R. S., 4233. R. S., 4412. Feb. 8, 1895. Rule twenty-three. Where, by Rules seventeen, nineteen, twenty, and twenty-two, one of two vessels shall keep out of the way, the other shall keep her course, subject to the qualifications of Rule twenty-four. Rule twenty-four. In construing and obeying these rules, due regard must be had to all dangers of navigation, and to any special circumstances which may exist in any particular case rendering a departure from them necessary in order to avoid immediate danger. Rule twenty-five. A sail vessel which is being overtaken by another vessel during the night shall show from her stern to such last-mentioned vessel a torch or a flare-up light. Rule twenty-six. 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. [The board of supervising inspectors shall establish Aug. 19, 1890. such regulations to be observed by all steam-vessels in June 7, 1897, passing each other, as they shall from time to time deem necessary for safety; two printed copies of such regulations, signed by them, shall be furnished to each of such vessels, and shall at all times be kept posted up in conspicuous places in such vessels.] Sec. 5. R. S., 4413. Sec. 5. [Every pilot, engineer, mate, or master of any steamJune 7, 1897. vessel who neglects or willfully refuses to observe the regulations established in pursuance of the preceding section, shall be liable to a penalty of fifty dollars, and for all damages sustained by any passenger, in his person or baggage, by such neglect or refusal.] R. S., 4487. 365. River navigation. On any steamers navigating rivers only, when, from darkness, fog, or other cause, the pilot or watch shall be of opinion that the navigation is unsafe, or, from accident. to or derangement of the machinery of the boat, the chief engineer shall be of the opinion that the further navigation of the vessel is unsafe, the vessel shall be brought to anchor, or moored as soon as it can prudently be done: Provided, That if the person in command shall, after being so admonished by either of such officers, elect to pursue such voyage, he may do the same; but in such case both he and the owners of such steamer shall be answerable for all damages which shall arise to the person of any passenger, or his baggage, from such causes in so pursuing the voyage, and no degree of care or diligence shall in such case be held to justify or excuse the person in command, or the owners. 366. Rules for the St. Marys River. The Secretary of Commerce and Labor be, and he Mar. 6, 1896. hereby is, authorized and directed to adopt and prescribe Apr. 26, 1906. suitable rules and regulations governing the movements and anchorage of vessels and rafts in Saint Marys River from Point Iroquois, on Lake Superior, to Point Detour, on Lake Huron, and for the purpose of enforcing the observance of such regulations the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized to detail one or more revenue cutters for duty upon the request of the Secretary of Commerce and Labor on said river. All officers of the Revenue-Cutter Service who are directed to enforce the regulations prescribed by the above rules are hereby empowered and directed, in case of necessity, or when a proper notice has been disregarded, to use the force at their command to remove from channels or stop any vessel found violating the prescribed rules. In the event of the violation of any such regulations or rules of the Secretary of Commerce and Labor by the owners, master, or person in charge of such vessel, such owners, masters, or person in charge shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding two hundred dollars: Provided, That the Secretary of Commerce and Labor may remit said fine 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 their connecting and tributary waters as far east as Montreal," approved February eighth, eighteen hundred and ninety-five. 367. Special rules for regattas. Mar. 6, 1896. Sec. 2. Mar. 6, 1896. Apr. 26, 1906. Feb. 14, 1903. Sec. 10. In order to provide for the safety of passengers on ex- May 19, 1896. cursion 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 XXXV.-AIDS TO NAVIGATION. 368. Assistance by United States ves sels. 369. Removal of derelicts. 370. Lights and buoys. R. S., 2759. R. S., 1536. Oct. 31, 1893. Mar. 3, 1905. May 12, 1906. 371. Nautical Almanac. 368. Assistance by United States vessels. The revenue-cutters on the northern and northwestern 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 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. 369. Removal of derelicts. The President of the United States is hereby authorized 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. The President in his discretion may temporarily detail any vessel or vessels of the Navy to remove or destroy derelicts in the course of vessels at sea. The regulations to govern the detail and service of said vessels shall be prescribed by the Secretary of the Navy and approved by the President. The Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized to have constructed, at a cost not to exceed two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, a steam vessel specially fitted for and adapted to service at sea in bad weather, for the purpose of blowing up or otherwise destroying or towing into port wrecks, derelicts, and other floating dangers to navigation, said vessel to be operated and maintained by the Revenue-Cutter Service under such regulations as the Secretary of the Treasury may prescribe. 370. 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 passing up the coast or sound, or entering the bay, harbor, or 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. 371. Nautical Almanac. Hereafter the "usual number" of copies of the Amer- May 13, 1902. ican 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. 372. Charts and manuals. There shall be a Hydrographic office attached to the R. S., 431. 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 R. S., 432. 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, sail R. S., 4691. June 20, 1878. Mar. 3, 1879. Oct. 1, 1890. R. S., 435. ing 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. 373. Storm and weather signals. The Chief of the Weather Bureau, under the direction 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 cold-wave 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. 374. Meridians. The meridian of the Observatory at Washington shall be adopted and used as the American meridian for all astronomical purposes, and the meridian of Greenwich shall be adopted for all nautical purposes. |