Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-04
cation becomes stronger with the coming

CATION becomes stronger with the coming
of every spring.
There are many persons who some day
may be in possession of a boat sufficiently
large to cruise on open water, where
thousands of situations are continually
arising that call for a knowledge of such
things as signaling. In such cases the
international code only would be of any
use, and the time spent in learning a pri-
vate system would be wasted.
Then. besides, on our own waters an
exchange of signals between boats of diff
ferent clubs would be rendered impossible
If all had codes and flag arrangements of
their own. The international code is
hardly as simple as the Eastern Power
Boat Club four-flag arrangement. but, if
adopted. would be in the end far more
practicable.
Inc Capital Yacht Club long has con-
sidered the adoption of the international
code as means of communication be-
tween cruising yachts, and on numerous
ing system would have been a great
convenience in directing maneuvers and
speaking disabled boats. 1t is realized,
however, that to attempt an adoption of
the entire code at once would meet with
the disapproval of owners who are. in
the main, against the idea, but in order
to force these men into the ring, SO to
speak. a few international word mes
sages, formed by combining a small num-
her of flags, will be used this season on
Freya, and then those not enthused with
the idea will have to fall in or be Sc
verely handicapped without them.
AS soon as the messages are arranged,
they will be published, with descriptions
of flags to be used.
X !: -
In spite of the fact that an attempt is
made to make the charts published in
this section as absolutely reliable as pos
9Th o1x 20,
avoid, though they are bound to be dis
covered in checking up the articles. fol-
lowing publication. Attention is there
fore called to the line in last Sundays
compass courses, reading: steer wv.
by S. for three and one-half miles until
Piney Point lighthouse. etc, etc. This
should read Sc by s.
The circular letter recently sent out by
the steamboat inspection service of the
Department of Commerce and Labor to
representatives of merchant marine and
others interested. inviting them to ap-
pear before the board now in session
and present suggestions in regard to the
application of the laws governing inland
water navigation, was acted on last
Thursday by a committee from the CO.
rinthian Yacht Club. Commodore C.. K.
Ingling, as chairman of the committee
had prepared several important facts
the law as applied to motor
craft on the Potomac. but was unable
to get a hearing owing to the number
of similar committees in conference with
the board on that day.
The several matters of interest to local
owners Of power boats will be presented
before the board adjourns. however and
the two most important, prepared by the
Corinthians. have to do with the law re-
quiring whistles and also the disregard
shown by masters of river steamers for
signals. 1t will be asked that the law
requiring power boats to be equipped
with whistle outfits be amended to COM
pei power craft of all classes to either
carry really efficient outfits else do
away with them entirely. In the case of
small launches under class l, 1t will be
argued. an efficient whistle is charae-
terized by law as a whistle capable OF
making a blast of ten seconds duration.
which thereby permits the use of any
thing from police call to steam siren,
and locally the former Is the more pop
ular Such signal coming from a small
launch cannot be heard above the noise
of an engine on a large cruiser. and IT
is therefore useless in that it misses its
object of assuring safety and an under