GENERAL DIVISION 9.

Warnings of approaching storms.

(a) The transmission of warnings.

(b) The uniformity of signals employed.

The preparation of weather forecasts and the transmission of warnings regarding expected storms must, by the very nature of the subject, be dealt with locally; and it is in the opinion of the Conference very questionable whether any useful purpose would be gained by the adoption of uniformity of methods, except so far as the general progress of scientific knowledge indicates the direction of possible improvement, and this, it is hardly necessary to say, is more likely to be secured by work carried on independently rather than under any uniform system.

The Conference invite the maritime countries interested to take into consideration the best practical mode of signaling by day, whether by shapes, colored or black, by flags, or by the two combined, and by night, by means of lights, colored or white, arranged to represent distinctive forms, and the establishment of a uniform system of indicating storm. warnings by day and by night, and that such a system should as far as possible include signals indicating whether the storm is approaching or has passed the station.

GENERAL DIVISION 10.

Reporting, marking, and removing dangerous wrecks or obstructions to navigation.

(a) A uniform method of reporting and marking dangerous wrecks and derelicts.

(b) The division of the labor, cost, and responsibility among the several maritime nations, either by geographical apportionment or otherwise:

Of the removal of dangerous derelicts;

And of searching for doubtful dangers with a view of removing them from the charts.

RESOLUTIONS SUBMITTED FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THE POWERS.

1. That it is advisable to make it the duty of any of the officers, or of the crew of a wreck or derelict, to report as soon as possible after landing to the nearest harbor authority, if necessary through their consul, as follows:

(a) Name of the vessel abandoned.

(b) Her distinguishing number.

(c) Name of her home port, port from which she sailed, and place of destination.

(d) General description of vessel and her rig.

(e) Place where abandoned (latitude and longitude as near as possible).

(f) Weather and current experienced before leaving the vessel, and in case she was a derelict the direction in which she would most likely drift.

(g) Whether or not it is intended to take any steps toward her

recovery.

2. That a similar report should be made to the same authorities by the master of any vessel sighting a wreck or derelict, and a suitable entry made in the ship's log.

3. That such reports should be published in "Notices to Mariners," the daily press, and, if necessary, by giving telegraphic information to the ports which it most concerns.

4. That it is advisable to make it the duty of every commander or master of a vessel to report the fact that an iceberg or dangerous field ice has been sighted, or a shoal, reef, or other obstruction has been discovered, to the harbor authorities or the hydrographic office of that country to which the port next reached belongs, giving a full description of the obstruction and all facts that may lead to the determination of its position; for instance, the time elapsed since the last reliable astronomical observation, and the rate of the chronometer. If the obstruction be a shoal or reef, the depth of water actually obtained by sounding on it should be given. Also when land is in sight the position of any off-lying shoal or reef should be determined by compass bearings of fixed objects. in view, the error of the compass being stated, with information as to how and when that error was observed. Angles should also be taken between such objects, and a drawing of the coast and the position of the observer be added.

5. That whenever practicable it shall be the duty of the crew before abandoning a vessel (a) to hoist some distinctive signal, as: B C F, "abandoned by the crew," or CRT G, "Derelict," or a ball, shape, or other similar mark, where it can best be seen, and where it should not be mistaken for any other authorized signal; (b) to let go the sheets and halliards of such sails as are not furled.

6. That the different maritime powers interested in the navigation of that portion of the North Atlantic Ocean bordering the American coast and situated westward of a line drawn from the Bermuda Islands to Cape Race, Newfoundland, be invited to come to an agreement respecting the removal of derelicts in these waters under due official supervision. 7. That in countries which, by treaty, have acknowledged the exterritoriality of subjects of other powers and their property, the consul or consuls concerned shall be instructed not to withhold his or their consent to the destruction of a wreck or parts thereof if it is shown that the wreck constitutes a danger to passing vessels, and if there is no apparent possibility that it will be removed within a reasonable time by the owners or the insurance companies interested.

GENERAL DIVISION 11.

Notice of dangers to navigation.

NOTICE OF CHANGES IN LIGHTS, BUOYS, AND OTHER DAY AND NIGHT MARKS.

(a) A uniform method of taking bearings, of designating them (whether true or magnetic), and of reporting them.

(b) A uniform method of reporting, indicating, and exchanging information by the several maritime nations to include the form of notices to mariners.

(c) A uniform method of distributing this information.

The Conference invite the several maritime powers to consider the following resolutions with a view to establishing uniformity in the subjects treated in "Notices to Mariners" and "Light-Lists: "

1. That all bearings should be given from seaward.

2. That the bearings of cuts of different-colored sectors of lights or bearings of lights defining a narrow channel should be expressed in degrees where practicable.

3. That all bearings expressed in degrees should count from north and south, from 0° to 90°, towards east and west.

4. That in designating bearings the letter E shall designate east, and the letter W shall designate west.

5. That whenever bearings are given the variation of the compass at the place should be stated.

6. That distances should be expressed in nautical miles and fractions thereof. The word "cable" should mean the tenth part of a nautical mile.

7. That whenever the longitude of a position is given it should be stated which prime meridian is adopted, and if other than that of Greenwich or Paris, the difference of longitude should also be stated.

8. That in defining the visibility of a light it should be stated whether the distance is for "clear," or "mean" state of the weather.

9. That where the geographical range of a light is given it should be calculated as seen at high water from an observer 15 feet or 5 meters above the sea.

10. That a uniform classification of lights based on luminous intensity and on the character as seen by the mariner should be adopted.

11. That the central offices that issue "Notices to Mariners" or "Light Lists" should be permitted to correspond direct on such subjects. 12. That from countries where "Notices to Mariners are published only in newspapers, copies of such papers should be sent to the various hydrographic offices.

GENERAL DIVISION 12.

A uniform system of buoys and beacons.

(a) Uniformity in color of buoys.

(b) Uniformity in numbering of buoys.

On the principle of using four colors to mark the four sides of a shoal, the Conference put forward the following scheme, based on the least change that would be necessary in altering the present system to a uniform plan; and they bring it to the notice of the countries interested, as an example showing that uniformity is attainable if they will agree to consider the subject:

All shoals marked on the compass system to be marked

On the North side by a single black or white color.

South side by red.

East side by half red and half white combined.

West side by half white and half black combined.

On rocks, in fair-way, with channels on either hand, to be marked black or red, with horizontal bands.

If such colors were adopted, then the following changes of color would be necessary:

The marks on the north side of a shoal would remain colored black or white as they now are in all countries using the compass system.

The marks on the south side of a shoal would, in Norway, have to be changed from white to red.

The marks on the east side of a shoal would, in Norway, have to be changed from black to half red and half white; Sweden, have to be changed from black and white to half red and half white; Denmark, have to be changed from red to half red and half white.

The marks on the west side of a shoal would, in Norway and Denmark, have to be changed from white to half white and half black; Sweden, have to be changed from red to half white and half black; Finland, have to be changed from white and red to half white and half black.

The marks on a rock in fair-way, with channel on either side, if a white horizontal band is generally adopted, would in Russia have to be changed from black to black or red, with white horizontal bands, in agreement with the other countries.

The Conference invite the various powers interested to consider the following general principles, which they put forward as a basis on which to build up a uniform international buoyage system for districts other than those where the compass system is in use.

The term starboard-hand shall denote that side of a navigable channel which is on the right hand of the mariner entering from seaward; the term port-hand shall denote that side which is on the left hand under the same circumstances.

Color.

Buoys defining the starboard-hand shall be painted a single red color. Buoys defining the port-hand shall be painted a single black color, or a parti-color. Buoys defining middle grounds shall be painted with horizontal bands.

Form. Wherever form is used as a distinctive character, buoys defining the starboard-hand shall be conical, and those defining the port-hand shall be can or spar.

Top-marks. Countries where form is not used as a distinctive character for buoys may adopt as another distinctive feature for the buoys on either side of a channel, top-marks resembling a cone to be used on the starboard side, or a cylinder on the port side of a channel.

Numbers and letters. Numbers, letters, and names may be painted on the buoys, but they must never be so large as to interfere with their distinctive coloring.

Wherever numbers and letters are used they shall be in consecutive order, commencing from seaward.

Buoying and marking of wrecks. (a) All buoys and the top-sides of vessels used for the marking of wrecks shall be painted green with a suitable white inscription.