Feb. 14, 1903. May 19, 1896. Feb. 14, 1903. master, or person in charge shall be liable to a penalty of two hundred dollars, and the vessel, its tackle, apparel, furniture, and cargo, at any time used or employed in violation of such regulations, shall be forfeited to the United States: Provided, That the Secretary of Commerce and Labor may remit said fine or release said vessel on such terms as he may prescribe: Provided also, That nothing in this Act shall be construed to amend or repeal the Act entitled "An Act to regulate navigation on the Great Lakes and connecting tributary waters as far east as Montreal.” 374. Special rules for regattas. In order to provide for the safety of passengers on excursion steamers, yachts, oarsmen and all craft, whether as observers or participants, taking part in regattas, amateur or professional, that may hereafter be held on navigable waters, the Secretary of the Treasury be, and he is hereby, authorized and empowered in his discretion to detail revenue cutters to enforce such rules and regulations as may be adopted to insure the safety of passengers on said excursion steamers, yachts, oarsmen and all craft, whether as observers or participants, taking part in such regattas. PART XXXVII-AIDS TO NAVIGATION. 375. Assistance by United States vessels. 379. Charts and manuals. 376. Removal of derelicts. 377. Lights and buoys. 378. Nautical Almanac. 375. Assistance by United States vessels. 380. Storm and weather signals. The revenue-cutters on the northern and northwestern R. S., 2759. lakes, when put in commission, shall be specially charged with aiding vessels in distress on the lakes. The President may, when the necessities of the service R. S., 1536. permit it, cause any suitable number of public vessels adapted to the purpose to cruise upon the coast in the season of severe weather and to afford such aid to distressed navigators as their circumstances may require; and such public vessels shall go to sea fully prepared to render such assistance. 376. Removal of derelicts.. The President of the United States is hereby authorized Oct. 31, 1893. to make with the several governments interested in the navigation of the North Atlantic Ocean an international agreement providing for the reporting, marking, and removal of dangerous wrecks, derelicts, and other menaces to navigation in the North Atlantic Ocean outside the coast waters of the respective countries bordering thereon. 377. Lights and buoys. The Light-House Board may, when they deem it necessary, place a light-vessel, or other suitable warning of danger, on or over any wreck or temporary obstruction to the entrance of any harbor, or in the channel or fairway of any bay or sound. R. S., 4676. The Light-House Board shall properly mark all pier- R. S., 4677, heads belonging to the United States situated on the northern and northwestern lakes, whenever the board is duly notified by the department charged with the construction or repair of pier-heads that the construction or repair of any such pier-heads has been completed. All buoys along the coast, or in bays, harbors, sounds, R. S., 4678. or channels, shall be colored and numbered, so that pass ing up the coast or sound, or entering the bay, harbor, or 14317-03-24 369 May 13, 1902. R. S., 431. R. S., 432. R. S., 4691. Mar. 3, 1879. channel, red buoys with even numbers shall be passed on the starboard hand, black buoys with uneven numbers on the port hand, and buoys with red and black stripes on either hand. Buoys in channel-ways shall be colored with alternate white and black perpendicular stripes. 378. Nautical Almanac. Hereafter the "usual number" of copies of the American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac shall not be printed. In lieu thereof there shall be printed and bound one thousand one hundred copies of the same, uniform with the editions printed for the Navy Department, as provided in section seventy-three, paragraph five, of an Act approved January twelfth, eighteen hundred and ninety-five, providing for the public printing, binding, and distribution of public documents; one hundred copies for the Senate, four hundred for the House, and six hundred for the Superintendent of Documents for distribution to State and Territorial libraries and designated depositories. 379. Charts and manuals. There shall be a Hydrographic office attached to the Bureau of Navigation in the Navy Department, for the improvement of the means for navigating safely the vessels of the Navy and of the mercantile marine, by providing, under the authority of the Secretary of the Navy, accurate and cheap nautical charts, sailing directions, navigators, and manuals of instructions for the use of all vessels of the United States, and for the benefit and use of navigators generally. The Secretary of the Navy is authorized to cause to be prepared, at the Hydrographic Office attached to the Bureau of Navigation in the Navy Department, maps, charts, and nautical books relating to and required in navigation, and to publish and furnish them to navigators at the cost of printing and paper, and to purchase the plates and copyrights of such existing maps, charts, navigators, sailing directions and instructions, as he may consider necessary, and when he may consider it expedient to do so, and under such regulations and instructions as he may prescribe. The charts published by the Coast Survey shall be sold at the office at Washington at the price of the printing and paper thereof, and elsewhere at the same price with the average cost of delivery added thereto; and hereafter there shall be no free distribution of such charts except to the departments of the United States and to the several States and officers of the United States requiring them for public use. Senators, Representatives and Delegates to the House of Representatives shall each be entitled to not more than ten charts published by the Coast Survey for each regular session of Congress. 380. Storm and weather signals. Sec. 3. The Chief of the Weather Bureau, under the direction Oct. 1, 1890. of the Secretary of Agriculture, on and after July first, eighteen hundred and ninety-one, shall have charge of the forecasting of weather, the issue of storm warnings, the display of weather and flood signals for the benefit of agriculture, commerce, and navigation, the gauging and reporting of rivers, the maintenance and operation of seacoast telegraph lines and the collection and transmission of marine intelligence for the benefit of commerce and navigation, the reporting of temperature and rain-fall conditions for the cotton interests, the display of frost and coldwave signals, the distribution of meteorological information in the interests of agriculture and commerce, and the taking of such meteorological observations as may be necessary to establish and record the climatic conditions of the United States, or as are essential for the proper execution of the foregoing duties. 381. Meridians. The meridian of the Observatory at Washington shall be R. S., 435. adopted and used as the American meridian for all astronomical purposes, and the meridian of Greenwich shall be adopted for all nautical purposes. PART XXXVIII.-OBSTRUCTIONS TO NAVIGATION. 382. Improvements by private or mu nicipal corporations. 383. Bridges, dams, dikes. 384. General obstructions. 385. Harbor lines. 386. Penalties. 387. Dumping into navigable waters. June 13, 1902. Mar. 3, 1899. Sec. 9. 390. Log regulations. 391. Penalties. 392. Bridge spans. 393. Bridge piers and abutments. 395. Sunken wrecks. 396. Speed of vessels-navigation of canals. 397. Potomac River. 382. Improvements by private or municipal corporations. Any person or persons, corporations, municipal or private, who desire to improve any navigable river, or any part thereof, at their or its own expense and risk may do so upon the approval of the plans and specifications of said proposed improvement by the Secretary of War and Chief of Engineers of the Army. The plan of said improvement must conform with the general plan of the Government improvements, must not impede navigation, and no toll shall be imposed on account thereof, and said improvement shall at all times be under the control and supervision of the Secretary of War and Chief of Engi neers. 383. Bridges, dams, dikes. It shall not be lawful to construct or commence the construction of any bridge, dam, dike, or causeway over or in any port, roadstead, haven, harbor, canal, navigable river, or other navigable water of the United States until the consent of Congress to the building of such structures shall have been obtained and until the plans for the same shall have been submitted to and approved by the Chief of Engineers and by the Secretary of War: Provided, That such structures may be built under authority of the legislature of a State across rivers and other waterways the navigable portions of which lie wholly within the limits of a single State, provided the location and plans thereof are submitted to and approved by the Chief of Engineers and by the Secretary of War before construction is commenced: And provided further, That when plans for any bridge or other structure have been approved by the Chief of Engi |