boiler plates. R. S., 4430. permit to be valid until the next regular meeting of the supervising inspectors who shall act thereon. Inspection of Every iron or steel plate used in the construction of steamboat-boilers, and which shall be subject to a tensile strain, shall be inspected in such manner as shall be prescribed by the board of supervising inspectors and approved by the Secretary of Commerce and Labor, so as to enable the inspectors to ascertain its tensile strength, homogeneousness, toughness, and ability to withstand the effect of repeated heating and cooling; and no iron or steel plate shall be used in the construction of such boilers which has not been inspected and approved under those rules. Jan. 22, 1894. (28 Stat., 28.) And the Supervising Inspector-General may, under the direction of the Secretary of Commerce and Labor, detail assistant inspectors from any local inspection district where assistant inspectors are employed, to inspect iron or steel boiler plates at the mills where the same are manufactured; and if the plates are found in accordance with the rules of the supervising inspectors, the assistant inspector shall stamp the same with the initials of his name, followed by the letters and words, U. S. assistant Inspector; and material so stamped shall be accepted by the local inspectors in the districts where such material is to be manufactured into marine boilers as being in full compliance with the requirements of this section regarding the inspection of boiler plates; it being further provided that any person who affixes any false, forged, fraudulent, spurious, or counterfeit of the stamp herein authorized to be put on by an assistant inspector, shall be deemed guilty of a felony, and shall be fined not less than one thousand dollars, nor more than five thousand dollars, and imprisoned not less than two years nor more than five years. Every plate of boiler-iron or steel, made for use in the construction of steamboat-boilers, shall be distinctly and permanently stamped by the manufacturer thereof, and, if practicable, in such places that the marks shall be left visible when such plates are worked into boilers, with the name of the manufacturer, the place where manufactured, and the number of pounds tensile strain it will bear to the sectional square inch; and the inspectors shall keep a record in their office of the stamps upon all boiler-plates and boilers which they inspect. Every person who counterfeits, or causes to be counterfeited, any of the marks or stamps prescribed for boileriron or steel plates, or who designedly stamps, or causes to be stamped falsely, any such plates; and every person who stamps or marks, or causes to be stamped or marked, any such iron or steel plates with the name or trade-mark of another, with the intent to mislead or deceive, shall be fined two thousand dollars, one-half to the use of the informer, and may, in addition thereto, at the discretion Pressure of steam allowable. R. S., 4433. Boiler plate tween flues. R. S., 4454. (28 Stat., 690.) No externally fired boiler having its shell constructed and space beof iron or steel plates exceeding an average thickness of thirty one-hundredths of an inch shall be employed on any steam vessel navigating the Red River of the North or rivers flowing into the Gulf of Mexico or their tributaries; and no externally fired boiler employed on any such steam vessel shall have less than three inches space between its shell and any of its internal flues, and not less than three inches space between such flues when any such flues are more than five inches in diameter; and every such externally fired boiler employed on any such steam vessel shall be provided with a manhole in the lower part of the front head thereof, of such dimensions as may be prescribed by the Board of Supervising Inspectors, in all cases where the distance between its internal flues is less than three inches. Externally fired boilers having shells constructed of iron or steel plates not exceeding an average thickness of fifty one-hundredths of an inch may, in the discretion of the Secretary of Commerce and Labor, be authorized and employed on steam vessels navigating the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, or salt-water bays or sounds, or the Great Lakes, or any of them, and waters flowing to and from the same, or any of them: Provided, That on inspection no plate that is by this Act limited to a thickness of thirty one-hundredths of an inch and no plate that is by this Act limited to a thickness of fifty one-hundredths of an inch. shall be rejected for use if found to exceed those dimensions, respectively, if the average thickness thereof does not exceed the limits therein specified, and the amount of steam pressure that will be permitted to be carried in boilers constructed in accordance with the requirements. of this Act shall be determined from measurements showing the least thickness of the plates. The feed-water shall be delivered into the boilers in such manner as to prevent it from contracting the metal, Feed and con necting pipes. R. S., 4435, Safety-valves, fusible plugs, etc. R. S., 4436. Obstructing safety valves, etc. R. S., 4437. Licenses of officers by in spectors. R. S., 4438. Dec. 21, 1898. or otherwise injuring the boilers. And when boilers are so arranged on a vessel that there is employed a waterconnecting pipe through which the water may pass from one boiler to another, there shall also be provided a similar steam-connection, having an area of opening into each boiler of at least one square inch for every two square feet of effective heating-surface contained in any one of the boilers so connected, half the flue and all other fire surfaces being computed as effective. Adequate provision shall be made on all steam vessels to prevent sparks or flames from being driven back from the fire-doors into the vessel. Every boiler shall be provided with a good, well-constructed safety-valve or valves, of such number, dimensions, and arrangements as shall be prescribed by the board of supervising inspectors, and shall also be provided with a sufficient number of gauge-cocks and a reliable lowwater indicator that will give alarm when the water falls below its prescribed limits; and in addition thereto there shall be inserted, in a suitable manner, in the flues, crownsheet, or other parts of the boiler most exposed to the heat of the furnace when the water falls below its prescribed limits, a plug of good Banca tin. Every person who intentionally loads or obstructs, or causes to be loaded or obstructed, in any way or manner, the safety-valve of a boiler, or who employs any other means or device whereby the boiler may be subjected to a greater pressure than the amount allowed. by the certificate of the inspectors, or who intentionally deranges or hinders the operation of any machinery or device employed to denote the state of the water or steam in any boiler, or to give warning of approaching danger, or who intentionally permits the water to fall below the prescribed low-water line of the boiler, and every person concerned therein, directly or indirectly, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be fined two hundred dollars, and may also be imprisoned not exceeding five years. The boards of local inspectors shall license and classify the masters, chief mates, and second and third mates, if in charge of a watch, engineers, and pilots of all (30 Stat., 764.) steam vessels, and the masters and chief mates of sail vessels of over seven hundred tons and all other vessels and barges of over one hundred tons burden carrying passengers for hire. Sec. 1. It shall be unlawful to employ any person, or for any person to serve, as a master, chief mate, engineer, or pilot of any steamer, or as master or chief mate of any sail vessel of over seven hundred tons who is not licensed by the inspectors; and anyone violating this section shall be liable to a penalty of one hundred dollars for each offense. as Whenever any person applies to be licensed master of any steam vessel, or of a sail vessel of over seven hundred tons, the inspectors shall make diligent inquiry as to his character, and shall carefully examine the applicant as well as the proofs which he presents in support of his claim, and if they are satisfied that his capacity, experience, habits of life, and character are such as warrant the belief that he can safely be entrusted with the duties and responsibilities of the station for which he makes application, they shall grant him a license authorizing him to discharge such duties on any such vessel for the term of five years; but such license shall be suspended or revoked upon satisfactory proof of bad conduct, intemperate habits, incapacity, inattention to his duties, or the - willful violation of any provision of this title applicable to him. License of cap tain. (30 Stat., 764.) mate. Whenever any person applies for authority to be Licenseofchief employed as chief mate of ocean or coastwise steam vessels or of sail vessels of over seven hundred tons, or as second or third mate of ocean or coastwise steam vessels, Sec. 3. who shall have charge of a watch, or whenever any person applies for authority to be employed as mate of river steamers, the inspectors shall require satisfactory evidence of the knowledge, experience, and skill of the applicant in lading cargo and in handling and stowage of freight, and if for license as chief mate on ocean or coastwise steamers, or of sail vessels of over seven hundred tons, or as second or third mate of ocean or coastwise steamers, who shall have charge of a watch, shall also examine him as to his knowledge and ability in navigation and managing such vessels and all other duties pertaining to his station, and if satisfied of his qualifications and good character they shall grant him a license authorizing him to perform such duties for the term of five years upon the waters upon which he is found qualified to act; but such license shall be suspended or revoked upon satisfactory proof of bad conduct, intemperate habits, unskillfulness, or want of knowledge of duties of his station or the willful violation of any provision of this title. License of en- gineer. Whenever any person applies for authority to perform the duties of engineer of any steam-vessel, the inspectors shall examine the applicant as to his knowledge of steam machinery, and his experience as an engineer, and also the proofs which he produces in support of his claim; and if, upon full consideration, they are satisfied that his character, habits of life, knowledge, and experience in the duties of an engineer are all such as to authorize the belief that he is a suitable and safe person to be intrusted with the powers and duties of such a station, they shall grant him a license, authorizing him to be employed in such duties for the term of five years, in which they shall assign (29 Stat., 158.) 27628-04-9 May 28, 1896. License of pilot. R. S., 4442. License of captain or mate as pilot. R. S., 4443. State regulation of pilots. R. S., 4444. Oath of licensed officers. R. S., 4445. him to the appropriate class of engineers; but such license shall be suspended or revoked upon satisfactory proof of negligence, unskillfulness, intemperance, or the willful violation of any provision of this Title. Whenever complaint is made against any engineer holding a license authorizing him to take charge of the boilers and machinery of any steamer, that he has, through negligence or want of skill, permitted the boilers in his charge to burn or otherwise become in bad condition, or that he has not kept his engine and machinery in good working order, it shall be the duty of the inspectors, upon satisfactory proof of such negligence or want of skill, to revoke the license of such engineer and assign him to a lower grade or class of engineers, if they find him fitted therefor. Whenever any person claiming to be a skillful pilot of steam-vessels offers himself for a license, the inspectors shall make diligent inquiry as to his character and merits, and if satisfied, from personal examination of the applicant, with the proof that he offers that he possesses the requisite knowledge and skill, and is trustworthy and faithful, they shall grant him a license for the term of five years to pilot any such vessel within the limits prescribed in the license; but such license shall be suspended or revoked upon satisfactory evidence of negligence, unskillfulness, inattention to the duties of his station, or intemperance, or the willful violation of any provision of this Title. Where the master or mate is also pilot of the vessel, he shall not be required to hold two licenses to perform such duties, but the license issued shall state on its face that he is authorized to act in such double capacity. No State or municipal government shall impose upon pilots of steam-vessels any obligation to procure a State or other license in addition to that issued by the United States, or any other regulation which will impede such pilots in the performance of the duties required by this Title; nor shall any pilot-charges be levied by any such authority upon any steamer piloted as provided by this Title; and in no case shall the fees charged for the pilotage of any steam-vessel exceed the customary or legally established rates in the State where the same is performed. Nothing in this Title shall be construed to annul or affect any regulation established by the laws of any State, requiring vessels entering or leaving a port in any such State, other than coastwise steam-vessels, to take a pilot duly licensed or authorized by the laws of such State, or of a State situate upon the waters of such State. Every master, chief mate, engineer, and pilot, who receives a license, shall, before entering upon his duties, make oath before one of the inspectors herein provided for, to be recorded with the certificate, that he will faithfully and honestly, according to his best skill and judg |