first sight, and with this end in view the committee recommend the adoption of the following resolution: 5. That whenever practicable it shall be the duty of the crew before abandoning a vessel, (a) to hoist some distinctive signal, as B CF, '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." The PRESIDENT. The subject before the Conference for discussion now is, “Marking wrecks and derelicts." The Chair hears no proposition with regard to it. The Secretary will please read the next division. The next division of the report is as follows: "MARKING OTHER OBSTRUCTIONS. "At present it seems impracticable to mark shoals, reefs, etc., whether they be well known or only newly discovered, with the exception of those lying near the coasts of countries having a maritime commerce, and we consider it unnecessary to press for their being marked in other localities where they can be readily avoided by the exercise of ordinary skill and the usual precautions known to navigators; for this reason the committee have no proposition to submit to the Conference beyond the introduction, so far as possible, of a uniform system of buoyage." The PRESIDENT. The subject before the Conference for discussion is "Marking other obstructions." The Chair hears no proposition with regard thereto. The Secretary will proceed to read the next division of the programme. The next division of the programme is as follows: “(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. "1. DERELICTS, ETC., ON THE HIGH SEAS. "A geographical apportionment of the waters of the globe amongst the different maritime nations, in order to divide the labor and cost of removing wrecks and derelicts, or searching for doubtful dangers, can not be recommended for adoption. "In the open sea, with the exception of a part of the North Atlantic, derelicts and dangerous wrecks are exceedingly rare, and as these parts of the ocean are, comparatively speaking, not much frequented by ves sels, the danger accruing from such obstructions is not one to warrant the expenditure of such sums of money as would be necessary to institute a regular service, sufficient to insure their removal from regions of such enormous extent. The news of having sighted a derelict is often a week or more old before it is received by the authorities; a rescuing steamer can often not be on the spot for another week; the position given is in many cases not accurate; and in most parts of the sea the drift of the derelict is exceedingly uncertain. It is, therefore, a most difficult task for a vessel sent out to search for a derelict to find it; and the expense incurred by such expeditions may often be out of all proportion to the small chance of finding and removing one. "The geographical apportionment of the waters of the oceans might, besides this, easily lead to the supposition that the limits so defined would circumscribe, moreover, the sphere of political interest of the respective governments." The PRESIDENT. The subject before the Conference for discussion is "Derelicts, etc., on the high seas." The Chair hears no proposition in regard to it. The Secretary will please read the next division. The next division of the report is as follows: "2. DERELICTS IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC. "In the North Atlantic, particularly in that part of it bordering the North American coast westward of a line drawn from the Bermuda Islands to Cape Race, Newfoundland, derelicts are so frequently met with that they must be considered a serious danger to navigation. "As in these waters the vessels whose safety is imperiled by their existence are exceedingly numerous, the number of persons on board of them very large, and the value of these ships and their cargoes very great, and as, moreover, the chances for locating derelicts and for determining the direction of their drift are particularly favorable, the committee propose that the various maritime powers should come to some agreement respecting their removal. "In case this proposition should be entertained, it is submitted that the respective powers should also come to some understanding regarding the proprietary rights which may still exist, whether in the ship or in her cargo. "Besides this, it seems desirable to point out that amongst other matters that will necessarily have to be considered it would be well to take steps to prevent the destruction of derelicts that might readily have been saved, and to make sure that in case destruction has been decided upon no evidence of crime should be destroyed also." The PRESIDENT. The subject before the Conference for discussion is, "Derelicts in the North Atlantic." The Chair hears no proposition with reference thereto. The Secretary will please read the next division. The next division of the report is as follows: "3. WRECKS AND DERELICTS IN COAST WATERS. "Regarding wrecks and derelicts in coast waters outside the territorial limits, the committee submit that the duty of marking, and, if necessary, of removing wrecks, or such portions of them as obstruct navigation, has already been generally acknowledged by the governments whom it concerns, and therefore no further propositions have to be made in this regard. "It has, however, been brought to the notice of the committee that governments who by treaty have acknowledged the exterritoriality of subjects of other powers and of their property are sometimes very much hampered by the consideration of private interests in their action regarding the removal of wrecks, even when the value of the wreck and cargo is very small, and there is scarcely a possibility that salvage operations can be successfully undertaken. The committee are therefore of opinion that a resolution should be adopted to the following effect: That in such cases the consul or consuls concerned shall not have the right of withholding 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 by the insurance companies interested. "As to derelicts in coast waters there seems to be little doubt but that private enterprise, in order to secure salvage, will prove sufficient to remove any of them. For this reason it would seem to be unnecessary that any proposition should be made which would interfere with the established custom. "There was, in the opinion of the committee, some doubt regarding the meaning of the word 'responsibility' used in this heading. They consider, however, that no government would acknowledge any responsibility for the waters under discussion which had not been made the subject of some formal agreement entered into after negotiations by the usual diplomatic methods." The PRESIDENT. The subject before the Conference is, "Wrecks and Derelicts on Coast Waters," which is now open to discussion. The Chair will entertain any proposition upon this division. The Chair hears no proposition. The Secretary will proceed to read the next division. The next division of the programme is as follows: "4. SEARCHING FOR DOUBTFUL DANGERS WITH A VIEW OF REMOVING THEM FROM THE CHART. "The greater part of these dangers have been entered on the charts from the report of single ships, and under the assumption that it is often better to do so rather than have the mariner entirely unwarned; though such reports may have appeared from the very first of doubtful accuracy. In order to make sure that these dangers do not exist, it has been conclusively shown by experience that it is not sufficient to sail across the alleged position, but that it is necessary, at the same time, to take extensive soundings to prove beyond a doubt that nowhere in the vicinity of the alleged danger anything but deep water is found, and that it is, therefore, justifiable to remove the danger from the chart. This has become the acknowledged custom of the different hydrographic offices. "In order, therefore, to make such searches effectual, ships employed for this purpose should be fitted out with deep-sea sounding apparatus. Ordinary war vessels are not usually supplied with such means, but only surveying vessels or vessels fitted out for scientific exploration. Such vessels will, as a matter of course, receive from their respective governments instructions to search for dangers of this kind whenever they find them located in a position near which their special mission will take them. What is, however, most wanted at present, are accurate surveys on coasts newly opened to trade and commercial enterprise in order to detect dangers whose existence is entirely unsuspected. The number of these that are yearly discovered (90 last year), many by the expensive process of losing a ship on them, proves incontestably how imperfect the surveys of the world are. "To divert ships engaged in such surveying work to scour the ocean in order to verify doubtful reports under international engagements would be to practically stop the production of improved surveys. Under these circumstances the committee can not recommend any action in the matter. "If masters of vessels, when seeing indications of shallow water, would act in accordance with the resolution we have placed before the Conference, on page 3, instead of passing on their course without any examination, or even taking a cast of the lead, the number of these dangers reported as doubtful would be greatly lessened." The PRESIDENT. The subject before the Conference for discussion is, "Searching for doubtful dangers with a view of removing them from the chart." The Chair is ready to hear any suggestion or motion upon this subject. The Chair hears none. The Secretary will proceed to read the resolutions regarding General Division 10, submitted for the consideration of the Conference. Captain MENSING (Germany). Mr. President, these resolutions are the same as have been given already in the text, and perhaps it will not be necessary to read them again. The PRESIDENT. Does the delegate from Germany move that they be taken as a whole? Captain MENSING (Germany). Yes, sir. The PRESIDENT. The delegate from Germany moves that the resolutions Nos. 1 to 7, inclusive, be taken as a whole for the consideration of the Conference. "RESOLUTIONS REGARDING GENERAL DIVISION 10, SUBMITTED FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THE CONFERENCE. "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. แ "(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 descrip tion 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 shcal 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 C R T 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." Mr. CARTER (Hawaii). Mr. President, I move the adoption of the report and resolutions. The question was put to the Conference upon the motion of the delegate from Hawaii, and it was carried. The PRESIDENT. The next order of business is the report on General Division 11. The Secretary will please read it in divisions. The report of Committee No. 3 on General Division 11 is as follows: "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), or 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. "All notices of changes in lights, beacons, buoys, and other day and night marks, require not only to be brought to the notice of the public of that country in whose waters these changes have taken place, but also to all other maritime nations, so that the authorities may be enabled to impart information for the benefit of their own seafaring popu lation. |