The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-11
FLEET COMMANDED
BY SECRETARY NAGEI.
Head of Department # Commerce and Labor
Has 239 Government Hired and Chartered
Vessels to Do Hi bidding

plorattons. and is of frequent service
Ior investigations and fishery work In
Alaska. A smaller steam vessel in tho
atlantic, similarly equipped, is en-
Pioyed In coastwlse Investigations OF
IKE character and in surveys OF the
oyster grounds Of the Atlantic and
Gun States. Tho schooner operates In
Nc" England and orshore waters, In
ish-cultural and other work connect
ca chiefly with the cod and lobster
hsheries. Two other steam vessels
one In the Great Lakes and one in tho
mississippi. are used for the collection
OF hsh and nsh eggs for the propaga.
tioh work in these several regions.
BESIDES these. the bureau charters a
steamer annually to convey supplies
10 the Inhabitants OF the Phibilof Is.
iands and to bring the aealskins to
San Francisco.
Inc bureau also maintains thirty
TOUR steam launches and motor boats
OIL various sizes in connection with its
hsh-cnitural stations throughout the
country.
hseis OF tho Bureau of Immigration
and Naturalization.
another bureau Of the same depart.
ment, that of immigration and Ma.
Iuraiization. controls seven vessels.
ihey are used In the inforcemeh, of
. me iinini grafton laws, three being sta
Toned In New York Harbor. two in
San francisco, one in New Orleans. Ia,
a., ano one In San Juan, Porto Rico.
Hhe List of Merchant Vessels ma sig.
mi Coda List.
me Hst Is divided into six parts.
showing: % Sailing vessels, ca steam
vessels. (8) unrigsed vessels (canaI
ooae and barBes), "a vessels lost
s ss,n tho year t6D government ves-
vessels and yachts. o
Parts l. and contain IN, NAIVE.
OF every documentcd American weasel
Numerically arranged lts ofheIaI
NUMBER. signal letters, gross and net
.ohhases. dimensions In feet Qenrth
oeam, depth). the approximate number
OF the crew (of sailing and steam yes.
seis). the year and place OF building.
and the home port.
vessel In order to be documented
must have been built In the ITnitoa
States or admitted by an act ~ Co..
sress. and must measure i've tons NOT
OF over. The gross tonnage of a yes
SCI Is the entire internal capacity ex
pressed In tons OF 100 cubic feet: and
from the gross tonnage are deducted.
steam vessel. the engine. boiler
snd bunker spaces. the remainder
oeins the net or register tonnage
Part Nv. contains the name of eyarv
vessel reported lost during the year.
.he oincial number. the rig, the gross
tonnage. year built the nature d.t.
place OF casualty, the number OF mar,
sons on board, and the number of lives
iosI The total number OF American
neiehant vessels lost during the year
June 80. l9ll. was Bis, with
an aggregate OF se.353 gross tons hav
ms 2,62S persons on board and 100
HVes lost. as compared with asa In
1910. with l25,7SS gross tons. Ara
persons on board, and 8f7 lives ,o.,
In addition. there were four yacht. los,
IN ls1U. or which three were steam ana
one shil. aggregatlnB ninety.two tons.
mr.n ni'een persons aboard and no
hpes lost In 1911 there wer. ten
yachts lost, of which nine were steam
aha one sail. aggregating 1,Ol5 tons.
with seVenty-nlne persona aboard ana
no lives lost a''o
Fart " contains the names OF All
'essels belonging to the government
including the Navy. the Engineer De.
paFtmeht and the Ordnance Depart.
ment OF the United States ARMY. tho
revenue cutter service and The pub.
&c Health and Marine Hospital SER
nee OF the Treasury Department: tho
Lighthouse Service, Coast and eodeifo
survey, Bureau OF Fisheries and the
6urear OF Immigration and Naturau
fation OF the Department of Commaroe
ana Labor; the reclamation service OF
me department of the Interior; and
-ne vessels owned by the Isthmlan
lanai Commission and employed by IT
ana the Panama Railroad Company
other important particulars given for
each are displacement (normaI coal
supply; tonnage dimensions. compris
ing length on local water line, extreme
breadth. mean draft; when, where. and
ny whom built; material. propulsion.
rig. indicated horsepower. speed and
coal capacity In bunkers.
Signal Code List.
Fart vi which Is published as q
separate document contains the names
OF all vessels appearing in Parts L II.
and ". which have signal letters. ar
ranged In the order of signal letters.
1t also contains the International and
inland rules for the prevention of col
isions Of vessels; the interna -ional
eooe OF signals; the funnel marks and
aouse flag o. some of the principal
line of steamers engaged IN trade with
mis- country; and the flags os the prin-
cfpal maritime countries OF the world,
Wireless "CnlI Letters" Firat Time
Shown.
For the first time. Part VI. contain,
also the "call letters of American
vessels which are equipped with wire.
less apparatus. Wireless teleRrapnv
has been of great value to all sea.
going vessels, and Commissioner
Chamberlain feels. therefore, that the
Inclusion of these "cal letters" Will
help navigators. Numerous duplica-
lions occur in the letters in use. but
Mt. Chamberlain hopes within a year
to bring the system in the United
States into harmony with the inter-
national system.
The merchant vessel list and the
separate signal code section are filled