the ownership of the wine, and
the courts held that it was the proper
~ of the sailors who had risked their
all to capture it.
Another interesting point in inter-
national law arose when several pigs
which were taken to England were re-
| fused admission to the country be-
cause they had tuberculosis. The
! steamship company carried them back
and forth for several trips and it was
found that the salt air had cured their
| tuberculosis, whereupon they were
| duly admitted.
The day of real hardship for the
sailor is largely over. The laws of the
nations now protect him. The United
| States statutes declare that no cor
! pOral punishment shall be inflicted on
any American sailor, likewise that he
must be well fed. His rations are pre-
scribed, and he may see it weighted
out TO him. Much of the recent mari
time legislation has had for it's aim
the recognition of the rights of the
sailor.