Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 4, 1876

No. 97.
Sir Edward Thornton to Mr. Fish.

Washington, April 13, 1876. (Received April 14.)

Sir: I have the honor to acquaint you that Her Majesty’s government have had under their consideration communications which they have received from various sources as to the improvement of the existing regulations for the prevention of collisions at sea.

A committee, which was appointed with the view of considering the whole question of the rule of the road at sea, having sat from time to time, has laid before Her Majesty’s government a report and draft regulations, which have been approved by the board of admiralty, Trinity House, and board of trade, and I am instructed by the Earl of Derby to transmit to you, for the consideration of the Government of the United States, copies of the report and regulations in question.

I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your obedient servant,

EDW’D THORNTON.

[Inclosure.]

Copy of the report of the committee appointed by the admiralty, the board of trade, and the Trinity House, to consider the regulations for preventing collisions at sea, (rule of the road at sea,) and of the amendments proposed by them, together with a copy of the letter addressed by the board of trade to the foreign office upon the subject, (in continuation of parliamentary paper No. 353, of session 1874.)

T. H. FARRER.

Board of Trade, February 22, 1876.

No. 1.

(M. 10,272.)

Report of committee appointed by the admiralty, the board of trade, and the Trinity House, to consider the regulations for preventing collisions at sea.

We have carefully considered the various suggestions which are contained in the documents published in parliamentary paper No. 353, of 1874, and especially alterations in the existing rules proposed by the French government, and we have also through the board of trade obtained information from the masters of transatlantic steamers concerning a system of sound-signals used by steamers on the coasts and in the rivers of the United States. We have unanimously agreed to recommend the accompanying amended draft regulations in lieu of those now in force. The consent of other nations will, of course, be necessary.

It will be observed that our amendments do not involve any serious or fundamental alteration of the existing rules. We consider it of great importance that these rules which are now well understood should continue unaltered in substance; but there are some points in which they require elucidation, and there are other points on which our own experience and the suggestions above referred to have shown that additions are necessary, and it is for these that we have endeavored to provide.

The principal amendments are the following:

• Art. 3, par. (a), provision is made for placing the white light of steamers not only at the mast-head but at any proper place before the mast. This is rendered necessary by legal opinions as to the meaning of the present regulations.
• Art. 5, which provides signals for ships laying telegraph cables or otherwise not under command.
• Art. 9, which removes a doubt as to the lights to be carried by pilot vessels.
• Art. 10, which provides signal-lights for drift-net fishers and trawlers, and puts an end to the conflict between the existing regulations and those annexed to the sea-fisheries act, 1868.
• Art. 11, which makes it clearly lawful for overtaken vessels to show a light astern. This article is suggested in consequence of doubts as to the legality of so doing having been expressed in cases recently heard by the high court of admiralty and the court of appeal.
• Art. 12, which, besides defining sound-signals more distinctly, and shortening the intervals at which they are to be made, requires a sailing-ship in fog to denote her tack by her fog-horn.
• Art. 14, which is rewritten so as to make the meaning more distinct.
• Art. 15, in which, in order to meet the practice of other nations, words are added to make it clear that the English term “port helm” is equivalent to altering the course of the ship to starboard, and vice versa.
• Art. 19, by which, following a practice successfully adopted in the United States, steamers are enabled to indicate to an approaching ship the direction they are about to take.
• Art. 21, which adopts the general statutory rule that existed before 1862 for steamships navigating narrow channels, viz, that each ship shall keep to the starboard side of the mid-channel.
• Art. 25, which reserves special and local rules lawfully made by harbor authorities.

The remainder of the alterations are verbal merely.

We annex to our report copies—

1. Of the rules as we propose to amend them.

2. Of the present rules unaltered.

3. Of the information we have received concerning sound-signals in the United States.

• F. ARROW.
• G. A. BEDFORD.
• F. J. O. EVANS.
• T. H. FARRER.
• T. GRAY.
• D. MURRAY.
• H. C. ROTHERY.
• C. G. WELLER.

[Inclosure 1 in report.]

Draft of regulations for preventing collisions at sea, with amendments proposed by the committee appointed by the admiralty, board of trade, and Trinity House, July, 1875.

preliminary.

Art. 1. In the following rules every steamship which is under sail and not under steam is to be considered a sailing ship; and every steamship which is under steam, whether under sail or not, is to be considered a ship under steam.

rules concerning lights.

Art. 2. The lights mentioned in the following articles, numbered 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, and no others, shall be carried in all weathers, from sunset to sunrise.

Art. 3. A seagoing steamship when under way shall carry:

(a.) At, or in front of, but not lower than, the foremast head, a bright white light, so constructed as to show an uniform and unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 20 points of the compass; so fixed as to throw the light 10 points on each side of the ship, viz, from right ahead to 2 points abaft the beam on either side, and of such a character as to be visible on a dark night, with a clear atmosphere, at a distance of at least five miles.

(b.) On the starboard side, a green light so constructed as to show an uniform and unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 10 points of the compass, so fixed as to throw the light from right ahead to 2 points abaft the beam on the starboard side, and of such a character as to be visible on a dark night, with a clear atmosphere, at a distance of at least two miles.

(c.) On the port side, a red light, so constructed as to show an uniform and unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 10 points of the compass, so fixed as to throw the light from right ahead to 2 points abaft the beam on the port side, and of such a character as to be visible on a dark night, with a clear atmosphere, at a distance of at least two miles.

(d.) The said green and red side-lights shall be fitted with inboard screens, projecting at least three feet forward from the light, so as to prevent these lights from being seen across the bow.

Art. 4. A steamship, when towing another ship, shall, in addition to her side-lights, carry two bright white mast-head lights in a vertical line one over the other, not less than three feet apart, so as to distinguish her from other steamships. Each of these mast-head lights shall be of the same construction and character as the mast-head lights which other steamships are required to carry.

Art. 5. The following ships, viz:

A steamship laying or picking up a telegraph cable;

A steamship which, in consequence of accident to her machinery or steering-gear, or for any other reason, is not under command;

shall by day carry in a vertical line one over the other, not less than three feet apart, in front of but not lower than her foremast-head, three black balls or shapes, each two feet in diameter; and shall at night carry in place of her mast-head light three red lights in globular lanterns, each not less than ten inches in diameter, in a vertical line one over the other, not less than three feet apart.

These shapes and lights are to be taken by approaching ships as signals that the ship using them is not under command, and cannot therefore get out of the way.

The above ships, when not making any way through the water, shall not carry the side-lights, but when making way shall carry them.

Art. 6. A sailing-ship under way, or being towed, shall carry the same lights as are provided by article 3 for a steamship under way, with the exception of the white masthead light, which she shall never carry.

Art. 7. Whenever, as in the case of small vessels during bad weather, the green and red lights cannot be fixed, these lights shall be kept on deck, on their respective sides of the vessel, ready for use; and shall, on the approach of or to other vessels, be exhibited on their respective sides in sufficient time to prevent collision, in such manner as to make them most visible, and so that the green light shall not be seen on the port side, nor the red light on the starboard side.

To make the use of these portable lights more certain and easy, the lanterns containing them shall each be painted outside with the color of the light they respectively contain, and shall be provided with proper screens.

Art. 8. A ship, whether a steamship or a sailing-ship, when at anchor shall carry, where it can best be seen, but at a height not exceeding twenty feet above the hull, a white light, in a globular lantern of not less than eight inches in diameter, and so constructed as to show a clear uniform and unbroken light visible all round the horizon, and at a distance of at least one mile.

Art. 9. A sailing pilot-vessel, when engaged in supplying or waiting for pilots, shall not carry the lights required for other sailing-vessels, but shall carry a white light at the mast-head, visible all round the horizon; and shall also exhibit a flare-up light at short intervals, which shall never exceed fifteen minutes.

A sailing pilot-vessel, when not engaged in supplying or waiting for pilots, shall carry colored side-lights similar to those of other sailing-ships under way.

Art. 10. (a.) Open fishing-boats and other open boats shall not be required to carry the side-lights required for other vessels; but every such boat shall in lieu thereof have ready at hand a lantern with a green slide on the one side and a red slide on the other side; and on the approach of or to other vessels, such lantern shall be exhibited in sufficient time to prevent collision, so that the green light shall not be seen on the port side, nor the red light on the starboard side.

(b.) A fishing-vessel and open boat, when at anchor, shall exhibit a bright white light.

(c.) A fishing-vessel, when employed in drift-net fishing, shall carry on one of her masts two red lights in a vertical line one over the other, not less than three feet apart.

(d.) A trawler at work, shall carry on one of her masts two lights in a vertical line one over the other, not less than three feet apart, the upper light red, and the lower green, and shall also either carry the side-lights required for other vessels, or if the side-lights cannot be carried, have ready at hand the colored lights as provided in article 7, or a lantern with a red and a green slide as described in paragraph (a) of this article.

(e.) Fishing-vessels and open boats shall not be prevented from using a flare-up in addition, if they desire to do so.

(f.) The lights mentioned in this article are substituted for those mentioned in the 12th, 13th, and 14th articles of the convention scheduled to the sea-fisheries act, 1868.

Art. 11. Nothing in the above articles shall prevent a ship which is being overtaken by another from waving a light astern to such last-mentioned ship, in order to prevent collision.

Rules concerning fog, &c., signals.

Art. 12. A steamship shall be provided with a steam-whistle so placed that the sound may not be intercepted by any obstructions, and with an efficient fog-horn to be sounded by a bellows or other mechanical means, and also with an efficient bell. A sailing-ship shall be provided with a similar fog-horn and bell.

In fog, mist, or falling snow, whether by day or night, the signals described in this article shall be used as follows: that is to say,

(a.) A steamship under way shall make with her steam-whistle, at intervals of not more than two minutes, a prolonged blast.

(b.) A sailing-ship underway shall make with her fog-horn, at intervals of not more than two minutes, when on the starboard tack one blast, when on the port tack two blasts, and when with the wind abaft the beam three blasts.

(c.) A steamship and a sailing-ship when not under way shall, at intervals of not more than two minutes, ring the bell.

Art. 13. Every ship, whether a sailing-ship or steamship, shall, in fog, mist, or falling snow, go at a moderate speed.

Steering and sailing rules.

Art. 14. When two sailing-ships are approaching one another so as to involve risk of collision, one of them shall keep out of the way of the other, as follows, viz:

(a.) A ship which is running free shall keep out of the way of a ship which is close-hauled.

(b.) A ship which is close-hauled on the port tack shall keep out of the way of a ship which is close-hauled on the starboard tack.

(c.) When both are running free with the wind on different sides, the ship which has the wind on the port side shall keep out of the way of the other.

(d.) When both are running free with the wind on the same sides, the ship which is to windward shall keep out of the way of the ship which is to leeward.

(e.) A ship which has the wind aft shall keep out of the way of the other ship.

Art. 15. If two ships under steam are meeting end on, or nearly end on, so as to involve risk of collision, each shall put her helm to port; or in other words, shall alter her course to starboard, so that each may pass on the port side of the other.

This article only applies to cases where ships are meeting end on, or nearly end on, in such a manner as to involve risk of collision, and does not apply to two ships which must, if both keep on their respective courses, pass clear of each other.

The only cases to which it does apply are, when each of the two ships is end on, or nearly end on, to the other; in other words, to cases in which, by day, each ship sees the masts of the other in a line, or nearly in a line, with her own; and by night, to cases in which each ship is in such a position as to see both the side-lights of the other.

It does not apply by day, to cases in which a ship sees another ahead crossing her own course; or by night, to cases where the red light of one ship is opposed to the red light of the other; or where the green light of one ship is opposed to the green light of the other; or where a red light without a green light, or a green light without a red light, is seen ahead; or where both green and red lights are seen anywhere but ahead.

Art. 16. If two ships under steam are crossing, so as to involve risk of collision, the ship which has the other on her own starboard side shall keep out of the way of the other.

Art. 17. If two ships, one of which is a sailing-ship, and the other a steamship, are proceeding in such directions as to involve risk of collision, the steamship shall keep out of the way of the sailing-ship.

Art. 18. Every steamship, when approaching another ship, so as to involve risk of collision, shall slacken her speed, or, if necessary, stop and reverse.

Art. 19. A steamship under way may indicate to another ship the direction she proposes to take by the following signals on her steam-whistle, viz:

• One short blast to mean “I am about to port my helm;” in other words, “I am about to alter my course to starboard.”
• Two short blasts to mean “I am about to starboard my helm;” in other words, “I am about to alter my course to port.”
• Three short blasts to mean “I am going full speed astern.”

The use of these signals is optional; but if they are used, the course of the ship must be in accordance with the signal made.

They are not to be used in fog, mist, or falling snow, when the other ship is not visible.

This article does not authorize any departure from the steering and sailing rules contained in these regulations.

Art. 20. Every vessel overtaking any other vessel shall keep out of the way of the last-mentioned vessel.

Art. 21. In narrow channels every steamship shall, when it is safe and practicable, keep to that side of the fairway or mid-channel which lies on the starboard side of such ship.

Art. 22. Where by the above rules one of two ships is to keep out of the way, the other shall keep her course.

Art. 23. In obeying and construing these rules, due regard shall be had to all dangers of navigation; and to any special circumstances which may render a departure from the above rules necessary in order to avoid immediate danger.

Art. 24. Nothing in these rules shall exonerate any ship, or the owner, or master, or crew thereof, from the consequences of any neglect to carry lights or signals, or of any neglect to keep a proper lookout, or of the neglect of any precaution which may be required by the ordinary practice of seamen, or by the special circumstances of the case.

Art. 25. Nothing in these rules shall interfere with the operation of a special rule, duly made by lawful authority, relative to the navigation of any harbor, river or inland navigation.

[Inclosure 2, in report.]

International steering and sailing rules.

Reprinted from the order in council of the 9th January, 1863.)

regulations for preventing collisions at sea, &c.

Preliminary.

Art. 1. In the following rules every steamship which is under sail and not under steam is to be considered a sailing-ship; and every steamship which is under steam, whether under sail or not, is to be considered a ship under steam.

Rules concerning lights.

Art. 2. The lights mentioned in the following articles, numbered 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, and no others, shall be carried in all weathers, from sunset to sunrise.

Lights for steamships.

Art. 3. Sea-going steamships when under way shall carry:

(a.) At the foremast-head, a bright white light, so fixed as to show a uniform and unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 20 points of the compass; so fixed as to throw the light 10 points on each side of the ship, viz, from right ahead to 2 points abaft the beam on either side, and of such a character as to be visible on a dark night, with a clear atmosphere, at a distance of at least five miles.

(b.) On the starboard side, a green light, so constructed as to show a uniform and unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 10 points of the compass; so fixed as to throw the light from right ahead to 2 points abaft the beam on the starboard side, and of such a character as to be visible on a dark night, with a clear atmosphere, at a distance of at least two miles.

(c.) On the port side, a red light, so constructed as to show a uniform and unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 10 points of the compass; so fixed as to throw the light from right ahead to 2 points abaft the beam on the port side, and of such a character as to be visible on a dark night, with a clear atmosphere, at a distance of at least two miles.

(d.) The said green and red side-lights shall be fitted with inboard screens, projecting at least three feet forward from the light, so as to prevent these lights from being seen across the bow.

Lights for steam-tugs.

Art. 4. Steamships, when towing other ships, shall carry two bright white mast-head lights vertically, in addition to their side-lights, so as to distinguish them from other steamships. Each of these mast-head lights shall be of the same construction and character as the mast-head lights which other steamships are required to carry.

Lights for sailing-ships.

Art. 5. Sailing-ships under way, or being towed, shall carry the same lights as steamships under way, with the exception of the white mast-head lights, which they shall never carry.

Exceptional lights for small sailing-vessels.

Art. 6. Whenever, as in the case of small vessels during bad weather, the green and red lights cannot be fixed, these lights shall be kept on deck, on their respective sides of the vessel, ready for instant exhibition; and shall, on the approach of or to other vessels, be exhibited on their respective sides in sufficient time to prevent collision, in such manner as to make them most visible, and so that the green light shall not be seen on the port side, nor the red light on the starboard side.

To make the use of these portable lights more certain and easy, the lanterns containing them shall each be painted outside with the color of the light they respectively contain, and shall be provided with suitable screens.

Lights for ships at anchor.

Art. 7. Ships, whether steamships or sailing-ships, when at anchor in roadsteads or fairways, shall exhibit, where it can best be seen, but at a height not exceeding 20 feet above the hull, a white light, in a gobular lantern of eight inches in diameter, and so constructed as to show a clear uniform and unbroken light visible all around the horizon, and at a distance of at least one mile.

Lights for pilot-vessels.

Art. 8. Sailing pilot-vessels shall not carry the lights required for other sailing-vessels, but shall carry a white light at the mast-head, visible all round the horizon, and shall also exhibit a flare-up light every 15 minutes.

Lights for fishing vessels and boats.

Art. 9. Open fishing-boats and other open boats shall not be required to carry the side-lights required for other vessels; but shall, if they do not carry such lights, carry a lantern having a green slide on the one side and a red slide on the other side; and, on the approach of or to other vessels, such lantern shall be exhibited in sufficient time to prevent collision, so that the green light shall not be seen on the port side, nor the red light on the starboard side.

Fishing-vessel and open boats when at anchor, or attached to their nets and stationary, shall exhibit a bright white light.

Fishing-vessels and open boats shall, however, not be prevented from using a flare-up, in addition, if considered expedient.

Rules concerning fog-signals.

Art. 10. Whenever there is fog, whether by day or night, the fog-signals described below shall be carried and used, and shall be sounded at least every five minutes, viz:

(a.) Steamships under way shall use a steam-whistle placed before the funnel, not less than eight feet from the deck;

(b.) Sailing-ships under way shall use a fog-horn;

(c.) Steamships and sailing-ships when not under way shall use a bell.

Two sailing-ships meeting.

Art. 11. If two sailing-ships are meeting end on, or nearly end on, so as to involve risk of collision, the helms of both shall be put to port, so that each may pass on the port side of the other.

Two sailing-ships crossing.

Art. 12. When two sailing-ships are crossing so as to involve risk of collision, then, if they have the wind on different sides, the ship with the wind on the port side shall keep out of the way of the ship with the wind on the starboard side; except in the case in which the ship with the wind on the port side is close hauled and the other ship free, in which case the latter ship shall keep out of the way; but if they have the wind on the same side, or if one of them has the wind aft, the ship which is to windward shall keep out of the way of the ship which is to leeward.

Two ships under steam meeting.

Art. 13. If two ships under steam are meeting end on, or nearly end on, so as to involve risk of collision, the helms of both shall be put to port, so that each may pass on the port side of the other.

Two ships under steam crossing.

Art. 14. If two ships under steam are crossing so as to involve risk of collision, the ship which has the other on her own starboard side shall keep out of the way of the other.

Sailing-ship and ship under steam.

Art. 15. If two ships, one of which is a sailing-ship, and the other a steamship, are proceeding in such directions as to involve risk of collision, the steamship shall keep out of the way of the sailing-ship.

Ships under steam to slacken speed.

Art. 16. Every steamship, when approaching another ship so as to involve risk of collision, shall slacken her speed, or, if necessary, stop and reverse; and every steamship shall, when in a fog, go at a moderate speed.

Vessels overtaking other vessels.

Art. 17. Every vessel overtaking any other vessel shall keep out of the way of the said last-mentioned vessel.

Construction of articles 12, 14, 15, and 17.

Art. 18. Where by the above rules one of two ships is to keep out of the way, the other shall keep her course, subject to the qualifications contained in the following article.

Proviso to save special cases.

Art. 19. In obeying and construing these rules, due regard must be had to all dangers of navigation; and due regard must also be had to any special circumstances which may exist in any particular case rendering a departure from the above rules necessary in order to avoid immediate danger.

No ship, under any circumstances, to neglect proper precautions.

Art. 20. Nothing in these rules shall exonerate any ship, or the owner or master or crew thereof, from the consequences of any neglect to carry lights or signals, or of any neglect to keep a proper lookout, or of the neglect of any precaution which may be required by the ordinary practice of seamen, or by the special circumstances of the case.

order in council explaining articles 11 and 13 of the rules for preventing collisions at sea.

At the court at Osborne House, Isle of Wight, the 30th day of July, 1868.

Present—The Queen’s most Excellent Majesty in council.

Whereas, by “The merchant shipping act amendment act, 1862,” it was enacted, that on and after the 1st day of June, 1863, or such later day as might be fixed for the purpose by order in council, the regulations contained in the table marked C in the schedule to the said act should come into operation and be of the same force as if they were enacted in the body of the said act; but that Her Majesty might from time to time, on the joint recommendation of the admiralty and the board of trade, by order in council, annul or modify any of the said regulations, or make new regulations in addition thereto or in substitution therefor; and that any alterations in, or additions to, such regulations made in manner aforesaid should be of the same force as the regulations in the said schedule;

And whereas, by the same act, it was further provided, that whenever it should be made to appear to Her Majesty that the government of any foreign country is willing that the regulations for preventing collision contained in table C in the schedule to the said act, or such other regulations for preventing collision as are for the time being in force under the said act, should apply to the ships of such country when beyond the limits of British jurisdiction, Her Majesty might, by order in council, direct that such regulations shall apply to the ships of the said foreign country, whether within British jurisdiction or not; and it was further provided by the said act, that whenever an order in council had been issued applying any regulation made by or in pursuance of the said act to the ships of any foreign country, such ships should, in all cases arising in any British court, be deemed to be subject to such regulation, and should, for the purpose of such regulation, be treated as if they were British ships;

And whereas by an order in council made in pursuance of the said recited act, and dated the 9th day of January, 1863, Her Majesty was pleased to direct: First, that the regulations contained in the schedule to the said act should be modified by the substitution for such regulations of certain regulations appended to the said order. Secondly, that the said regulations appended to the said order should, on and after the 1st day of June, 1863, apply to French ships, whether within British jurisdiction or not;

And whereas by several orders in council subsequently made, Her Majesty has been pleased to direct that the regulations appended to the said order of the 9th of January, 1863, shall apply to ships of the following countries, whether within British jurisdiction or not, that is to say:

• Austria.
• Argentine Republic.
• Belgium.
• Brazil.
• Bremen.
• Chili.
• Denmark Proper.
• Equator, Republic of the.
• France.
• Great Britain.
• Greece.
• Hamburgh.
• Hanover.
• Hawaiian Islands.
• Hayti.
• Italy.
• Lubeck.
• Mecklenburg-Schwerin.
• Morocco.
• Netherlands.
• Norway.
• Oldenburg.
• Peru.
• Portugal.
• Prussia.
• Roman States.
• Russia.
• Schleswig.
• Spain.
• Sweden.
• Turkey.
• United States, sea-going ships.
• United States, inland waters.
• Uruguay.

And whereas articles 11 and 13 of the said regulations appended to the said recited order of the 9th of January, 1863, are as follows, that is to say:

“Art. 11. If two sailing-ships are meeting end on, or nearly end on, so as to involve risk of collision, the helms of both shall be put to port, so that each may pass on the port side of the other.

“Art. 13. If two ships under steam are meeting end on, or nearly end on, so as to involve risk of collision, the helms of both shall be put to port, so that each may pass on the port side of the other;”

And whereas there has been doubt or misapprehension concerning the effect of the said two articles;

And whereas the admiralty and the board of trade have jointly recommended to Her Majesty to make the following additions to the said regulations, for the purpose of explaining the said recited articles and for removing the said doubt and misapprehension:

Now, therefore, Her Majesty, by virtue of the powers vested in her by the said recited act, and by and with the advice of her privy council, is pleased to make the following additions to the said regulations, by way of explanation of the said two recited articles, that is to say:

The said two articles, numbered 11 and 13 respectively, only apply to cases where ships are meeting end on, or nearly end on, in such a manner as to involve risk of collision. They consequently do not apply to two ships which must, if both keep on their respective courses, pass clear of each other.

The only cases in which the said two articles apply are when each of the two ships is end on, or nearly end on, to the other; in other words, to cases in which, by day, each ship sees the masts of the other in a line, or nearly in a line, with her own; and, by night, to cases in which each ship is in such a position as to see both the side-lights of the other.

The said two articles do not apply, by day, to cases in which a ship sees another ahead crossing her own course; or, by night, to cases where the red light of one ship is opposed to the red light of the other; or where the green light of one ship is opposed to the green light of the other; or where a red light without a green light, or a green light without a red light, is seen ahead; or where both green and red lights are seem anywhere but ahead.

Inclosure 3 in report.—(M. 2626–75.)

Letter addressed by board of trade to certain ship-owners, relating to the adoption of a system of sound-signals similar to that used in the United States:

Board of Trade, Whitehall Gardens, February 19, 1875.

Sir: I am directed by the board of trade to state that a question has been raised whether it is desirable to establish a system of sound-signals, by which ships shall indicate what they are doing or proposing to do; especially in fogs and in narrow channels.

The accompanying draft-rule has been prepared in this office for the purpose of illustrating and embodying this suggestion.

As it appears that a similar system is in use in United States waters, the board of trade desire me, in sending the inclosed copy to you, to request you to be good enough to obtain from the masters and officers of your steamships engaged in trading to the United States an expression of opinion on the following points:

1. Whether they have experience of the system used in the United States; what is that system; and does it, in their opinion, conduce to safety.

2. Whether it is easy of application and interpretation.

3. Whether any similar system could with advantage be adopted in British waters.

4. If so, whether the system propounded in the inclosed will be sufficient; and, if not,

5. Whether they have any more simple or effective system to suggest; and

6. Whether, looking to American experience, the system of signaling by sound should be confined to foggy and thick weather, or whether it should be extended to narrow channels in all weathers.

I am, &c.,

T. H. FARRER.

Steamships shall be provided with a steam-whistle, placed before the funnel, and not less than eight feet above the deck, and with an efficient fog-horn and bell. Sailing-ships shall be provided with an efficient fog horn and bell.

In fog, mist or falling snow, whether by day or night, the fog-signals described above shall be used as follows, that is to say:

(a.) Steamships under way shall make a prolonged blast with their steam-whistles once in every three minutes.

(b.) Sailing-ships under way shall make a prolonged blast with their fog-horns once in every three minutes.

(c.) Steamships and sailing-vessels, when not under way, shall ring a bell at least once in every three minutes.

The above signals are compulsory.

In addition, the following signals may also be made by steam-whistles and fog-horns:

• One short blast to mean, “I am porting.”
• Two short blasts to mean, “I am starboarding.”
• Three short blasts to mean, “Take care; I am taking care.”
• Four short blasts to mean, in the case of a steamer, “I am going full speed astern;” if a sailing-ship, “I am in stays.”

The use of these last-mentioned signals by short blasts is optional and not compulsory, but, if they are used, the conduct of the ship must be in accordance with the signal made.